Few have been hit harder during the pandemic than those gifted musicians who perform onstage for a living—using fine instruments and honed skills to soothe the human soul with their melodies. In one of the great cultural centers of the world—the city of Venice, located in northeastern Italy—one artist, Livio De Marchi (known for his bloat-like wooden sculptures that float through the canals of the waterlogged city), conceived in November 2020 a floating artwork dedicated to music and musicians in the form of a colossal violin. Although it does not play, it consists of everything else one would expect from a scaled-up violin: from intricate wood scroll to chinrest; from rich, warm wood hues and elegant polish to delicate bridge and string-works. De Marchi’s piece, titled “Noah’s Violin,” was created in concert with Venetian craftsmen, artists, and technicians “who on the occasion of the pandemic joined together to give life …