I was listening to a flawless performance of Beethoven's Fourth Symphony last evening, earphones giving me the complete orchestral experience when my mind wandered. I wondered what my great forebear George Haddock would have made of the performance?
My mother was Ethel Elizabeth Haddock born in 1911. Throughout her entire life, she never mentioned her illustrious ancestors once and I've often wondered if she knew anything about them? And yet, strangly, although neither she nor I had any musical education, we both loved classical music and, as a small boy, I would listen to the wireless and pretend to be bowing some phantom violin. Only in recent years have I discovered that one of my relatives taught Delius and had a collection of over 80 rare violins and other instruments including a Stradivarius known as the Emperor dated 1715 and added to George Haddock's collection in 1876. Further research has revealed that George had the finest collection of violin bows in the world!
I have begun my search for the masterpiece, early enquiries revealing that a 19 page book - The Emperor - was written about the violin in 1897, a copy of the book fetching nearly £200 in a recent auction. If I am eventually to trace its subject matter and bring ownership back into the family, I will need to start saving up!
My initial delvings makes me wondere whether I should write a book about my musical family.
More to follow.
No comments:
Post a Comment