Ed Zubrow wrote:

>Watching live from Lincoln Center tonight, I confess my eyes were drawn to
>Anne-Sophie Mutter's strapless gown.  I noticed that at one point she put
>a handkerchief across her shoulder.  I've also seen violinists place a
>handkerchief under their chin, but she did not do this.  What gives?

The handkerchief under the chin is to soften the impression of the
whatchamacallit in English (the *support contraption on the violin for the
chin).  I don't know why Ms Mutter should want to grace her lovely shoulder
with a handkerchief.

>Also, at the conclusion of the Sibelius Concerto, during her last long
>solo, she broke a string.  She continued to play the solo part with the
>string flapping, then appeared to pluck off the string before her final
>passage.  How critical is a broken string and how risky is it to pluck one
>off at such a time?

A broken string is critical when you still have to play notes on it ;) If
you don't (as was obviously the case here) you'd better pluck it off but be
quick about it.

>PS The concert was very interesting ...

Glad you liked her playing too ;)

Philip