"CONQUEROR STRAD"

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1969, 28 January 1914, Page 2

" CONQUEROR STRAD"

,"■ MISS. MARIE-MO'tTO'S".'VIOLIN. . Miss Mario Motto, the violinist, who is in Wellington at 'present, in speaking of her famous -instrument, ihc "Conqueror Strasi," snys:—"Of course, to every violinist, tlio Jatuhnark <?f one's career lies' in the ■ magic irord Stradivarius.,,: In families whore no one attempts even tho niost. : ; amat-ourisl) yerforming, the old worthless fiddle, with its mock Stradivariui: label, has a cloud of romance around it. I was once living with a pianist friend, whoso father, n cennoispur and dealer in violins, was ! in the habit of leaving at our liouse instruments which ho bad sent to probable London purchasers. On one occasion my friend said that she had a very valuable Sfradirarius, which sho would be shortly taking to her father, but on which he was willing I '-should playj until her departure for Bournemouth, where- her parents lived. I refused even to look at this wonderful tiling. "My own violin" (Miss Notto continued) "was of. good Italian make,''but instinctively I felt the bitterness of returning to it after two weeks of tlio other. My friend, after using all herpowers of persuasion, ■ without avail, left- for Bournemouth.. No sooner was the door closed after her than I hasten- • eti to the cupboard, where she had •left the violin, drew it forth, and for,tlio first time m raj- life, felt the-bow across the strings of a Stradivarius. At first it was a, stranger, and I had not learnt its secrets, but gradually I became absorbed. I took it when I went on a visit to tlio country, and played on it to my friends every evening. "When I returned' to London I learnt that tho vi-oliii was not required by its owner for another week or two, Eo it remained, and every day it became more and inoro precious in my sipiit. Then I wroto to a friend who lived in Wales, a lover..of music, and.said that if he carne to town soon he might ■ ear a. Strad at my liouso. Ho enme, and wo played to him, my friend and I, He said very little, but* I could see-how much lie had enjoyed tho violin. Then lie wrote, saying why should wo not form a company to buy the violin, and further ambiguous' things, which my friends and I knew wore impossible. A week passed, and I was still practising on the Stradivarius, when one evening a telspram was handed to me, and I Wad, , 'The fiddle is yours.'"