Scan 142
Voice and violin : sketches, anecdotes, and reminiscences, 1898
14 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 122. See the scan on archive.org.
1letting the fingers drop always exactly into the right places can only be acquired by long practice, and may be affected at any time, as with the singer, by fatigue or nervousness.
3The very greatest violinists have been known occasionally to play a little "alongside the note," as the French term it. It is, undoubtedly, one of the weakest points of the violin, whether considered as a solo instrument or as an element of the orchestra, and too much attention cannot be given to it.
5In former years the first flute was the leading instrument in the opera orchestra, but nowadays it is the first violin. All the wood-wind instruments have a tendency to rise in pitch as the evening wears on, especially when the weather is hot and moist. At the same time the strings tend to become flat, and sink rather below the pitch.
7When we add to this that the strings themselves may be defective, and give imperfect fifths, &c., it will be easily perceived how many "temptations" there are for playing out of tune.
9Laziness on the part of the performer is another cause.
11Indeed, when we consider calmly and successively all these things, it is quite wonderful how perfect is the intonation of most violinists, even in very elaborate passages.
13But such a fortunate state of things can only exist in perfection for those who have the instru-
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