Just been listening again to the Schnittke viola concerto from the Proms. Apparently Yuri Bashmet had a lot of problems getting his viola over on the plane. He was told he couldn't take the case on board as it was too big, so he checked in the case and bows and carefully wrapped his viola in his coat to take it on board with him. So far so good.

However as the plane was preparing for take off the steward insisted that all hand luggage (ie nude viola) should be placed in the overhead locker or under the seat in front. Yuri argued that he could not possibly do either of these, but the steward carried on insisting that it was hand luggage and must be stowed for take-off.

Eventually a fellow passenger came to his aid and explained to the steward that the viola was "like a baby, and had to be held carefully on the lap". Eventually he was allowed to nurse it. And then gave an impromptu pizzicato recital in flight!

It is unreasonable, I suppose, but public safety comes before the authority of an international soloist... it's not so much the problem of him taking on his viola, but the problem of others around him then wanting to take on similarly 'precious' objects. If he chooses to fly on a normal flight, then he has to behave like a normal person, alternatively, his status as an international soloist always entitles him to pay to hire his own plane, then such problems are unlikely to occur.

Not everyone would see it in this light, though.

Did anyone else hear the pointedly funny sketch on Radio 4's Now Show on Friday night about the problems of taking a Stradivarius onto a flight?

The most poignant part for me was the phrase noting that the Strad was worth more than the plane.

Heh, says it all. Yes, you would hope that a valuable instrument like that would count as "precious" if cameras etc are...

Photographers earn their living with cameras.

I'm sorry but just because you're a soloist and famous doesn't mean the same rules don't apply to you as everyone else. I'm not saying that it isn't unreasonable that he had to uncase and carry his strad on his lap - it is unreasonable. However, other people also have to do this with their valuables and just because he is who he is does not entitle him to any special privileges. Musicians travelling for work (famous or otherwise) are not the only people affected by these measures, many photographers, artists, magicians etc are all facing the same problems. Safety comes first.

It's about time we got things into perspective. Safety first and fewer myths about how magnificent instruments and musicians are. A strad is not worth more than a passenger jet, people are people regardless of their profession and people come first. This means sometimes unreasonable compromises have to be made - it has nothing to do with the 'intelligence' of the handling agents, to suggest it does is clearly nonsense and begs the question 'why should the passenger agent have to treat a musician's case any differently to an other passenger's case'.

In all fairness, Yuri's approach was probably the only reason that he got his instrument on the plane and got to keep it - it sounds like he behaved like a perfect gentleman and, thankfully, DIDN'T try to play the 'I'm a big important musician' diva act - this does not go down well with overworked, underpaid people who are simply trying to follow obligatory safety guidelines and could do without people who are 'more special than the rest of the passengers' making their job harder.

I feel we may simply have to disagree on the level of importance of musical instruments in an international terrorism crisis.

I don't think that violins are intrinsically more valuable to a person than cameras (one of my cousins is a pro photographer, and a good one!) - I just think that if cameras and jewellery can be counted as "precious" and it's OK to have them in the cabin, then a Strad should have the same privilege; it's as valuable, and as important to the violinist or violist as the camera is to the photographer.

I think those musicians who are where possible not traveling by plane are very wise.

Oh, absolutely. But in this case, the decision to start allowing valuables in the cabin came after this incident and in any case he was actually allowed to take it on with him.

As I said, I feel we will just have to agree to disagree. Whilst I feel the situation is unreasonable at the moment, I don't feel he was treated unfairly.

It's fine for us not to see the situation the same way, though. It doesn't matter whether we share an opinion or not.

I doubt your post will be moderated - you have every right to express your opinion.

Allan

I think the original posting mentioned that he was not allowed to take the case on board the 'plane as it was deemed too big. Now, whilst some airlines say it's OK, (I did some research a little whils ago and some airlines cite viola as permitted hand luggage), if it exceeded the dimensions set by the airline he was using, then it was fair to ask him to do as he did.

So, have the carry on rules relaxed again? That's good news if so.

Isn't the point about cases simply that there is more potential to store terror-inducing devices within them than there is within an actual musical instrument or a camera?

Primavera, I think you need to be careful how you word your posts: were I rosfrog, I would feel rather patronised by your first point in one of your above replies.

Allan, for what it's worth, I think you were spot on in your original response.

Ahhh, I didn't realise that - had the wrong end of the stick.

OH COME ON - VIOLA CASE - STORING A TERROR INDUCING DEVICE - there's got to be a viola joke in there somewhere





normal viola loving comments will be resumed in 5 minutes

It'd better be

HA! Genius!

gulp

"shall I compare thee to a marching tuba? thou art more lovely and more .... lighter?
rough wind players do shake after a few Buds
but I've never known a viola player who couldn't hold at least six pints"




alright alright I'm goin' arn' I? Rosfrog thought it was funny....


..... mutter .... mutter

One of the more bizarre rules recently has been that pilots were not being allowed to bring pens on board, see here ; I'd rather my pilot was able to write, thank you. And, guess what you find in the cockpit of all large passenger aircraft? An axe, for breaking windows in an emergency!

"It's more than my job's worth, guv..."

thanks for making me laugh again, zoda

Storini: that does seem a little odd....

Yes, I know that the regulations have changed, which is why I put it all in the past tense and said 'a little while ago' . Well, whether we think it's mad or not, there are some folk who will try anything to cause trouble and even death to others, so I think that, when we go away for a month or more next year, I will be looking to rent locally rather than taking mine with me!!

This newspaper report in the 'Ottawa citizen today' shows the dangers of checking in a valuble instrument. An airline destroyed a $13,800 viola after forcing the passenger to check it in.

Ugh! Poor lad! He obviously didn't realise that the regulations are being more strictly enforced now and/or have been newly created as he said that he travelled with his viola as hand luggage a month ago. That was before all the fuss.

It's just such a shame that a few loonies and obsessives have to ruin things for the rest of us, normal people. As if we want to blow up 'planes with Volvic, Evian and a viola!