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176-459: Jack Benny (born Benjamin Kubelsky ; February 14, 1894 – December 26, 1974) was an American entertainer who evolved from a modest success playing the violin on the vaudeville circuit to one of the leading entertainers of the twentieth century with a highly popular comedic career in radio, television, and film. He was known for his comic timing and the ability to cause laughter with a long pause or

352-466: A fiddle , is a wooden chordophone , and is the smallest, and thus highest-pitched instrument ( soprano ) in regular use in the violin family . Smaller violin-type instruments exist, including the violino piccolo and the pochette , but these are virtually unused. Most violins have a hollow wooden body, and commonly have four strings (sometimes five ), usually tuned in perfect fifths with notes G3, D4, A4, E5, and are most commonly played by drawing

528-727: A bow across the strings. The violin can also be played by plucking the strings with the fingers ( pizzicato ) and, in specialized cases, by striking the strings with the wooden side of the bow ( col legno ). Violins are important instruments in a wide variety of musical genres. They are most prominent in the Western classical tradition , both in ensembles (from chamber music to orchestras ) and as solo instruments. Violins are also important in many varieties of folk music , including country music , bluegrass music , and in jazz . Electric violins with solid bodies and piezoelectric pickups are used in some forms of rock music and jazz fusion , with

704-407: A chinrest , which may attach directly over, or to the left of, the tailpiece . A distinctive feature of a violin body is its hourglass-like shape and the arching of its top and back. The hourglass shape comprises two upper bouts, two lower bouts, and two concave C-bouts at the waist , providing clearance for the bow . The "voice" or sound of a violin depends on its shape, the wood it is made from,

880-406: A shift, and effective shifting maintaining accurate intonation and a smooth legato (connected) sound is a key element of technique at all levels. Often a "guide finger" is used; the last finger to play a note in the old position continuously lightly touches the string during the course of the shift to end up on its correct place in the new position. In elementary shifting exercises the "guide finger"

1056-521: A string quartet or a string orchestra , the strings typically "sweeten" their tuning to suit the key they are playing in. When playing with an instrument tuned to equal temperament , such as a piano , skilled violinists adjust their tuning to match the equal temperament of the piano to avoid discordant notes. The fingers are conventionally numbered 1 (index) through 4 (little finger) in music notation , such as sheet music and etude books. Especially in instructional editions of violin music, numbers over

1232-445: A CBS affiliate, the network television version of The Jack Benny Program ran from October 28, 1950, to 1965, all but the last season on CBS. Initially scheduled as a series of five "specials" during the 1950–1951 season, the show appeared every six weeks for the 1951–1952 season, every four weeks for the 1952–1953 season and every three weeks in 1953–1954. For the 1953–1954 season, half the episodes were live and half were filmed during

1408-467: A Guarneri. "The Messiah" or "Le Messie" (also known as the "Salabue") made by Antonio Stradivari in 1716 remains pristine. It is now located in the Ashmolean Museum of Oxford . The most famous violin makers ( luthiers ) between the 16th century and the 18th century include: Significant changes occurred in the construction of the violin in the 18th century, particularly a longer neck which

1584-451: A Seder and eating matzah on Passover is a widespread custom even among those who are not religiously observant. Family members come to the table dressed in their holiday clothes. There is an Orthodox Ashkenazi tradition for the person leading the Seder to wear a white robe called a kittel . For the first half of the Seder, each participant will only need a plate and a wine glass. At the head of

1760-498: A Stradivari violin is £ 9.8 million ( US$ 15.9 million at that time), when the instrument known as the Lady Blunt was sold by Tarisio Auctions in an online auction on June 20, 2011. A violin generally consists of a spruce top (the soundboard , also known as the top plate , table , or belly ), maple ribs and back, two endblocks, a neck , a bridge , a soundpost, four strings, and various fittings, optionally including

1936-478: A benign nemesis for Eleanor Powell and Robert Taylor ), George Washington Slept Here (1942), and notably, Charley's Aunt (1941) and To Be or Not to Be (1942). He and Livingstone also appeared in Ed Sullivan 's Mr. Broadway (1933) as themselves. Benny often parodied contemporary films and genres on the radio program, and the 1940 film Buck Benny Rides Again features all the main radio characters in

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2112-442: A central device in the Seder ritual. By encouraging children to ask questions, they will be more open to hearing the answers. The most famous question which the youngest child asks at the Seder is the " Ma Nishtana " – 'Why is this night different from all other nights?' After the asking of this questions, the main portion of the Seder, Magid , discusses the answers in the form of a historical review. Also, at different points in

2288-452: A colored silk wrapping at both ends, for identification of the string (e.g., G string, D string, A string or E string) and to provide friction against the pegs. The tapered pegs allow friction to be increased or decreased by the player applying appropriate pressure along the axis of the peg while turning it. Strings were first made of sheep gut (commonly known as catgut , which despite the name, did not come from cats), or simply gut, which

2464-484: A crypt at Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery in Culver City, California . His will arranged for a single long-stemmed red rose to be delivered to his widow, Mary Livingstone, every day for the rest of her life. Livingstone died eight and a half years later on June 30, 1983, at the age of 78. In trying to explain his successful life, Benny summed it up by stating: "Everything good that happened to me happened by accident. I

2640-429: A few shows, Benny hired Harry Conn as writer. The show continued on Blue for six months until October 26, moving to CBS on October 30, now airing Thursdays and Sundays. With Ted Weems leading the band, Benny stayed on CBS until January 26, 1933, when Canada Dry opted not to renew Benny's contract after it attempted to replace Conn with Sid Silvers, who would have also gotten a co-starring role. Unlike later incarnations of

2816-443: A fingered A on the D string against the open A string), giving a ringing sort of "fiddling" sound. Playing an open string simultaneously with an identical stopped note can also be called for when more volume is required, especially in orchestral playing. Some classical violin parts have notes for which the composer requests the violinist to play an open string, because of the specific sonority created by an open string. Double stopping

2992-456: A fixed-pitch instrument such as a piano or accordion, the violin tunes to the corresponding note on that instrument rather than to any other tuning reference. The oboe is generally the instrument used to tune orchestras where violins are present since its sound is penetrating and can be heard over the other woodwinds.) The other strings are then tuned against each other in intervals of perfect fifths by bowing them in pairs. A minutely higher tuning

3168-403: A four-week nightclub run, he was invited onto Ed Sullivan 's radio program, uttering his first radio spiel "This is Jack Benny talking. There will be a slight pause while you say, 'Who cares? ' " Benny had been a minor vaudeville performer before becoming a national figure with The Jack Benny Program , a weekly radio show that ran from 1932 to 1948 on NBC and from 1949 to 1955 on CBS . It

3344-472: A funny Western parody adapted from program skits. The failure of one cinematic Benny vehicle, The Horn Blows at Midnight , became a running gag on his radio and television programs, although contemporary viewers may not find the film as disappointing as the jokes suggest. Benny may have had an uncredited cameo role in Casablanca , claimed by a contemporary newspaper article and advertisement and reportedly in

3520-400: A grandchild of the family receives sufficient Jewish education to take on the responsibility. If a person has no children capable of asking, the responsibility falls to their spouse, or another participant. The need to ask is so great that even if a person is alone at the seder they are obligated to ask themselves and to answer their own questions. The question about reclining substitutes for

3696-493: A great bet for an air program." Recalling the experience in 1956, Benny said Ed Sullivan had invited him to guest on his program (1932), and "the agency for Canada Dry ginger ale heard me and offered me a job." With Canada Dry ginger ale as a sponsor, Benny came to radio on The Canada Dry Program , on May 2, 1932, broadcast on Mondays and Wednesdays on the NBC Blue Network , featuring George Olsen and his orchestra. After

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3872-425: A guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson , during which he recreated several classic radio skits with Mel Blanc the day before his final television special aired. Benny was preparing to star in the film version of Neil Simon 's The Sunshine Boys when his health failed later the same year. He prevailed upon his longtime best friend, George Burns , to take his place on a nightclub tour while preparing for

4048-472: A joint appearance with Phil Silvers on Dick Cavett 's show, Benny recalled that he had advised Silvers not to appear on television. However, Silvers ignored Benny's advice and proceeded to win several Emmy awards as Sergeant Bilko on the popular series The Phil Silvers Show . Benny also acted in films, including the Academy Award -winning The Hollywood Revue of 1929 , Broadway Melody of 1936 (as

4224-414: A metal screw that moves a lever attached to the string end. They permit very small pitch adjustments much more easily than the pegs. Turning a fine tuner clockwise causes the pitch to become sharper (as the string is under more tension), and turning it counterclockwise, the pitch becomes flatter (as the string is under less tension). Fine tuners on all four of the strings are very helpful when using those with

4400-477: A musical program. He continued with sponsor General Tire on Fridays through the end of September. The show switched networks to CBS on January 2, 1949, as part of CBS president William S. Paley 's notorious "raid" on NBC talent in 1948–1949. It stayed there for the remainder of its radio run, ending on May 22, 1955. CBS aired repeat episodes from 1956 to 1958 as The Best of Benny . After making his television debut in 1949 on local Los Angeles station KTTV , then

4576-464: A number of reasons. Hide glue is capable of making a thinner joint than most other glues. It is reversible (brittle enough to crack with carefully applied force and removable with hot water) when disassembly is needed. Since fresh hide glue sticks to old hide glue, more original wood can be preserved when repairing a joint. (More modern glues must be cleaned off entirely for the new joint to be sound, which generally involves scraping off some wood along with

4752-438: A particular technical challenge, for two reasons. Firstly, the difference in location of different notes becomes much narrower in high positions, making the notes more challenging to locate and in some cases to distinguish by ear. Secondly, the much shorter sounding length of the string in very high positions is a challenge for the right arm and bow in sounding the instrument effectively. The finer (and more expensive) an instrument,

4928-639: A performance in Dallas after suffering a dizzy spell, coupled with numbness in his arms. Despite a battery of tests, Benny's ailment could not be determined. When he complained of stomach pains in early December, a first test showed nothing, but a subsequent examination showed that he had inoperable pancreatic cancer . Benny went into a coma at home on December 22, 1974. While in a coma, he was visited by close friends, including George Burns , Bob Hope , Frank Sinatra , Johnny Carson , John Rowles and then Governor Ronald Reagan . He died on December 26, 1974, at age 80. At

5104-621: A plumber who resembles Jack Benny and in 1967 "Lucy Gets Jack Benny's account" where Lucy takes Jack on a tour of his new money vault. In the late 1960s, Benny did a series of commercials for Texaco Sky Chief gasoline, using his "stingy" television persona, always telling the attendant, played by Dennis Day, after being implored, "Mr. Benny, won't you please fill up?", "I'll take a gallon." In his unpublished autobiography, I Always Had Shoes (portions of which were later incorporated by Jack's daughter, Joan Benny, into her memoir of her parents, Sunday Nights at Seven ), Benny said that he, not NBC, made

5280-492: A question about eating roasted meat, that was present in the mishnah but removed by later authorities due to its inapplicability after the destruction of the temple : Roasted sacrifices were no longer possible after the destruction, and roasted meat was therefore disallowed on seder night, to avoid ambiguity. The questions are answered with the following: The four questions have been translated into over 300 languages. The traditional Haggadah speaks of " four sons " – one who

5456-402: A reclining position, and dip vegetables into salt water (the dipping being a sign of royalty and freedom). There is an obligation to drink four cups of wine during the Seder. The Mishnah says ( Pesachim 10:1) that even the poor are obliged to drink the four cups. Each cup is imbibed at a specific point in the Seder. The first is for Kiddush ( קידוש ), the second is for ' Maggid ' ( מגיד ),

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5632-475: A screw adjuster tightens or loosens the hair. Just forward of the frog, a leather thumb cushion (called the grip) and a winding protect the stick and provide a secure hold for the player's hand. Traditional windings are of wire (often silver or plated silver), silk, or baleen ("whalebone", now substituted by alternating strips of tan and black plastic.) Some fiberglass student bows employ a plastic sleeve as both grip and winding. Bow hair traditionally comes from

5808-599: A semitone higher, and the Mystery Sonatas by Biber , in which each movement has different scordatura tuning. In Indian classical music and Indian light music, the violin is likely to be tuned to D ♯ –A ♯ –D ♯ –A ♯ in the South Indian style. As there is no concept of absolute pitch in Indian classical music, musicians can use any convenient tuning to maintain these relative pitch intervals between

5984-415: A sign of an inferior instrument. The back and ribs are typically made of maple , most often with a matching striped figure , referred to as flame , fiddleback , or tiger stripe . The neck is usually maple with a flamed figure compatible with that of the ribs and back. It carries the fingerboard , typically made of ebony, but often some other wood stained or painted black on cheaper instruments. Ebony

6160-484: A single expression, such as his signature exasperated summation " Well!  " His radio and television programs, popular from 1932 until his death in 1974, were a major influence on the sitcom genre. Benny portrayed himself as a miser who obliviously played his violin badly and claimed perpetually to be 39 years of age. Benny was born Benjamin Kubelsky on February 14, 1894 in Chicago, and grew up in nearby Waukegan . He

6336-417: A small frame may use a so-called 7 ⁄ 8 size violin instead of a full-size instrument. Sometimes called a lady's violin , these instruments are slightly shorter than a full size violin, but tend to be high-quality instruments capable of producing a sound comparable to that of fine full size violins. The sizes of 5-string violins may differ from the normal 4-string. The instrument which corresponds to

6512-413: A specific sound especially in historically informed performance of Baroque music . Strings have a limited lifetime. Eventually, when oil, dirt, corrosion, and rosin accumulate, the mass of the string can become uneven along its length. Apart from obvious things, such as the winding of a string coming undone from wear, players generally change a string when it no longer plays "true" (with good intonation on

6688-404: A sponge and an elastic band for younger players who struggle with shoulder rests). The jaw and the shoulder must hold the violin firmly enough to allow it to remain stable when the left hand goes from a high position (a high pitched note far up on the fingerboard) to a low one (nearer to the pegbox). In the Indian posture, the stability of the violin is guaranteed by its scroll resting on the side of

6864-464: A steel core, and some players use them with synthetic strings. Since modern E strings are steel, a fine tuner is nearly always fitted for that string. Fine tuners are not used with gut strings, which are more elastic than steel or synthetic-core strings and do not respond adequately to the very small movements of fine tuners. To tune a violin, the A string is first tuned to a standard pitch (usually A=440  Hz ). (When accompanying or playing with

7040-429: A stretched left-hand position with the fingers extended. The term "double stop" is often used to encompass sounding an open string alongside a fingered note as well, even though only one finger stops the string. Passover Seder Seder customs include telling the story, discussing the story, drinking four cups of wine , eating matzah , partaking of symbolic foods, and reclining in celebration of freedom. The Seder

7216-441: A string is bowed or plucked without any finger stopping it, it is said to be an open string . This gives a different sound from a stopped string, since the string vibrates more freely at the nut than under a finger. Further, it is impossible to use vibrato fully on an open string (though a partial effect can be achieved by stopping a note an octave up on an adjacent string and vibrating that, which introduces an element of vibrato into

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7392-480: A successful run from 1954 until 1958. Both television shows often overlapped the radio show. In fact, the radio show alluded frequently to its television counterparts. Often as not, Benny would sign off the radio show in such circumstances with the line "Well, good night, folks. I'll see you on television." When Benny moved to television, audiences learned that his verbal talent was matched by his controlled repertory of dead-pan facial expressions and gesture. The program

7568-502: A violin are usually made from different types of wood . Violins can be strung with gut , Perlon or other synthetic, or steel strings. A person who makes or repairs violins is called a luthier or violinmaker. One who makes or repairs bows is called an archetier or bowmaker . The word "violin" was first used in English in the 1570s. The word "violin" comes from "Italian violino , [a] diminutive of viola . The term "viola" comes from

7744-420: A week (about $ 250 in 2020 dollars). He was joined on the circuit by Ned Miller , a young composer and singer. That same year, Benny was playing in the same theater as the young Marx Brothers . Minnie , their mother, enjoyed Benny's violin playing and invited him to accompany her boys in their act. Benny's parents refused to let their son go on the road at 17, but it was the beginning of his long friendship with

7920-460: Is Camille Saint-Saëns ' Danse Macabre , where the solo violin's E string is tuned down to E ♭ to impart an eerie dissonance to the composition. Other examples are the third movement of Contrasts , by Béla Bartók , where the E string is tuned down to E ♭ and the G tuned to a G ♯ , Niccolò Paganini 's First Violin Concerto , where all four strings are designated to be tuned

8096-495: Is 356 mm (14.0 in), smaller in some 17th-century models. A 3 ⁄ 4 violin's body length is 335 mm (13.2 in), and a 1 ⁄ 2 size is 310 mm (12.2 in). With the violin's closest family member, the viola, size is specified as body length in inches or centimeters rather than fractional sizes. A full-size viola averages 40 cm (16 in). However, each individual adult will determine which size of viola to use. Occasionally, an adult with

8272-490: Is Hebrew Imperative for Kiddush . It should be recited as soon as the synagogue services are over but not before nightfall. This Kiddush is similar to that which is recited on all of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals , but also refers to matzot and the exodus from Egypt. Acting in a way that shows freedom and majesty, many Jews have the custom of filling each other's cups at the Seder table. The Kiddush

8448-553: Is acting out that particular part of the Exodus. Physical re-enactment of the Exodus during the Passover seder is common in many families and communities. Families will follow the Haggadah's lead by asking their own questions at various points in the Haggadah and offering prizes such as nuts and candies for correct answers. The afikoman , which is hidden away for the "dessert" after the meal,

8624-472: Is among the most commonly celebrated Jewish rituals, performed by Jews all over the world. Seder is a transliteration of the Hebrew סדר, which means 'order' or 'procedure'. The name also expresses the conduct of the meal, all the dishes, the blessings, the prayers, the stories and the songs, written in the Haggadah, a book that determines the order of Passover and tells the story of the Exodus from Egypt. And all

8800-410: Is angled more toward the back of the instrument than in earlier examples, heavier strings, and a heavier bass bar. The majority of old instruments have undergone these modifications, and hence are in a significantly different state than when they left the hands of their makers, doubtless with differences in sound and response. But it is in their present (modified) condition that these instruments have set

8976-403: Is another device used to encourage children's participation. In most families, the leader of the Seder hides the afikoman and the children must find it, whereupon they receive a prize or reward. In other homes, the children hide the afikoman and a parent must look for it; when the parents give up, the children demand a prize (often money) for revealing its location. The order and procedures of

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9152-459: Is generally thought to be the maximum number of strings practical on a bowed string instrument; with more than seven strings, it would be impossible to play any particular inner string individually with the bow. Violins with seven strings are very rare. The extra strings on such violins typically are lower in pitch than the G-string; these strings are usually tuned (going from the highest added string to

9328-424: Is largely determined by the skill of the player, who may easily play more than two octaves on a single string, and four octaves on the instrument as a whole. Position names are mostly used for the lower positions and in method books and etudes; for this reason, it is uncommon to hear references to anything higher than seventh position. The highest position, practically speaking, is 13th position. Very high positions are

9504-448: Is less well defined: E 7 , the E two octaves above the open string (which is tuned to E 5 ) may be considered a practical limit for orchestral violin parts, but it is often possible to play higher, depending on the length of the fingerboard and the skill of the violinist. Yet higher notes (up to C 8 ) can be sounded by stopping the string, reaching the limit of the fingerboard, and/or by using artificial harmonics . The arched shape,

9680-601: Is likely to be tuned (E–A–E–A) in Dastgah-h Esfahan or in Dastgāh-e Šur is (E–A–D–E) and (E–A–E–E), in Dastgāh-e Māhur is (E–A–D–A). In Arabic classical music, the A and E strings are lowered by a whole step , i.e. G–D–G–D. This is to ease playing Arabic maqams , especially those containing quarter tones . While most violins have four strings, there are violins with additional strings, some with as many as seven. Seven

9856-425: Is often indicated in the music by the marking, for example, sul G or IV (a Roman numeral indicating to play on the fourth string; by convention, the strings are numbered from thinnest, highest pitch (I) to the lowest pitch (IV)). Even without an explicit instructions in the score, an advanced violinist will use her/his discretion and artistic sensibility to select which string to play specific notes or passages. If

10032-419: Is often voiced while gliding up or down the string, so the player can establish correct placement by ear. Outside of these exercises it should rarely be audible (unless the performer is consciously applying a portamento effect for expressive reasons). In the course of a shift in low positions, the thumb of the left hand moves up or down the neck of the instrument so as to remain in the same position relative to

10208-451: Is played with the fourth finger on the E-string, sounding a B5. Moving the hand up the neck, the first finger takes the place of the second finger, bringing the player into second position . Letting the first finger take the first-position place of the third finger brings the player to third position , and so on. A change of positions, with its associated movement of the hand, is referred to as

10384-415: Is probably the most memorable: Robert McKimson engaged Benny and his actual cast (Mary Livingstone, Eddie “Rochester” Anderson, and Don Wilson) to do the voices for the mouse versions of their characters, with Mel Blanc  – the usual Warner Brothers cartoon voicemeister – reprising his old vocal turn as the always-aging Maxwell, always a phat -phat- bang! away from collapse. In

10560-400: Is related to Old Norse fiðla , Middle Dutch vedele , Dutch vedel , Old High German fidula , German Fiedel , ' a fiddle ' ; all of uncertain origin." As to the origin of the word "fiddle", the "...usual suggestion, based on resemblance in sound and sense, is that it is from Medieval Latin vitula ." The earliest stringed instruments were mostly plucked (for example,

10736-455: Is seen in classical music which is imitating the drone of an organ (J. S. Bach, in his Partita in E for solo violin, achieved this), fiddling (e.g., Hoedown ) or where taking steps to avoid the open string is musically inappropriate (for instance in Baroque music where shifting position was less common). In quick passages of scales or arpeggios an open E string may simply be used for convenience if

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10912-448: Is sometimes employed for solo playing to give the instrument a brighter sound; conversely, Baroque music is sometimes played using lower tunings to make the violin's sound more gentle. After tuning, the instrument's bridge may be examined to ensure that it is standing straight and centered between the inner nicks of the f-holes ; a crooked bridge may significantly affect the sound of an otherwise well-made violin. After extensive playing,

11088-406: Is the preferred material because of its hardness, beauty, and superior resistance to wear. Fingerboards are dressed to a particular transverse curve, and have a small lengthwise "scoop," or concavity, slightly more pronounced on the lower strings, especially when meant for gut or synthetic strings. Some old violins (and some made to appear old) have a grafted scroll , evidenced by a glue joint between

11264-510: Is to say that for that child one asks "Why?" and, like the simple child, has no answer. Four verses in Deuteronomy (26:5–8) are then expounded, with an elaborate, traditional commentary. ("And thou shalt speak and say before the Lord thy God: 'A wandering Aramean was my parent, and they went down into Egypt, and sojourned there, few in number; and became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous. And

11440-498: Is told, "It is because of what the Almighty did for me when I left Egypt." Some modern Haggadahs mention "children" instead of "sons", and some have added a fifth child. The fifth child can represent the children of the Shoah who did not survive to ask a question or represent Jews who have drifted so far from Jewish life that they do not participate in a Seder. For the former, tradition

11616-610: Is traditionally said by the father of the house, but all Seder participants may participate by reciting the Kiddush and drinking at least a majority of the first cup of wine. On Shabbat, it is preceded by a reading from the Book of Genesis recounting God's rest on the seventh day of creation and includes an extended doxology on the blessings of Shabbat. Technically, according to Jewish law , whenever one partakes of fruits or vegetables dipped in liquid while remaining wet, one must wash one's hands if

11792-413: Is used sometimes in lieu of adequate ear-training, guiding the placement of fingers by eye and not by ear. Especially in the early stages of learning to play, the so-called "ringing tones" are useful. There are nine such notes in first position, where a stopped note sounds a unison or octave with another (open) string, causing it to resonate sympathetically . Students often use these ringing tones to check

11968-476: Is usually played seated. In the 2000s and 2010s, some orchestras performing Baroque music (such as the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra ) have had all of their violins and violas, solo and ensemble, perform standing up. The standard way of holding the violin is with the left side of the jaw resting on the chinrest of the violin, and supported by the left shoulder, often assisted by a shoulder rest (or

12144-531: Is when two separate strings are stopped by the fingers and bowed simultaneously, producing two continuous tones (typical intervals include 3rds, 4ths, 5ths, 6ths, and octaves). Double-stops can be indicated in any position, though the widest interval that can be double-stopped naturally in one position is an octave (with the index finger on the lower string and the pinky finger on the higher string). Nonetheless, intervals of tenths or even more are sometimes required to be double-stopped in advanced repertoire, resulting in

12320-506: Is wise, one who is wicked, one who is simple, and one who does not know to ask. This is based upon the rabbis of the Jerusalem Talmud finding four references in the Torah to responding to your son who asks a question. Each of these sons phrases his question about the seder in a different way. The Haggadah recommends answering each son according to his question, using one of the three verses in

12496-728: The Casablanca press book. When asked in his column "Movie Answer Man", film critic Roger Ebert first replied, "It looks something like him. That's all I can say." He wrote in a later column, "I think you're right." Benny also was caricatured in several Warner Brothers cartoons including Daffy Duck and the Dinosaur (1939, as Casper the Caveman), I Love to Singa , Slap Happy Pappy , and Goofy Groceries (1936, 1940, and 1941 respectively, as Jack Bunny), Malibu Beach Party (1940, as himself), and The Mouse that Jack Built (1959). The last of these

12672-451: The Gaon of Vilna do recite a blessing. Each participant dips a vegetable into either salt water (an Ashkenazi custom; said to serve as a reminder of the tears shed by their enslaved ancestors), vinegar (a Sephardi custom) or charoset (an older Sephardi custom, still common among Yemenite Jews). Another custom mentioned in some Ashkenazi sources and probably originating with Meir of Rothenburg ,

12848-649: The Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles. Benny signed a five-year contract with MGM, where his first role was in The Hollywood Revue of 1929 . The next film, Chasing Rainbows , did not do well, and after several months Benny was released from his contract and returned to Broadway in Earl Carroll's Vanities . At first dubious about the viability of radio, Benny grew eager to break into the new medium. In 1932, after

13024-428: The mitzvot (religious commandments or rites) in the "order" are done in a fixed order in every Jewish home. The Seder is most often conducted in the family home, although communal Seders are also organized by synagogues, schools and community centers, some open to the general public. It is customary to invite guests, especially strangers and the needy. The Seder is integral to Jewish faith and identity: as explained in

13200-452: The tenth plague struck Egypt at midnight, killing all the first-born sons from the first-born of Pharaoh to the first-born of the lowest Egyptian to all the first-born of the livestock in the land (Exodus 12:29), Pharaoh let the Hebrew nation go, effectively making them free people for the second half of the night. Thus, Seder participants recall the slavery that reigned during the first half of

13376-757: The '39ers." A statue of Benny with his violin stands in downtown Waukegan. The British comedian Benny Hill , whose original name was Alfred Hawthorne Hill, changed his name as a tribute to Jack Benny. He was mentioned by Doc Brown in Back to the Future , in which Doc guesses who would be Secretary of the Treasury by 1985, not believing Ronald Reagan was President of the United States of America. Papers Metadata Audio Video Violin The violin , sometimes referred as

13552-409: The A string, and the fourth finger is in a downward extension from its regular position, e.g. D ♮ on the A string, with the other two fingers placed in between as required. As the position of the thumb is typically the same in "half position" as in first position, it is better thought of as a backwards extension of the whole hand than as a genuine position. The upper limit of the violin's range

13728-583: The Benny show, The Canada Dry Program was primarily a musical program. Benny then appeared on The Chevrolet Program , airing on the NBC Red Network between March 17, 1933, until April 1, 1934, initially airing on Fridays (replacing Al Jolson), moving to Sunday nights in the fall. The show, which featured Benny and Livingstone alongside Frank Black's orchestra and vocalists James Melton and (later) Frank Parker , ended after General Motors' president insisted on

13904-499: The Egyptians dealt ill with us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage. And we cried unto the Lord, the God of our parents, and the Lord heard our voice, and saw our affliction, and our toil, and our oppression. And the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt with a strong hand and an outstretched arm , and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders .") The Haggadah explores

14080-700: The French king Charles IX ordered Andrea Amati to construct 24 violins for him in 1560. One of these "noble" instruments, the Charles IX , is the oldest surviving violin. The finest Renaissance carved and decorated violin in the world is the Gasparo da Salò ( c. 1574) owned by Ferdinand II, Archduke of Austria and later, from 1841, by the Norwegian virtuoso Ole Bull , who used it for forty years and thousands of concerts, for its very powerful and beautiful tone, similar to that of

14256-702: The Greek lyre ). Two-stringed, bowed instruments, played upright and strung and bowed with horsehair, may have originated in the nomadic equestrian cultures of Central Asia, in forms closely resembling the modern-day Mongolian Morin huur and the Kazakh Kobyz . Similar and variant types were probably disseminated along east–west trading routes from Asia into the Middle East, and the Byzantine Empire . Rebec , fiddle and lira da braccio are generally considered

14432-559: The Haggadah, if not for divine intervention and the Exodus, the Jewish people would still be slaves in Egypt. Therefore, the Seder is an occasion for praise and thanksgiving and for re-dedication to the idea of liberation. Furthermore, the words and rituals of the Seder are a primary vehicle for the transmission of the Jewish faith from grandparent to child, and from one generation to the next. Attending

14608-488: The Marx Brothers, especially Zeppo Marx . The next year, Benny formed a vaudeville musical duo with pianist Cora Folsom Salisbury , who needed a partner for her act. This angered famous violinist Jan Kubelik , who feared that the young vaudevillian with a similar name would damage his reputation. Under legal pressure, Benjamin Kubelsky agreed to change his name to Ben K. Benny, sometimes spelled Bennie. When Salisbury left

14784-460: The Red Sea" in the aftermath of the Exodus. Before Magid, some Sephardi families have a custom to sing "Bivhilu yatzanu mi-mitzrayim" (translated: 'In haste we left Egypt'). While this is being sung, the head of the household walks around the table with the Seder plate and waves it over each individual's head. The story of Passover, and the change from slavery to freedom is told. At this point in

14960-510: The Roman custom of drinking as many cups as there are letters in the name of the chief guest at a meal, which in the case of the Seder is God himself whose Hebrew name has four letters. The special Passover Seder plate ( ke'arah ) is the special plate containing symbolic foods used during the Passover Seder. Each of the six items arranged on the plate has special significance to the retelling of

15136-637: The Seder are stated and printed in the text of the Passover Haggadah , a copy of which is in front of all participants. Jewish children learn the following words, denoting the order of the Seder, with a rhyme and tune at their Jewish schools: Kaddesh ( קדש ). Urchatz ( ורחץ ). Karpas ( כרפס ). Yachatz ( יחץ ). Maggid ( מגיד ). Rochtzah ( רחצה ). Motzi Matzah ( מוציא מצה ). Maror ( מרור ). Korech ( כורך ). Shulchan Orech ( שלחן עורך ). Tzafun ( צפון ). Barech ( ברך ). Hallel ( הלל ). Nirtzah ( נרצה ). Kadeish ( קדש )

15312-451: The Seder is not for the wicked son because the wicked son would not have deserved to be freed from Egyptian slavery.) Where the four sons are illustrated in the Haggadah, this son has frequently been depicted as carrying weapons or wearing stylish contemporary fashions. The simple son, who asks, "What is this?" is answered with "With a strong hand the Almighty led us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage." The one who does not know to ask

15488-410: The Seder table recites the Haggadah in the original Hebrew and Aramaic. Halakha (the collective body of Jewish religious laws) requires that certain parts be said in language the participants can understand, and critical parts are often said in both Hebrew and the native language. The leader will often interrupt the reading to discuss different points with his or her children, or to offer an insight into

15664-486: The Seder, Moroccan Jews have a custom of raising the Seder plate over the heads of all those present while chanting "Bivhilu yatzanu mimitzrayim, halahma anya b'nei horin" ('In haste we went out of Egypt [with our] bread of affliction, [now we are] free people'). The matzot are uncovered, and referred to as the "bread of affliction". Participants declare (in Aramaic ) an invitation to all who are hungry or needy to join in

15840-428: The Seder, the leader of the Seder will cover the matzot and lift their cup of wine; then put down the cup of wine and uncover the matzot – all to elicit questions from the children. In some traditions, the questions are asked by the assembled company in chorus rather than by a child, and are put to the leader of the seder, who either answers the question or may direct the attention of the assembled company to someone who

16016-436: The Seder. Halakha requires that this invitation be repeated in the native language of the country. The Mishna details questions one is obligated to ask on the night of the seder. It is customary for the youngest child present to recite the four questions. Some customs hold that the other participants recite them quietly to themselves as well. In some families, this means that the requirement remains on an adult "child" until

16192-425: The Torah that refer to this exchange. The wise son asks "What are the statutes, the testimonies, and the laws that God has commanded us to do?" One explanation for why this very detailed-oriented question is categorized as wise, is that the wise son is trying to learn how to carry out the seder, rather than asking for someone else's understanding of its meaning. He is answered fully: "You should reply to him with [all]

16368-576: The act, Benny found a new pianist, Lyman Woods, and renamed the act "From Grand Opera to Ragtime". They worked together for five years and slowly integrated comedy elements into the show. They reached the Palace Theater , the "Mecca of Vaudeville", and did not do well. Benny left show business briefly in 1917 to join the United States Navy during World War I, often entertaining fellow sailors with his violin playing. One evening, his violin performance

16544-580: The ancestors of the violin, Several sources suggest alternative possibilities for the violin's origins, such as northern or western Europe. The first makers of violins probably borrowed from various developments of the Byzantine lyra. These included the vielle (also known as the fidel or viuola ) and the lira da braccio . The violin in its present form emerged in early 16th-century northern Italy . The earliest pictures of violins, albeit with three strings, are seen in northern Italy around 1530, at around

16720-415: The better able it is to sustain good tone right to the top of the fingerboard, at the highest pitches on the E string. All notes (except those below the open D) can be played on more than one string. This is a standard design feature of stringed instruments; however, it differs from the piano, which has only one location for each of its 88 notes. For instance, the note of open A on the violin can be played as

16896-420: The body off balance and makes the shoulders rise. Another sign that comes from unhealthy tension is pain in the left hand, which indicates too much pressure when holding the violin. The left hand determines the sounding length of the string, and thus the pitch of the string, by "stopping" it (pressing it) against the fingerboard with the fingertips, producing different pitches. As the violin has no frets to stop

17072-506: The cartoon, Benny and Livingstone agree to spend their anniversary at the Kit-Kat Club, which they discover the hard way is inside the mouth of a live cat. Before the cat can devour the mice, Benny himself awakens from his dream, then shakes his head, smiles wryly, and mutters, "Imagine, me and Mary as little mice." Then, he glances toward the cat lying on a throw rug in a corner and sees his and Livingstone's cartoon alter egos scampering out of

17248-631: The cat's mouth. The cartoon ends with a classic Benny look of befuddlement. It was rumored that Benny requested that, in lieu of monetary compensation, he receive a copy of the finished film. Benny made a cameo appearance in It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World . After his broadcasting career ended, Benny performed live as a violinist and as a standup comedian. In the 1960s, Benny was the headlining act at Harrah's Lake Tahoe with trumpeter Harry James , clown Emmett Kelly and singer Ray Vasquez . Benny made one of his final television appearances on January 23, 1974, as

17424-400: The correct positions on full-sized instruments. While related in some sense to the dimensions of the instruments, the fractional sizes are not intended to be literal descriptions of relative proportions. For example, a 3 ⁄ 4 -sized instrument is not three-quarters the length of a full size instrument. The body length (not including the neck) of a full-size, or 4 ⁄ 4 , violin

17600-470: The decision to end his TV series in 1965. He said that while the ratings were still very good (he cited a figure of some 18 million viewers per week, although he qualified that figure by saying he never believed the ratings services were doing anything more than guessing, no matter what they promised), advertisers were complaining that commercial time on his show was costing nearly twice as much as what they paid for most other shows, and he had grown tired of what

17776-513: The excursion; possibly the basis for this report was that Eastland was a training vessel during World War I and Benny received his training in the Great Lakes naval base where Eastland was stationed. Benny achieved the rank of Seaman First Class. Shortly after the war, Benny developed a one-man act, "Ben K. Benny: Fiddle Funology". He then received legal pressure from Ben Bernie , a "patter-and-fiddle" performer, regarding his name, so he adopted

17952-429: The expression for "tenor violin" in 1797, from Italian and Old Provençal viola , [which came from] Medieval Latin vitula as a term which means ' stringed instrument ' , perhaps [coming] from Vitula , Roman goddess of joy..., or from related Latin verb vitulari , "to cry out in joy or exaltation." The related term Viola da gamba meaning ' bass viol ' (1724) is from Italian, literally "a viola for

18128-827: The film. Burns ultimately had to replace Benny in the film as well, going on to win an Academy Award for his performance. Benny made one last appearance on The Tonight Show on August 21, 1974, with Rich Little as guest host. According to his own statement during that appearance, Benny was still expecting to star in "The Sunshine Boys". He also made several appearances on The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast in his final 18 months, roasting Ronald Reagan , Johnny Carson , Bob Hope and Lucille Ball , in addition to himself being roasted in February 1974. The Lucille Ball roast, his last public performance, aired on February 7, 1975, several weeks after his death. In October 1974, Benny cancelled

18304-400: The fingers (though the movement of the thumb may occur slightly before, or slightly after, the movement of the fingers). In such positions, the thumb is often thought of as an 'anchor' whose location defines what position the player is in. In very high positions, the thumb is unable to move with the fingers as the body of the instrument gets in the way. Instead, the thumb works around the neck of

18480-447: The first finger back down to a C ♯ , or the fourth finger up to an A ♮ , forms an extension. Extensions are commonly used where one or two notes are slightly out of an otherwise solid position, and give the benefit of being less intrusive than a shift or string crossing. The lowest position on the violin is referred to as "half position". In this position the first finger is on a "low first position" note, e.g. B ♭ on

18656-410: The foot. While teachers point out the vital importance of good posture both for the sake of the quality of the playing and to reduce the chance of repetitive strain injury , advice as to what good posture is and how to achieve it differs in details. However, all insist on the importance of a natural relaxed position without tension or rigidity. Things which are almost universally recommended are keeping

18832-438: The four Matriarchs: Sarah , Rebeccah , Rachel , and Leah . (The three matzot , in turn, are connected to the three Patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.) Abarbanel relates the cups to the four historical redemptions of the Jewish people: the choosing of Abraham, the Exodus from Egypt, the survival of the Jewish people throughout the exile, and the fourth which will happen at the end of days. The four cups might also reflect

19008-518: The fourth wall and remarks not to worry about Benny on the grounds that anyone who has been 39 years old as long as he has is a citizen of the "Twilight Zone". In 1964, Walt Disney was a guest, primarily to promote his production of Mary Poppins . Benny persuaded Disney to give him over 110 free admission tickets to Disneyland for his friends and one for his wife, but later in the show Disney apparently sent his pet tiger after Benny as revenge, at which point Benny opened his umbrella and soared above

19184-445: The fruit or vegetable remains wet. However, at other times of the year, one has either already washed their hands before eating bread, or dry the fruit or vegetable, in which case one need not wash their hands before eating the fruit or vegetable. According to most traditions, no blessing is recited at this point in the Seder, unlike the blessing recited over the washing of the hands before eating bread. However, followers of Rambam or

19360-404: The funeral, Burns, Benny's best friend for more than fifty years, attempted to deliver a eulogy but broke down shortly after he began and was unable to continue. Hope also delivered a eulogy in which he stated, "For a man who was the undisputed master of comedic timing, you would have to say this is the only time when Jack Benny's timing was all wrong. He left us much too soon." Benny was interred in

19536-432: The graduation (the thickness profile) of both the top and back, the varnish that coats its outside surface and the skill of the luthier in doing all of these steps. The varnish and especially the wood continue to improve with age, making the fixed supply of old well-made violins built by famous luthiers much sought-after. The majority of glued joints in the instrument use animal hide glue rather than common white glue for

19712-413: The harmonics), losing the desired tone, brilliance and intonation. String longevity depends on string quality and playing intensity. A violin is tuned in fifths, in the notes G 3 , D 4 , A 4 , E 5 . The lowest note of a violin, tuned normally, is G 3 , or G below middle C (C4) . (On rare occasions, the lowest string may be tuned down by as much as a fourth, to D 3 .) The highest note playable

19888-680: The instrument a more powerful sound and projection. In Europe, it served as the basis for the development of other stringed instruments used in Western classical music, such as the viola . Violinists and collectors particularly prize the fine historical instruments made by the Stradivari , Guarneri , Guadagnini and Amati families from the 16th to the 18th century in Brescia and Cremona (Italy) and by Jacob Stainer in Austria. According to their reputation,

20064-446: The instrument to sit at the point at which the neck meets the right bout of the body, and remains there while the fingers move between the high positions. A note played outside of the normal compass of a position, without any shift, is referred to as an extension . For instance, in third position on the A string, the hand naturally sits with the first finger on D ♮ and the fourth on either G ♮ or G ♯ . Stretching

20240-401: The intonation of the stopped note by seeing if it is harmonious with the open string. For example, when playing the stopped pitch "A" on the G string, the violinist could play the open D string at the same time, to check the intonation of the stopped "A". If the "A" is in tune, the "A" and the open D string should produce a harmonious perfect fourth. Violins are tuned in perfect fifths, like all

20416-598: The korech sandwich. Jews generally observe one or two seders: in Israel, one seder is observed on the first night of Passover; traditional Diaspora communities (to the general exception of Reform and Reconstructionist Jews) also hold a seder on the second night. Seders have been observed around the world, including in remote places such as high in the Himalaya mountains in Kathmandu, Nepal . The rituals and symbolic foods evoke

20592-436: The last few years of the radio show, she pre-recorded her lines and Jack and Mary's daughter, Joan, stood in for the live taping, with Mary's lines later edited into the tape replacing Joan's before broadcast. Mary Livingstone finally retired from show business permanently in 1958, as her friend Gracie Allen had done. Benny's television program relied more on guest stars and less on his regulars than his radio program. In fact,

20768-427: The laws of pesach: one may not eat any dessert after the paschal sacrifice." The wicked son, who asks, "What is this service to you?", is characterized by the Haggadah as isolating himself from the Jewish people, standing by objectively and watching their behavior rather than participating. Therefore, he is rebuked by the explanation that "It is because God acted for my sake when I left Egypt." (This implies that

20944-404: The left hand on the fingerboard is characterized by "positions". First position, where most beginners start (although some methods start in third position), is the most commonly used position in string music. Music composed for beginning youth orchestras is often mostly in first position. The lowest note available in this position in standard tuning is an open G3; the highest note in first position

21120-410: The left wrist straight (or very nearly so) to allow the fingers of the left hand to move freely and to reduce the chance of injury and keeping either shoulder in a natural relaxed position and avoiding raising either of them in an exaggerated manner. This, like any other unwarranted tension, would limit freedom of motion, and increase the risk of injury. Hunching can hamper good playing because it throws

21296-506: The leg" (i.e. to hold between the legs)." A violin is the "modern form of the smaller, medieval viola da braccio ." ("arm viola") The violin is often called a fiddle. "Fiddle" can be used as the instrument's customary name in folk music, or as an informal name for the instrument in other styles of music. The word "fiddle" was first used in English in the late 14th century. The word "fiddle" comes from "fedele, fydyll, fidel, earlier fithele, from Old English fiðele ' fiddle ' , which

21472-510: The lowest) to C, F, and B ♭ . If the instrument's playing length, or string length from nut to bridge, is equal to that of an ordinary full-scale violin; i.e., a bit less than 13 inches (33 cm), then it may be properly termed a violin. Some such instruments are somewhat longer and should be regarded as violas. Violins with five strings or more are typically used in jazz or folk music. Some custom-made instruments have extra strings which are not bowed, but which sound sympathetically, due to

21648-453: The many deeds performed for the Jewish people, it would have been enough to obligate us to give thanks. Some sing instead The Women's Dayenu , a feminist variant of Dayenu , by Michele Landsberg . After Dayenu is a declaration (mandated by Rabban Gamliel) of the reasons of the commandments of the Paschal lamb , Matzah , and Maror , with scriptural sources. Then follows a short prayer, and

21824-574: The meaning of those verses, and embellishes the story. This telling describes the slavery of the Jewish people and their miraculous salvation by God. This culminates in an enumeration of the Ten Plagues : With the recital of the Ten Plagues, there is a late custom, which arose in German-Jewish circles, that each participant removes a drop of wine from their cup using a fingertip at the mention of each of

22000-474: The meaning or interpretation of the words. In some homes, participants take turns reciting the text of the Haggadah, in the original Hebrew or in translation. It is traditional for the head of the household and other participants to have pillows placed behind them for added comfort. At several points during the Seder, participants lean to the left – when drinking the four cups of wine, eating the Afikoman, and eating

22176-424: The night by eating matzah (the "poor person's bread"), maror (bitter herbs which symbolize the bitterness of slavery), and charoset (a sweet paste, possibly representing the mortar which the Jewish slaves used to cement bricks). Recalling the freedom of the second half of the night, they eat the matzah (the "bread of freedom" as well as the "bread of affliction") and ' afikoman ', and drink the four cups of wine, in

22352-413: The note does not have time to ring and develop a harsh timbre. In folk music, fiddling and other traditional music genres, open strings are commonly used for their resonant timbre. Playing an open string simultaneously with a stopped note on an adjacent string produces a bagpipe -like drone, often used by composers in imitation of folk music . Sometimes the two notes are identical (for instance, playing

22528-462: The notes may indicate which finger to use, with 0 or O indicating an open string. The chart to the right shows the arrangement of notes reachable in first position. Not shown on this chart is the way the spacing between note positions becomes closer as the fingers move up (in pitch) from the nut. The bars at the sides of the chart represent the usual possibilities for beginners' tape placements, at 1st, high 2nd, 3rd, and 4th fingers. The placement of

22704-408: The old glue.) Weaker, diluted glue is usually used to fasten the top to the ribs, and the nut to the fingerboard, since common repairs involve removing these parts. The purfling running around the edge of the spruce top provides some protection against cracks originating at the edge. It also allows the top to flex more independently of the rib structure. Painted-on faux purfling on the top is usually

22880-399: The only radio cast members who appeared regularly on the television program as well were Don Wilson and Eddie "Rochester" Anderson . Singer Dennis Day appeared sporadically, and Phil Harris had left the radio program in 1952, although he did make a guest appearance on the television show ( Bob Crosby , Phil's "replacement", frequently appeared on television through 1956). A frequent guest

23056-441: The onset of such wear while allowing the pegs to turn smoothly. The tuning G–D–A–E is used for most violin music, including Classical music, jazz, and folk music . Other tunings are occasionally employed; the G string, for example, can be tuned up to A. The use of nonstandard tunings in classical music is known as scordatura ; in some folk styles, it is called cross tuning . One famous example of scordatura in classical music

23232-434: The open A, or on the D string (in first to fourth positions) or even on the G string (very high up in sixth to ninth positions). Each string has a different tone quality , because of the different weights (thicknesses) of the strings and because of the resonances of other open strings. For instance, the G string is often regarded as having a very full, sonorous sound which is particularly appropriate to late Romantic music. This

23408-456: The orchestral strings (violin, viola, cello) except the double bass, which is tuned in perfect fourths. Each subsequent note is stopped at a pitch the player perceives as the most harmonious, "when unaccompanied, [a violinist] does not play consistently in either the tempered or the natural [just] scale, but tends on the whole to conform with the Pythagorean scale ." When violinists are playing in

23584-492: The other strings, especially on a student instrument, and are sometimes built into the tailpiece. The fine tuners enable the performer to make small changes in the pitch of a string. At the scroll end, the strings wind around the wooden tuning pegs in the pegbox. The tuning pegs are tapered and fit into holes in the peg box. The tuning pegs are held in place by the friction of wood on wood. Strings may be made of metal or less commonly gut or gut wrapped in metal. Strings usually have

23760-415: The overtones). In the classical tradition, violinists will often use a string crossing or shift of position to allow them to avoid the change of timbre introduced by an open string, unless indicated by the composer. This is particularly true for the open E which is often regarded as having a harsh sound. However, there are also situations where an open string may be specifically chosen for artistic effect. This

23936-423: The pegbox and neck. Many authentic old instruments have had their necks reset to a slightly increased angle, and lengthened by about a centimeter. The neck graft allows the original scroll to be kept with a Baroque violin when bringing its neck into conformance with modern standards. The bridge is a precisely cut piece of maple that forms the lower anchor point of the vibrating length of the strings and transmits

24112-411: The pickups plugged into instrument amplifiers and speakers to produce sound. The violin has come to be incorporated in many non-Western music cultures, including Indian music and Iranian music . The name fiddle is often used regardless of the type of music played on it. The violin was first known in 16th-century Italy, with some further modifications occurring in the 18th and 19th centuries to give

24288-474: The quality of their sound has defied attempts to explain or equal it, though this belief is disputed. Great numbers of instruments have come from the hands of less famous makers, as well as still greater numbers of mass-produced commercial "trade violins" coming from cottage industries in places such as Saxony , Bohemia , and Mirecourt . Many of these trade instruments were formerly sold by Sears, Roebuck and Co. and other mass merchandisers. The components of

24464-496: The residence where he met 17-year-old Sadie Marks (whose family was friends with, but not related to, the Marx family). Their first meeting did not go well when he tried to leave during Sadie's violin performance. They met again in 1926. Jack had not remembered their earlier meeting and was immediately taken with her. They married the following year. She was working in the hosiery section of the downtown LA Broadway Boulevard May Company, this

24640-453: The sailor's nickname of Jack. By 1921, the fiddle was more of a prop, and the low-key comedy took over. Benny had some romantic encounters, including one with dancer Mary Kelly, whose devoutly Catholic family forced her to turn down his proposal because he was Jewish. Benny was introduced to Kelly by Gracie Allen . In 1922, Benny accompanied Zeppo Marx to a Passover Seder in Vancouver at

24816-553: The same time as the words "violino" and "vyollon" are seen in Italian and French documents. One of the earliest explicit descriptions of the instrument, including its tuning, is from the Epitome musical by Jambe de Fer , published in Lyon in 1556. By this time, the violin had already begun to spread throughout Europe . The violin proved very popular, both among street musicians and the nobility;

24992-487: The same year. Benny was able to attract guests who rarely, if ever, appeared on television. In 1953, both Marilyn Monroe and Humphrey Bogart made their television debuts on Benny's program. Another guest star on the Jack Benny show was Rod Serling , who starred in a spoof of The Twilight Zone in which Benny goes to his own house and finds that no one knows who he is; Jack runs away screaming in panic; Serling breaks

25168-509: The stage like Mary Poppins. CBS dropped the show in 1964, citing Benny's lack of appeal to the younger demographic the network began courting, and he went to NBC , his original network, in the fall, only to be out-rated by CBS's Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. The network dropped Benny at the end of the season. He continued to make occasional specials into the 1970s, the last one airing in January 1974. Benny also appeared on The Lucy Show twice: Once as

25344-404: The standard for perfection in violin craftsmanship and sound, and violin makers all over the world try to come as close to this ideal as possible. To this day, instruments from the so-called Golden Age of violin making , especially those made by Stradivari, Guarneri del Gesù, and Montagnana, are the most sought-after instruments by both collectors and performers. The current record amount paid for

25520-423: The stick, at all levels of craftsmanship. Inexpensive bows for students are made of less costly timbers, or from fiberglass (Glasser). The violin is played either seated or standing up. Solo players (whether playing alone, with a piano or with an orchestra) play mostly standing up (unless prevented by a physical disability such as in the case of Itzhak Perlman ). In contrast, in the orchestra and in chamber music it

25696-436: The story of the Exodus from Egypt. The seventh symbolic item used during the meal – a stack of three matzot – is placed on its own plate on the Seder table. The six items on the Seder plate are: Since the retelling of the Exodus to one's child is the object of the Seder experience, much effort is made to arouse the interest and curiosity of the children and keep them awake during the meal. To that end, questions and answers are

25872-425: The strings, as is usual with the guitar , the player must know exactly where to place the fingers on the strings to play with good intonation (tuning). Beginning violinists play open strings and the lowest position, nearest to the nut. Students often start with relatively easy keys, such as A Major and G major. Students are taught scales and simple melodies. Through practice of scales and arpeggios and ear training ,

26048-514: The strings. Another prevalent tuning with these intervals is B ♭ –F–B ♭ –F, which corresponds to Sa–Pa–Sa–Pa in the Indian carnatic classical music style. In the North Indian Hindustani style, the tuning is usually Pa-Sa-Pa-Sa instead of Sa–Pa–Sa–Pa. This could correspond to F–B ♭ –F–B ♭ , for instance. In Iranian classical music and Iranian light music, the violin has different tunings in each Dastgah ; it

26224-439: The summer, to allow Benny to continue doing his radio show. From the fall of 1954 to 1960, it appeared every other week, and from 1960 to 1965 it was seen weekly. On March 28, 1954, Benny co-hosted General Foods 25th Anniversary Show: A Salute to Rodgers and Hammerstein with Groucho Marx and Mary Martin . In September 1954, CBS premiered Chrysler's Shower of Stars co-hosted by Jack Benny and William Lundigan . It enjoyed

26400-482: The table is a Seder plate containing various symbolic foods that will be eaten or pointed out during the course of the Seder. Placed nearby is a plate with three matzot and dishes of salt water for dipping. Each participant receives a copy of the Haggadah: an ancient text that contains the complete Seder service. Men and women are equally obliged and eligible to participate in the Seder. Traditionally, each participant at

26576-470: The tail of a grey male horse (which has predominantly white hair). Some cheaper bows use synthetic fiber. Solid rosin is rubbed onto the hair, to render it slightly sticky; when the bow is drawn across a string, the friction between them makes the string vibrate. Traditional materials for the more costly bow sticks include snakewood , and brazilwood (which is also known as Pernambuco wood). Some recent bow design innovations use carbon fiber (CodaBows) for

26752-458: The ten plagues. Although this night is one of salvation, Don Isaac Abravanel explains that one cannot be completely joyous when some of God's creatures had to suffer. A mnemonic acronym for the plagues is also introduced: "D'tzach Adash B'achav" , while similarly spilling a drop of wine for each word. At this part in the Seder, songs of praise are sung, including the song Dayenu , which proclaims that had God performed any single one of

26928-716: The thickness of the wood, and its physical qualities govern the sound of a violin. Patterns of the node made by sand or glitter sprinkled on the plates with the plate vibrated at certain frequencies, called Chladni patterns , are occasionally used by luthiers to verify their work before assembling the instrument. Apart from the standard full ( 4 ⁄ 4 ) size, violins are also made in so-called fractional sizes of 7 ⁄ 8 , 3 ⁄ 4 , 1 ⁄ 2 , 1 ⁄ 4 , 1 ⁄ 8 , 1 ⁄ 10 , 1 ⁄ 16 , 1 ⁄ 32 and even 1 ⁄ 64 . These smaller instruments are commonly used by young players whose fingers are not long enough to reach

27104-547: The third is for Birkat Hamazon ( ברכת המזון ) and the fourth is for Hallel ( הלל ). The Four Cups represent the four expressions of deliverance promised by God Exodus 6:6–7: "I will bring out," "I will deliver," "I will redeem," and "I will take." The Vilna Gaon relates the Four Cups to four worlds: this world, the Messianic age, the world at the revival of the dead, and the world to come . The MaHaRaL connects them to

27280-440: The top and the back of the instrument. The tailpiece anchors the strings to the lower bout of the violin by means of the tailgut, which loops around an ebony button called the tailpin (sometimes confusingly called the endpin , like the cello's spike), which fits into a tapered hole in the bottom block. The E string will often have a fine tuning lever worked by a small screw turned by the fingers. Fine tuners may also be applied to

27456-406: The tuning pegs and their holes can become worn, making the pegs more likely to slip under tension. A slipping peg leads to the pitch of the string dropping somewhat, or if the peg becomes completely loose, to the string completely losing tension. A violin in which the tuning pegs are slipping needs to be repaired by a luthier or violin repairperson. Peg dope or peg compound, used regularly, can delay

27632-495: The twin themes of the evening: slavery and freedom. It is stated in the Haggadah that "In every generation everyone is obligated to see themselves as if they themselves came out of Egypt" – i.e., out of slavery. The rendering of time for Jews is that a day began at sunset and ended at sunset. According to the Exodus narrative, at the beginning of the 15th of Nisan in Ancient Egypt, the Jewish people were enslaved to Pharaoh. After

27808-424: The vibration of the strings to the body of the instrument. Its top curve holds the strings at the proper height from the fingerboard in an arc, allowing each to be sounded separately by the bow. The sound post , or soul post , fits precisely inside the instrument between the back and top, at a carefully chosen spot near the treble foot of the bridge, which it helps support. It also influences the modes of vibration of

27984-410: The vibrations of the bowed strings. A violin is usually played using a bow consisting of a stick with a ribbon of horsehair strung between the tip and frog (or nut, or heel) at opposite ends. A typical violin bow may be 75 cm (30 in) overall, and weigh about 60 g (2.1 oz). Viola bows may be about 5 mm (0.20 in) shorter and 10 g (0.35 oz) heavier. At the frog end,

28160-479: The violin in the violin octet is the mezzo violin, tuned the same as a violin but with a slightly longer body. The strings of the mezzo violin are the same length as those of the standard violin. This instrument is not in common use. Violins are tuned by turning the pegs in the pegbox under the scroll or by adjusting the fine tuner screws at the tailpiece . All violins have pegs; fine tuners (also called fine adjusters ) are optional. Most fine tuners consist of

28336-410: The violinist's left hand eventually "finds" the notes intuitively by muscle memory . Beginners sometimes rely on tapes placed on the fingerboard for proper left hand finger placement, but usually abandon the tapes quickly as they advance. Another commonly used marking technique uses dots of white-out on the fingerboard, which wear off in a few weeks of regular practice. This practice, unfortunately,

28512-399: Was Otto Graham Sr., a neighbor and father of football player Otto Graham . At 14, Benny was playing in dance bands and his high school orchestra. He was a dreamer and poor at his studies, ultimately getting expelled from high school. He later did poorly in business school and in attempts to join his father's business. In 1911, he began playing the violin in local vaudeville theaters for $ 7.50

28688-719: Was across the street from the Orpheum Theater. Jack was playing at the theater. Called on to fill in for the "dumb girl" part in a Benny routine, Sadie proved to be a natural comedienne. Adopting the stage name Mary Livingstone , Sadie collaborated with Benny throughout most of his career. They later adopted a daughter, Joan (1934–2021). Sadie's older sister Babe would often be the target of jokes about unattractive or masculine women, while her younger brother Hilliard would later produce Benny's radio and TV work. In 1929, Benny's agent, Sam Lyons , convinced Irving Thalberg , American film producer at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer , to watch Benny at

28864-424: Was added to "sweeten" the soundtrack, as when the studio audience missed some close-up comedy because of cameras or microphones obstructing their view. Television viewers became accustomed to live without Mary Livingstone, who was afflicted by a striking case of stage fright that didn't lessen even after performing with Benny for 20 years. Hence, Livingstone appeared rarely if at all on the television show. In fact, for

29040-512: Was among the most highly rated programs during its run. Benny's long radio career began on April 6, 1932, when the NBC Commercial Program Department auditioned him for the N. W. Ayer & Son agency and their client Canada Dry , after which Bertha Brainard , head of the division, said, "We think Mr. Benny is excellent for radio and, while the audition was unassisted as far as orchestra was concerned, we believe he would make

29216-402: Was booed by the sailors, so with prompting from fellow sailor and actor Pat O'Brien , he ad-libbed his way out of the jam and left them laughing. He received more comedy spots in the revues and did well, earning a reputation as a comedian and musician. Despite stories to the contrary, no reliable evidence indicates Jack Benny was aboard during the 1915 Eastland disaster or scheduled to be on

29392-459: Was called the "rate race". Thus, after some three decades on radio and television in a weekly program, Jack Benny went out on top. In fairness, Benny himself shared Fred Allen's ambivalence about television, though not quite to Allen's extent. "By my second year in television, I saw that the camera was a man-eating monster ... It gave a performer close-up exposure that, week after week, threatened his existence as an interesting entertainer." In

29568-466: Was increased to 39 cents in 2006, fans petitioned for a Jack Benny stamp to honor his stage persona's perpetual age. The U.S. Postal Service had issued a stamp depicting Benny in 1991 as part of a booklet of stamps honoring comedians; however, the stamp was issued at the then-current rate of 29 cents. Jack Benny Middle School in Waukegan is named after Benny. Its motto matches his famous statement as "Home of

29744-656: Was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1988 and the National Radio Hall of Fame in 1989. He was also inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame. Benny was inducted as a laureate of The Lincoln Academy of Illinois and awarded the Order of Lincoln (the state's highest honor) by the governor of Illinois in 1972 in the area of the performing arts. When the price of a standard first-class U.S. postal stamp

29920-474: Was not filled with ambition nor fired by a drive toward a clear-cut goal. I never knew exactly where I was going." Upon his death, Benny's family donated his personal, professional and business papers, as well as a collection of his television shows, to UCLA . The university established the Jack Benny Award for Comedy in his honor in 1977 to recognize outstanding people in the field of comedy. Johnny Carson

30096-403: Was similar to the radio show (several of the radio scripts were recycled for television, as was somewhat common with other radio shows that moved to television), but with the addition of visual gags. Lucky Strike was the sponsor. Benny did his opening and closing monologues before a live audience, which he regarded as essential to timing of the material. As in other TV comedy shows, a laugh track

30272-433: Was stretched, dried, and twisted. In the early years of the 20th century, strings were made of either gut or steel. Modern strings may be gut, solid steel , stranded steel, or various synthetic materials such as perlon , wound with various metals, and sometimes plated with silver . Most E strings are unwound, either plain or plated steel. Gut strings are not as common as they once were, but many performers use them to achieve

30448-462: Was the Canadian-born singer-violinist Gisele Mackenzie . As a gag, Benny made a 1957 appearance on the then-wildly popular $ 64,000 Question . His category of choice was "Violins", but after answering the first question correctly Benny opted out of continuing, leaving the show with just $ 64; host Hal March gave Benny the prize money out of his own pocket. March made an appearance on Benny's show

30624-569: Was the first award recipient. Benny also donated a Stradivarius violin (purchased in 1957) to the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra . Benny had quipped, "If it isn't a $ 30,000 Strad, I'm out $ 120." In 1960, Benny was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame with three stars. His stars for television and motion pictures are located at 6370 and 6650 Hollywood Boulevard , respectively, and at 1505 Vine Street for radio. He

30800-439: Was the son of Jewish immigrants Meyer Kubelsky (1864–1946) and Naomi Emma Sachs Kubelsky (1869–1917). Meyer was a saloon owner and later a haberdasher who had emigrated to the United States of America from Poland. Emma had emigrated from Lithuania. At his father's behest, Benny began taking violin lessons at the age of six and was soon considered to be a child prodigy. He loved the instrument but hated to practice. His music teacher

30976-434: Was to dip the karpas in wine. Three matzot are stacked on the seder table; at this stage, the middle matzah of the three is broken in half. The larger piece is hidden, to be used later as the afikoman , the "dessert" after the meal. The smaller piece is returned to its place between the other two matzot. Moroccan Jewish custom is that when the matzah is split, a passage is recited describing how "in this manner God split

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