Master violin by Erwin Georg Volkmann, 1975

This 1975 master violin by Erwin Georg Volkmann is a contemporary instrument that is compelling with its strikingly harmonious and attractive appearance as well as its unusually good musical qualities. It was made in 1975 in Fulda, Germany, where Volkmann had settled after the war in 1948 after being displaced from Fleissen (Plesná), a small Czech town near the major instrument-making centre of Schönbach (now Luby). As a student of Julius Zölch, Volkmann underwent classical training back in his home country in keeping with the traditions of Bohemian violin making, and this ultimately paved the way for him to work at Fulda’s highly regarded music store Mollenhauer, where he stayed until 1976. On a parallel basis, he established his own workshop and completed the mastership examinations in 1963. Commissions he fulfilled for Hamma & Co. show that in these years, which certainly were not easy, Volkmann grew into a skilful master who developed his own inimitable style patterned after Italian and German classic instruments. His monogram on the back of this violin marks its status as an authentic master instrument which represents his confident artisanry. Like the tightly flamed maple of the two-piece back, the finely to moderately grained spruce of the top was a self-assured and outstanding selection which perfectly enhances the instrument’s aesthetic and tonal properties. The exquisitely lovely grain of the wood is accentuated to its fullest effect under the light transparent varnish with its golden-yellow interplay. Volkmann’s charming carving work on the playful little scroll and the flawless craftsmanship of all of the details of this top-tier instrument are a good match for its powerful, clear, mature voice, its carrying resonance and its warm mature character – heartily recommended for interpreting a wide range of different styles of literature. A hand-written label in the body confirms the provenance of this instrument, which we have carefully set up at our workshop and are pleased to offer in excellent condition.