It's the end of an era today as my lovely Reinhold Schnabl viola has finally gone to a new home. I have been advertising him for years and admittedly there was not the slightest point in keeping him when I can hardly even play Twinkle Twinkle little star these days due to arthritis. Even before I went down with arthritis, the armache factor meant I was using a smaller viola. Still, he is a very lovely instrument, even if seriously cosmetically challenged after 1. I put a music stand through his ribs and 2. he got stored in a damp attic for two years.
Still, the young player he has gone to is well worthy of him and may well go further with him than I ever did. And the money is welcome.
Goodbye, lovely viola, I fell in love with you when I first saw you in the hands of a better player who decided in the end not to buy you, and I well remember how delighted I was when I heard you were being returned to the shop. £1200 hurt rather in 1984 but you were well worth it. Hope you go on for many more years.