George Chanot jr., fine English violin, London

This fine English violin probably belongs to the oeuvre of George Chanot, who led a somewhat riotous life before settling down to become one of the the greatest masters of 19th-century English violin making. Innovation and artisanal excellence defined the traditions of the Chanot family of violin makers, that had its origins in Mirecourt and ran the workshop where no less a luminary than the great Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume took the first steps in his career. It thus came as no real surprise to discover an inventory number from the famous London workshop W. E. Hill & Sons stamped on this violin’s peg box and on the fingerboard (which we replaced); these marks confirm the violin’s virtues as an instrument of the finest provenance and utmost quality, both in terms of its musical properties and its craftsman details. The moderate to broad grain of the spruce top and the tightly flamed maple of the one-piece back explain the outstanding resonant properties, and the full breadth of the beauty of these woods is accentuated by the thick coat of dark-red oil varnish with its intense antique crackling. A blackened scroll rounds out the enigmatic and attractive character of this inimitably distinct George Chanot violin; the violin came to us in perfect condition free of cracks and has now been fully set up and made ready to play by the professional restorers at our workshop. With its large and powerful voice, it features a warmly recommended sound with a precision ideal for soloists, full of mature warmth and a striking radiance that extends all the way into the upper registers.