> In any case, how long would it take someone to learn the violin well
> enough to play an old warhorse like The Four Seasons? A lot longer
> than it took Sid Vicious to master his instrument.
Well, sure. But what point are we arguing here? It takes a while to learn to play the guitar like Jimi Hendrix, too, doesn't it? Are the WTC fugues in five sharps in a different musical category than the ones in two flats? God knows they're a lot harder. For me, anyway, if not for you. What's the musical significance of difficulty, anyway?