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15 Mar 13 - 04:16 PM (#3490836) Subject: TITANIC violin. Willit play?? From: Anglogeezer The violin that belonged to Wallace Hartley, the band leader on the TITANIC, has been discovered in an attic in Bridlington, East Yorkshire. see here - Titanic fiddle The question is ... will it play?? Jake |
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15 Mar 13 - 04:33 PM (#3490843) Subject: RE: TITANIC violin. Willit play?? From: JohnInKansas It's unlikely to sound really great in its present condition, since there's no bridge and only two strings on it. (At a guess, the sound post also tipped over and got lost?) The real question is "What happened to his bow?". In all likelihood, if his body was found with the violin attached, it shouldn't have been in the water for too long, and 80 or 90 years should have been long enough for it be quite satisfactorily dried out. The picture shows what appears to be a fairly well-preserved body, but of course there'd be a difficult decision over whether to replace the missing pieces (and destroy some of it's "historic" value) or whether having it playable would make it even more "collectible." (There is reported to be at least one Strad that's considered "unrepairable and unplayable." Nobody knows why they keep that piece of junk.) John |
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15 Mar 13 - 04:47 PM (#3490848) Subject: RE: TITANIC violin. Willit play?? From: Steve Gardham Only 'Nearer My God To Thee'! |
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15 Mar 13 - 05:01 PM (#3490856) Subject: RE: TITANIC violin. Willit play?? From: Megan L It should be perfectly possible to restore it sympatetically as they did recently with John Raes fiddle |
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15 Mar 13 - 05:20 PM (#3490860) Subject: RE: TITANIC violin. Willit play?? From: terrier It would probably draw the line at Handel's 'Water Music suite'. I'm surprised that it still is in one piece as the glue holding it together was probably water based, or maybe the water was so cold, it didn't dissolve the glue. We used to leave old defunct pianos out in the rain for a few days, after which time they would literally fall apart. It saved a lot of hard work pulling them apart. |
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15 Mar 13 - 08:29 PM (#3490908) Subject: RE: TITANIC violin. Willit play?? From: JohnInKansas The hide glue mostly used for fiddles may be softened by water, but it would take a fairly long term of soaking to make it come apart, especially without heat. If the fiddler's body was recovered at all, it was probably picked up within a very few days at most, so there wasn't likely a very long "wet time." To "make playable" if there was no fear of destroying "artifact value" a normal procedure would be to (almost) completely disassemble everything and put all the pieces back together. For some fussy players with "treasure" violins this is almost an annual maintenance. Although the bandleader would likely have had a "better than student grade" instrument it's unlikely that even with excellent restoration this one is likely to be much more than "about average" quality - for dance band players. I'd expect this one to end up in a glass case, while the new owner gets a plywood Chinese one to play if so inclined. And anyone who can afford this one probably has a Guarneri, two Amatis, and maybe an old Strad to practice on, and doesn't need to fix this one. Likely, it's only real value is that it's "something from the big ship," just like an old teacup. John |
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16 Mar 13 - 12:37 PM (#3491140) Subject: RE: TITANIC violin. Willit play?? From: GUEST,Marianne S. I'm a bit puzzled. Apparently the violin was found strapped to the body. It was in a leather suitcase - not a violin case, I've seen the picture. It's just about big enough for the violin but not big enough for a bow. A titanorak friend says that there was a careful inventory made of items found with the bodies, but it didn't include a violin. So where did thisa violin come from? |
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16 Mar 13 - 03:25 PM (#3491182) Subject: RE: TITANIC violin. Willit play?? From: Little Robyn According to the newspaper report, his body was found after about 10 days. Is that long enough to dissolve the glue? I can't visualize how he could strap a case to himself, that would survive the plunge into the sea. Was he using it as a flotation aid? And when would he have had time to find a suitcase - or was it someone elses, that was left behind in the chaos? I would have thought that most musicians keep their instrument cases close by, so when the band headed up to the deck, they would have already put their precious instruments in their cases. Yes, I know they took them out again and played outside, but after they finished, wouldn't they have had time to return them to the 'safety' of their own cases? What would you have done with your special instrument? And where would he find a strap long enough to go around himself and a case - or did he just loop his belt through the handle of the case? I think the bass player would have had more chance of floating! A fascinating story. Robyn |
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16 Mar 13 - 07:14 PM (#3491229) Subject: RE: TITANIC violin. Willit play?? From: GUEST,Grishka All reports say the following:
The instrument now found may or may not be the same one. With so much money to be won, "hoax" is quite the wrong category; "forgery" would be the correct word. Will it play? It might (genuine or not), but it will give its best music in the imagination of Titanic mystics. The Titanic orchestra - what a powerful symbol! |
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17 Mar 13 - 11:02 AM (#3491413) Subject: RE: TITANIC violin. Willit play?? From: GUEST,Grishka Update, on further reading: the violin now under inspection does have some damage (spots) from ocean water, and two fissures. If it is the genuine instrument, the fissures may have come about later, after the fiancée's own death. Any luthier could repair it, if that were desired. However, the music of doomsday, danse macabre, is best enjoyed in total silence, shudderingly staring at the relics. |