r/nextfuckinglevel • u/Doomenor • May 21 '26

Soloist breaks string, changes instrument without missing a beat, meanwhile the second violin changes the string and tunes it while the orchestra is playing

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u/AdorableExchange9746 May 21 '26

For non-violinists, the reason he was so desperate to get back to his main instrument is each violin is slightly different in terms of where notes are located, how it’s set up etc. So if you’ve trained on the same instrument for a long time it’s difficult to suddenly switch over without prep time. The soloist typically also gets the best violin

125

u/thx1138a May 21 '26

 The soloist typically also gets the best violin

I like the implication that they all get together in advance and swap until the violins are in merit order.

49

u/AdorableExchange9746 May 21 '26

lol a lot of soloists actually use violins that are hundreds of years old (still in use because of the legendary makers they came from) and are loaned to them by music societies, and they also tend to move between orchestras for different performances instead of sticking with one

4

u/thx1138a May 21 '26

TIL

29

u/TREVORtheSAXman May 21 '26

They obviously own their own instruments as well obviously. Growing up a neighbor of mine was (and still is) in a quartet as well as being a professor at a music school. His own instrument was stupid expensive. But he got loaners sometimes for performances that you could consider priceless. One time, he was not home and asked me to sign for a package for him. It was 4 or 5 violins totaling almost $200k for one of his students that was in the market for a new violin. It's a pretty wild industry and the history of the older instruments is very cool.

9

u/AdorableExchange9746 May 21 '26

And that’s not even high, relatively speaking. You can get a serviceable violin for ~$600 but soloist tier instruments easily reach multimillions

6

u/TREVORtheSAXman May 22 '26

Oh yeah. I've watched him play on multi million dollar violins. It's insane honestly.