IS IT REALLY JUST A VIOLIN, BUT BIGGER?
'Yes. It's basically a violin, but bigger.'
I've uttered that sentence repeatedly now and it's not altogether true. Sorry.
I mean, it is bigger. It's just not 'basically' a 'big violin'. There's a little more to it and for those dying to know, you can read 5 differences between a violin and a viola here.
You see, I've decided to discontinue my 'explaining the difference' efforts, hence the convenient link above. It's not that people fail to understand, it's that I know the questioner will grow disinterested, too quickly. You can see it plainly in their eyes, 'why did I mention it?' 'I only asked to be polite.' 'Why is she still talking about viola strings?'
With that, this text was carefully censored before I published it, exclusive of all 'lullably-effect' viola details; not one string is named, there's zero discussion about note range and nowhere have I stepped into the wearisome world of music notation which, by the way, I need to re-learn.
Prague is to Blame
The setting: In the very heart of Prague's Old Town area, my Mum and I treated ourselves to a candlelit evening of Czech and Austrian cuisine with Mozart, performed by instrumentalist of Prague Radio Symphony, of course. It took place in a ballroom of breath-taking beauty; dressed in marble, gold and crystal glass. It was the optimum setting for a classical performance, which was carried out with an equal, albeit incomparable, measure of charm and delicacy.
It would be fair to assume that I, being a fiddle player, would be most infatuated with the lead violinist of such an awe inspiring quintet. Yet, quite peculiarly, it was the viola player who held onto my attention from start to finish, with a tasty dinner in between.
We heard two more viola players that weekend and each one exceeded the last.
My Confession
I was ignorant. It took a mere three concerts for my somewhat shortsighted opinion of the viola to vanish. Before that weekend in Prague, I had under-appreciated the viola as a solo instrument. I had undervalued its richness and I underestimated its ability to expose such raw emotion. For that, I'm very sorry.
Never be Rude on the Phone
A quick stop at Stringers of Edinburgh, on our way back from Prague, only encouraged this need for the four-stringed piece of mellow artistry. In fact, as soon as we arrived home in Stornoway, I phoned Stringers to purchase the very one I had played in their show room the day before. Sadly for them, the lady's phone manner and reluctance to serve me ended that moment of impulse, abruptly. "Can you not just do that online?" was their response. I was only trying to give them over £1200.
It was made clear to me that buying a viola deserved a good bit more time and research. Especially since Mum decided she wanted to buy it for me.
In the end, my heart landed on this Tim Phillips creation. It was more expensive than the viola at Stringers, but so entirely worth it (I'm convinced Mum agrees). It's smooth, it's mellow and it's everything in between. It has the same unique character as my fiddle, which Tim also handmade. The smooth and neat silhouette, spruce front, maple back ribs and open scroll. She's a beauty.
Is three really a crowd?
I love and adore my Tim Phillips fiddle and could never look past it. It now seems I'll never look past my viola either. It arrived yesterday afternoon and I took it with me to the Hebridean Princess last night, where I was performing with my good friend Andy. I brought my fiddle too, of course.
It might mean carrying two cases around for a while but I can already see that having both is pushing me out of my very familiar comfort zone. The viola does have the capability of playing lively jigs, reels and strathspeys, by the way. It's not just for demoted violinists and it's not a 'shame' that it can't go any higher.
My fiddle and I have a solid relationship; we know each other inside out, we bring out the best in each other, we're comfortable around each other and we never fall out for very long. What's it like having a third party in the relationship? (not Kevin, the viola) - It's only made us stronger.
So I'm about to relearn everything I know about reading music. I'm prepared to stretch my fingers a little further and move my bow a good bit more, then re-adjust back to fiddle size movements for the next tune.
I'm ready to respond to the question time and time again - 'yes, basically'. Most of all, I'm very excited to become a violist/viola-ist/viola player/basically-big-violin-player AND fiddle player because 'basically', there's just a little more to it than having a 'big violin'.
