Old Northern German violin by Richard Berger, Stralsund

An attractive instrument of the finest craftmanship, this Northern German violin by Stralsund violin maker Richard Berger was made in 1914 and bears his handwritten original label. The stylish antiqueing of the golden-brown varnish, whose transparency emphasizes the elegant grain of the top-quality tonewoods, indicates an excellently trained hand, a highly refined sense of style and the confident craftsmanship of a mature violin maker whose biography is unfortunately largely unfamiliar. This violin, which was crafted with the greatest care in every detail, offers an impressive testimony to his abilities, ranging from the excellent choice of outstanding medium-grained spruce and flamed maple to the precisely worked purfling all the way to the masterfully large scroll which demonstrates an exquisite symmetry. The luthiers at our restoration workshop took great interest in the task of setting up this undamaged violin with a flat table and made it ready to play. Now in flawless condition, the violin expresses a open, bright, nuanced sound with an appealing sweet character.