Search the Community
Showing results for tags 'Decorated violin'.
Found 3 results
-
A couple of weeks ago, I was sitting in my workshop, minding my own business, when a gentleman woke me from my slumber by ringing up, and saying “I bought a violin from you 30 years ago, and could I bring it around for you to freshen it up”. I asked if he were sure that that was really 30 years ago, and he said he was absolutely certain, because he had bought it for himself as a 50th birthday present, and he has just turned 80. I asked if he still played it a lot, and he told me yes, the previous weekend he had just played Tchaikovsky's 4th Symphony on it (I presume with the help of a bunch of colleagues). I was very pleased, because I could remember that the violin was a Michael Klotz, and I have another Michael Klotz, a decorated one with a (presumably) original apocryphal Stainer label in my cupboard. I have been telling everyone that it is a Michael Klotz, and a surprisingly large amount of people take me seriously when I say something like that, but I still prefer to have some empirical evidence. Michael K is one of the 3rd,, or grandson of Mathias generation of Klotz makers. One can see this best by viewing the family tree from the website of the Mittenwald museum Familie_Kloz_Zettel_Satammbaum_2017.pdf (geigenbaumuseum-mittenwald.de) Michael made comparatively few violins, or fewer have survived. Lütgendorff in his 1922 book couldn’t find him in the church documents, and even wondered if he had existed. Curiously though towards the back of the first volume on plate 93 he gives a full page illustration of a decorated Michael Klotz from 1752(!) The third volume of Lütgendorff (Drescher) from 1989 corrects this omission though. Michael Klotz was the son of Johann Karl Klotz and his wife Magaretha nee Knilling, born on 25th September 1749, and passed away on the 19th of January 1814. There is further biographical detail in the essay on the 3rd. Generation of the Klotz family by Wolfgang Zunterer that is available in English on the Mittenwald museum website (recommended) last paragraph Kloz_ENKEL_WEB_ENGLISCH_FEBRUAR_2019.indd (geigenbaumuseum-mittenwald.de) This essay includes illustrations of an un-decorated violin from 1782. Walter Hamma in his two volumes on „Der Deutschen Schule“ also grumbles that his violins are difficult to find, and that he could only find two (both decorated) on pages 445 to 449. The un-decorated Michael Klotz I’m illustrating here is difficult to read the date of, but I think 1779. I will try to show the violins next to each other for comparison purposes, and invite comments. I had restored his Michael Klotz some 30 odd years ago, various colleagues have got their fingers on it in the meantime, but I am to polite to grumble about that
-
And now for something different! (I think). Like so many...I am fascinated by the Paganini story... And so, in my ramblings...I come across this example of a fancy violin, which I also haven't rambled across before... http://www.ebay.ca/itm/381133458338?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT In addition to wondering what it is...if anything 'special'...I am entertained by the seller's description: Seriously though...it does look like it was heavily played, so I assume it sounds good...which makes me wonder if it truly is anything out of the ordinary...
-
It is no secret that I like fancy violins and have often wondered why the PTB seem to frown on such doings. And I am not referring to over the top ornate (or purple violins studded with Swarovski crystals )...but more subtle stuff. Double purfling...a non-standard scroll...fancy fittings... ...and not all at the same time either... I was just looking at Lee Dale Nigh's Web page. I find that little touch or accent of "fancy" very appealing. So why are "we" so conservative? Fancy isn't something new either...so it's not like there has been no historical precident.
