Viola

I have a friend who has a sister who is also a friend. He plays cello. She plays viola. Both are extremely good musicians and very bright  bulbs. Nice folks too.

I write this as I ran into a post on Facebook this morning that Berlin musical society has proclaimed this "the year of the viola". ... something like a proclamation in support of hot water for showers....stop the presses.

Anyway that brought to mind an old joke:

A violist and a cellist were standing together on a sinking ship.
"Help!" cried the cellist, "I can't swim!"
"Don't worry," said the violist, "just fake it."

My first knowledge of Viola came from Shakespeare:

Viola (pronounced \ˈvaɪoʊlə\) is a fictional character from the play Twelfth Night.

A viol da gamba -
a viola rest on the legs
popular in Shakespeare's time

Viola's actions produce all of the play's momentum. She is a young woman of Messaline, a fictional country invented by Shakespeare, although some believe that this country really did exist.  In the beginning Viola is found shipwrecked on the shores of Illyria and separated from her twin brother, not knowing whether he is alive or dead, the Sea Captain that tells her that this place is ruled by the Duke Orsino, who is in love with the Countess Olivia. Viola wants to serve her, but, finding this impossible, she has the Sea Captain dress her up like a eunuch, so she can serve the Duke instead.

A viol d'amore...a viola of love
as if 4 strings weren't enough

I supposed the eunuch stuff started it all because viola players have had a bad time of it in orchestras ever since.  They are, in spite of their artistry, the punching bag for musical jokes.

Q: Why are violas so large?
A: It is an optical illusion. It's not that the violas are large, just that the viola player's heads are so small.

Q: What do you call the folks who hang around the musicians at conservatories?
A: Violists.

Q: What is the difference between a dog and a viola?
A: The dog knows when to stop scratching.

Q: Why can't you hear a viola on a digital recording?
A: Recording technology has reached such an advanced level of development that all extraneous noise is eliminated.

Q: How is lightning like a violist's fingers?
A: Neither one strikes in the same place twice.

This proves the old saw (another viola joke) that you only poke fun at things you love and respect.  Thus ends our musical journey for the morning. (but here are a few more before the music)

What's the difference between a violin and a viola?

·         The viola burns longer.

·         The viola holds more beer.

·         You can tune the violin.

We all know that a viola is better than a violin because it burns longer. But why does it burn longer?

·         It's usually still in the case.

What's the difference between a viola and a coffin?

·         The coffin has the dead person on the inside.

What do you do with a dead violist?

·         Move him back a desk.

What's the difference between a viola and a trampoline?

·         You take your shoes off to jump on a trampoline.

What's the difference between a viola and an onion?

·         No one cries when you cut up a viola.