“Holmes would talk about nothing but violins” [CARD]
Does the quality of an instrument affect the ability of the player? Marketers of high-end instruments would certainly like us to believe so.
In Sherlock Holmes's case, it is perhaps the difference between Watson tolerating his intermittent concerti and throwing the instrument through the window.
When they first meet, the young Holmes tests Watson thusly:
“Do you include violin-playing in your category of rows?”
Fortunately, Watson passed with flying colors when he replied,
“It depends on the player,” I answered. “A well-played violin is a treat for the gods—a badly-played one—”
Watson would later confirm this for us, as he made his famous list "Sherlock Holmes—his limits":
10. Plays the violin well
Of course, Sherlock Holmes knew he had the upper hand here, as he later confirmed to Watson that his was a Stradivarius, acquired for just 55 shillings. Stradivarius violins are the most famed types of violins in existence, often being insured for millions of dollars. It just goes to show what great bargains one can get if you know what you're looking for!
Later on, Watson referred to Holmes's violin playing as "remarkable," but also alluded to the careless "scraping" of the violin across Holmes's knee and its "low, melancholy wailings." One could easily tie playing style to moods more so than to the quality of the instrument.
Whatever it was, Holmes knew how to get his violin to perform for him.
Listen to the Trifles episode on Holmes's Stradivarius violin:
Let's see if all is sweetness and delicacy and harmony at Baker Street Elementary...
Baker Street Elementary follows the original adventures of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson, as they and their friends work through the issues of elementary school in Victorian London. An archive of all previous episodes can be viewed at the Baker Street Elementary website.
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