This is an exceptionally nice old French violin with superb tonal qualities.
Max Willibald Schmidt was born and trained in Markneukirchen but came to America in 1913 during the great migration. He established his shop in San Francisco where he worked for a number of years before moving to Seattle.
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For the past 100 years, the firm of Ernst Heinrich Roth has made excellent quality string instruments first in Markneukirchen and after the late 1940's in Bubenreuth. This violin is a fine example of their more recent work.
The D.Soriot violins were crafted in the workshop founded by Marc Laberte, one of the most important in Mirecourt. Laberte collected instruments by the great classical Italian makers and strove to reproduce their qualities.
This violin bears the Ernst Heinrich Roth brand internally and is labeled: Made in Germany
Blondelet began his career with the Thibouville-Lamy firm at age 15. He became a highly regarded maker and was made Chevalier of the Legion of Honour in 1923. The tone is warm,full and rich.
Willi Götz trained in Berlin with Otto Möckel and Ludwig Neuner and Georg Piegendorfer in Augsburg before settling in Markneukirchen in 1903.
Drozen began his career in Prague working with J.B.Vavra and B.Lantner before moving to Turnov in 1925. His violins became popular with professionals and soloists, both in Czechoslovakia and around the world. In fact, one of his violins was used by the great violinist Jan Kubelik.
Horvath is an interesting young maker who has had success in various international competitions. This violin has a brilliant, responsive tone.
In the late 19th. And early twentieth centuries, there were a number of excellent workshops in Mirecourt. This violin probably dates from the early twentieth century.
By the late 19th century, famous workshops in Mirecourt, France were making some of their finest instruments. This is an excellent example of Mirecourt workmanship of that era.
The Aubert workshop is famous for the very finest bridges for bowed string instruments. For many years they have also maintained a very small workshop making very fine violins, violas and cellos.
Heinrich Herman Todt trained in Markneukirchen and worked for an important maker in Busdapest befor reurning home. His workshop made high quality instruments for a number of important shops especially in the U.S. This violin was made for William Lewis and Son in Chicago, one of the largest and most important shops in the country.