<
https://www.chicagomag.com/chicago-magazine/january-2023/the-violin-doctor/>
"It’s a few minutes past 10 in the morning, and John Becker stands just inside
the door to his company’s office in the Fine Arts Building downtown. He wears a
black workman’s apron, which he fits to his body by wrapping the ties around
his torso twice. With his shoulders slightly hunched, he quietly observes the
almost surreal scene unfolding before him.
A few feet away, Joshua Bell and James Ehnes, two of the most prominent solo
violinists on the planet, hover over an Arts and Crafts–style wood table.
Normally, Bell, a former child prodigy known for his virtuosic, animated
playing, and Ehnes, a musician’s musician celebrated for his technical prowess,
would be the superstars in the room. Both have won multiple Grammy Awards, and
between the two of them, they have performed in nearly every major concert hall
and with all the best orchestras in the world. But here, in Becker’s studio
inside his office, another icon takes center stage.
“I’m really nervous and excited,” says Bell, his hands stuffed in his pockets.
“It’s like meeting my wife again after two months. I’m a little overwhelmed.”
“Oh yeah, I understand the feeling,” Ehnes chimes in, his tone nearly giddy.
His eyes are set on an object perched on a gray cloth that covers the tabletop.
“I’ve never seen this violin before. It’s incredible. It’s so beautiful.” He
pauses as though to take in every contour. The spruce wood — a swirl of orange
and red hues — glows under the morning light. “It’s stunning.”
The violin in question belongs to Bell. The 310-year-old instrument, which Bell
has said is worth as much as $15 million, is among the roughly 650 made by the
renowned 18th-century Italian craftsman Antonio Stradivari that survive today.
Bell left it with Becker for repairs, and over the past two months, the master
luthier applied protective polish to preserve the original varnish, removed the
top to make internal repairs, and handcrafted several cleats to reinforce tiny
cracks in the wood. Bell has flown in from New York to retrieve the violin,
which has been his concert instrument since 2001, before he departs on a tour
of South America and Italy."
Share and enjoy,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
