A short story about my violin
When I was a boy of 12, a friend of our family used to visit us every few months. Even then he was more then 80 years old and liked to discuss politics and culture with my father. Being an architect he was the head of a building company in the past, but was very enthusiastic about literature, painting and – of course music. One of his numerous hobbies was violins – he had a collection of about twenty pieces. He loved them because every violin is an unique work of art and he tried to find the violin with the perfect tone. Therefore he was travelling through the whole of Europe buying and selling violins. Unfortunaley, because of his old age his sense of hearing was fading. Therefore, every time he visited us he brought three or four violins with him. My task was to try them out and tell him my opinion about them. The bad ones he sold immediately, the good ones he kept or tried to trade for even better ones. This was going on for several years until he became too old for driving. Eight years ago he dedicated a violin to me – it was the last one I had recommeded him to keep. In 2011 Franz Joseph Hörzing died at an age of 97.
How to buy a viola
Three years ago in early June we played a festival in Munich. Because we had another concert in Germany a few days later we decided not to go back to Vienna but staying in Munich a couple of days. Unfortunatly, it rained like hell the whole day so me and Jakob went into a music store looking for equipment. Jakob tried out several guitars and I had to listen and comment on the sound of the instruments. After two hours of describing the sound of guitars I was fed up. So I said: „Ok, lets go up to the string instruments section, I’ll try out some and you have to listen“. In reality I had no intention to buy anything. Upstairs the shop assistant was really looking down on us. Well, it had been a really hard festival the last days and our clothes weren’t in the best condition anymore. However, I asked him for some violins to try out. He returned with some planks with strings, just having the outer shape in common with a violin. I wasn’t very happy with that selection, but behind the counter I could see a slightly reddish viola in a vitrine.
I told him: I want to try out that one. He answered embarrassed: „Well, that one isn’t too cheap and you have to pay it in chash because we sell it on commission“. Anyway, he let me play on this viola. I immediately fall in love. The instrument was a beauty and the tone was sonorous. I knew it was my instrument. Therefore, I asked him for the price. It wasn’t cheap but it was absolutely worth it. So I told him: „I’ll take it“. The salesman was surprised and repeated the price and in cash. I telephoned Mario who was in the hotel to bring the pay of the last festival to the shop. Half an hour later Mario arrived not looking any better than me or Jakob and just put a sock on the counter. Well, the salesman was looking at us rather baffled so I explained to him: „That’s the money!“
Coming Home and Breathe of our newest album A Vagabond’s Tale are the first compositiones with that viola.
Music
Actually I’m listening to music rather seldom. Probably the reason is that I’m surrounded by music anyway. There is music when I’m going in a restaurant for dinner, it’s in the bar where I meet with friends, it’s even in the supermarket. Besides being a musician, I’m playing myself nearly everyday either for practice or at concerts. So, when I’m at home I usually enjoy the silence. The few times I turn on music at home it is classical music.
Musical Evolution
When I was seven I started playing violin. I don’t know anymore why exactly violin – I guess because my grandfather played it too when he was young. I got my first lessons at the local music school. At the age of sixteen I was invited to attend at the University Mozarteum Salzburg.
Being 19 I had to go to the army and I did it with my violin (indeed, the Austrian army has a symphonic orchestra). After that episode I stopped playing for a longer time. I started studying technical physics in Vienna. Two years later an old friend encouraged me to join the Technical University Orchestra Vienna. From this time on I intensified my musical activities. Several times I took part at tours through china with various orchestras and frequently played concerts with string quartetts. At the same time I started composing pieces for string quartett and symphonic pieces a little later. After complementing the two guitarists Mario and Jakob to the instrumental-trio Cobario I’m of course focusing on that band, but I’m still composing symphonic pieces.
The truth about learning violin
I would never recommend anyone to start learning the violin. For the first seven years it’s chilling oneself and terrorizing one’s neighbours. On the other hand I don’t think there is an other instrument you can play in a more bloodcurdling way if you don’t really know how to do. If you are really thinking about learning an instrument please choose guitar, piano is ok as well. In contrast to the violin it is possible to get out acceptable tone as a beginner. For your own sake, don’t start playing the violin!
Anyhow me and my neighbours survived that phase.A short story about my violin
When I was a boy of 12, a friend of our family used to visit us every few months. Even then he was more then 80 years old and liked to discuss politics and culture with my father. Being an architect he was the head of a building company in the past, but was very enthusiastic about literature, painting and – of course music. One of his numerous hobbies was violins – he had a collection of about twenty pieces. He loved them because every violin is an unique work of art and he tried to find the violin with the perfect tone. Therefore he was travelling through the whole of Europe buying and selling violins. Unfortunaley, because of his old age his sense of hearing was fading. Therefore, every time he visited us he brought three or four violins with him. My task was to try them out and tell him my opinion about them. The bad ones he sold immediately, the good ones he kept or tried to trade for even better ones. This was going on for several years until he became too old for driving. Eight years ago he dedicated a violin to me – it was the last one I had recommeded him to keep. In 2011 Franz Joseph Hörzing died at an age of 97.
How to buy a viola
Three years ago in early June we played a festival in Munich. Because we had another concert in Germany a few days later we decided not to go back to Vienna but staying in Munich a couple of days. Unfortunatly, it rained like hell the whole day so me and Jakob went into a music store looking for equipment. Jakob tried out several guitars and I had to listen and comment on the sound of the instruments. After two hours of describing the sound of guitars I was fed up. So I said: „Ok, lets go up to the string instruments section, I’ll try out some and you have to listen“. In reality I had no intention to buy anything. Upstairs the shop assistant was really looking down on us. Well, it had been a really hard festival the last days and our clothes weren’t in the best condition anymore. However, I asked him for some violins to try out. He returned with some planks with strings, just having the outer shape in common with a violin. I wasn’t very happy with that selection, but behind the counter I could see a slightly reddish viola in a vitrine.
I told him: I want to try out that one. He answered embarrassed: „Well, that one isn’t too cheap and you have to pay it in chash because we sell it on commission“. Anyway, he let me play on this viola. I immediately fall in love. The instrument was a beauty and the tone was sonorous. I knew it was my instrument. Therefore, I asked him for the price. It wasn’t cheap but it was absolutely worth it. So I told him: „I’ll take it“. The salesman was surprised and repeated the price and in cash. I telephoned Mario who was in the hotel to bring the pay of the last festival to the shop. Half an hour later Mario arrived not looking any better than me or Jakob and just put a sock on the counter. Well, the salesman was looking at us rather baffled so I explained to him: „That’s the money!“
Coming Home and Breathe of our newest album A Vagabond’s Tale are the first compositiones with that viola.
Music
Actually I’m listening to music rather seldom. Probably the reason is that I’m surrounded by music anyway. There is music when I’m going in a restaurant for dinner, it’s in the bar where I meet with friends, it’s even in the supermarket. Besides being a musician, I’m playing myself nearly everyday either for practice or at concerts. So, when I’m at home I usually enjoy the silence. The few times I turn on music at home it is classical music.
Musical Evolution
When I was seven I started playing violin. I don’t know anymore why exactly violin – I guess because my grandfather played it too when he was young. I got my first lessons at the local music school. At the age of sixteen I was invited to attend at the University Mozarteum Salzburg.
Being 19 I had to go to the army and I did it with my violin (indeed, the Austrian army has a symphonic orchestra). After that episode I stopped playing for a longer time. I started studying technical physics in Vienna. Two years later an old friend encouraged me to join the Technical University Orchestra Vienna. From this time on I intensified my musical activities. Several times I took part at tours through china with various orchestras and frequently played concerts with string quartetts. At the same time I started composing pieces for string quartett and symphonic pieces a little later. After complementing the two guitarists Mario and Jakob to the instrumental-trio Cobario I’m of course focusing on that band, but I’m still composing symphonic pieces.
The truth about learning violin
I would never recommend anyone to start learning the violin. For the first seven years it’s chilling oneself and terrorizing one’s neighbours. On the other hand I don’t think there is an other instrument you can play in a more bloodcurdling way if you don’t really know how to do. If you are really thinking about learning an instrument please choose guitar, piano is ok as well. In contrast to the violin it is possible to get out acceptable tone as a beginner. For your own sake, don’t start playing the violin!
Anyhow me and my neighbours survived that phase.
