January 17
The Violin they say is one of the most difficult musical instruments to play in India. It is said that several life-times might be required to attain perfection!
A Violin can be a listeners' paradise if played well and and a veritable hell for the household members in the midst of which it is practised.
Our Violin Teacher was a man with a long coat and long hair, He often said he was 80 years although his black hair belied his age, but then he used a good hair dye which he pronounced as "Khizaab" and we heard as "Tezaab" which meant acid!
Whenever he played the violin it sounded as if he were crying out loud in pain. Actually he was so busy teaching music that he never got time to practice on the violin and it was sheer agony listening to him. So we were glad when the violin lessons were finally over.
In a concert when my brother and I finished playing the violin there was sustained applause.
And our violin teacher stood up to say: "It was I who taught them how to play!"
And he had to put up with the embarrassing remark from the audience:
"And now they play better than you!"
Ultimately we gave up playing the violin and it still lies at home, all its strings shattered but its body structure intact. It was said to be a "Stradivarius" violin made in Czechoslovakia. We always believed the label to be a fake. How could the Czechoslovakians make such bad noise as our Music Teacher made when playing it?
The Violin they say is one of the most difficult musical instruments to play in India. It is said that several life-times might be required to attain perfection!
A Violin can be a listeners' paradise if played well and and a veritable hell for the household members in the midst of which it is practised.
Our Violin Teacher was a man with a long coat and long hair, He often said he was 80 years although his black hair belied his age, but then he used a good hair dye which he pronounced as "Khizaab" and we heard as "Tezaab" which meant acid!
Whenever he played the violin it sounded as if he were crying out loud in pain. Actually he was so busy teaching music that he never got time to practice on the violin and it was sheer agony listening to him. So we were glad when the violin lessons were finally over.
In a concert when my brother and I finished playing the violin there was sustained applause.
And our violin teacher stood up to say: "It was I who taught them how to play!"
And he had to put up with the embarrassing remark from the audience:
"And now they play better than you!"
Ultimately we gave up playing the violin and it still lies at home, all its strings shattered but its body structure intact. It was said to be a "Stradivarius" violin made in Czechoslovakia. We always believed the label to be a fake. How could the Czechoslovakians make such bad noise as our Music Teacher made when playing it?
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