Why is Pernambuco wood the best choice for fine bows? As Vienna Philharmonic violinist Günter Seifert said, “Some people think a bow is only wood and hair, but the bow can be more essential to expressing the soul of the music than the violin is.” The slightest change in a bow’s weight or balance will …
As a descendant of Stradivari Carlo Bergonzi and a spiritual successor to Guarneri, Michele Angelo Bergonzi (1721-1758) was the final representative of Cremona’s violin-making tradition in the mid-eighteenth century. His work reflects his impressive pedigree while also reflecting the struggles facing his city and industry. Bergonzi took over Casa Stradivari following his father’s death in …
Michele Angelo Bergonzi – Violin Maker – Cremona Read More »
Thomas Croen is an Oregon-based luthier whose instruments are the product of two lifelong passions: music and woodworking. He has been honing his craft since training at the Violin Making School of America in the 1970s. Croen’s violins combine classical aesthetics with modern creativity. His wealth of experience with violin restoration has given him the …
Born in Bavaria, luthier David Tecchler (c.1666-1747) established himself in Rome by his late twenties. His early years remain a mystery, including the location of his training and even his real name (Tecchler is thought to be a Latinization of Dechler or Teckler). In Rome, Tecchler found a home among German artisans who had fled …
Felix Albert Caressa (1866-1939) and Henri Français (1861-?) met when they were both employed by the Gand & Bernandel workshop in Paris. Français was born into a family steeped in both of Mirecourt’s legendary exports: violins and lace. He apprenticed under Darte before moving to Paris to work for Gand & Bernandel in 1880, and …
Archetier Pierre Simon (1808-1881) was born into Mirecourt’s bow-making tradition. He apprenticed in his hometown, quickly distinguishing himself both for craftsmanship and an outgoing, if rowdy, personality. In 1838, Simon moved to Paris to work for Dominique Peccatte. However, two years later, Simon moved to Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume’s workshop, where he produced some of the famed …
Much of Jean Pierre Marie Persoit’s (c.1783-c. after 1854) life remains shrouded in mystery. Persoit was born in Mirecourt, and he began his career as a goldsmith, but it is unknown where he learned bow-making. His style bears some marks of Nicolas Lupot and François Xavier Tourte; however, nothing can be confirmed. When Persoit married …
Jean Pierre Marie Persoit (c.1783-c. after 1854) Read More »
François Xavier Tourte “le Jeune” Although he began his career as a clockmaker, François Xavier Tourte (1748-1835) stands out as the most important figure in modern bow-making. He elevated archeterie to its own art and showed that even the most beautifully crafted string instruments just can’t sing properly without an equally impressive bow. Around 1774, …
A bow is crucial to stringed instruments. Without it, every note would have to be pizzicato! For professionals, choosing a bow is as personal as choosing an instrument. However, bows were not always considered as important as they are today. In the beginning of lutherie, they were an afterthought, and most early bows were hastily …
The son of famed Mirecourt archetier Émile François Ouchard, Émile-Auguste (1900-1969) trained under his father at the Cuniot-Hury workshop from the age of thirteen and continued to work with him when Ouchard père opened his own atelier in 1923. Ouchard’s collaboration with his father proved fruitful, both creatively and financially, and in 1937, he took …
