The Taningard ex-Davy, or Taningard ex-John Doe, or Neo violin made its first public appearance in the care of my son yesterday at his 8th grade graduation ceremony. Conditions were favorable. His name (my son’s) was spelled correctly in the program. A sizable crowd, each of them a connoisseur of the finer things in life, awaited him in the seats of Plummer Auditorium in Fullerton, an acoustically friendly venue built in 1930. The lighting was dramatic.
His vehicle: The Gigue from the Partita No. 2 for solo violin by Johann Sebastian Bach. The boy has had this piece under his belt for some time, so there was no undue stress in performing it.
Rehearsal had gone well, though it had been decided that a microphone would be used. The day of the performance, however, we were told that the microphone wouldn’t be used, and we were happy about it because we wanted to see what the violin could do on its own.
We spent a great deal of our time and energy on the day of the performance in making sure that the violin would be safe backstage. A special table was supplied just for the violin; a stagehand promised to watch it as it sat there, protecting it from barbarians and thieves. My son and I, loitering in the wings, discussed where he would stand onstage for maximum effect — directly under the proscenium and dead center.
In the event, violinist and violin met expectations. The son (afterwards) said that he made a couple of miscues, but they were minor. His parents, snapping photos (without flash) and shooting video, certainly did not notice, and the video provided evidence of most proficient execution. There was some debate amongst us as to whether or not the performance was loud enough in the big hall. I believe I won the day by insisting that it was (because I’m right).
He received a boisterous ovation, and not just from his parents.
And the violin itself (made in Rome by Taningard in 1748, according to sources and the label) sounded terrific: Smooth, mellow and powerful. Mission accomplished.
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Awesome! A great continuing saga. Way to go mom, dad, and son Mangan.
Congratulations on your son’s (and the violin’s) recital debut. It sounds as if your family chose well, providing him with an instrument that will accommodate his growing musical skill.
He looks rather tall. I like the line about his name spelled correctly in the program. Crucial.
Congratulations.
Yup, he’s long and lanky.
Congratulations! One of my all time favorite posts. Ever. Happy tears.
Even though most of us no doubt realize that Tim’s tongue was somewhere in the vicinity of his cheek area when he was writing this, i just want to say, as a sort of a warning, that no one should overestimate the importance of the instrument as opposed to that of the person playing it. This post makes it appear as if the violin and the violinist are about equally responsible for what the audience hears. That is not true at all. The former principal concertmaster of the LA Phil Sidney Weiss (who has made a few fine violins himself and always liked accuracy in everything) used to say that at least 90% of the audible result depends on the player, and i believe that this is a reasonable assessment. We should always remember that no violin, no matter how wonderful, can make any musical sounds all by itself. A legend has it that when an audience member once said to Jascha Heifetz after the concert something like “Your violin sounds fantastic tonight!”, the Great One took his del Gesu, held it close to his ear for a few seconds and then replied, “Funny, I don’t hear anything…” It is true however that a fine instrument can certainly help the musician to improve and realize his or her potential more fully. So, congratulations once again for getting a good violin for your son, but, even more emphatically, bravos to your son for making it sound powerful and beautiful in the Gigue, without any “help” from amplification!
Yes, I totally agree, MarK. I hope nobody misunderstood me. But this “series” was always more about violins and THE VIOLIN than about my son — which accounts for the slant I took. I’m proud of my boy’s accomplishments (obviously), but so far I haven’t written anything extensive or comprehensive about them, and I probably won’t. You may notice that I never even used his name.
Still, many people have asked me about the violin since I started this little series … and I thought I’d add this addendum. And we (the family) were all very interested in how the violin would sound under the conditions. We’ve heard the Gigue a million times (practice practice practice) but never the violin in a large auditorium.
My “lecture” was of course not directed toward you, Tim, but was intended for all readers, because the misconception i was talking about is quite common. Your reluctance to focus on your son in your own blog is completely understandable and i am sure that you of all people do appreciate his accomplishments fully because you are a musician yourself and because you probably hear him practicing every day or almost every day. As you may have noticed, i am not using his name either. But i still hope to hear him play that wonderful violin some day soon.
at least 90% of the audible result depends on the player
I would alter that percentage when taking into consideration the acoustics of where that person (and his or her instrument) is located. Just how much of an impact that has on the quality of the listening experience could not be fully understood and appreciated until the past several years, since certainly 2003.
As i said earlier, this is a percentage that was calculated by Sidney Weiss, so you can’t “alter” it without negotiating with him first. He is a former concertmaster of Chicago Symphony, Monte Carlo Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, a maker of several fine violins – but what does he know about sound! The 90% figure may not work for you personally, but it is just fine for me. By the way, no one says that acoustics are irrelevant, whether before 2003 or after. Having said all that, i feel so generous right now that i am still willing to compromise. Would you agree to 88%? Please do because this is my final offer!
Loved your description of this memorable event. Gorgeous piece and no doubt outstanding performer playing a very special instrument. Your glee was very restrained. The great part of getting older and becoming a grandparent is that you can brag, boast and yell bravos with unrestrained glee. Congratulations!
Sheila Segal
Tim, it would be wonderful if your son’s performance had been recorded and posted here. My own children unfortunately don’t seem to have much talent or interest in playing an instrument.
It has been wonderful, following this story: congratulations to all the Mangans! Did I spell that correctly?