Karl Stobbe’s violin is his voice.
Without uttering a word he can express so much, said the violinist.
“I remember the first time I saw a violin and thinking that it looked really cool,” said Stobbe. “Even as a kid, I was intrigued by aspects of the violin as a physical structure, like a piece of sculpture.”
Stobbe, often recognized as one of Canada’s most accomplished violinists, said when he first tried the violin, he didn’t like it. It wasn’t for him, and then all of a sudden it was.
Playing the violin is physically demanding, said Stobbe. Violinists aren’t using big muscles like athletes or dancers, but the small muscles they do use can get sprains.
“I still practise my slides every day for half and hour ... to keep my fingers nimble,” said Stobbe.
If he doesn’t play for a day or two, Stobbe said he physically feels the difference.
He performs as a guest artist during Vancouver Island Symphony’s presentation of Romantic Spirit at the Port Theatre on Saturday (Nov. 19) at 7:30 p.m. The show features Siebelius’s The Tempest, Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor and Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 3.
Stobbe said Bruch’s piece created in the romantic period has lush and rich sounds, as opposed to classical music which contains clean brilliant sounds.
“It is a beautifully romantic piece, romantic as in the historical period,” he said. “It’s absolutely gorgeous melodically, gorgeous sounds.”
Tickets for Romantic Spirit range in price from $33 to $54, or $18 for students and are available by calling 250-754-8550 or visiting www.porttheatre.com.