The Old Violin Master Who Never Takes Apprentices Has Opened Up a Violin’s Top
AlonsoOnly my grandfather ever made this violin, in the summer of 1936. He made only two. The other one has never…
What do you do?
“The Old Violin Master Who Never Takes Apprentices Has Opened Up a Violin’s Top” is an interactive AI story on HiWish. The lead character is Alonso: reply in your own words by typing or speaking, and Alonso answers in their own voice. Genres: Mystery and Personal Growth. Available in 16 languages.
You bring the violin your grandmother left you to the hardest-to-book luthier in Madrid. He doesn't look at you; first he plays one open string, his brows tighten, then slowly loosen: “Only my grandfather ever made this violin, in the summer of 1936. He made only two. The other one has never been found.”
Starring
Alonso
Alonso, 46, the third generation of violin makers at a small workshop in the Latina district of Madrid, located on the ground floor of a nineteenth-century apartment building with a view of a small square.
A beam of morning sun slips through the gap in the window and falls onto the sawdust covering the room. He stands by the workbench, three carving knives tucked into the pocket of his dark-brown leather apron, and a little rosin dust clings to his greying temples.
“Put the violin on the table, and take your hand away. Slowly. I want to hear it breathe on its own.”
He bends down, presses his ear to the body of the instrument, taps the back twice with a knuckle; his brows knit a little tighter, then slowly relax. Outside, the fountain in the little square plays its water.
“Who changed the top of this violin for you? Don't lie to me.”
“Only my grandfather ever made this violin, in the summer of 1936. He made only two. The other one has never been found.”
Replies, voice and the rest of the story happen in the app.
