feelingfaceform Posted February 24, 2015 Report Posted February 24, 2015 Hi,I am interested in doing a dendrochronology test in a violin.As I am situated in Vienna, I asked myself if there is such a test near.Thanks in advance for help.
BassClef Posted February 24, 2015 Report Posted February 24, 2015 I am interested to see photos of the violin that you're going to test. Is it perhaps Viennese? Violin Dendrochronology Laboratory ~ Peter Ratcliff is on Facebook. To connect with Violin Dendrochronology Laboratory ~ Peter Ratcliff, join Facebook today.
feelingfaceform Posted February 24, 2015 Author Report Posted February 24, 2015 Hi I am the one who wrote you today on FB
l33tplaya Posted February 25, 2015 Report Posted February 25, 2015 Hi, I am interested in doing a dendrochronology test in a violin. As I am situated in Vienna, I asked myself if there is such a test near. Thanks in advance for help. Alex You don't really need it near. Peter Ratcliff (and others) is capable of doing it via email, should you be able to take sufficient high quality/high resolution pictures.
feelingfaceform Posted February 25, 2015 Author Report Posted February 25, 2015 Thank you, didnt know that. Good to hear that this is possible like that.
BassClef Posted February 25, 2015 Report Posted February 25, 2015 Hi I am the one who wrote you today on FB Good luck and please share with us as much as you are willing about your violin (photos, history), why you are getting a dendro, and what the results show. If you want to share, since your post count is less than ten, please upload the photos to a photo hosting site such as photobucket.com and post the links to the photos here. Once you've reached ten posts you can post photos directly here by clicking "use full editor." We all like a good mystery. And for the record, I am not Peter Ratcliff, though he does post on this forum.
feelingfaceform Posted February 25, 2015 Author Report Posted February 25, 2015 OK, so let the mystery begin: here photos and an audio recording: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/datseqaxttwc3hn/AABPj6igrIOw7AK1Wf2Hf2zza?dl=0 The instrument sounds fantastic. Had opened during a travel in india from the climate. Needs a doctor ;-) The spot on the right of the bridge is an accident from an alcohol drop while cleaning the instrument.
BassClef Posted February 26, 2015 Report Posted February 26, 2015 OK, so let the mystery begin: here photos and an audio recording: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/datseqaxttwc3hn/AABPj6igrIOw7AK1Wf2Hf2zza?dl=0 The instrument sounds fantastic. Had opened during a travel in india from the climate. Needs a doctor ;-) The spot on the right of the bridge is an accident from an alcohol drop while cleaning the instrument. I'm no connoisseur but I really like your violin, it's very nice looking and I like the sound sample a lot too. Thanks for sharing and I await comments from the forum heavies. I'm reposting your images and sound sample for ease of reference and I will delete them upon request should you wish. Cheers. Any background or history on the instrument? What brought you to india? Were you cleaning the instrument with alcohol, dropped some on the violin, and then the varnish was completely stripped instantaneously? Cheers. 9_Nana.mp3
Violadamore Posted February 26, 2015 Report Posted February 26, 2015 Pretty violin, nice mp3, though a bit heavy on the piano accompaniment
feelingfaceform Posted February 26, 2015 Author Report Posted February 26, 2015 Thanx for liking the photos and audio. I bought the violin 13 years ago. I won my audition for my job with it. The reason I have been in india is because I have been a student of BKS Iyengar the yoga teacher also of Yehudi Menuhin. I was cleaning the strings and fingerboard with alcohol and there a drop fell on the varnish. It immediately made a reaction with the varnish. By the way my bowmaker Thomas Gerbeth here in vienna, says just to clean the strings with a cloth, without alcohol. Cleaning with alcohol isnt good for the hair in his opinion. Since 2 years I dont use alcohol for cleaning the strings. Seems working, though sometimes I scratch some kolophonium away with my fingernail ;-) I asked an expert in London for his opinion about the instrumnet and he answered:"This is quite interesting though rough. I cannot name the maker but it may very well be Italian and studied in person. If I were you I would perhaps have a dendro test done on it."
Blank face Posted February 26, 2015 Report Posted February 26, 2015 A dendro could be interesting. The instrument reminds me heavily of contemporary "antique copies" made in Hungary and Czech Republic, which are sold here in some "insider shops" in Germany, in EBay and surely in Austria, too. The very white-grey colour of the blank wood near to the bridge (and never clean an instrument with pure alcohol, if you don't want to strip it ) suggests that the wood isn't very old, also missing wear, cracks or repairs etc. The label is definitely computer-printed.
martin swan Posted February 26, 2015 Report Posted February 26, 2015 That's a beautiful piece of music, and I like the playing a lot. I also really like the sound of the violin, which is full of energy, bright and papery - it feels like the player (you?) and the violin are breathing together ... the room acoustic is great and helps a lot, but fundamentally that's a lovely sound. Often this kind of hyper-responsive reedy sound denotes an instrument which can't be pushed very hard, but for recording and recital that's not an issue. This raises the most interesting philosophical point in the violin trade. If we knew this was an Amati we would nod our heads sagely and be unsurprised. However, I agree with Blank Face that in fact this is a modern and relatively inexpensive fake - what would it sound like if we knew that for sure? Would it suddenly sound less good to the OP - would he/she suddenly play it less well? Will it go from sounding fantastic to "a bit thin"? Belief and self-belief are everything. We have been studying these instrument for some time, and I have to say I would quite like them if they were sold as what they are ... Incidentally, this violin looks much more like a Testore copy (of sorts) to me. Obici seems to be a very rare maker indeed, but there's one cello in the Cozio archive, which has a very neat Maggini-esque scroll with a shortened turn which doesn't quite reach 5 o'clock, and a crisp f-hole which is pretty conventional. The label (hand-printed and totally unlike this one), reads Bartolamio Obici in Verona etc, and according to Dilworth the dates are 1665-1686.
feelingfaceform Posted March 31, 2015 Author Report Posted March 31, 2015 Here is another clip with this instrument:https://youtu.be/Nz-BXZ9IFHg It is a great sonata by Milcho Leviev, it was his diploma work when he was 18, before he escaped from communist Bulgaria to the US, there working with Don Ellis. Hearing this recording after 10 years, maybe now is a good time to record it properly ;-) If you are interested in the other movements: 2nd: https://youtu.be/HTHaqihyUpo 3rd: https://youtu.be/71ADNwyXFno It gets a new bridge and soundpost at the moment, lets see how it will fit... @martin swan, thanx for liking my playing! I think you are right, it has its limits pushing, but responds really well in a recording situation.
Carl Stross Posted April 1, 2015 Report Posted April 1, 2015 Here is another clip with this instrument:https://youtu.be/Nz-BXZ9IFHg It is a great sonata by Milcho Leviev, it was his diploma work when he was 18, before he escaped from communist Bulgaria to the US, there working with Don Ellis. Hearing this recording after 10 years, maybe now is a good time to record it properly ;-) If you are interested in the other movements: 2nd: https://youtu.be/HTHaqihyUpo 3rd: https://youtu.be/71ADNwyXFno It gets a new bridge and soundpost at the moment, lets see how it will fit... @martin swan, thanx for liking my playing! I think you are right, it has its limits pushing, but responds really well in a recording situation. Nice ! You're doing GREAT !
feelingfaceform Posted April 2, 2015 Author Report Posted April 2, 2015 @carl stross, thank you so much!! Just got the violin back from the luthier. new strings, soundpost, bridge, so everything a little rough. Made a quick test: https://www.dropbox.com/s/98feaeh171kbtdc/Obizi2015.wav?dl=0 Curious how it will develop, since it wasnt played for years. Also how it will cut through in the hall, also with piano. But I really like it
Carl Stross Posted April 2, 2015 Report Posted April 2, 2015 @carl stross, thank you so much!! Just got the violin back from the luthier. new strings, soundpost, bridge, so everything a little rough. Made a quick test: https://www.dropbox.com/s/98feaeh171kbtdc/Obizi2015.wav?dl=0 Very impressive ! I think you've got a real gem there ! Great playing, too, by the way !
feelingfaceform Posted April 2, 2015 Author Report Posted April 2, 2015 Very impressive ! I think you've got a real gem there ! Great playing, too, by the way ! Thank you so much! I am really happy with it. Also the alcohol accident was corrected really good: https://www.dropbox.com/s/0eueobczalrmkfk/Lack.jpg?dl=0
Carl Stross Posted April 2, 2015 Report Posted April 2, 2015 Thank you so much! I am really happy with it. Also the alcohol accident was corrected really good: https://www.dropbox.com/s/0eueobczalrmkfk/Lack.jpg?dl=0 That's a very nice retouching job indeed. I'm glad you're happy with it - it matters a lot.
Rue Posted April 3, 2015 Report Posted April 3, 2015 I agree with Carl! Your violin looks great and you sound great playing it! I'm glad it worked out so well!
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