Rene Schmidt – modern violins makers and their instruments deserve a fair chance

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  • We often have customers from abroad, especially from other continents, who come to our shop in Vienna with the desire to buy an Austrian violin. Can you tell us a bit about what is an Austrian violin and the tradition of violin making in Austria (since when it dates, who are the main makers and where it stands in comparison with Italian and German schools for example, how can one distinguish a violin made here)

The tradition of violin making in Austria dates back to the 16th century and is closely related to the development of music in Central Europe. While the Italian and German violin making schools were already well established in the 17th century, violin making in Austria developed its own unique style, incorporating and refining elements from both traditions.

One of the most important Austrian violin makers from this period was Jakob Stainer, who worked in Tirol, Austria. Stainer’s instruments were highly valued across Europe and rivaled in popularity the already famous Italian violins.

Other noteworthy Austrian violin makers emerged in Vienna and in Graz. In Viennna we have Stadlmann family, Leidolff  family, Sebastian Dallinger, Johann Georg Thir family, Matthias Thir, Franz Geissenhof, Johann Martin Stoß and in Graz Alois Max Palfner, Wolfgang Sagmayr, Johann Michael Alban, Johann Jauck, Salzburg, Marcell Pichler, Johann Schorn, Andreas Ferdinand Mayr

  • Do you have a favorite Austrian maker? Which one is your favorite maker?

I’m frequently asked this question, and I find it challenging to single out just one ‘favorite violin maker’. There are countless instruments that inspire me. I am equally fascinated by exceptionally beautiful instruments and those that might not be considered as such—after all, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Stradivari, del Gesù, Stainer, Montagnana, da Salò, Maggini, Gofriller, Bergonzi, Ruggeri, Geissenhof and many others, both renowned and lesser-known masters of string instrument making, from historical figures to contemporary artisans, they all share a common passion — transforming the natural material of wood into instruments that, in the best cases, stand the test of time. With craftsmanship and sensitivity, they turn wood into works of art, enabling musicians to convey emotions such as hope, joy, sorrow, change and longing to their listeners—a truly moving process. I deeply admire all violin makers who carry this dedication within themselves.

  • There is one preconception that old violins are better. We personally know from experience and from seeing lots of violins that this is not always the case. What is your opinion on this?

Sound, in my opinion, is highly subjective, which is why sound descriptions often hold little significance for me. What one person perceives as ‘focused’ or ‘bright’ might be considered ‘shrill’ by someone else. I believe that when newly built violins are well played-in and their sound has developed, they can easily compete with the tonal qualities of old instruments—or even surpass them.

There are violin tests where musicians, blindfolded and with their noses covered (yes, old violins can indeed be recognized by their smell!), play instruments for an audience in the same condition (blindfolded and nose covered). In such tests, newer, contemporary instruments often outperform those of the old masters. Of course, there are old violins with particularly beautiful tones, but it’s important to note that many of these instruments have numerous repairs and most have been converted from baroque to modern setup—they are far from 100% original. I have great admiration for old instruments, especially the craftsmanship of their time, achieved with fewer technical resources. However, modern violin makers and their instruments deserve a fair chance. It’s important not to dismiss them outright by claiming that only old instruments are truly worthwhile, without even giving the new ones a chance to be heard.

  • We have two of your violins that we offer for sale in our shop. Can you tell us a bit about them?

The first violin is a personal interpretation of an original Stainer violin (baroque, 1668) with a modern setup, built in 2017. The choice of wood stands out for its simplicity. The ribs, back, and scroll are made from less flamed local maple, while the top features exceptionally fine and straight growth rings. Both woods originate from the ‘Totes Gebirge’ in the ‘Salzkammergut’ region. This wood selection gives the violin a simple yet elegant appearance. The oil varnish is lightly antiqued and the ebony crown along with the grafted neck are intended to imitate a baroque-to-modern conversion. The contour of the upper bout is kept flat, as in the original, which hints at the instrument’s original baroque neck-to-body connection (flush glued to the ribs and fixed with nails). The fittings (pegs, tailpiece, and chinrest) are made of boxwood.

The second violin is a personal interpretation of the ‘Il Cannone’, 1743, by Guarneri del Gesù. This violin was built in 2020 as the second instrument for my master’s examination. The back, ribs, and neck are made of well-flamed Bosnian maple, and the spruce top is very fine-grained alpine spruce. The varnish, also an oil varnish, has been slightly antiqued. The standout feature of this violin is the inlay work on the back.

  • What is your starting point when you decide to build a violin, what inspires you and what is the philosophy behind your work?

Before I start building a new string instrument, I draw inspiration from various sources – books, internet, and especially my ‘screenshot album’ on my phone. At this point, this album is so full that my phone constantly notifies me that the storage is full. Often, I have no choice but to delete photos to make room for new ideas. However, these inspirations serve only as a starting point. I don’t create 1:1 copies or bench copies, as I find that unexciting. Instead, I am often fascinated by details like a particular varnish color or specific antiquing techniques.

The true creative process unfolds for me during the building itself. The fundamental elements, such as geometry, always remain constant – they are essential for the instrument to withstand the forces acting on it and for the musician to feel comfortable with it right away. I place great importance on individuality. Preset thicknesses for the top and back seem unwise to me, as each piece of wood is unique and should be treated accordingly. Only then can the optimal sound potential be extracted.

Each of my instruments is one-of-a-kind, custom-made to suit the properties of the individual wood. This is where I see the true art in violin making. Currently, I am working on my own models for violins and cellos. My focus is on outlines, archings, and the use of alternatives to tropical woods – especially for fingerboards, pegs, as well as upper and lower nut. There is a wealth of old instruments and their copies.

We live in the 21st century, and after over 400 years of violin making history, it’s time to take new paths and develop own models. It’s time to break the myth that only old instruments are valuable and sound good.

 

HOW TO CHOOSE A VIOLIN BOW

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GUIDELINES WHILE CHOOSING A BOW

1. Start with an open mind and do not compare with your old bow. It is possible that your old bow was not so great, but you got used to it. It is also possible that you might discover you like playing more with bows that have different characteristics that the previous one.

2. Choose a high quality Pernambuco bow, whenever possible, but have an open mind to try some other bows, such as carbon bows, for example. The research always advances and you might be surprised to find out that there are also high quality carbon bows that create articulation and resonance of a fine Pernambuco bow and that might be matching your instrument better. Pernambuco bows have higher resilience and do not break so easily.

3. Make sure the stick of the bow is not too week. The bow can be light but strong at the same time. The stick is the most important in a bow, therefore if you are considering purchasing an old bow that is damaged, bear in mind that the frog, etc., can be fixed, and get the bow for the stick if it is great.

4. Do not be too fixated on the weight of the bow, rather pay attention to its balance. The balance is one of the most important aspects while choosing a bow. A fine balanced bow is both flexible and firm, it responds easily while at the same time shows some resistance.

5. Last but not least, the sound. It is very important you bring your own instrument while choosing a bow in order to find the right match. This process should come after one has selected the best bows for balance and comfort. You might fall in love right away with a specific bow for the sound, but if this does not happen, a good rule is to match a brilliant bow with a dark sounding instrument or a darker bow with a brilliant instrument.

Often customers come with their teachers or colleagues they trusts to get their opinion. This is a very important and reassuring part of the process. However, it is important to remember that in the end you will be the one playing it and that no one can know better than you what is the right bow for you and how comfortable you feel with it while playing. Trust yourself, and if you, the instrument and the bow are vibrating in harmony both in sound and in comfort.

The Italian violin maker Federico Falaschi talking about the world of violin making

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BLUE DANUBE VIOLINS: Dear Federico, we have sold some of your beautiful violins in our shop in Vienna, Austria to customers from countries like Australia, Japan, China, among others.  How do you feel about your violins being sold all over the world and becoming an important part of these people’s lives, bringing them lots of joy?

FEDERICO FALASCHI: It is such a great pleasure for me to hear that musicians choose  my violins to express themselves through music. They are being played all over the world and that brings me great satisfaction.  At the same time, it challenges me to make higher quality instruments, that will give beautiful experiences to people living so far away from me. Violin making is not a job, it is rather a never-ending process of researching the wood, the sound, the varnish, the thicknesses, the style and so on. Sometime I ask myself if it is possible for the musicians playing my instruments to understand what my intentions and feelings during the process of building it were. Because every violin is absolutely unique, there is not one similar to the other.

 

BLUE DANUBE VIOLINS: Can you please tell us a few things about your background and how did you become interested in the world of violin making?

FEDERICO FALASCHI: When I was 20 years old, my guitar accidentally dropped and cracked on one side.  I didn’t know what to do and went to the music shop where I bought it. They sent me to a neighboring luthier.  It was my first time visiting a violin making workshop, and I was fascinated by the perfume, the sounds and the magic atmosphere surrounding me. I visited this workshop several times, and every time I felt the same magic, it was such a powerful attraction, everything was fascinating and very close to my heart, to my soul, it was what I was really looking for. The following year I enrolled into a violin making school, and that’s how my professional career began.

 

BLUE DANUBE VIOLINS: In terms of Italian violin making school, do you belong to certain school or do you feel you rather developed your own method?

FEDERICO FALASCHI: One of the most important things for a luthier is to ‘infect’ an instrument with his own style, which is an expression of elegance, precision, estro and substance. I am lucky to be familiar with several Italian violin making schools: the Tuscan, the Cremona and Milano schools. Later on I moved to Emilia-Romagna: Bologna, Ferrara, Modena and Parma have a fascinating violin making history that gave birth to  important luthiers from the early 1900s like Fiorini, Soffritti, Pollastri, Candi, the pioneers of the second Golden Age of the Italian Lutherie.

Working for some years in the Frignani Lorenzo’s workshop (President of A.L.I. Italian Professional Violin Maker), I had the opportunity to learn what makes an instrument an excellent one.  I have captured the beauty from all experience into a style that expreses my personality.

 

BLUE DANUBE VIOLINS: Violin making involves a lot of knowledge and skills.  Is there something in particular that fascinates you about the process of making a violin?

FEDERICO FALASCHI: There are many things that fascinate me in the process of making a violin. The choice of wood before starting is one such exciting moment. Imagining the finished violin and its characteristics.  Shaping the surface, drawing and cutting the’ff’s. Sculpting the neck.  Varnishing.  All things that identify a violin and that will make the difference.

 

BLUE DANUBE VIOLINS: How many months does it take you to make a violin?

FEDERICO FALASCHI:  It takes about two months to make a violin.  There are violin makers which make three or four instruments at the same time in order to reduce the working time. I personally prefer to make them one by one.  Each violin has its own story and it needs my exclusive attention.

 

BLUE DANUBE VIOLINS: Do you make other instruments than violins? If yes, is it very different than the violin making and how?

FEDERICO FALASCHI: Working for several years with Master Frignani in his workshop in Modena, I had the opportunity to learn the construction method of classical guitars.  It is a very different work compared to making string instruments.  The strings work in traction and rotation, not in percussion.  The surfaces are flat and in no need of carving.

There is a lot of skill involved in the guitar making as well. It needs great workmanship and sensitivity, but in my opinion the result will depend on the initial project. While in the case of making violins, violas and cellos, many decisions are made during the process of working the wood, as a result of feeling the wood.

 

BLUE DANUBE VIOLINS: If you would have the opportunity to meet a great master/violin maker from the past and ask him a question, whom would you like to meet and what would that question be?

FEDERICO FALASCHI:  I would certainly like to meet some Italian masters of the Amati School in the XVII century, when  art and craft were one and the same thing,  when the math study was mixed with empirical reflections,  when the modern violins, as we know them today, were created. More than asking them a question, I’d like to spend time in their workshop and recover the lost knowledge from that time.

 

When buying a violin

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More Things to Consider when buying a violin

For violins and violas, there is one sound you will hear under your ears;  a second the instrument produces when someone hears from a relatively close distance; and a third listeners will hear in a concert hall. This tone can be darker or brighter and more or less powerful in all three situations.  

Another factor to keep in mind is the type of playing you do. If you are primarily using your instrument for playing in an orchestra, you should consider how well you are able to hear yourself in comparison to how well you hear your string colleagues – especially in your own section. This can only be determined by testing the instrument in rehearsals and concerts. Ask your dealer if you can take the instrument for a week or so to test it in some of the situations mentioned above.

This situation is not as acute for cellos and double basses, where the sound produced is at a relative distance away from the player’s ears.

Power can be improved by regular soundpost adjustments, upgrading the bridge and modification of the bass bar or top or back. procedures should only be undertaken by a qualified luthier who works exclusively with violin-family instruments.

Finally, one should experiment with strings – some are made expressly to produce a warmer, darker tone, others for a brighter and more brilliant sound. Mixing brands of strings is very common, especially with the E string on violin and the A string on viola and cello. Finally, one can go with a stronger or weaker tension if a particular string needs a boost or reduction – sets or individual strings can be ordered in soft, medium or strong.