Re: "Had that Stradivarius in the back of the cab the other day..."
Thank goodness for honest people! Yes $100.00 reward for a $4 mil violin seems light BUT, he also getss 2 tickets to a Carnigie Hall concert. Depending on the seats that could mean an extra couple of hundred dollars. Perhaps the philanthropist who loaned Quint the Strad could kick in a few of hundred dollars.
Re: "Had that Stradivarius in the back of the cab the other day..."
Anyway, what's the going rate for returning lost violins? Is there some sort of formula which involves the price of the violin, the amount time it was lost, etc?
Re: "Had that Stradivarius in the back of the cab the other day..."
Thanks, Zhenya, that puts some flesh on it.
It's sad, but honesty does seem something worth celebrating these days- and Joe, you're right, what price do you put on it? Having seen the clip, maybe that impromptu concert was just what was needed- hands-on recognition, a good deed for a good deed.
Re: "Had that Stradivarius in the back of the cab the other day..."
The cab driver didn't know how much the violin was worth, and it is not the violin that paid him the money, it was the violinist, who may not be worth 2 million.
Re: "Had that Stradivarius in the back of the cab the other day..."
There was also the classic guy who left a $180K violin and a train luggage rack and a guy who fell down the stairs and broke his stradivarius. Has anyone else noticed that it's always ridiculously valuable violins?
Re: "Had that Stradivarius in the back of the cab the other day..."
True- virtuoso violin players don't come out of this too well- clumsy *and* forgetful - notice, too, that they all seem to be *classical* players. Folk players are obviously much more careful with their Strads.
Re: "Had that Stradivarius in the back of the cab the other day..."
Plus, maybe folk instruments are more robust? I've had my harp blow over in a car-park on a windy day when it was fairly new and I hadn't learned to keep one hand on the thing while in an exposed space, but it didn't suffer too much. Had I done that with my concert harp it would have been a very different story. And, it's easier to remember there's something missing with a bigger, heavier instrument (not that I'm boasting).
Perhaps it's just that fiddles are so small and light?
Re: "Had that Stradivarius in the back of the cab the other day..."
Mark- you make a good case for cast-iron fiddle (or vice versa)
Putting myself in the seat of the man with the £180K instrfument in the luggage rack above his head, I think I would possibly have been thinking:
"In that case is the equivalent of a decent 3 bedroomed house. Must remember to take it with me when I get off".
Interesting thing is, someone in the West Country knows where that instrument is... (not me, honest!)
Re: "Had that Stradivarius in the back of the cab the other day..."
There was no sound as satisfying as the clatter of a Chieftain low D whistle falling on concrete. The whistle never seemed too worse for wear (I write in past tense because that whistle was left in a pub in Miltown during Willy Week. Oops. At least it wasn't a Strad).
"Had that Stradivarius in the back of the cab the other day..."
"Had that Stradivarius in the back of the cab the other day..."
Let's hear it for an honest guy- tho' I reckon he deserves more than 100 bucks.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/may/07/usa.classicalmusic
# Posted on May 7th 2008 by P-K
Re: "Had that Stradivarius in the back of the cab the other day..."
Aw, that's awesome!
# Posted on May 7th 2008 by Tasia
Re: "Had that Stradivarius in the back of the cab the other day..."
I read that article on BBC and remember thinking that for a £2m violin, a £50 reward is pretty tight.
# Posted on May 7th 2008 by mehitabel23
Re: "Had that Stradivarius in the back of the cab the other day..."
£50 and a free concert from a Grammy-nominated violinist isn't too bad though.
# Posted on May 7th 2008 by Joe CSS
Re: "Had that Stradivarius in the back of the cab the other day..."
Thank goodness for honest people! Yes $100.00 reward for a $4 mil violin seems light BUT, he also getss 2 tickets to a Carnigie Hall concert. Depending on the seats that could mean an extra couple of hundred dollars. Perhaps the philanthropist who loaned Quint the Strad could kick in a few of hundred dollars.
# Posted on May 7th 2008 by Pirate-Fiddler
Re: "Had that Stradivarius in the back of the cab the other day..."
Anyway, what's the going rate for returning lost violins? Is there some sort of formula which involves the price of the violin, the amount time it was lost, etc?
# Posted on May 7th 2008 by Joe CSS
Re: "Had that Stradivarius in the back of the cab the other day..."
It wasn't lost. The guy drove away with it.
# Posted on May 7th 2008 by feardearg
Re: "Had that Stradivarius in the back of the cab the other day..."
Here's an article from today's NY Times about the concert for the cab drivers, with some pictures.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/07/nyregion/07violin.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper&oref=slogin
# Posted on May 7th 2008 by Zhenya
Re: "Had that Stradivarius in the back of the cab the other day..."
Thanks, Zhenya, that puts some flesh on it.
It's sad, but honesty does seem something worth celebrating these days- and Joe, you're right, what price do you put on it? Having seen the clip, maybe that impromptu concert was just what was needed- hands-on recognition, a good deed for a good deed.
# Posted on May 7th 2008 by P-K
Re: "Had that Stradivarius in the back of the cab the other day..."
I like the NYT caption- 'Concert for a Found Violin'- echoes of 'Music for a Found Harmonium'?
# Posted on May 7th 2008 by P-K
Re: "Had that Stradivarius in the back of the cab the other day..."
Did they ever find that violin (not quite a strad but at least several 10Ks) left on a train in England a few months ago?
# Posted on May 7th 2008 by spindizzy
Re: "Had that Stradivarius in the back of the cab the other day..."
This one... (better reward offered!)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/somerset/7345923.stm
# Posted on May 7th 2008 by spindizzy
Re: "Had that Stradivarius in the back of the cab the other day..."
The irony is that the man had just had it valued at £180K that day. What is it with violins and forgetfulness?
# Posted on May 7th 2008 by P-K
Re: "Had that Stradivarius in the back of the cab the other day..."
The cab driver didn't know how much the violin was worth, and it is not the violin that paid him the money, it was the violinist, who may not be worth 2 million.
I shall now go and walk on the rice paper.
# Posted on May 7th 2008 by bodhran bliss
Re: "Had that Stradivarius in the back of the cab the other day..."
There was also the classic guy who left a $180K violin and a train luggage rack and a guy who fell down the stairs and broke his stradivarius. Has anyone else noticed that it's always ridiculously valuable violins?
# Posted on May 8th 2008 by TheSilverSpear
Re: "Had that Stradivarius in the back of the cab the other day..."
True- virtuoso violin players don't come out of this too well- clumsy *and* forgetful - notice, too, that they all seem to be *classical* players. Folk players are obviously much more careful with their Strads.
# Posted on May 8th 2008 by P-K
Re: "Had that Stradivarius in the back of the cab the other day..."
Plus, maybe folk instruments are more robust? I've had my harp blow over in a car-park on a windy day when it was fairly new and I hadn't learned to keep one hand on the thing while in an exposed space, but it didn't suffer too much. Had I done that with my concert harp it would have been a very different story. And, it's easier to remember there's something missing with a bigger, heavier instrument (not that I'm boasting).
Perhaps it's just that fiddles are so small and light?
# Posted on May 8th 2008 by Mark Harmer
Re: "Had that Stradivarius in the back of the cab the other day..."
Mark- you make a good case for cast-iron fiddle (or vice versa)
Putting myself in the seat of the man with the £180K instrfument in the luggage rack above his head, I think I would possibly have been thinking:
"In that case is the equivalent of a decent 3 bedroomed house. Must remember to take it with me when I get off".
Interesting thing is, someone in the West Country knows where that instrument is... (not me, honest!)
# Posted on May 8th 2008 by P-K
Re: "Had that Stradivarius in the back of the cab the other day..."
Why would you need a case for a cast-iron fiddle (unless it's to keep it from rusting)?
# Posted on May 8th 2008 by GaryAMartin
Re: "Had that Stradivarius in the back of the cab the other day..."
To carry it around and leave it on trains, in taxis etc.
# Posted on May 8th 2008 by P-K
Re: "Had that Stradivarius in the back of the cab the other day..."
There was no sound as satisfying as the clatter of a Chieftain low D whistle falling on concrete. The whistle never seemed too worse for wear (I write in past tense because that whistle was left in a pub in Miltown during Willy Week. Oops. At least it wasn't a Strad).
# Posted on May 9th 2008 by TheSilverSpear
Re: "Had that Stradivarius in the back of the cab the other day..."
You can't get a Strad whistle for love or money these days.
# Posted on May 9th 2008 by P-K