The Instruments

Historic string instruments as a source of inspiration

The market for historic string instruments

As a whole the market consists of about 10.000 instruments (violins, violas and cellos) from the 17^th to the 19^th century. The sale of the instruments mainly takes place through private trading. Strong demand and a very limited supply result in the prices being pushed up.

Price development of the instruments

The price of the instruments depends heavily on the identity of the violin maker, the existence of a certificate of authenticity and the physical condition of the instrument.
The sound and tone quality are assessed by renowned musicians. Further pricing points are provenance, the owner, as well as biographies and proof of it being part of a collection.

The history of violin making

The history of violin making started with a few pioneering families in Northern Italy in the 16^th century. The most important center of violin making throughout the centuries was Cremona. There you would find the workshops of the great violin making families such as Amati, Guarneri and Stradivari.
The instruments of these luthiers were the models for all violin makers in Europe. Nearly all the European courts provided their musicians with instruments from the Italian school. France took over the main role of violin making in the late 18^th century.

The centers and their luthiers

Italy (golden period from the 17^th century onwards)

Fam. Amati 1520-1740 (Andrea, Antonio, Girolamo, Nicola, Girolamo II)
Giuseppe Guarneri 1698-1744,
Antonio Stradivari 1648-1737
Fam. Ruggeri 1630-1719 (Francesco, Vincenzo)
Carlo Bergonzi 1683-1747
Lorenzo Storioni 1744-1816
Fam. Grancino 1626-1709 (Giovanni, Andrea, Francesco, Gianbattista, Paolo)
Carlo Giuseppe Testore 1665-1738
Gasparo Bertolotti 1540-1609
Giovanni Paolo Maggini 1580-1632
Giovanni Battista Rogeri 1642-1710
Matteo Goffriller 1659-1742
Domenico Montagnana 1686-1750
Fam. Gagliano 1660-1740 (Alessandro, Antonio I+II, Ferdinando, Gaetano, Gennaro, Giovanni, Guiseppe, Nicola)
Valentino Siani 1595-1620
Giovanni Battista Guadagnini 1711-1786
Giovanni Francesco Pressenda 1777-1854
Giuseppe Antonio Rocca 1807-1865

France (golden period in the 18^th and 19^th century)

Nicolas Lupot 1758-1824
Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume 1798-1875
François Chanot 1788-1825
François Nicolas Voirin 1833-1885

Austria and Germany (in competition with the famous makers of Cremona)

Jakob Stainer 1617-1683
Johann Georg Thir 1710-1781
Franz Geissenhof 1753-1821
Matthias Klotz 1653-1743
Ludwig Neuner 1840-1897