Antoine Marius Richelme, French violin No. 23, Marseille 1869

“A violin maker who does not understand anything about the acoustics of stringed instruments is truly a mere carpenter.” Antoine Marius Richelme (1832-1896) was as unyielding in his opinion as he was exceptional in his art and ahead of his time. The Marseille-based luthier worked on geometric studies that placed him amongst the distinguished tradition of such craftsmen as François Chanot (1788-1825) and Félix Savart (1791-1841). The spectacular instruments of these two men were not able to establish themselves commercially, although they did manage to influence modern violin making, as can be seen in Savart's influential work with J. B. Vuillaume and other endeavours. Like his predecessors, Marius Antoine Richelme did not succeed in founding a new school in the field, but he did leave behind stringed instruments of outstanding quality; interestingly enough, they were more of a stylistic return to the older style of violas da gamba. This Richelme violin No. 23, which was made by Richelme himself and bears the original label, is a typical example of his work; the most defining characteristic of his craftsmanship is the unusual contours of the upper and lower bouts. As a luthier, Marius Richelme not only enjoyed experimentation but demonstrated solid skills in his trade, as can be seen by the excellent tone woods he selected, such as the tightly flamed and strikingly lovely maple of the back. The very well-carved scroll has an aristocratic air and is set off by its blackened edges. The full breadth of Marius Richelme's artistic talent as a violin maker, however, was focussed on acoustic matters, and the unusually lovely, warm and mature sound of this violin is indeed the clearest testimony to his model, which is precise, resonant and perfectly balanced across all of the strings. We offer this great instrument in excellent playing condition, checked by our luthier and ready to play.

 

 

Order a certificate of appraisal with this viola, the certificate option is available in the shopping cart.