Hi all, Definitely Stroh violins. I heard the Boardwalk Empire MD talk about them on WNYC.
Terry Riley's Transylvanian Horn Courtship for Kronos calls for custom-built Stroh instruments (not just violins but Stroh viola and Stroh cello) built for them Walter Kitundu, and tuned a full fifth lower than the standard instruments. You can read more about these instruments, and the piece, here: http://www.carnegiehall.org/article/box_office/events/evt_13018_pn.html?selecteddate=03112010 I'm not sure if it was because of the lower tuning, but the instruments Kronos used were very soft -- much softer than standard string instruments. The authentic Stroh violins are supposed to be louder than a standard violin, that being the whole point of the resonator -- but for whatever reason, these ones were eerily quiet, even when played forcefully. Cheers, - DJA ----- WEB: http://www.secretsocietymusic.org On 11 Dec 2010, at 2:25 PM, Dennis Bathory-Kitsz wrote: > On Sat, December 11, 2010 2:19 pm, Blake Richardson wrote: >> I've been watching the HBO show "Boardwalk Empire" lately, which is set in >> 1920s Prohibition-era Atlantic City, and they've had several scenes set in a >> dance hall with a band in a reverse orchestra pit (in a balcony up near the >> rafters as opposed to below the stage). One instrument they use is something >> I've never seen before and I was wondering if anyone knows what it is: it >> looks like and is played like a standard violin but there's a big >> trumpet-like >> brass bell attached to it that extends up over the neck of the instrument. >> Seems like some kind of string/brass hybrid thingy. > > It's probably a Stroh violin. Quirky history, including used for recording in > the pre-electric days. > > I saw one in Bruges just this spring, where the musician was playing a csárdás > on it. > > Dennis > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Finale mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [email protected] http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
