Sherlock Holmes Virtuoso Violinist.

CharlasBaker Street and Beyond

Únete a LibraryThing para publicar.

Sherlock Holmes Virtuoso Violinist.

Este tema está marcado actualmente como "inactivo"—el último mensaje es de hace más de 90 días. Puedes reactivarlo escribiendo una respuesta.

1violinland Primer Mensaje
Oct 31, 2006, 9:21 pm

My main interest in Sherlock Holmes is Holmes the violinist. As a musicologist specialising in Violin History it is therefore not surprising that I regard Sherlock Holmes as a serious violinist who perhaps took the wrong path.

In February last I delivered a lecture on "Sherlock Holmes Violinist," at the Liverpool Athenaeum. Using as a basis all the references in the canon to the musical activities of the master detective. Over a period of years I had collected recordings of the musicians Holmes mentions in his conversations with Dr Watson. Much of the material was extremely rare. The most difficult decision was to establish the identity of the singer Carina. After much research I came to the conclusion she was in fact Adalina Patti. After all it was Patti who recorded Holmes favourite song "Holmes Sweet Holmes." The lecture also includes references to Paganini, and of course the matter of his Stradivarius and its origins plus the fact that there is no mentions of the violin being sold with a bow.

There has been only one book about Sherlock Holmes the musician of any note, Guy Warraks "Sherlock Holmes and Music,."

I mention all this because it is normally a neglected aspect of Holmes life. It might just spark off some discussion on the matter..

2aluvalibri
Oct 31, 2006, 9:41 pm

It is quite interesting....

3lanceparkin
Nov 3, 2006, 7:38 am

It's one of those Holmes cliches, isn't it - we see him do it, but only apparently to annoy Watson.

In The Canary Trainer, set while the world thinks Holmes is dead, he becomes a violin teacher, then orchestra member in Paris.

4atman
Feb 19, 2007, 10:22 pm

well, he doesn't only just torment Watson. I forget which story, but he's described as realizing that he's been bothering Watson so he proceeds to play a whole bunch of Watson's favorite pieces all in a row.

5thecardiffgiant
Editado: Abr 20, 2007, 7:41 am

Watson on Holmes' eccentric improvisations, from a Study in Scarlet:

"Clearly they reflected the thoughts which possessed him, but whether the music aided those thoughts, or whether the playing was simply the result of whim or fancy, was more than I could determine. I might have rebelled against these exasperating solos had it not been that he usually terminated them by playing in quick succession a whole series of my favourite airs as a slight compensation for the trial upon my patience."

And then in The Sign of Four chapter 8 closes with this:

" 'Look here, Watson; you look regularly done. Lie down there on the sofa and see if I can put you to sleep.'

He took up his violin from the corner, and as I stretched myself out he began to play some low, dreamy, melodious air--his own, no doubt, for he had a remarkable gift for improvisation. I have a vague remembrance of his gaunt limbs, his earnest face, and the rise and fall of his bow. Then I seemed to be floated peacefully away upon a soft sea of sound until I found myself in dreamland, with the sweet face of Mary Morstan looking down upon me."

Then of course we have Sherlock's own "violin-land, where all is sweetness, and delicacy, and harmony," to which the original poster's name refers (from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, "The Red-Headed League").

6stringcat3
Jun 4, 2007, 6:29 pm

I'm happy to see this thread! My two literary heroes, Holmes and Jack Aubrey, being gifted violinists was a major motivation in my taking up the instrument at the hoary age of 45. I've settled on Celtic fiddle and aspire to be "not horrible" before I'm 50.

In Sena Jeter Naslund's Sherlock In Love (don't be put off by the dreadful title) Holmes as a violinist is central to the plot.

7ostrom
Mar 23, 2008, 9:49 pm

I've always wanted to know exactly what Holmes played on the violin (in addition to random scraping). violinland, is your lecture available online, or has it otherwise been published? It sounds fascinating.

Únete para publicar