Description
Violin made in Mirecourt, 1941
About Mirecourt violins
Mirecourt is situated in the Vosges area of north-eastern France and is considered to be the birthplace of French luthiery. The town became a centre for luthiers as early as the end of the sixteenth century, growing rapidly as craftsmen from other areas came to join its workshops.
Instruments from this period generally display excellent craftsmanship and tonewood of good quality: this violin is a good example of both.
About the violin
This violin was made in Mirecourt around 1941. The violin has a beautiful one-piece back maple and a two-piece front of fine-grained spruce. The wood is of good quality, as is typical of Mirecourt instruments of the period. The varnish is amber in colour, laid over a lighter golden ground.
Instruments from the Mirecourt at this time are almost always modelled after Stradivari: I particularly like the Mirecourt instruments as they often have a slightly rounder sound. The violin has a length of the back of 360 mm.
How does it sound?
The violin is even across all the strings and has an easy responsiveness that makes it very satisfying to play. It would make an excellent upgrade from a contemporary violin as it offers the sophistication of tone and variety of colour required to explore a more challenging violin repertoire.
Condition
The violin is in excellent condition.
