Archive

More detailed information about stringed instruments and the history of violin making.

François Xavier Tourte and the modern violin bow (the violin bow, part III)

François Nicolas Voirin and the new French violin bow

W.E. Hill & Sons: on the Mt. Parnassus of the art of violin making

Violin makers and masters: archive "J-L"

Joseph Alfred Lamy père: a key figure in modern bow making

Violin makers and masters: archive "S-U"

Violin makers and masters: archive "P-R"

Cremona, Piergiuseppe Esposti: Contemporary Italian viola

This contemporary Italian viola by the Cremonese master Piergiuseppe Esposti is an exceptionally lovely-sounding instrument which is comfortable to play. It is one of the mature pieces of this still relatively unknown master, who as a student of Francesco Bissolotti and Pietro Sgarabotto was a direct part of the traditions of the new Cremonese school which led the art of violin making in Stradivari's home city to a new renaissance after WWII. In the perfectly styled and attractive appearance and the musical features of this 1952 viola, Esposti’s full breadth of artisanal skill and decades of experience are immediately evident, beginning with the wonderfully dynamic grain of the hazel spruce used for the top and the tightly flamed maple of the two-piece back. These woods are accentuated by a golden-brown varnish with a hint of orange, the secret of which Esposti shared with the next generation of luthiers when he served as a guest lecturer at the famous violin-making school in the 1980s. Featuring a certificate of authenticity by the master himself and his personal label inside the body, this viola is in excellent condition; we have completely worked it over and optimised its sound so that the charmingly warm character of its large, bright resonant voice can effortlessly reach the complete range of its timbres.