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 …
What is a Workshop Instrument? Violin making is a highly complex process that requires different skillsets to complete an instrument.High-end violins are made by master makers, who create instruments from beginning to end. They choose the tonewood, construct the body, carve the neck and scroll, apply the varnish, and perfect the set up. A master …
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 »
Even if you are not familiar with the names of many violin makers, you have heard of Stradivari. The name is sacred in musical circles, and an authentic Stradivari violin can fetch millions at auction. For modern appraisers, a violin’s price directly correlates to how close it is to Antonio Stradivari and his contemporaries. Stradivari …
Early Violin Making in Mirecourt The origin of violin-making in the northeastern French city of Mirecourt is debated, but a vibrant picture emerges from 17th century records. As many as 50 luthiers were operating in Mirecourt in the 1600s, and the oldest surviving apprenticeship contracts date as far back as 1629. The Mirecourt Guild and Expanded Economy In 1732, …
Mirecourt – A Storied History of French Violin Making Read More »
In 1945, Fred Wilfer, a violin maker, found himself engaged in international espionage. Using a borrowed US Army truck, he was smuggling goods from the Czech region of Bohemia and his hometown of Markneukirchen, both of which had fallen behind the Iron Curtain, to West Germany. As he reached the border, Czech officials called for …
For classical musicians, Europe is full of must-visit cities, like Vienna, Paris, Berlin, and Florence. String players, however, make a pilgrimage to a small Bavarian town. Nestled at the foot of the Karwendel Mountains, Mittenwald has been a vibrant center of violin-making for nearly four centuries. Mittenwald’s high forest mountains yield beautiful tonewood, and its …
Lionel Tertis, born in 1876 in the borough of Hartlepool in Northeast England, is regarded as one of the great viola virtuosos of the 20th century. However, he started out by concentrating on the violin, which he studied in Leipzig, Germany and at the Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London. While at RAM, the …
Lionel Tertis – Master Violist & Co-creator of the Tertis Viola Read More »
Laberte-Humbert Frères Firm – A Brief History In 1876, two brothers, Maurice-Emile and Pierre Alexis Auguste Laberte, established the firm “Laberte Humbert frères” in Mirecourt. While steeped in the local violin-making traditions, the focus at first was on the production of “factory” violins, violas and cellos. It wasn’t until after the turn of the 20th …
The Mirecourt Violin Workshop of Laberte-Humbert Frères – A Brief History Read More »
