Mi Amigo Nuevo

To my dismay, my viola had 2 cracks in the wood. No one knows how my instrument cracked, but I'm guessing the dry weather in Boone was responsible. John Montgomery, the owner of the renown John Montgomery Violin shoppe, told me that he has to take the entire top off of my precious viola, add some retouching to the fingerboard, replace the tailpiece, and revarnish the entire instrument. In other words, my viola is about to go through some major plastic surgery. So, prayers for my dear friend & for a successful operation & recovery.



Meanwhile, John Montgomery is giving me this beautiful instrument on loan. It is a Neuner & Hornsteiner viola, and it was crafted in the beautiful Mittenwald, Germany in 1880.



I have never had something with such a heritage in my possession; I wonder who played this instrument or how it even arrived to Raleigh, North Carolina.
It is a very dark brown, almost black. And it's so dark & speaking of dark, I am studying a pretty dark piece right now (the first movement of Hindemith's Der Schwanendreher!). The viola I currently own is quite bright, so I wonder how this concerto will sound on such a dark viola.

I will only be playing this viola for a month, so I have to make sure I don't fall head over heels for it. But, I will use this month to get to know my new friend better and possibly unlock some of its one hundred and thirty-six year-old secrets.