violin

It’s always a shame when there’s no clarity about exactly who built an instrument. Somehow, you still want to be able to imagine the person who held the gouges, planes, glue, and brush while crafting the instrument—especially if you play it yourself. Unfortunately, this is not known for this violin. The label inside is, in any case, a forgery. An old certificate from Johann Stüber (a violin maker in The Hague in the early 20th century) states: “in all likelihood built by Romedio Muncher.” He must have had his reasons for thinking so in 1921. When the Musical Instrument Fund acquired the violin in 1989, the various experts consulted remained noncommittal. It was clear, however, that it was an Italian violin. Recent research has once again confirmed this finding. According to the new insights, the maker is likely to be found among Antoniazzi’s circle, and the violin was likely built in the early 20th century.