The Czech violinist Pavel Šporcl was playing the Mendelssohn concerto with the Mlada Boleslav Chamber Orchestra when a sideswipe from the conductor’s baton knocked his precious blue violin out of his hands.
Only a swift leg movement by the soloist stopped the instrument smashing onto the floor. Pavel picked up the violin and carried on playing, to the conductor’s evident relief.
He’s in Jerusalem this week, jumping in for Victoria Mullova in the Beethoven concerto. With the same trademark blue violin, made by the Prague luthier Jan Spidlen.
You can watch two versions of the incident here … real time and slow-mo.
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