Have you read any short stories or novels about the fiddle or violin? Some are pretty famous, others not, but many are good reading, and represent intriguing views about the importance, passion, even the power of the instrument.
In the movie The Red Violin, the instrument itself was the main character, developing relationships with different players through the ages. That story was written specially for the film, but there are lots of authors who have taken up the theme.
One book we may start with is called Fiddlers in Fiction, containing over a dozen short stories about violin players, by Chekhov, Thomas Hardy, Shalom Aleichem, Melville, Tennessee Williams, Tolstoy, ETA Hoffman and more.
Below are some other stories and books we might get a chance to read and talk about. I have more titles to share, some suggested to me — do you have suggestions for good fiddle/violin stories or novels? Let me know!
M’sieu Fortier’s Violin by Alice Dunbar is the story of a poor old violinist and his beloved violin in 19th Century New Orleans, inspired Canray Fontenot, an old Cajun fiddler.
Speaking of New Orleans, Violin is a ghost story by New Orleans novelist Anne Rice, who’s most famous series might be her vampire tales, beginning with Interview with a Vampire.
The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb tells of a stolen Stradivarius and a violin competition, in a 2022 novel.
A great 19th-century story is “The Kreuzer Sonata” by Tolstoy, in which a woman begins a musical relationship playing piano for a violinist, mainly to learn a Beethoven sonata, until the recurring rehearsals incur the jealousy of her husband.
Many folk tales address the notion that the violin is the devil’s instrument, and there are some great collections of violin folk tales from various cultures that we could dip into. There was a time when many priests and ministers even burned violins because they believed it inspired couples to dance together, which meant the devil must be a part of it! One of the most famous fiddle tunes based on this type of storey is “The Devil Went Down to Georgia.”
Most people don't realize that the popular bandleader John Philip Sousa wrote not only marches, but also fiction. His dramatic novella The Fifth String is a classic tale about a famous concert violinist, an irresistible but demanding society lady, and the devil, portrayed with all the sentimentality popular in 1902.
If you’d like to join us, you’ll find links at my website fiddle-online. You’ll have to log in before book club link (you can join fiddle-online for free if not a member). This will give you access to the Fiddle Book Club page, which will maintain current info and a Zoom link. Having people join this way makes it easy for me to send messages to the group as it evolves, and avoids anonymous lurkers. I’ve found, since 2014, that Zoom can provide a great way to host live discussions (and music workshops too).
Lastly, here’s a two page story for you to enjoy right now, by the author of the Wizard of Oz — it’s L. Frank Baum’s “The Cat and the Fiddle”.
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