SOUNDPOST

Carl Becker Jr

LETTER of the MONTH

QUALITY TIME

The online article on adjusting the tone of a stringed instrument (bit.ly/3HvB5QW) reminded me of the countless hours I spent at Carl Becker and Son waiting for Carl Jr to finish up my cello. I was lucky enough to know both Carl Sr and Carl Jr and took it to their shop yearly for routine maintenance. Many famous players came to their shop with their instruments, but Carl Jr treated every one of them the same. Here I was, a college student, and he would spend multiple hours with my cello until he was satisfied with the results. He last worked on the cello just a few years before he died in 2013.

His approach to adjusting the tone was unique: after he had set the post in what he felt was the best position, he never went back and moved it around. Instead he would play the cello, adjust the bridge, play the cello, adjust the bridge… He would hand it to me and listen as I played, then start again until he was satisfied. Of course, I had the final say.

Needless to say, this process took some time. I remember often waiting an hour or more to wrap up the adjustment. I think he was often late for dinner. The cello always sounded amazing when he was done. I once told another violin maker in Denver about Carl’s method, expecting he might try it. He replied, ‘I’m not Carl Becker!’

JIM KOHN Frisco, CO, US

LETTER OF THE MONTH WINS

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STICKY SITUATION

One day, while cooking, I accidentally spilt some olive oil on my bow – which should teach me not to practise in the kitchen. To get it off the bow hair, I’d been told that alcohol would be the best thing to use, so I bought some surgical spirit from the chemist. Then, when I applied it to the affected part of the bow hair and wiped it off, I found the hair had become all shiny and sticky around that area, and certainly not good for playing. Then I read up about it online and found most people actually discourage the use of alcohol at all, as getting it on the stick can remove the finish. I’ve tried using a comb, a hairbrush and a scrubbing brush to unstick it but nothing seems to work. I only just had the bow rehaired after nine months and I don’t really want to go through it again. Does anyone have any recommendations?

JENNY DALTON Driffield, UK

STUCK ON STRADIVARI

BECKER PHOTO COURTESY CHARLES RUFINO. MOULD PHOTO GETTY IMAGES

Paris Andrew is to be congratulated for managing to make only one Stradivari model in her lutherie career, and that the almost unique ‘Chanot-Chardon’ (‘Time to cut the cord?’, Opinion, January 2023). However, her exhortation for luthiers to embrace the work of other makers apart from Antonio Stradivari seems to me a little over the top, given that makers have been broadening their horizons beyond Antonio for donkey’s years. Looking at The Strad’s collection of posters, for instance, I see examples by Stainer, Gofriller, Montagnana, Vuillaume, A. Gagliano, Rogeri, Rugeri and José Contreras to name but a few. I’d guess that means there’s been some interest in years gone by for makers to copy these patterns?

What is true, however, is that the cost of buying an instrument is now so high that musicians will always have one eye on the resale value when commissioning something new. Hence, it’s much more likely for them to opt for a familiar Strad model than something left-field. And there was even a time when ordering an instrument in a different colour was seen as nothing exceptional – now that privilege appears to be granted to virtuosos such as Pavel Šporcl (see December 2022). As with most things, the business of the artisan is driven by the demands of the market, not to satisfy one’s creative muse!

SIMON BOND St Helens, UK

FINLAND CALLS

At the 2023 Elmar Oliveira International Violin Competition, three of the finalists (including winner Hina Khuong-Huu, right) performed the Sibelius Violin Concerto, which made me consider the inspiration behind this wonderful music. Was Sibelius inspired by the wilderness of the vast forests, the thousand lakes and rapids of Finland? It is unlike any other violin concerto and is in my opinion the most touching of his compositions: fateful, dramatic and intense. It’s complex, complicated, and by many considered the most exacting and demanding violin concerto to play; it requires a virtuoso violinist.

Having listened to a number of versions, I find the 1959 recording by David Oistrakh with Eugene Ormandy conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra to be unbeatable (youtu.be/Y6QaZk64YCA). Oistrakh plays with fervour, tenderness and sharpness where needed. The orchestra endeavours to match his standard: for instance, right at the start there is a little accentuation in the phrase before the soloist begins. In the second part, towards the end, Oistrakh plays the ascending phrases with sharpness on the top notes. In a later phrase, which is repeated twice, he uses an utterly touching vibrato on the second-last note. These are small but meaningful touches; they give character to the music.

ULLA KORPI-ANTTILA Turku, Finland

ONLINE COMMENT

BENEDETTI PHOTO MARK ALLAN/BBC. KHUONG-HUU PHOTO AMY PASQUANTONIO

Florence-based luthier Paris Andrew’s opinion piece about exploring models by masters other than Stradivari caused a stir, with comments both supporting and rejecting her suggestions bit.ly/3jjqIX3 GARY GAY Judging by new violins I see, Strads are hopelessly out of fashion already. Everyone wants a Guarneri pattern, or so it seems.

DANIEL PARISINUS I am not sure that any cornerless violins ever sounded good, but it is true that luthiers can explore many promising models, and not only from the Italian school. The French, Dutch and German schools produced high-quality instruments and should be studied.

www.thestrad.com