Yes Doug, we all play at different levels and to be fair, although I was at one time a violinist of journeyman standards, played once in the national youth orchestra on second violin, I haven't played since damaging my wrist in 1983, although I don't know of many classical players who, as you infer, stick strictly to a score or whatever you said about unorthodox techniques.

Perhaps you should listen to your instrument in a different field some time, perhaps one where expression is an art. If you genuinely think a soloist sounds like the next soloist, it explains your lack of interest in an instrument you actually play. If it's all the same, explain why, just glancing as I type at my albums in a book case, I can see over twenty different Gloria (Vivaldi) and don't even begin to mention (granted, cello) different Bach's cello suite, even by the same musician, (three by Janos Starker alone, all different, yet all using the same dots.)

No. My point stands. if your little finger isn't over the tensioning nut, you can never exploit the most wonderful instrument there is to its full potential. Sorry, but it's down there with laying the neck of the instrument along your palm.