Brexit stage left...

The countdown has begun toward June 23rd, and whilst the political elite jostle within their own parties creating yet more divide there are those of us who view the possibility of a Brexit success as more than just a question of sovereignty or re-negotiated trade agreements.

As a classical musician working in the UK and across Europe for the last fifteen years I am deeply concerned about the impact an ‘out’ vote would have not only on my career, but on the arts as a whole in the UK.

The UK can lay claim to having some of the greatest orchestras, opera and theatre companies in the world.  This is in no small part due to the extraordinary wealth of European talent living and working in the UK. Freedom of services means that theatre groups and orchestras can work freely across Europe without bureaucratic interference.  Most British orchestras and ensembles spend much of their time on tour, a majority of it across Europe.  A Brexit scenario could reduce the ease and frequency of these tours overnight. In an economy where public funding for the arts is increasingly diminishing this could mean hundreds if not thousands of musicians losing their livelihoods.

But there’s always private sponsorship isn't there? Many arts organisations rely solely on private sponsorship as opposed to public funding.  Brexit would argue that the UK can negotiate fresh trade deals, and business can thrive without the supposed shackles of the EU.  But if the UK had its credit rating slashed, not to mention the falling pound as a result of the impending referendum, are big businesses going to stoically support the arts amidst a failing economy? They certainly didn't in 2008. 

Aside from those British artists travelling abroad, what of the European artists performing here at the BBC proms, the Edinburgh Festival, and countless other concerts and performances that take place across the country throughout the year? Yes, those players can still come to the UK post-Brexit but the cost of doing so is likely to increase, and UK promoters will have to pass on the additional cost to theatre-goers, many of whom will not be able to afford it.  With the potential loss of revenue from ticket sales and the impact on local businesses, such as hoteliers and restaurants, it becomes clear that a diminishing arts scene in the UK could have wider implications on the British economy.

When Liverpool was European city of culture in 2008 it recorded a 34% rise in tourism on the previous year, with a rise in visits to cultural venues of 10% year on year 2006-08.  The impact on the local economy there cannot be disputed, yet the Brexit campaign has neglected to acknowledge the contribution the arts make to the British economy as a result of the freedom afforded by the EU.

Europe has become an intrinsic part of the fabric of our society in Britain, and it is because of this reciprocal nature of study, research and performance that the UK is acknowledged to be a world leader in culture and the arts. The only industry the UK can lay claim to anymore is the ability to produce truly international actors, artists and musicians, and if we lose these because of a misguided quest for national sovereignty then we could lose our last semblance of national identity.

Christopher Hogwood instrument sale

It was a treat to see the collection of historical keyboard instruments belonging to the late Christopher Hogwood at the salerooms in Bath this week. It's not often collections such as these appear on the open market, and there were some magnificent instruments, particularly the 1761 clavichord by Johann Adolph Hass.

Many of the instruments fetched well above their estimates, and I hope many if not all will remain here in the UK to be admired for generations to come, rather than end up in private overseas collections.

The auction results can be found here:

http://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/gardiner-houlgate/catalogue-id-srgard10016

A new look at an old revolution...

This month sees the launch of a new venture in period performance in Bristol. The Bristol Baroque Soloists can make the enviable claim of having played exclusively to sold out venues since its inception, however on April 27th the group pushes the boundaries of audacity further with its latest programme 'Diva Britannia'.

Produced in collaboration with Bozarts and in partnership with the Bristol Ensemble 'Diva Britannia' explores the music, literature and politics of the hundred years between 1650 and 1750. From the puritanism of Cromwell's reign to the flowering of opera and theatre after the return of Charles II. With quintessentially English music from Purcell and Playford to the to the adopted Englishman, Handel, and longstanding London resident, Geminiani. The music is interspersed and corroborated with contemporary accounts and readings from Samuel Pepys, John Donne and John Bancks, along with original narrative written specifically for the programme.

Bristol Baroque Soloists comprises players at the forefront of period performance in the UK, many of which hold principal positions in some of the country's finest ensembles. BBS are proud to be joined by internationally acclaimed soprano Mhairi Lawson for their latest project.

Performance details:

Friday 27 April 2012 7.30 pm
All Saints Church, Church Lane, Long Ashton, Bristol BS41 9LU

Tickets £15 / £10 / £5 Student Concession
Tickets available on the door
or
Advance purchase from:
Providence Music Bristol 0117 927 6536 sales@providencemusic.co.uk
All Saints Church 01275 393 109 (Mon-Thu 9am -1pm)

Going for broke!

With the price of fine antique bows on an ever increasing ascent many string players have to make concessions when looking for their dream bow. At present a quality Sartory violin bow won't give you much change from £17,000. A bow by Etienne Pajeot would be closer to £30,000 and a Dominique Pecatte upwards of £40,000. With the average orchestral salary between £27,000-30,000 then the chances of ownership are virtually impossible. True, there are cheaper bows by lesser makers, many good German bows only command prices in the low £1000's, but these don't always share the finer characteristics of their French brethren that are required by players in top orchestras and ensembles.
There are of course many fine contemporary makers around the world. European, American and, increasingly, Chinese. At a professional level these range in price from £1000 upwards, though with the shortage of pernambucco coupled with the rising cost of quality horsehair many makers are having to raise their prices accordingly.
Many living makers also become 'fashionable' when famous soloists buy their bows, pushing prices up even more. Good business for the makers, but not much help for the buyers. French achetier Benoit Rolland has a client list that reads like a classical top 100 chart, with players such as Anne-Sophie Mutter, Christian Tetzlaf, Mstislav Rostropovitch owning his bows. Five years ago his bows were selling for around £3,500, now many are in excess of £7,500.
With the clear financial obstacles preventing many players from owning a fine old French bow, it is no surprise that many musicians are looking into alternatives. This is where a broken or ‘pinned’ bow becomes quite appealing. A broken bow need not mean the end of the road. If a bow breaks at the head or tip it is often possible to ‘pin’ it by fixing the broken section with a pin through either the top or bottom of the head, depending on the location of the break. Similarly if the break is in the shaft of the stick it is often possible to ‘splice’ the two sections back together. Often the section repaired is even stronger than it was before, meaning you have a kind of ‘reinforced’ bow. The value, however, plummets. A broken bow might be worth one third of its original value. This is good news for someone looking for an old French bow with a bargain basement price tag. Not so good for the owner who might have broken his/her mint condition Pecatte!
An increasing number of string players in London and across the UK have actively sought out a ‘pinned’ or repaired bow because of the great value for money they represent. Many are not too bothered about any resale value either, as a common consensus is that a ‘broken’ bow is bought to be used rather than as an investment. Though prices of such bows are now starting to rise, with many dealers realizing that these salvaged bows are actually in great demand.
The best value for money is still to buy a bow in the best possible condition you can afford. Within ten years the demand will have fallen so far short of the supply that buying a named old French bow will be the preserve of the wealthy oligarch or museum.

They're not all rogue traders...

If you were to try to sell a car with no MOT, no tax, no service history, no registration document, in fact no paperwork at all for £5,000 you wouldn't get very far. Try doing this for a couple of years and before long you would probably have the police knocking at your door. Now imagine you want to sell an old Italian violin, which will undoubtedly have had more owners than a ten year old Mondeo, for £50,000. There would likely be no shortage of prospective buyers wanting to have a look, and one of them might even hand over the cash. Violin dealers rely on a greater level of trust in their clients than in any other profession. On going to a dentist or doctor it's reassuring to see all manner of diplomas and certificates adorning the walls. A lawyer would not be able to proffer advice or represent you in court without a practising certificate. Yet a violin dealer, who may have no qualifications in the field, can sell you a violin for £100,000 without any paperwork or provenance. There is no governing body like the Solicitors Regulation Authority or the GMC to monitor the conduct of those in the string trade, leaving most players at the mercy of the dealers.
Occasionally a rogue dealer gets caught out. Dietmar Machold was arrested last year on fraud charges (see the Strad article here: http://www.thestrad.com/Article.asp?ArticleID=1838) One wonders how many players were taken in by his claims such as "Machold's commitment is to high quality, personalized service...", and whether those that have bought instruments from him still believe that "The highly regarded Machold certificate of authenticity accompanies each instrument and bow...". These are all quotes from the Machold Rare Violins website, why would anyone have had cause to doubt them?

The reality though, to coin a phrase, is that while there may be a few bad apples, it doesn't mean the whole barrel is rotten. Many dealers in the string world are knowledgeable, honest and trustworthy people. The nature of antique string instruments is such that any appraisal is at least 70% subjective, meaning the same instrument could be given five different valuations from five different dealers. This isn't necessarily wrong, but it does mean that the buyer needs to be quite savvy to avoid being taken in by the Arthur Daley's of the string world.

My violin is by Hewlett Packard...

The days of dreaming about owning a Strad or Guarneri may soon be coming to an end.  Before too long you might just be able to switch on your computer and print off the the violin of your dreams...well almost.  3D printers have been around for a number of years, mainly as a tool for creating prototypes before the expensive business of mass manufacture in the factory.  Though with the technology of 3D printing moving forward at an astonishing rate it may not be too far fetched to see such devices in ordinary homes within a generation or two.  For the humble musician this could mean that the days of paying off bank loans and mortgages on expensive instruments could be over.  Need a lighter bow for early Mozart symphonies and maybe a heavier Dominique Peccatte for Brahms? no problem, just print a couple off!  Carbon fibre bows (and increasingly instruments) have proved very popular with players not able or willing to pay the £0000's needed for examples by famed old masters.  3D printing, if successful, is surely just the next step along the instrumental evolution.

See Simon Hewitt Jones playing a 'printed' violin here:
http://youtu.be/bJA6J5girlo

and read the economist article on object printing here:
http://www.economist.com/node/18114221

The merits of new versus old

Many living violin makers would be overjoyed at the notion of their instrument beating a Strad to first place in a blind test, though the day when a new instrument overtakes a Strad or Guarneri in the saleroom is unlikely to arrive.  Many string players would accept that a new violin can potentially live up to the qualities of the old Cremonese masters however, given the choice, most would go for the old Italian.  It's the same old story of buying wine.  Stick a classy label on the bottle and add a reasurringly expensive price tag and drinkers will wax lyrical over it's fruity overtones, delicate finish and fragrant nose.  Stick an Italian label in a shiny old violin and it'll project to the back of any concert hall with the most resonant overtones... Dealers have been doing this for centuries, but the unfortunate reality is that most players are willing to believe them.

http://www.economist.com/node/21542380