SALE Old viola - Maurice Dessoulavy Neuchâtel 1923

This Swiss viola by Maurice Dessoulavy holds its place in the elite tradition of contemporary French violin making – and illustrates the unmistakable personal style of a Swiss violin maker in the first half of the 20th century whose work is underappreciated.

Based upon a flat-tabled model, this 1923 Dessoulavy viola for sale has a truly comfortable body length of 40.1 cm and offers outstanding playing characteristics and a warm, bright and mellow sound with an exceptional character which complements the instrument’s elegant aesthetic perfectly. Maurice Dessoulavy’s profound knowledge of contemporary French violin making is reflected in this Swiss viola; he studied in the workshop of Gustave Bazin in Mirecourt – the town where other talented craftsmen such as Marcel Vatelot, Pierre Hel and Amédée Dieudonneé went on to become masters whose artistic and musical brilliance have remained undiminished to this day. The distinctive touches on this viola Swiss with its own personality go far beyond the Neuenburg crest on the maple back with its gentle flames and the master’s monogram on the button as the most eye-catching ornamentations; the viola’s character is also evident in the harmonious proportion of the body, its striking purfling, its narrow and petite sound holes, and the self-assured non-conformist expressiveness of its scroll and peg box. The thick coat of dark red oil varnish has developed subtle crackling over the course of its long life of nearly 100 years, and it shows only miminal traces of use which are befitting an instrument of its age. One of these is a lengthy and carefully touched-up scratch (caused by unpacking) which at first glance looks like a crack, but the wood is demonstrably undamaged. At our specialist workshop for restoration, our luthiers confirmed its excellent condition and carefully set up this viola inside and out; we are pleased to recommend this instrument to demanding musicians, and it also qualifies for our trade-in guarantee.