We should all be so lucky...

[Chuck(G)]

L.A. Violinist Reunited with Rare, Stolen Violin

By Steve Gorman

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A young musician said on Friday she can fiddle with joy again, after a $500,000 Italian-made violin stolen from her car outside a Los Angeles supermarket was recovered three days later without a scratch.

Lindsay Deutsch, 20, said the 260-year-old instrument, one of only about 30 Sanctus Seraphin-made violins in existence, was found in an alley on April 20 by a man walking his dog near the parking lot where the theft had occurred.

Deutsch, an aspiring classical soloist who studies at the exclusive Colburn Conservatory, said she had left the instrument locked in her car in a moment of carelessness.

"This was a musician's worst nightmare," Deutsch said, recalling the horror she felt when she returned to find a window of her car pried open and the violin missing. "I didn't want to believe that it wasn't there."

She said the devastation was compounded by the fact that she had borrowed the violin from a local collector who lends his fine instruments to concert masters and promising young musicians.

Surprisingly, the violin's owner, a bassoon player named Peter Mandell, was extremely understanding, Deutsch recounted. "He was more concerned about me being OK. He even offered to loan me a new one," she said.

Made in 1742 in Venice, the violin was valued at about $500,000, she said. The bow that goes with it -- even more rare than the violin -- is worth $350,000.

While not as valuable as a Stradivarius -- the top of the line in violins -- Seraphins are harder to come by, Deutsch said, noting that only about 100 were ever built.

Police retained custody of the instrument to dust it for fingerprints. Deutsch said she expected the violin to be returned to her on Saturday.

Los Angeles police Detective Don Hrycyk said he assumed the violin was taken by a common thief -- "some dummy who didn't know what he had" -- noting that a backpack stolen from the same car was still missing.

As for the man who found the violin, Hrycyk said he had no reason to believe he was anything but a good Samaritan. But further investigation was required to rule out any ties he might have had to the thief and determine whether he should collect the $10,000 reward offered by Deutsch.

[adam0408]

"This was a musician's worst nightmare," Deutsch said, recalling the horror she felt when she returned to find a window of her car pried open and the violin missing. "I didn't want to believe that it wasn't there."

Perhaps an even worse nightmare is going through middle school and high school with a name like Deutsch.

[Dean]

L.A. Violinist Reunited with Rare, Stolen Violin

Los Angeles police Detective Don Hrycyk said he assumed the violin was taken by a common thief -- "some dummy who didn't know what he had" -- noting that a backpack stolen from the same car was still missing.

I would pay good money to have seen this thief's face when he heard about this story

Good thing he got that backpack eh? Im sure he can sell those music theory books back to the bookstore for, I dunno, at least $150 all together?

[Dan Schultz]

Heck... I leave my $500,000 tuba and $350,000 mouthpiece in my car all the time ... sometimes even unlocked.

I read a story a few months ago about a fellow who had his million dollar cello stolen off his porch!

Who are these folks, anyway... NOT the crooks... I'm thinking about the mentality of the musicians!

[windshieldbug]

Well, one great thing about the tuba is that its hard enough to pick up in the first place, let alone walk away with without attracting suspicion...

[MaryAnn]

A friend of mine told me just yesterday that his storage area was broken into (you know, one of those places that has lockers-to-garages and rents them by the month) and they took a bunch of electronics but left his BBb and Eb tubas (He plays CC and F, usually.) Either they didn't want to bother with trying to hoist them around or couldn't figure out how to fence them.
He, BTW, now has one of those $30 super-locks on his storage area.
MA