Voice of the Violin
Even without having read Proust, many people are aware that his writing appeals to the evocative powers of taste and smell; a famous passage in Swann’s Way describes M. Swann being flooded by a stream of childhood memories upon tasting once again the teacake known as a madeleine. We were struck to discover, upon reading the novel last summer, that Proust could be equally eloquent on the subject of sound—specifically, music. The full quote we found for this acrostic is worth sharing (for those who don’t solve on xwordinfo and get access to the full quotes as “completion rewards”):
There are in the violin — if one does not see the instrument itself, and so cannot relate what one hears to what one sees, which has the effect of modifying the tone — accents that are so closely akin to those of certain contralto voices, that one has the illusion that a singer has taken her place amid the orchestra. One raises one’s eyes; one sees only the wooden case, as delicate as a Chinese box; but, at moments, one is still tricked by the deceiving appeal of the Siren; at times, too, one believes that one is listening to a captive genie, struggling in the depths of the sapient box, a box enchanted and quivering, like a devil immersed in a stoup of holy water; sometimes, again, it is in the air, at large, like a pure and supernatural creature that passes while unfurling its invisible message.
Generally considered the “soprano” voice in an orchestra or string quartet, the image of the violin as contralto celebrates the deeper register many violinists love exploring. Jane, a professional violinist, cherishes the deep, rich timbre of her violin’s lower register. Her instrument, pictured above, was made in 1691 by the Venetian master Matteo Goffriller. String players often aspire to “sing” with their instruments, and because we do not need to take breaths, we can indeed “unfurl” our messages.
For those who may not be familiar with Hilary Hahn’s playing, here’s a lovely sample:
Let us know what you thought about this puzzle!
In a cosmic coincidence, Clue 4 Across in the Saturday NYT crossword is “Who said ‘I play the notes as they are written, but it is God who makes the music’.”
What a fantastic Acrostic (solved on paper) when augmented by the full text of the quote. Thanks so much.
One of your best! (And that’s saying a lot.)
Even the shortened quote from Proust was wonderful, but I’m so delighted you included the entire excerpt, in all of its brilliant, over-the-top richness.
Again, it’s so masterly that nearly half of your clues were musically related (I’m including the even more obscure definition of “stave”).
Great to learn that Jane is a professional violinist. Wow.
For me, the biggest gimme in the puzzle was Hilary Hahn. To my mind, she’s the greatest violinist currently performing (and she has a lot of very impressive competition). My wife and I heard her do a solo all-Bach performance at Lincoln Center a year or so ago, and it was spellbinding. We’re seeing her again on March 2, performing Brahms’s only violin Concerto.
Apart from her virtuosity, Hahn has a charismatic, fun-loving public persona. She’s performed Paganini’s 24 while rocking a hula hoop, and she’s appeared regularly on a YouTube channel, horsing around with two popular young violinists:
https://youtu.be/xwsnIoFXrt0?si=49vdUkO7gYoCcB62
How fun that you provided that link to Hilary’s hijinks with Paganini’s 24th Caprice (one of the hardest pieces out there), in which she demonstrates that for her it’s easy as “Twinkle, Twinkle.” We had considered posting that very clip but thought something a little less whimsical better matched the tone of the Proust quote. By the way, those Two Set Violin guys on YouTube (who are playing and swaying with her in the clip) are a terrific source of music-related humor, in case anyone’s in search of a laugh about now.
Hilary last year toured Europe with Jane’s orchestra, the National Symphony, and she’ll be taking her Brahms concerto with us to Florida next month. She’s an approachable, gracious genius.
Whooops! I actually didn’t click on your link, Greg, before posting; I read too quickly and jumped to the conclusion that you were providing this one, another beaut:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOjO4ekcJQA&t=26s
Extremely cool that Jane has played with Hillary Hahn!
Started slowly, but suspected a musical theme with “The Piano” and octave. Had my breakthrough remembering Eastman and getting In cahoots and Look-see which were fun. Thanks for the clip of Hilary Hahn, didn’t know her. I’m a big Perlman fan. Great puzzle.
This acrostic was a little breezier for me than most ancrostics are. Because I am a music fan and an avid Proustian, I had more gimmes than normal. And to top it off, there was even a legal clue in the wheelhouse of this former lawyer. The clue for INTESTATE was great and had me sidetracked. I had a big smile when I got enough letters to suss it out. Advice to all puzzlers, make sure to have a will and don’t subject your heirs to the bureaucracy involved in resolving your affairs if you die intestate. Lovely puzzle.
Wow! Appreciate the challenge and the learnings. Classical music is out of my wheelhouse, but the older I get the more I like it.
Wow! Appreciate the challenge and the learnings. Classical music is out of my wheelhouse, but the older I get the more I like it.
A rich experience this morning. The puzzle was a challenge and a pleasure to solve, as always, and a lovely revelation about Proust, Hilary Hahn and Jane Stewart! An altogether wonderful time. Thanks!
Hilary Hahn is one of my favorite violinists – not just for her magnificent playing, but for her interest in venturing outside the standard violin repertoire. One example would be her recording “In 27 Pieces: The Hilary Hahn Encores,” which features pieces she commissioned from various contemporary composers.