In the Key of Strawberry Arnold Steinhardt

Time 2021-11-18 17:11:45

Web Name: In the Key of Strawberry Arnold Steinhardt

WebSite: http://keyofstrawberry.com

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description:With his popular blog In the Key of Strawberry, Arnold Steinhardt—an international soloist and first violinist of the Guarneri String Quartet for forty years—brings warmth, wit, and fascinating insider details to the story of his lifelong obsession with the violin, that most seductive and stunningly beautiful of instruments.
Conspiracy Theory October 31, 2021

In the interest of full disclosure, to date I’ve received both Pfizer vaccinations. Some of you may believe they came with a tracking chip now imbedded in my body, compliments of Bill Gates. Bill, I practiced the fiddle this morning, then went to the grocery store for potato chips, and got a haircut in the afternoon. No need to track me, at least not today.

But with conspiracy theories floating around seemingly everywhere, I’d like to know which ones to take seriously. I mean, wouldn’t you?

First off, what exactly is a conspiracy theory? Merriam-Webster calls it “a theory that explains an event or set of circumstances as the result of a secret plot by usually powerful conspirators.”

So in my world of music, for example, the long-held suspicion that the composer Johannes Brahms had an affair with the pianist Clara Schumann doesn’t qualify as a conspiracy theory, does it? I’d say, nah. That’s gossip. Juicy, but just gossip.

Then you have the theory that the composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky didn’t die a natural death but was forced to commit suicide due to the threat of exposure as a homosexual. Conspiracy theory? Mmm, maybe not.

But what about the virtuoso violinist Niccolo Paganini who upon his death was refused burial by the Catholic church? The church claimed he was in league with the devil. Now that’s a conspiracy theory!

At this very moment, the world is, unfortunately, drowning in conspiracy theories. Did men really land on the moon? Over fifty years after the moon landing, many people still believe it was a hoax. I kind of sympathize with them. When I look up at a gorgeous full moon, it seems so improbable that we could manage to go from here to there. In any case, let people believe the moon landing was a hoax. What’s the harm?

And what about Marjorie Taylor Greene, the congresswoman from Georgia, who believes that Jews might have used laser beams in outer space to set California wildfires. A Jew discovered the theory of relativity, another invented the polio vaccine, but geez, Marjorie, conspiracy theory or not, are Jews really that clever?

But let’s get serious. These days we have to deal with voter fraud claims, anti-vaxxers, and climate change deniers, but they all fade into insignificance compared to the mother of all conspiracy theories threatening us at this very moment. Here in the United States, a pernicious rumor is circulating that sooner or later every single one of us is going to die.

You heard that right, folks. No exceptions. We’re all going to, gasp!, die. I was flabbergasted when I heard this preposterous rumor, but you know what? The sad thing is that some people actually believe it. Not only that, the theory has gone viral on TokTik (or is it TokTok—I can never remember). What’s even worse, if you firmly believe you’re going to die despite being hail and hardy, might you kick the bucket anyway? The mind has such a powerful hold on the body. For example, if I think long and hard enough about a piping hot stack of buckwheat pancakes with blueberries on top and slathered in maple syrup, I begin to salivate. I’m actually salivating right now. Really.

The big question, of course, is who’s behind this malevolent conspiracy theory and why. I suspect that Vladimir Putin and his Marxist, atheist henchman may be involved. Putin messed with our last elections, so why not undertake something even more evil? After all, the more Americans Putin manages to kill off, the more Russians remain, and sooner or later, in Oshkosh or Des Moines, you may not be able to order a bacon-double-cheeseburger and a chocolate malt in English.

One last hope in squelching this insane theory would be to contact the wiser heads at a place like MSNBC. If you could only get Rachel Maddow to stop talking about the Democrats and the Republicans, and begin focusing on eternal life, it just might change some minds. As you can imagine, the stakes are impossibly high. After all, who’s going to want to discuss the pros and cons of the filibuster if both Democrats and Republicans think they’re only going to die in the end?

In case there’s even a tad of truth to this conspiracy theory, my advice to all of you out there remains the same. Take care of yourself, eat healthy, get your zzzs, exercise, take your vitamin pills, say “Om” when needed, and above all, do not purchase a burial plot just yet.

By the way,

Happy Halloween

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11 Comments Comments From Harvey Stuart Traison on October 31, 2021

Hi Arnold!

I really liked your conspiracy theory strawberry. I found the best way to deal with all the conflicting information is to tune out from the media and listen to the Marlboro Music periodic email performance links as well to recordings from the Amadeus Quartet.

Boo who?

From Margot Blum Schevill on October 31, 2021

I dont seriously think about conspiracy theories, but I did enjoy your column as there is always dry humor suggested. I cant keep up with all the tick tockers and the like. Just glad to be alive for this moment int time.

From Robert smith on October 31, 2021

As to the tracking chip, absolutely a requirement for you! Someone may need an expert fiddler on a moment’s notice and need to get in touch with you instantly. As to me, I don’t need a chip, I have my cellphone with me 24/7.
Election fraud and tampering, no doubt about it. I have been involved in elections for 50+ years. Both sides do it and are very good at it. The old saying, it’s not who votes, it’s who does the counting. In Texas the big complaint by Republicans is vote harvesting by Democrats. Yet the book on how to vote harvest was written by a Republican in the late 80’s and 90’s. It’s just now in the 2020’s the Democrats do it better.

Enjoy your writings, keep it up,
Terry Smith

From Judith Mitrani on November 1, 2021

Dear Arnold, as usual you have left me thinking and laughing, sad and elated, all at the same time. I wish my blog posts for a scintillating is yours. Although if you enjoy Paris I’ve been told that they’re wonderful. Ted and I have just begun to return to live music again and are planning to see the world premiere of an amazing opera with a friend of ours who plays the soprano role in “Les eclairs“ about the trials and tribulations of Tesla in the 1850s in New York and his conflict with Thomas Edison. It’s a fascinating story written by a Frenchman of course and the music, although contemporary, it’s not the usual minimalist atonal a-melodic stuff the turns my hair even greater than it already is, but it has this luxurious detailed almost romantic feel to it that makes me want to run not walk to the Opéra Comique here in Paris. Elsa Benoit, our friend, has arranged for us to attend rehearsals and discussions with both the composer and librettist, and the Director of mise en scène and this coming Thursday will be a gala performance with a lovely chance to talk to all involved in the opera afterward. It feels like a fitting return to live music or at least in your face live music for the two of us. We also have returned to subscribing to various chamber music concerts and are very much looking forward to it. Wish you and your love Could visit sometime, but I’m sure you are very happy staying put in that beautiful place that is Santa Fe New Mexico. Do you stay well and never die!

From Judith Mitrani on November 1, 2021

As usual, you have left me thinking and laughing, sad and elated, all at the same time. I wish my blog posts were half as scintillating as yours. Although, if you enjoy Paris I’ve been told that they’re wonderful. Ted and I have just begun to return to live music again and are planning to see the world premiere of an amazing opera. A lovely young friend of ours plays the soprano role in “Les Éclairs“ ( of the pastry) about the trials and tribulations of Tesla in the 1850s in New York and his conflict with Thomas Edison. It’s a fascinating story written by a Frenchman of course and the music, although contemporary, is not the usual minimalist, atonal, a-melodic stuff the turns my hair even grayer than it already is, but it has this luxurious detailed almost romantic feel to it that makes me want to run not walk to the Opéra Comique here in Paris. Elsa Benoit, our friend, has arranged for us to attend rehearsals and discussions with both the composer and librettist, and the Director of mise en scène and this coming Thursday will be a gala performance with a chance to talk to all involved in the opera afterward. It feels like a fitting return to live music or at least in your face live music for the two of us. We also have returned to subscribing to various chamber music concerts and are very much looking forward to it. Wish you and your love Could visit sometime, but I’m sure you are very happy staying put in that beautiful place that is Santa Fe New Mexico. Do stay well and never die!

From toby harris watson on November 1, 2021

Thank you once again for injecting a touch of sanity through your humor during this horrifying time.

From elsa k miller on November 1, 2021

How poetically, optimistically relevant..
Be well, practice, and many thanks for sharing!!!

From chin kim on November 1, 2021

BRAVO!

From Noelle Goslee Smith on November 1, 2021

And practice, practice, practice

From John Steinfirst on November 2, 2021

Arnold, this is a really good onewell, they are all good but this is really, really good and funny. And do you really exercise?

Best,
John

From Hava Beller on November 8, 2021

Oh Arnold, what a GREAT dialogue! for Halloween, and for all eternity! I love the How smart the Jews are, and the juicy,
and all the other very clever, very mischievous ponderings. How refreshing!
It would have been great to have responses from the world at large.
Well done! Love, Hava

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Story Index October 31, 2021 Conspiracy Theory In the interest of full disclosure, to date I’ve received both Pfizer vaccinations. Some of you may believe they came with a tracking chip now imbedded in my body, compliments of Bill Gates. Bill, I practiced the fiddle this morning, then went to the grocery store for potato chips, and got a haircut in the [...] October 12, 2021 The World of Miniatures Do you know the Souvenir of Drdla? I’d guess probably not, unless you’re of a certain age (old). I’m of that certain age, and I played the Souvenir as a teenager, but it was already going out of style. For the generation of violinists before mine, however, it was almost a requirement to play this [...] September 13, 2021 A Musician’s Curse What do you have to do to become a musician? Naturally, a love of music and a generous amount of talent are givens. Then comes a lifetime examining such items as melody, harmony, structure, and style. 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Once the error was discovered, we met days later in my apartment for the great coat exchange and had a good laugh about the situation. That done, Bob and I sat down at my dining room table and talked [...] April 1, 2015 Arnie’s Fables Aesop’s Fables are known throughout the world. Aesop is said to have been a Phrygian slave who lived in ancient Greece and whose fables have endured because of the great wisdom embedded in them. Legend has it that Aesop’s life ended when he either jumped or was thrown from a cliff. Sadly, another set of [...] March 1, 2015 John Cage and His String Quartet in Four Parts John Cage once said, “I have nothing to say, and I’m saying it.” I burst out laughing when I first read this. Just imagine Ludwig van Beethoven announcing to the world, “I have nothing to say,” in which case he might have put down his pen and paper and taken a walk in the woods, [...] February 3, 2015 Memory I have never studied or performed Bach’s Sonata in C Minor for Violin and Keyboard, but I thought it would make a lovely opening number for a planned recital this spring. So in the next few days, I began by reading the first movement through, making some preliminary phrasing decisions and then figuring out possible [...] January 1, 2015 A Tale of Two Coats It’s January. It’s cold out there. It’s time for a coat story. Friends of ours recently invited my wife, Dorothea, and me to dinner at their New York City apartment. We hung our coats along with many others on one of several racks in the lobby, and after a lovely evening of fine food and [...] December 1, 2014 Fifteen Seconds of Fame The American poet, Galway Kinnell, died last October. I had the pleasure of knowing him and seeing him occasionally during the years he lived in New York City. One evening, Galway and his wife to be, Barbara, invited me and several other friends to dinner. Introductions were made all around and a superb meal along [...] November 1, 2014 Moonlighting November is hunting season in upstate New York where my wife, Dorothea, and I have a home. And if it’s hunting season, then it’s time for our hunters to show up. Several decades ago, three men—let’s call them Andrew, Bob, and Charlie—knocked on our door and politely introduced themselves. They told us that they worked [...] October 1, 2014 The Silent Note Do you remember the phrase in that old Coca Cola commercial, “The pause that refreshes?” It did nothing for me at the time because I don’t even like the drink. Still, the commercial initiated something quite unintended. Rather than coaxing me to go around the corner and buy a bottle of Coke, the single word [...] September 1, 2014 Talent Ninety-seven young violinists showed up at the Curtis Institute of Music’s annual violin auditions last spring with the hopes of becoming students at the school next fall. Thirteen made the semifinal round and of those, five were chosen by us, the violin faculty. Some who auditioned were still diamonds in the rough. Others already played [...] August 1, 2014 Violin-less It’s that time of year again.  I’ve worked hard for it, I deserve it, and nothing’s going to stop me from it.  Yes, I’m packing up my violin and bow, putting them in the closet, and then I’m not going to practice for a while. Just for a few days. Well, maybe a week. Mmm, [...] June 2, 2014 Kissing Cousins? Story #1 My old Ford Mustang convertible needed a paint job several years ago so I took it to the local body shop in upstate New York where I live. Once all the details had been discussed with the shop owner (let’s call him Norm), I remembered something that had always bothered me. The first [...] May 1, 2014 In the Ear of the Beholder “Here’s a challenge for you,” a friend posed over dinner some time ago.  “Name the four great child prodigy classical music composers.”  He leaned back, smiling smugly in the knowledge that I probably wouldn’t be able to guess them all.  Two were obvious: “Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, of course, and Felix Mendelssohn,” I blurted out.  My [...] April 1, 2014 News Bulletin In The Key of Strawberry is pleased to post “Dear Dr. Arnie,” the syndicated musician’s advice column hosted by the legendary Dr. Arnie. Examples of his advice, featured below, will undoubtedly be of invaluable help to musicians of every persuasion. Dear Dr. Arnie, I have an orchestra audition coming up next month and worrying about [...] February 24, 2014 Objects Last summer I was once again a participant in the Marlboro Music Festival.  As always, the school generously provided my wife, Dorothea, and me with a house off campus.    This time we were given the former home of David Soyer, the cellist of our Guarneri String Quartet for thirty-seven of its forty-five-year existence.   Dave passed [...] February 1, 2014 Violin Collection I own three violins. I have a Lorenzo Storioni made in Cremona, Italy around 1785.  This violin’s sound is dark and husky.  Its varnish is lustrous, and the swirling patterns of its wood grain are remarkably beautiful. I also have a violin made for me in 2006 by Samuel Zygmuntowicz, a distinguished American string instrument [...] January 1, 2014 Me and my Violin Marc Lifschey, one of the greatest oboists of his era, once told me that after retiring as a performer and teacher, he had sold his oboe. On the face of it, giving up an instrument you no longer use seems perfectly reasonable, but nevertheless I was taken aback.  Marc was not merely an excellent oboist; he [...] December 1, 2013 But the Melody Lingers On About to walk across New York City’s Central Park on a sunny winter day, I suddenly heard the strains of Santa Claus is Coming to Town wafting out of a nearby workman’s truck radio.  What a silly melody, I thought to myself absentmindedly.  Twenty minutes later, I had crossed the park but to my consternation, [...] November 1, 2013 And What Then? I have a hard time getting my brain around abstractions.  So when I read with alarm about the latest debt limit crisis in the United States Congress and the possibility that Uncle Sam might actually close our government’s doors, I tried to imagine the situation in terms of my own profession—music—and, even more specifically, in [...] October 1, 2013 Calling Planet Earth Dear Key of Strawberry, Allow me to introduce myself.  My name is Brzjk and I live on planet Ulfz located many light years from you.  We have been aware for some time that life exists on your planet—I believe you call it Earth.  Nevertheless, we Ulfzians have been reluctant to make contact with you.  Quite [...] September 1, 2013 Discovery One year into a 23-month mission, NASAs Mars rover Curiosity has assured its place in the history of planetary exploration as the most ambitious and one of the most successful attempts to date to explore the surface of another planet. Curiosity’s data allowed the missions science team to establish that Mars once had an environment [...] August 1, 2013 Tom I met Tom Heimberg during junior high school recess when we were both twelve years old. The popular sport during recess was something we unofficially called Chinese handball—a game played with a rubber ball against an upright surface. Tom and I became quite professional at discussing topspin, slices, drop shots, and fake outs, but as [...] July 8, 2013 Drunk as a Skunk I know of no one among all my musician friends and colleagues who will drink anything alcoholic before performing. Even those who enjoy an occasional glass of wine, beer, or an enticing margarita are very, very careful to imbibe only after rather than before a concert. Simply put, it’s hard enough to play well while [...] June 1, 2013 Fees We were enjoying an after-concert snack at the hotel restaurant when David Soyer, our cellist in the Guarneri String Quartet, took a sip of his beer, leaned back expansively, and announced in a mock Eastern European accent, “I rub stick against rope.  Make many zlotys.” No, we weren’t somewhere in Poland where people deal in [...] May 1, 2013 Suzy Little Suzy was in the midst of working on a piece with her piano teacher when she suddenly stopped playing, crossed out Johann Sebastian Bach’s name at the top of the page, and wrote her own name above it. “Why did you do that, Suzy?” her surprised teacher asked. “He’s not playing the piece. I [...] April 1, 2013 A Bible Story I once stole a bible. It was wrong, I shouldn’t have done it, and part of me would like to forget that it ever happened. But this day, April Fools’ Day, seems as good a time as any to tell the story of my shameful deed. The theft took place when I was a young [...] March 4, 2013 Gibbsy Rudolf Kolischs name came up while I was at the Marlboro Music Festival this summer. The distinguished violinist had been a Marlboro participant late in life. Along with his other remarkable accomplishments, Kolisch was the rare violinist who played the instrument “left-handed. Because of a childhood injury to the middle finger of his left hand, [...] February 2, 2013 Fritz Kreisler Did you ever get to perform the Fritz Kreisler String Quartet?”  I’ve been asked this question again and again over the years, undoubtedly in response to a scene in “High Fidelity,” the 1987 documentary about our Guarneri String Quartet. In that scene, I bring the Kreisler String Quartet in A Minor, a work I dearly [...] December 28, 2012 The Interview Giving interviews is something musicians have to do surprisingly often—we usually do them to stir up a little interest and sell a few tickets to our concerts. On one occasion last summer my radio interviewer had done his homework well. He knew a great deal about me, and the music I was going to perform [...] November 22, 2012 An Open Letter to Sammy Rhodes You think quitting smoking is hard? Try quitting a string quartet. My four-step program might help violist Samuel Rhodes, who just announced his retirement from the Juilliard String Quartet at the end of the season. The following is my letter to him. Dear Sammy, I read the news of your retirement from the Juilliard String [...] September 7, 2012 A Night to Remember Have you ever heard a performance that you will never forget no matter how long you live? I have. And have you ever gone out on a blind date with someone who is known to thousands, perhaps even millions of people—just about everyone except you? I have. Not only that, but both events happened on [...] May 7, 2012 Colburn School Commencement Address By Arnold Steinhardt Good morning. I’m honored to be speaking to you at this 2012 Colburn School commencement and equally honored to teach at the school. I was born and raised in Los Angeles and it pleases me immensely to know that Colburn, with its faculty of distinguished musicians, is now the pride of the [...] April 1, 2012 The Steinhardt String Quartet Hartz-4-Artz your internet culture source April 1, 2012 From the Music Desk: Arnold Steinhardt To Form New String Quartet Arnold Steinhardt, first violinist of the Guarneri String Quartet that retired in 2009, has announced plans to form a new string quartet. Mr. Steinhardt recently told Hartz-4-Artz reporter N. Nam Trebor that he deeply misses the [...] March 1, 2012 Teach Me! What makes a good teacher? For that matter, what makes a bad one? Some teachers merely pass on information. Others excite a students interest through their own love for the subject. Some teachers employ fear and intimidation. A very few manage to teach you how to become your own teacher. The craft (or is it [...] February 2, 2012 Jascha Mr. Jascha Heifetz (born 1901, died 1987) Violin Virtuoso Section Heaven February 2, 2012 Dear Mr. Heifetz, Today, February 2nd, is your birthday. Happy birthday, sir, and my deepest thanks for the miracle of your artistry. I have listened to you play the violin throughout my entire life—actually my entire life plus nine months to [...] January 5, 2012 Youre On Your Own My daughter, Natasha, once came home from her weekly piano lesson and asked to use my metronome—a request from her teacher. I told Natasha that I didnt own a metronome. At the next lesson, her teacher insisted I go out and buy one. The clerk at my local music store looked at me oddly as [...] December 4, 2011 Uh-Oh I began to study the violin with a series of teachers who taught music and the instrument, but who as time went by also saw fit to teach me the elusive craft of performance. Toscha Seidel, an early teacher, challenged me to break out of my shell and show the musics emotional character. My next [...] November 1, 2011 Listen I had just settled down with my ice cream cone in front of Ralphs Pretty Good Café when a garbage truck rumbled to a stop directly in front of me. To my consternation, the driver got out with the motor still running and noisily began to empty garbage cans into the truck. No, I said [...] October 3, 2011 Opus 130 Not long before I graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music in 1959, John Dalley, a fellow violin student, asked me whether Id like to work on Beethovens late String Quartet in B Flat, Opus 130. The Paganini String Quartet had recently performed at the school, ending their program with another late Beethoven Quartet, Opus [...] September 9, 2011 My Violin Case Whats a violin case for? Well, a violin for one. And bows to go along with it, of course. What else? Extra strings, rosin, and a mute. Also, a tuning fork and chin rest fastener. Oh, I almost forgot—music stored in the case cover pouch. Thats about it, right? Wrong. At least, forgive the pun, [...] August 2, 2011 Marlboro at Sixty The following article appeared in a booklet, 60th Anniversary Reflections on Marlboro Music, that celebrated the event with a weekend gathering at Marlboro on July 9 and 10 of hundreds of participants past and present from all corners of the globe. In August, 1957, Jaime Laredo and I, two young violinists hoping for a career [...] July 1, 2011 Stage F-F-Fright I must have been only seven or eight years old when I first performed in public. My teacher, Mr. Moldrem, had me play two melodies, one from the Beethoven Violin Concerto and the other from Brahms First Symphony. Moldrem, well known for his ability to teach youngsters, presented his students regularly in concerts. Before the [...] June 6, 2011 An Old Friend Sam, a widower in the autumn of his life, lost thirty pounds, had a face lift, dyed his hair, took elocution lessons, bought a smart new wardrobe, withdrew all the money from his bank, and flew to Miami for a brand new life. Soon after, Sam met a lovely woman at his hotels casino and [...] May 3, 2011 Practice, Practice After the Second World War, my parents were able to rent out a room attached to the back of our garage due to a severe housing shortage. The rumpus room, as they called it, was sparsely furnished, but that was enough for a succession of people to perch there for the time they needed to [...] April 1, 2011 The Duo After forty-five years making music together, the Guarneri String Quartet played its very last concert on October 27, 2009. People often ask me whether I miss playing quartets. Of course I do. I miss not only the concerts, but also the camaraderie, the rehearsals, the traveling, the exotic food, and the interesting people along the [...] March 1, 2011 A Meditation on the Meditation In the ancient Egyptian city of Alexandria, the courtesan, Thaïs, reflects on her past life of worldly pleasure. Looking into the mirror, she worries that her beauty will soon fade. The monk, Athanaël, arrives at her palace, admonishing Thaïs that there is one kind of love she does not yet know. He exhorts her to [...] February 3, 2011 Forty Year Story In the spring of 1970, Judith Serkin, a cello student at the Curtis Institute of Music, told me that she and four other students at school, cellist Peter Wiley, violist Geraldine Lamboley, and violinists Lucy Chapman and Jill Levy, hoped to study Schuberts Two Cello Quintet during the next semester. Judith asked whether I would [...] January 3, 2011 Perfect What? My daughter, Natasha, told me recently about a gifted young boy she knows who has learned to read at an early age and already plays the piano with astonishing originality. As if to offer a final and irrefutable proof of the boys extraordinary musical talent, Natasha added one more thing. You know, hes got perfect [...] December 6, 2010 Dave David Soyer, cellist and founding member of the Guarneri String Quartet, passed away on February 24, 2010—one day after his 86th birthday. Michael Tree, violist, and John Dalley and I, violinists, the other founding members, played in the quartet with Dave for almost forty years and we knew him for close to fifty. Peter Wiley, [...] October 27, 2010 Paganinis Birthday Today, October 27th, is Niccolo Paganinis birthday. Below is a reprint of an article I wrote on this occasion which appeared in the October issue of The Strad magazine. Next, as an attachment, is Caprice #24.25, my arrangement of Paganinis 24th Caprice. Finally, I include a letter that to my great astonishment Paganini just wrote [...] October 4, 2010 Opus I saw Opus a while ago, a play by Michael Hollinger that deals with the inner workings of a string quartet. Since I have been a violinist in the Guarneri String Quartet for many decades, you can imagine that I awaited the opening curtain with some anticipation. The subject of my profession is not exactly [...] September 6, 2010 Psssst I hear a lot of griping from my friends these days about travel. Trains are much more luxurious and dependable in Europe. Japanese taxi drivers wear white gloves and decorate their cars with curtains while in New York City, taxis are, well, lets not even talk about it. And the deluxe plane travel of years [...] August 2, 2010 In a Sentimental Mood I recently heard an all-Stravinsky concert performed by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. A few days later, a review of the evening by Anthony Tommasini appeared in the April 23, 2010 edition of the New York Times. A comment he made about the orchestras rendition of The Firebird Suite caught my eye: The Firebirds Lullaby, [...] July 1, 2010 Dinner Music Uncharacteristically early for an appointment, I slowed my pace up Manhattans Lexington Avenue. Better early than late, I thought, but what on earth was I to do with myself for the next 30 minutes. As I approached 86th St., the answer appeared almost by magic in the form of Papaya King, a hot dog stand [...] June 2, 2010 Something New, Something Old I happened to be performing in Los Angeles just as the citys new and glittering Disney Hall opened several years ago. A week earlier, I called my mother who was living in Southern California to tell her of my arrival. Oh, wonderful, she said. You can take me to Disney Hall. That was fine with [...] May 4, 2010 Joe Vita I left the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University last year after having taught a graduate violin class there for over two decades. Among other things, I miss the lively conversations I often had with colleagues at student recitals, oral exams, juries, or over a pizza at the local Italian restaurant. Topic [...] April 23, 2010 Twelve Note Story Take a deep breath and try to settle down. I know, I know. The task is daunting, but youve worked hard. Just be relaxed. Be focused. And now get practical. For starters, think of a good tempo. Not so easy based on the first two or three notes that are slow and deeply personal. Better [...] March 30, 2010 News Alert The United States Bureau of Weights and Measures has just announced at a national news conference that chamber music may cause global warming. The issue first came to the bureaus attention when directors of several distinguished music conservatories notified it of alarming and unexplained rises in temperature at odd times of the school day. Government [...] February 28, 2010 Sophisticated Traveler I planned to take the 2 PM Eastern Airlines shuttle from New York City. That would have gotten me into Boston by three with plenty of time to grab a bite, take a taxi to Jordan Hall, change, practice some, and relax a bit before the Guarneri String Quartet concert at 8 PM. But an [...] January 18, 2010 Grammy Awards The Guarneri String Quartet was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category of Best Chamber Music Performance this year for our Hungarian Album on RCA Red Seal. The CD consists of Ern? Dohnányis Quartets Nos. 2 and 3, and Zoltán Kodálys Quartet No. 2, three works of striking beauty. The Grammy Awards (originally called [...] January 4, 2010 Shall We Dance? Many years ago, I had occasion to play a Bach Partita for the pianist and scholar, Arthur Loesser. When I finished, Loesser asked me whether I knew how to dance the partitas five movements. I vaguely knew that the movements were based on old dance forms, but I had assumed that the dance steps themselves [...] December 1, 2009 Looking for Work The Guarneri String Quartet retired, yet Arnold Steinhardt continues to perform in public. Photo by Dorothea von Haeften. Violinist in Recently Retired String Quartet Looking for Work * Skills Proficient in chamber music. Works best with people willing to overlook occasional lapses in intonation, phrasing, and tone. Performs virtuoso solo works, but no higher than [...] November 4, 2009 Birth Pains Mozarts String Quartet, K. 421 in D Minor, occupies a special place in the hearts of the Guarneri String Quartet. It was the very first music we read through after deciding to form as a group. Why that work? Hard to remember after all these years, but I would guess that its emotion charged and [...] October 6, 2009 For the Very Last Time On June 12, 2007, the Guarneri String Quartet sent out the following announcement: Dear Friends, We, the Guarneri String Quartet, have decided to retire at the end of the 2008-9 season, our forty-fifth year before the public. This has not only been a long journey, but a deeply satisfying one as well. What could be [...] September 1, 2009 Grays Papaya Well drive you home, said Frank Salomon, an old friend and long-time presenter of the Peoples Symphony Concerts at Washington Irving High School. The Guarneri String Quartet had just finished a performance there, the last ever on the series before our retirement. Moments later, Frank behind the wheel, his wife Martha, my wife Dorothea, and [...] August 3, 2009 Second Concert The following is a slightly extended version of Second Concert, that appeared in the June publication of the new magazine Listen: Life with Classical Music. Our string quartet played a concert at Emory University in March of this year. Whenever Im in Atlanta, I stay with my friends, Murphy Davis and Ed Loring, ministers who [...] July 7, 2009 Really A member of the audience, somebody Id seen backstage more than once before, came up to me recently after a concert I had just played. He smiled broadly, shook my hand enthusiastically, and said, Great concert… really. In the midst of thanking him, that last word, really, finally registered. Really? Excuse me sir, but what [...] June 13, 2009 Life, Death, Music Last summer, Emily Hsiao, a teenager whom Id never met, e-mailed me. She asked whether the Guarneri Quartet would have time to listen to music students in her high school when we played in Ann Arbor, Michigan that winter. Only hours after my visit to the school, a brutal attack on one of those students [...] May 11, 2009 Almost on the Riviera Did you always believe what your parents told you when you were young? I certainly did. I may not have always had the good sense to obey them or heed their advice but their wisdom was unquestionable. Take education, for example. My parents believed mightily in the importance of formal knowledge and therefore the need [...] April 1, 2009 The Abode Alter Bock, a dedicated amateur string quartet player, has just announced plans for the creation of a home for retired chamber musicians. Im concerned that these wonderful musicians Ive heard and admired most of my life have a nice place to spend their golden years. He spoke to me from the music room in his [...] March 5, 2009 Genie in a Bottle I ran into the violinist, Jennifer Koh, not long ago. Jenny is a highly gifted young musician who happens to have a keen interest in string players of old. At some point, our conversation turned to Yehudi Menuhin, one of the great violinists of the twentieth century. We talked about Menuhins instantly recognizable style, the [...] February 8, 2009 The Brush With Fame Ah, Los Angeles! So-called city of angels, a place where the sun shines almost always, where palm trees flourish, a place that knows no winter-in short the city where I was born and raised. But in my adolescence, Los Angeles was much more than a hedonists playground. Thanks to the movie industry, the balmy weather, [...] January 1, 2009 New Years Thoughts A drawing in the New Yorker magazine several years ago depicted a tawdry back alley with a few empty cans and bottles strewn about. The caption above read: Life without Mozart. Its message apparently affected many of us. I saw the drawing on peoples desks, walls, and refrigerator doors for years afterward. As a member [...] December 1, 2008 The Swan When I was eleven years old, my violin teacher assigned me The Swan by Camille Saint-Saëns. I had no idea that The Swan was a famous cello solo or that it was part of a much larger work, The Carnival of the Animals. I had never even heard of its composer, Saint-Saëns, or seen his [...] November 10, 2008 Mr. Oliver I enrolled in a music appreciation class when I was a high school student. Near the beginning of the semester, the teacher of the class took ill and a substitute, Mr. Oliver, replaced him. Mr. Oliver knew his subject well. He played us everything on the school record player from Schuberts Unfinished Symphony to Peruvian [...] October 8, 2008 Tooth Talk I was having my teeth cleaned by the dental hygienist the other day when she offhandedly asked whether my children were also in the music industry. Fortunately, with my mouth wide open and filled with dental gear, I was only capable of answering with a few rather inarticulate and muffled noises. Otherwise, I might have [...] September 11, 2008 What Good is Music? [Originally written and published in September 2002]. I lost no loved ones on 11 September 2001, nor was my home destroyed or my work affected in any palpable way by the tragic attack on our nation; and yet, the events of that morning have prodded me to look inward and take personal inventory. As a [...] August 10, 2008 A Tale of Three Violinists I stood in the artists dressing room, warming up nervously before my sole rehearsal with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. For a twenty-two-year-old violinist just starting a career, performing Mendelssohns Violin Concerto with this distinguished group of musicians was an important engagement. My palms were sweating, my heart beat rapidly, and I began to pace back [...] July 11, 2008 Last Words to a Son Andrea, the head nurse at the assisted living home where my mother has lived for many years, called last month to tell me that mother had stopped eating, that she was drifting in and out of consciousness, and that she was failing rapidly. The next day, my son Alexej and I flew to Southern California [...] June 12, 2008 A Dogs Tale I’m a wonderful teacher. I know, you don’t have to tell me. It’s not nice to brag. But truth above all, I always say. Here. Let me show you why I’m so good. We have a dog named Tessa. As far as I can tell, Tessa doesn’t have much feeling for music one way or [...] May 10, 2008 Remembering Izzy Photo by Allen Cohen Every one of us has to die. We know that. We also know that sooner or later all of us will be forgotten. Even Einstein. Even Beethoven. Nevertheless, we humans doggedly strive for meaning in our lives and harbor the secret (or not so secret) wish to accomplish something of sufficient [...] March 2, 2008 A Noteworthy Day I heard a great deal of music yesterday. Let me rephrase that. Yesterday, I heard a multitude of sounds—some longer, some shorter, higher or lower, louder or softer—as I made my way through my waking hours. The sounds appeared sometimes as individual tones and sometimes in groups of two and three. They often repeated themselves [...] February 2, 2008 Solo Bow The Guarneri String Quartet played a concert in Wisconsin several years ago. Why do I remember that this particular concert was in Wisconsin? Probably because Wisconsin is a cheese-making state and a delicious selection of cheese was set out at the after-concert party. It’s funny what details remain vibrant in one’s mind, especially in light [...] January 1, 2008 In the Key of Strawberry An unexpected thought interrupted the sentence I was reading in the morning newspaper, followed by several other thoughts in quick succession. I had just remembered last night’s dream: My wife, Dorothea, and I were riding on a bus in a foreign country. Through the window we espied an open-air flea market with an array of [...] December 1, 2007 Cousin Sam “How much time you giving me today, maestro?” This was more or less the way Sam began most of our phone conversations. Sam Schloss was my cousin, more specifically: my mother’s mother’s sister’s son. I would usually call him during a break in one of the open rehearsals the Guarneri String Quartet held during its [...] About

When I first posted stories about music on my web site, I assumed that there would be just a handful of things to write about. Now, more than four years later, I'm still writing. This has everything to do with the nature of being a musician. When musicians get together, we inevitably have stories to tell about music, musicians, concerts, audiences, instruments, travel, food, and ever so much more. We talk about the great moments, the disasters, what was memorable, forgettable, hilarious, and unexpected. The stories seem never ending and never less than engaging. I plan to keep writing. I hope you will keep reading.

Please visit www.arnoldsteinhardt.com for information about my books, recordings, and The Guarneri String Quartet.

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With his popular blog In the Key of Strawberry, Arnold Steinhardt—an international soloist and first violinist of the Guarneri String Quartet for forty years—brings warmth, wit, and fascinating insider details to the story of his lifelong obsession with the violin, that most seductive and stunningly beautiful of instruments.

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