Facts and Sources

A question regarding sources of information used in the compilation of these blog posts has recently come to my attention.  I, of course, do not pull stories or facts out of thin air.  For every statement regarding a date or occurrence found on this blog there is at least one corresponding source.  I have found that the misinformation out there is indeed considerable.  One must be careful.  However, if there is ever any question as to the validity or reliability of any source, I always clearly state it.  This blog often contains details which are very hard to come by though sources do exist for those details.  I simply do not divulge them because that would make them less special.  I have found that other people who write things on violinists (elsewhere) are not terribly objective - nor are they persistent in their research.  There are three sites in particular which are very sloppy in their detective work – I will not name them but they are well-known.  One of those sites is notorious for publishing erroneous information.  A case in point: the writer who stated that Theodore Spiering had made many appearances with the Chicago Symphony under conductor Theodore Thomas simply did not bother with checking the one source which would have set the facts straight.  Another example is the story about how Beethoven changed the dedication of his last violin sonata from George Bridgetower to Rodolphe Kreutzer – the true facts are simply not known, though many music historians insist that their version is the correct one.  That’s how things get Romanticized - not to say presented dishonestly - and become objects of ridicule and speculation.  Nevertheless – having said all this – if there is anyone out there who cares to challenge anything presented here as fact, let him tell me so and I will make clear where my information comes from.  Until such time, my sources will remain unmentioned.  After all, this is not a dissertation – it is a blog to be enjoyed for what it is.  It is, however, trustworthy.