Sold

Classic Viennese violin by Johann Christoph Leidolff, 1756 (certificate by Hieronymus Köstler)

This classic Viennese violin by Johann Christoph Leidolff tells an enigmatic tale of the rich musical life during the days of the Habsburg monarchy under Empress Maria Theresa. As a later piece by Johann Christoph Leidolff, this professional violin reflects the mature work of a luthier who was one of the leading representatives of his guild and who ran the most successful workshop in the...

This classic Viennese violin by Johann Christoph Leidolff tells an enigmatic tale of the rich musical life during the days of the Habsburg monarchy under Empress Maria Theresa. As a later piece by Johann Christoph Leidolff, this professional violin reflects the mature work of a luthier who was one of the leading representatives of his guild and who ran the most successful workshop in the capital city of the Austro-Hungarian empire. The fact that Johann Christoph Leidolff's employees continued to maintain his solid reputation for years after his death in 1758 is a testament to the exceptionally good name he established for himself, a name his widow was able to keep in high esteem for years as she ran his workshop. A student of his father Nikolaus Leidolff, Johann Christoph Leidolff stayed true to the Jakob Stainer-oriented family tradition which had been such a major influence on the Viennese style of making classical instrument during the Classic era. The scroll and the sound holes of this Leidolff violin provide a striking and unmistakable example of this design at its loveliest. There is a well-preserved wax seal and an inventory number on the underside of this instrument that still bears Johann Christoph Leidolff's original label, and together with other markings on the top and the peg box, this implies that it was probably purchased from the workshop and immediately placed in a collection of instruments such as the ones found at the institutions of the imperial music culture and in particular at churches and cloisters in the Habsburg Empire. This fine Johann Christoph Leidolff violin thus opens a rare door to the musical world of Viennese classicism thanks to its outstanding and carefully restored condition; with its flute-like character and its warm and mature sound, it invites performers to explore demanding interpretations of historic and contemporary literature.

A certificate by the Stuttgart expert Hieronymus Köstler is included in the price.

Inventory no.
5376
Maker
Johann Christoph Leidolff
Provenance
Vienna
Year
1756
Tone
warm, flute-like
Length of back
35.7 cm
Johann Christoph Leidolff
Classic Viennese violin by Johann Christoph Leidolff, 1756 (certificate by Hieronymus Köstler)
Classic Viennese violin by Johann Christoph Leidolff, 1756 (certificate by Hieronymus Köstler)
Classic Viennese violin by Johann Christoph Leidolff, 1756 (certificate by Hieronymus Köstler)
Violin label Johann Christoph Leidolff, Vienna 1756
Classic Viennese violin by Johann Christoph Leidolff, 1756 (certificate by Hieronymus Köstler)
Classic Viennese violin by Johann Christoph Leidolff, 1756 (certificate by Hieronymus Köstler)
Classic Viennese violin by Johann Christoph Leidolff, 1756 (certificate by Hieronymus Köstler)
Fig. |