This is the third and final instrument I'm making to exhibit at Klanggestalten, the exhibition in Berlin that takes place in October every year. I'm lucky to have been asked to participate this year. I gave a lot of thought to what to make, as I wanted to highlight what I think is special about my work. As I often undertake personalised commissions, sometimes to suit someone who finds standard sized instruments uncomfortable, I thought I'd reflect that by making a slightly undersized … [Read more...]
Archives for August 2023
343: 16 5/8 inch (42.3cm) viola based on Gasparo da Salo
This is the largest viola I normally make. I drew up the design some years ago, based on the Gasparo da Salo tenor viola in the Ashmolean Museum. That's a very large instrument, so I redrew it to what is a more comfortable size. This one is a commission from a pupil at Chetham's School of Music. He's been hiring a Maurice Bouette viola from me for the last year, and is excited that he'll be having his own custom-made viola soon. As ever, I've started by making the ribs, strips of maple … [Read more...]
