Probably Italian, ca. 1740

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The neck graft is masterfully executed (see photo), work worthy of this instrument. A crack from the lower end of the left f-hole downwards has been expertly repaired and is the only discernable repair in an otherwise superbly preserved instrument.

With a length of back of 39.5cm, it is considered a small viola. The upper bout measures 17.7cm across, the inner bout 12cm and the lower bout 22cm. The closest point between the f-holes is 37mm across and the diapason is 362mm. Height at the endpin (surface to surface) is 46.5cm and next to the shoulder 43mm.

The tone is exceptionally beautiful and explains why the viola was for the past one hundred and twenty years in the hands leading viola soloists.

This viola’s history is almost as impressive as the instrument itself: During the 1880s it was the main instrument of Karl Hermann, the young principal violist in the Bayreuth Festival Orchestra, probably the most important violist of his day and a close associate of the aging Richard Wagner. Hermann was also principal violist of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, but more importantly, he was violist to the Gewandhaus String Quartette, at that time the leading string quartette in Germany. There he played next to the most influential cellist of his day, Paul Klengel. (See the photos of this quartette, with Karl Hermann holding this same viola, standing next to Klengel.)

Hermann’s co-principal in the Bayreuth Orchestra, a certain Busowski, expressed his desire to Hermann to obtain this viola one day. After Hermann’s death and with the events of the Second World War, the instrument disappeared in Eastern Germany. Busowski was then a principal violist in the North German Orchestra in Hanover, West Germany. Soon after the war, someone smuggled the viola across from East Germany in a box of clothes, where it narrowly escaped being found by the border guards, and brought it to Busowski. How it was known after all those years that Busowski wanted the instrument, remains a mystery. When Busowski reached retirement he sold the viola to its present owner, who at that time himself was co-principal violist of North German Radio Symphony Orchestra.

This viola remains in high-level professional use to this day, in concerto, recital and chamber music performances. One would hope that it would continue in the tradition of excellence of which this great instrument has been a part for the past century and more.

Price: R 950 000, subject to exchange rate fluctuation. (Very approximately EU 95 000)

Naples, 1880

Certified by a
German Authority
(Berlin, 1973)

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Vincenzo Postiglione (1831-1916) made 60 violas in his lifetime. Along with 278 violins, 115 cellos and 29 basses his total lifetime’s output in the violin family is a mere 482 instruments, of which this viola is numbered 97, made in 1880. This attests to the fact that he was concerned with quality of workmanship rather than with quantity. Today his instruments are accepted to be a benchmark in refined standards of craftmanship and superb tone, sought after throughout the world by leading performers, collectors and investors.

This viola demonstrates every aspect of Postiglione’s excellence to a superlative degree: Postiglione had a penchant for the Guarneri model which, in this viola, he traces immaculately, demonstrating his very best workmanship. The outline is perfectly drawn, choice of materials is superb and the orange red varnish is of the same colour, transparency and texture one would find in his finest instruments. Postiglione spent his life closely studying the work of the great masters, feeding on the traditions of Cremonese school and his scholarly approach is evident in his own work, to the intense satisfaction of all musicians who have the privilege of owning and working on a Postiglione.

The overall impression of this instrument is one of an elegance of outline not always associated with violas. The top is of superb tone spruce with a medium to very fine grain. The back is of well-flamed maple with a distinct medium curl. The instrument has a neck graft and the pegs have been rebushed. The length of the back is 41.1 cm, the upper bout is 19.4 cm, the middle bout 13.2 cm and the lower bout 24.2 cm. The viola is in excellent condition - free from cracks and from any evident repairs.

This viola is a proven concert instrument with a traceable record. It comes with a certificate by a leading authority.

High Resolution photos can be supplied on request.

Price: R 700 000 (Approximately USD 90 000, GBP 46 000, Euro 57 000, subject to exchange rate fluctuations.)

Scurano, Italy. 2005

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Pots’s craftmanship is considered to be Italian. He received his early schooling in Cremona, where his father (also named Peter Pots) was apprenticed and worked as violinmaker. After university studies in South Africa, Pots returned to Cremona to study violinmaking under maestro Vanna Zambelli. After completion of the 5-year course in 3 years, he worked for the renowned restorers Bruce Carlson, Fausto Cacciatori and Bernard Neumann, where he had daily contact with some of the world’s finest instruments.

Peter Pots has always worked independently on his own instruments, often discussing critical points of design and sound production with his father, who specialized in the construction of violas. He also pursues direct contact with the musicians that would eventually use the instruments, considering their input and comment on his work. In this way he has had contact with some of the finest musicians in the world, such as Heinrich Schiff, Valentin Erben, Gerhard Schulz, Thabea Zimmermann, Thomas Riebl and many others who today own and perform on Peter Pots’s instruments..

This viola is small (length 39.4 cm) and was especially designed to be easy to play on without having to compromise sound. Pots pays particular attention to playing comfort: the rib height tends to be low, the neck is shaped carefully to suit most hands, similarly the neck projection is optimized for maximum bowing room at the bridge. The model was worked out especially with the purpose of getting the strongest and richest tone with the smallest possible size. This is obtained with a very wide middle bout and short c cuts together with rather short f holes, which assist in increasing the volume in the low range. The archings are low, which contribute to impressive tonal projection. The back is particularly thick, ensuring that the viola will have a long period of improvement, and it adds that particular “nutty” sound which is a characterisc of all Peter Pots’ instruments.

This instrument is made of excellent materials and is characterized by a beautiful golden amber varnish, thickly applied, but which maintains transparency throughout, allowing one to admire the beauty of the woods used. The purfling is impeccably traced, the corners are superb (see photos). The scroll is magnificent.

The doyenne of South African violists, Jean-Louise Moolman, considered this to be one of the finest instruments she has ever played on, and she particularly admired the tone quality and projection. This is primarily an instrument for solo performance.

Price: P O A

Madrid, 1977

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The two-piece back is of maple with a narrow curl and feint flame. Parts of the rib components (and also the neck and scroll) appear to be of the same wood, but some of the rib elements could be of other wood, though matching, tending to be more plain. The top is of tone spruce with a medium to fine grain. The purfling is superbly traced with excellent work on the corners. The scroll is truly beautiful – bold, yet with elegance and nice balance. The golden red-brown oil varnish is attractive and shows the wood off nicely. The instrument is in mind condition and has no cracks or evident repairs.

This viola is superbly toned – the low register being much enhanced by the large size of the instrument. The tone is balanced and even and it speaks easily.

Price: R75 000

Durban, circa 1945

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In recent decades, Bilmark is being viewed increasingly as probably the most important Danish violinmaker of the 20th century; his instruments are now virtually unobtainable, most of them apparently having made their way back to Denmark, where they are viewed as national treasures.

This viola is no exception to the high quality of his work. The two-piece back, ribs and scroll are of a finely curled maple with a well-defined flame. The top is of very evenly grained spruce and the varnish of a light golden colour. Purfling is superbly traced and the scroll shows real mastery of the craft. Throughout this is a very attractive instrument.

With a Lenth of Back of 43cm, this is a large instrument with a big and robust tone.

The viola doesn’t have a label, but has Bilmark’s crest on the inside. Furthermore, current owner’s father bought this instrument directly from Bilmark.

Price: R70 000 (Approx. US$ 8 500)

Cape Town, 2005

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She has made numerous violins, violas and cellos and is currently making cello number 60. Her instruments are played worldwide, from Anchorage to Adelaide, in orchestras like the the Berlin Philharmonic and the Lyric Opera in Chicago.

Internationally acclaimed musicians such as David Geringas, Janos Starker and Maria Kliegel have praised her work. In the words of Marian Lewin, the doyenne of cellists in South Africa: "My cello 'Maestoso' is going from strength to strength. It has given me hours of pleasure in practise and performance. Thank you Dawne."

This splendid instrument is based on the Stradivarius viola of 1650. The belly is made from fine-grained 30-year-old spruce from the Dolomite Alps. The scroll, back and ribs are from deeply flamed curly maple. The workmanship is exquisite, the fine handmade purfling creating a lovely overall impression.

The sound of the viola can be described as warm and responsive, with a deep sonorous bass. The eminent South African concert violinist and teacher, Prof. Jurgen Schwietering, owns a similar viola made by Dawne in 2004.

Price: R65 000

London, After 1840

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Thomas Kennedy was a student of the great English violinmaker, William Foster. He eventually set up a studio in London and became a prolific and respected maker who built some 2000 instruments in his lifetime, earning him a place among the most important English violinmakers of his time. He was known and appreciated in particular for his violas and cellos. His best work is from before 1840, whereafter the refinement of his workmanship went into a decline commensurate with his personal life, which spiralled into problems, bad business management and heavy drinking. However, he always remained in firm control of the tonal quality and standard his instruments, and so they always sound good and are to this day much in demand by professional musicians who appreciate the fine tonal properties of a good Thomas Kennedy.

A peculiarity of Kennedy is that he seldom used labels and almost never dated his instruments. He commonly signed them in ink on the back, just below the button, as is the case with this viola.

This viola certainly dates from a time, probably around 1850 or thereafter, when Kennedy ostensibly didn’t care much for the niceties of finish and preferred to concentrate on tonal quality. Although the scroll on this viola is really handsome and very well cut, the work on the purfling is rough and careless with no effort to disguise poor workmanship, leaving much to be desired. This is made up for by the quality of tone and choice of good materials, something in which Kennedy was very consistent.

The top is of medium to fine-grained tone spruce. The ribs, neck and scroll are of maple, but the one-piece back is of somewhat lacklustre wood cut on the slab and lacking any flame or curl or other character. It appears to be maple, but could also be pear wood, which was often used to make instrument backs. (The back of Jacqueline du Pré’s famous “Old Brown Stradivari” cello is of pear wood. It now belongs to Lynn Harrell.) The length of back is 41.6 cm.

The viola is in excellent condition, free from cracks or evident repairs, but the varnish is not the original. It appears that the revarnishing was done a considerable time ago. The varnish on the scroll (dark rich red-brown) may be the original, and if so it gives an idea of what the reset of the instrument may have looked like.

It is a deserving and well-toned viola.

Price: R50 000 (Approximately US$ 6 400 or GBP 3 200, depending on exchange rate fluctuations)

Bulgaria, 2000

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This particular instrument was brought from Bulgaria earlier in 2000, when it was sold to its present owner. It is characterized by exceptionally fine selection of wood and immaculate workmanship. Valtchev supplies a certificate along with each of his instruments, in which he states precisely where the wood comes from that was used in the instrument.

This viola, like all his violas, are noted for its big and robust tone. It speaks easily and is clear and even throughout the register.

This instrument is presently being used professionally and is a superb instrument from every perspective.

Price: R35 000

Circa 1830

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The length of the back is 42.2 cm. It may be either of German or English origin, is made of fine materials, particularly the top which is of finely grained spruce. The back was cut on the slab has an unusual curl. The neck graft is exceptionally well done and virtually invisible.

This is an old instrument and it is in entirety very well preserved with only minor repairs having been necessitated to two small ‘age’ cracks one normally finds in such old instruments. It was entirely revarnished in 1966 (except for the scroll) and this job seems to have been well done.

It has a warm and responsive tone.

Price: R17 500

Japan, circa 1980

Owner’s price: R5 000 (as is).

China, circa 1980

The instrument is well finished and in very good condition. It currently is without a D string, but could do with a set of new strings. Length of back: 40.6 cm (16 inches)

Sold (as is) for R2 800 – a very good deal!

Johannesburg, 2002

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Price: R2 500