 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Alfredo Campoli's instruments were auctioned.
Bridging Pickup Problems Frustrated with trying to get a good sound from a pickup on your acoustic violin or viola? Maybe you need the new Heys Equalizer bridge. Designed for use with a Fishman piezo pickup on any acoustic or electric violin, the Equalizer aims to provide a natural acoustic sound without the harshness often associated with piezo pickups. Three versions are available, for acoustic and electric violins and acoustic violas, all with special slots meant to accept a pickup quickly and easily. The player can also adjust the tone by changing the pickup’s position in the slots. For more information or to order, write to PO Box 154505, Riverside, RI 02915; call (401) 433-1997; or visit www.heys.com. Berg Bows to Violists Berg Bows has announced the release of the new Berg Viola Bow. Made of composite materials, the new bows carry the same lifetime guarantee against breakage of the shaft that Berg’s other bows do, and are described as "the only composite bows on the market with the appearance of true pernambuco." They are available in three models: Ebony ($1,650), Deluxe ($2,650), and Gold ($3,850). For more information, contact Berg at PO Box 6235, Bloomington, IN 47407; call (812) 336-8994; e-mail bergbows@kiva.net; or visit www.bergbows.com. Record Price for Fiddle A 1742 Guarneri del Gesù violin that was owned by the late Lord Yehudi Menuhin was sold for a record price to an unidentified collector in October 1999. Swiss dealer Musik Hug did not disclose the exact price but said that it was "approximately $1.25 million above what had ever been paid for a violin." Data from past record-breaking sales imply that the del Gesù must have garnered at least $2.83 million. Many other instruments from Menuhin’s extensive collection were sold by Sotheby’s in its November sale, and most achieved excellent prices (see "Menuhin Proves Popular," below). Makers Compete in Paris The popular City of Paris International Competition has been revived after a gap of several years. This second competition was held November 25–December 4, 1999, and featured 278 entrants from 32 countries. Winners in the violin category were Andrew Finnigan of the U.K. (grand prize), Francis Kuttner of the U.S. (second), and Isabelle Wilbaux of Belgium (third). Viola winners were Stephan Von Baehr of Germany (grand prize), Jaakko Mäkelä of Finland (second) and Thomas Meuwissen of Belgium (third). Cello prizes were taken by Viola Ziessow of Germany (grand), Kuttner (second), and Von Baehr (third). Double bass winners were Michel Broly of France (grand) and Laurent Demeyere of France (second); third prize was not awarded. Violin-bow prizes went to Noel Burke of Ireland (grand), Peter Oxley of the U.K. (second), and Mitsuaki Sasano of Japan (third). Viola-bow awards were taken by Edwin Clement of Belgium (grand), Tino Lucke of Germany (second), and Stéphane Muller of France (third). Winning cello bows were made by Oxley (grand), Burke (second), and Lucke (third). And bass-bow winners were Jean Grunberger (grand) and Sylvain Bigot (second), both of France, and Rodney Mohr (third) of the U.S. Comings and Goings The state of Tennessee has lost Stephanie Woolf Violins, a full-service stringed-instrument shop now to be found at 2 Linwood Ave., Rockport, MA 01966; telephone (978) 546-3664 or (800) 336-1980. Violin maker Paul Hart, formerly an instructor at the Violin Making School of America, has left Salt Lake City for 36 W. Main St., Mt. Pleasant, UT 64647; telephone (435) 462-0301; e-mail Paul_L_Hart@yahoo.com. The Boulder Early Music Shop, which serves both mail-order and walk-in customers, has moved to 3200 Valmont Rd. #7, Boulder, CO 80301; hours have changed to Monday through Friday, 10 to 5:30. And we’re sorry to report that Colorado Strings in Rye has closed its doors. Scott Cao, formerly in San Jose, California, moved his violin-, viola-, and cello-making workshop in August to 1860 S. Winchester Blvd., Campbell, CA 95008; telephone (408) 378-3665; fax (408) 257-3659. The Vitali Import Co., formerly located in Maywood, California, is now supplying wholesale accessories, parts, and materials from 13020 Whittier Blvd., Whittier, CA 90602. The new telephone is (562) 698-6508, or you can still call (800) 325-8154 toll free. Steven H. Beckley, who supplies materials for bow makers and restorers, has left Los Altos. Write to him at PO Box 263, Little River, CA 95456; call (707) 937-0570; fax (707) 937-2485; or visit him on the Web at www.bowworks.com. And after almost 40 years of making and dealing, Albert C. Muller of Sacramento has retired. On-Line Auction In November, Tarisio Auctions launched the first Web-based auction of fine violins, violas, cellos, and bows. As with regular auctions, would-be buyers inspected and played nearly 200 instruments and bows at the Park Plaza Hotel in Boston November 5–7, 1999. But rather than holding a live sale, the items were put up for bid on the company’s Web site, www.tarisio.com, November 8–12. Participating bidders were given a screen name and password, guaranteeing anonymity and secure transactions. They could follow the bidding on-line, entering and raising bids manually, or type in a maximum bid for a given lot and let the software automatically raise the bid as necessary. Those without access to the Web could also place bids by phone or in-person proxy. The lowered overhead allowed Tarisio to charge a 10 percent buyer’s premium instead of the industry-standard 15 percent. Tarisio also offered a limited money-back guarantee on the items. Consignments were gathered from Europe and North America by experts Christopher Reuning of Reuning & Son Violins in Boston and Dmitry Gindin of Gindin & Gindin in New York and Florence, Italy. At the end of the week, 63 percent of the lots were sold. The top sellers were a Ferdinand Gagliano violin made in Naples ca. 1760–70, which took $71,500 (including premium), and a Carlo Giuseppe Oddone violin that went for $38,500. A French cello by Gosselin sold for $22,000. There were also a number of fine French bows in the sale, of which the top seller was a ca.-1875 violin bow by Charles Peccatte; it brought $17,050. Menuhin Proves Popular The highlight of Sotheby’s November 16 fine-instrument sale was the collection of more than 100 instruments and bows of the late Lord Yehudi Menuhin. An impressive 92 percent of the lots were sold—many well above their estimates. Prices were no doubt affected by Menuhin’s personal letters and tags that accompanied the lots. For example, a Marino Capicchioni violin made in Rimini in 1961 was estimated at £12,000–£18,000 ($19,400–29,100) but went for £32,200 ($52,065) before buyer’s premium. It came with letters between Menuhin and its maker, in one of which Menuhin wrote, "I was very impressed with the violin . . . Helmut Heller . . . is using, and would like very much to order a violin from you." The top seller in the auction was a Giovanni Maria del Bussetto violin made in Cremona ca. 1680, which garnered £133,500 ($215,870). Bows did equally well; a gold-and-tortoiseshell–mounted violin bow attributed to Nicolaus Kittel, with a label in Menuhin’s hand, sold for £51,000 ($82,470)—well over triple its high estimate. A similarly mounted bow by François Xavier Tourte, ca. 1810, went for a healthy £36,700 ($59,345). For more details, see the auction listings beginning on page 130. November News Skinner kicked off the instrument-auction season with a sale on November 7. The top seller was a 1709 violin by Alessandro Gagliano, which took $200,500 (including premium). "Surviving work by Alessandro Gagliano in this condition is extremely rare," says department director David Bonsey. "Even rarer is finding a violin like this, whose string length has not needed alteration to modern specifications." A 1910 Romeo Antoniazzi viola did well at $34,500. There were also a number of very fine French bows, including a gold-mounted violin bow by Jean-Marie Persois that took $49,450 (the previous record for that maker’s work was $20,165). Phillips’ November 15 auction was highlighted by several possessions of the late Alfredo Campoli, a British citizen of Italian birth. Described in the catalog as "one of the preeminent soloists and virtuosi of the immediate postware period," his popularity was proved by high sale prices. The auction’s top seller was Campoli’s violin, a Joseph Rocca made in Turin in 1843. Estimated at £60,000–£70,000 ($97,200–$113,400), it sold for £128,000 ($207,360). Non-Campoli high sellers included a 1782 Nicolo Gagliano violin, which went for £78,500 ($127,170). For more information on these two sales, see the auction listings beginning on page 130. The following sales will appear in the next issue’s listings. Sotheby’s fine-instrument auction took place on the same day as its Menuhin sale. The top sellers were a pair of cellos, one made by Lorenzo and Tomaso Carcassi in Florence in 1769, which took £95,000 ($153,615), and a cello of the Ruggieri school, ca. 1760, which sold for £84,000 ($135,830). The top sellers in Christie’s November 17 auction were a composite violin made by Giovanni Francesco Pressenda in Turin, ca. 1835, which garnered £40,000 ($64,680), and a violin by Jean Baptiste Vuillaume that went for £29,900 ($48,350). A silver-mounted violin bow by Eugene Sartory brought £6,900 ($11,160). At Bonhams that same day, the highlight was a cello built by G. Gagliano in 1741, which sold for £220,000 ($355,740). Other top sellers were a Giovanni Grancino violin made in Milan in 1687, which brought £45,000 ($72,765), and a Vincenzo Sannino violin made in Naples in 1901, which sold well above estimate at £34,000 ($54,980). Upcoming Auctions Bonhams will hold an auction of musical instruments on February 16. Christie’s first New York sale of fine instruments in five years will be held on May 5. And Skinner’s May 7 sale will feature on-line bidding via the Web site Lycos. Market-related news items and information on new products, from the U.S. or abroad, are always welcome. Please mail to Jessamyn Reeves-Brown, Market Report, Strings, PO Box 767, San Anselmo, CA 94979; fax to (415) 485-0831; or e-mail to jessamyn@stringletter.com.
|
