On 19.01.2007 Andrew Stiller wrote:
Absolutely. Kolisch was a famous enough violinist that he probably could have commissioned such an instrument--but by that time he would have been so accustomed to his own, idiosyncratic playing style that it would have been more trouble than it was worth to switch over.
I don't understand what you are saying. No doubt he either had a violin made or one changed around (which requires opening it). You are not implying that he used a normal strung instrument? That I am absolutely certain was not what he did.
Kolisch is not the only one who played the other round. Reinhard Goebel tried this for years, there is also quite a famous viola player, Kussmaul (not the violinist, but his brother) who plays the other way round. He even led the violas in the WDR orchestra for some time, it must have looked very strange but they somehow manager.
I would say that if he could play the Schoenberg concerto back-handed, then he could play anything thus.
I am left handed, so I guess it is the same for me. (I never played the Schoenberg, I admit, but I got as far as Alban Berg...). There are advantages and disadvantages.
The really amazing thing about Kolisch was that he changed around in his teens.
Johannes -- http://www.musikmanufaktur.com http://www.camerata-berolinensis.de _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list Finale@shsu.edu http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
