Joseph Arthur Vigneron (père) was born in Mirecourt and apprenticed under his stepfather, archetier Claude Nicolas Husson. Vignernon’s training emphasized the local school of bow-making, particularly Charles Nicolas Bazin’s model. After Husson’s death in 1872, Vigneron started working in Jean-Joseph Martin’s workshop, and in 1880, Vigneron accepted a position in Gand & Bernardel’s Paris atelier. …
André Vigneron (fils) studied bow-making under his father, Joseph Arthur Vigneron (père). He eventually rose to become an assistant in Vigneron père’s Paris atelier and collaborated with his father and violinist Lucien Capet on the “Modèle Lucien Capet” bow. After Vigneron père’s death in 1905, Vigneron fils took over the family workshop. His early bows …
Claude Auguste Thomassin, born in Mirecourt, France, grew up amidst a family of saddle, bow and violin makers and ultimately developed into one of the most highly acclaimed bow makers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He apprenticed as a bow maker in the workshop of Charles Nicolas Bazin, whose reputation was highly …
Born into Mirecourt’s strong archetier tradition, Nicholas Rémy Maire likely studied bow-making under Étienne Pajeot. He opened his own workshop at twenty-six, but the economic stagnation that sparked France’s July Revolution bankrupted his business in 1830. However, Maire persevered. Under the name Maire-Contal, a reference to Maire’s recent marriage to Anne Contal, his new atelier …
Violists whose skills are advancing will often realize that the instrument they were using can no longer keep up. When this happens, to continue developing their skill set, they will need to upgrade to a more capable instrument. Generally, this means buying a new intermediate-level viola. Buying an intermediate viola presents a unique set of …
By combining French, German, and English influences, Hermann Richard Pfretzschner secured his place in music history with a truly international style of bow-making. Born in Germany’s “Musikwinkel,” he displayed musical talent from a young age, and he began training under his father, Carl Richard Pfretzschner. In 1871, Pfretzschner travelled to Paris to work in Jean-Baptiste …
Paul Alexandre Mangenot – Violin Maker (1862 – 1942) Paul Mangenot served his apprenticeship with Paul Bailly before going on to work at some of the most important French violin making workshops of the time. Mangenot worked in Lille at the workshop of Joseph Pierre Hel, and in Paris at the renowned violin workshop of Charles Jean Baptiste …
Paul Alexandre Mangenot – Violin Maker – Mirecourt France Read More »
Paul Bailly Violin maker (1844 – 1907) A member of a family of Mirecourt violin and bow-makers, Paul Bailly was born in 1844 and studied with Jules Gaillard before moving to Brussels to work for Nicolas Vuillaume. He then moved to Paris to work for Nicolas Vuillaume’s famous brother, Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume. He travelled extensively, working …
Honoré (Jean-Joseph) Derazey Violin maker Honoré Derazey was born in Darney France, a small town near Mirecourt in 1794. He apprenticed in Mirecourt before moving to Paris to work for a number of shops including J.B. Vuillaume between 1830 and 1839. In 1840 he returned to Mirecourt to establish his own workshop which quickly became …
Like a fine wine, violins just get better with age. Vintage violins allow us to touch and listen to the past, bringing our musical lineage to life. When you play an antique violin, you become a part of history. The instrument’s voice sings the story of its long journey to you. Maybe it began its …
Antique violins – Why violinists love to play centuries old violins Read More »
