This is a first: Tonight, the amazing Lawrence Power performed with the NASH ensemble in the sold out Wigmore Hall on my latest viola.
As is often the case with debuts, it only happened due to “poor health” of the usual “artist”. In this case his much loved Brenzi viola is having a service at my workshop, which is not surprising given its age of about 400 years.
They played a French program opening with the magical “Dances for Harp and Strings“ by Debussy. The viola plays a rather prominent part in this five piece string ensemble opening the dances with the first violin and featuring in various small solo parts.
Thanks Lawrence, you sounded wonderful on my viola and made it a very special night for me — my Wigmore Debut!
would be nice but is too expensive.
Casts of 1727 and 1704 Stradivarius violins helps me make up my mind about which gouge to choose for the fluting and where to target the deepest point.
Apart from the choice of the gouge, the depth is always one crucial decision to take when cutting the fluting. Stradivari seams to have gone down to a thickness of 3.5 mm when fluting the c-bouts. For the rest of the fluting, he went to 3mm. Further into the arching, the fluting is at times considerably deeper - as can be seen in the second section of the cast in the back.
At the Lutherie event in May 2017, my colleague Robert Brewer Young and my self were invited to inspire a crowd of students, amateurs and professional violin makers. I showed them my recent work on Stradivari forms and representative violins for most of the 10 forms found in the Museo del Violino in Cremona.
