Posted by FiddlerJones on Sunday, April 18, 2010
I attended a recital in Indianapolis not long ago, and among those in the audience were a couple of violists with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra.
During a reception after the recital, my wife was talking with these violists and motioned for me to come over.
"My husband's a fiddler," she cheerfully announced.
Oh great, I thought. Now I'm going to get the snooty comeuppance treatment.
Instead, much to my surprise, the violists expressed genuine interest in the kind of music I played. They seemed fairly conversant in bluegrass, oldtime, and Irish fiddling. One of them said he had done a bit of fiddling himself.
So that was a preconception smashed. Years ago, I had become accustomed to fiddlers accusing me of being a violinist and violinists accusing me of slumming.
But nowadays there seems to be much greater broad-mindedness, and I find this encouraging. The instrument is merely a vehicle for the expression of musical ideas, and there is room for an infinite variety of ideas. Musicians understand this.
3 comments on “A couple of symphony orchestra violists”
mudbug Says:
Sunday, April 18, 2010 @12:06:55 PM
"Musicians understand this." Amen. Well said.
fiddleiphile Says:
Sunday, April 18, 2010 @2:44:41 PM
Took the words from my mouth Steve, Amen!
John Gent Says:
Monday, April 19, 2010 @4:30:46 PM
I've had a similar experience. A quartet (two violins, a viola and a cello) at a friends wedding reception. After the music the musicians joined the shindig and my wife pointed out that I was a fiddler. The fella - now with a loosened bow tie - revealed his love for fiddling and how he keeps two violins. One with Dominants and the other with Helicores.
Really, I've yet to meet with any condescension from others that play this instrument. But I've only been playing for a few years.
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