All eyes were on Pavel Šporcl's blue violin when, during a Mendelssohn performance, the conductor accidentally knocked it out of his hands.
The incident took place while Šporcl was performing Felix Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor with the Mlada Boleslav Chamber Orchestra at the ensemble's 60th anniversary concert. As conductor Marko Ivanovic raised his baton to cue an oboe for the ending of the first movement, he accidentally struck Šporcl's instrument, knocking it out of the violinist's hands.
Fortunately, Šporcl was able to cushion its fall with his foot. The instrument remained intact, and after checking that it was still in tune, Šporcl resumed the performance.
Šporcl's famous blue violin is the creation of Jan Baptista Špidlen, whom he deemed the best violin maker in the Czech Republic. Besides its electric blue color-which Šporcl requested as "a symbol of rebellion against rules and conventions"-the instrument is unique for its "shorter corners, narrower and thinner ribs, slightly bigger f-holes, [and] plumbs embedded in the scroll," all meant to enhance its sound.
The violinist posted on social media to recount the event: "Only sheer luck and my lightning quick reactions prevented [a] situation which could have resulted in a huge tragedy. All it took was a tenth of a second plus the tip of the conductor's baton, and all that would be left of my precious blue violin was splinters. And that on such a beautiful occasion..." He took the incident lightly, adding, "Fortunately, in this case, nothing major happened that would make it impossible to continue the concert and my career. Except for the heart attack I almost got from it."
He will next take his violin to Israel, where he will play the Beethoven Violin Concerto.
