“The violin does not accept mediocrity,” as the singer and humourist Boby Lapointe once noted, immediately before gratuitously abusing an instrument to make the point to his audience. That's why, for decades, generations of virtuosi have come up with ever new ways to distinguish themselves on the stage – or, more recently, on the web. Here are ten violinists who won't fail to surprise you with their unexpected talents.
1Filip Jaslar (MozART group)
Generally, one plays the violin with a bow. But as accessories go, that's not the only way of shining on the stage. It's possible to get perfectly succesful results with a table tenis bat, as demonstrated by the first violin of the Polish quartet “MozART group”.
2Wilbur Hall
For sure, Wilbur Hall's posture didn't come out of the textbooks. None the less, let's admire the smoothness of his phrasing, the disarming authenticity of his interpretation and his ability to make a melody with a bicycle pump.
3Baron Buika
Another acrobat of the instrument, Baron Buika has trodden his own path to notoriety: one violin is good, two is better!
4Gilles Apap
A protege of Yehudi Menhin, who loved his humour, Gilles Apap prefers to use two bows. With a particularly airborne technique which you can't help but respect.
5Edward Stanelli
Here's a man who would have understood how to create buzz on social networks – if only they'd been around in the 1930s. A remarkable violinist who crossed over to humourous performances, Stanelli had his own unique bowing technique.