The Red Violin

You probably have strong feelings about the actor Samuel L. Jackson. I do, I like him. I recall when the opening credits were rolling and I saw his name in this movie it set off a dissonance -- both cognitive and auditory. The Samuel L. Jackson of whom I had been previously aware did not seem to fit into a high art culture film. But I was wrong. Much of the Jackson's time in the film is spent in proving to himself that the violin in question is, in fact, THE red violin. That realization comes in a scene called, "Nothing Special". Mr. Jackson's face. When that scene ended I said to myself that he would win the Academy Award for that scene. Alas, no. John Corigliano won for Best Score, but that was the only nomination and win. Nevertheless, kudos Mr. Jackson!

The 1720 Red Mendelssohn is so named because it was made in 1720 by Antonio Stradivari. It had vanished for more than 200 years before surfacing in Berlin in the 1930s in the possession of an heir for the composer Felix Mendelssohn. In 1956 it was bought by a New York industrialist. In 1990 he put it on the auction block at Christie's of London. It brought a price of $902,000 and became the instrument to a then 16-year old Elizabeth Pitcairn. Like the violin in the film, it had a long journey to Elizabeth, and along the way the great-grandaughter of Felix Mendelssohn died young in a car accident.

Current owner of the Mendelssohn 1720 Red Violin performs the Corigliano score from the film on the 1720 Stradivarius.

Reaction video (38 minutes long) from a current, practicing luthier. Watch his eyes respond to the action of the film as he describes the story line and absorbs the violin-making content as a professional. He does a great job of informing the plot of the film. What is particularly precious is his reaction to Samuel L. Jackson's admonition to his technician, "No, no. I told you before, don't touch the varnish."

The story of the theft of the 1713 Huberman Red Violin and how it came to be Joshua Bell's performance instrument.

Christoph Koncz was the young violin prodigy who portrayed Kaspar Weiss when he was 9 years old. Already a music veteran as he entered the Vienna University of Music at age 6. He is now 38 years old and is the chief conducter of the Bruckner Orchester Linz. In this video he performs caprices from John Corigliano's score of the Red Violin.