Fabulous violin by Luis Lowendall, Dresden 1885 - Maggini

This sophisticated Lowendall violin is a very typical instrument that was crafted during Louis Löwenthal's time in Dresden; it is a successful replica of a model by Maggini The exceptionally successful atelier owner and instrument merchant, Löwenthal is said to have made his first attempts at crafting violins during his boyhood in Königsberg (now Kaliningrad); his fanciful violin was pieced together out of random bits of wood, strings made of cotton thread and a bow with hair that had just been cut from horses passing by on the street. This early and intense enthusiasm for stringed instruments is seen as one reason for the immediate success that Löwenthal enjoyed in his professional life. He matured into a good musician, luthier and bow maker who opened his own music shop in 1855. He was quickly able to hire many talented assistants and renowned masters such as Heinrich Knopf, and his business gained international recognition under the name "Lowendall Star Works". Löwenthal was at home all over the world and maintained professional relations and friendships with legends of violin making like George Gemunder in the US, to whom he sold a significant amount of aged European tone woods. Replicating the virtuoso artisanry of the Maggini model is a clear indication of how much Louis Löwenthal enjoyed experimentation in his work; amongst other things, Louis Löwenthal's pieces include a patented "resonator bass bar" that featured several hollow sound posts. The eye-catching model of this particular violin features not only delicate tonewoods and inlaid purfling which extends deep into the corners; it also has excellent work at the scroll. The finishing touch to the instrument's visual aesthetic is a tastefully antiqued, golden-brown varnish with appealing red overtones, and the Lowendall violin's style is an excellent complement to its wonderful sound: clear, rich in overtones, radiant, with a voice which unfolds with great responsiveness. The violin is free of cracks and the violin was, like all instruments from us, meticulously set up in our atelier and made ready to play. We recommend it as a particularly interesting instrument.