Friday, June 17, 2011

Violin Restoration And The Unsung Heroes

By Marsha Silva


Classical music has led to the creation of one of its most priceless instruments, the violin. It is often considered invaluable by collectors, people who play the instrument, and music enthusiasts alike not just for the beauty of its sound but with the art that it is crafted. This is especially true for those that have been created by the great artisans themselves. The masters of the art of creating this instrument. In the present times, making sure that these instruments do not lose the quality of both its shape and sound is important. And so we do violin restoration.

The people who are tasked in the preserving this work of art are called craftsmen or artisans. It is their main function to keep the instruments in good shape. They must make sure that the good condition of the body and the sound it produces are maintained.

Artisans employ the use of wood sculpting. They are involved in crafting the body and making sure that it will produce the most excellent sound quality. Passion and diligence is required to perform this and much more in preserving the instrument's former shape.

Artisans see that every part of the instrument is kept well. Fundamental parts like the length and elasticity of the string are checked. The sound quality would be greatly affected with the type of string that is used or at which state the strings are kept.

A good sense of sound is also needed by people performing the task. To accomplish it well, one must have an excellent listening ear for music. Slight differences and changes in the notes can affect the sound of the instrument as a whole. A good craftsman should be able to detect this. Violin restoration would be next to impossible if the restorer cannot ascertain this.

Artisans must be able to appreciate art at its finest to perform the task well. Playing the instrument alone is not an easy feat. To preserve this great work of art, they must be able to study the works of the masters, the great ones.

Researching and learning constantly is also very imperative. Learning from the works of the great masters themselves are key to a good grasp in performing the task excellently. Artisans are also musicians. They have to play it to get to know what needs fixing and restoring.

The art of violin restoration may be overlooked by a lot of people. Ordinary individuals who are not exposed to the high arts or to the beauty of the classical music may not even know a thing or two about them. But these master artisans tirelessly and painstakingly continue in their task hoping that one day the world in general will get to appreciate the beauty of its music.




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