Rainer W. Leonhardt Master Violin Maker in Mittenwald/

www.violin-leonhardt.de Our Violin Making Tradition: 350 Years Of Experience You Can Hear

he Leonhardt Workshop, producing quality Wilfried Leonhardt — himself son of Mittenwald T bowed instruments since 1926, is situated luthier Fritz Leonhardt (plucked instruments). in the small town of Mittenwald. This Wilfried Leonhardt has in turn been center of South German followed by his own son, mas- lutherie has a 350-year ter luthier Rainer W. tradition of violin mak- Leonhardt (1997). ing. The Leonhardt Considering Rainer workshop has grad- W. Leonhardt’s pas- uated from its hum- sion for excellent ble beginnings to an craftsmanship, it atelier of master comes as no sur- craftsmen. Shop prise that he is also founder Anton Dietl was manager of the renowned succeeded by his son-in-law Mittenwald Museum of Violin Making.

_ 2 _ The Process: From Handcrafted Art to Music

Violin making is a very special art-craft requiring the com- mand of many traditional skills.

A special talent for woodworking and artistic sensibility are among them, but most important is the ability to incorporate the vast violin crafting experience of earlier generations into one’s work.

This commitment to tradition explains why hand The Leonhardt workshop represents the third crafted instruments from the Leonhardt Workshop generation of violin makers, serving the third persuade not only visually and tactilely, but above generation of satisfied customers. all in their musical responsiveness and tonal beauty.

_ 3 _ Rainer W.Leonhardt, Violin Maker In The Third Generation

y family tradition Craftsman by the Chamber of Mtaught me the basics Skilled Crafts for Munich and of the trade, of course. I com- . pleted my official education at the German National Trade My subsequent years in the School for Violin Makers in Mit- Leonhardt Workshop have been tenwald. marked by my increased sensi- After qualifying as a journey- bility to the needs of perform- man in 1983, I spent seven ing musicians, with many of years in the shops of master whom I have come to work luthiers, refining my knowledge closely. These „partnerships“ of the building, servicing, re- with musicians and the knowl- pairing, restoring, and modifi- edge I have gained during my cation of bows and violins. years of study and apprenticeship have had a In 1990 I was certified as a German Master profound effect on our instruments.

Company Founder Anton Dietl

_ 4 _ 3 Generations: Grandson Max, Father Rainer and Grandfather Wilfried Leonhardt

_ 5 _ It All Begins With The Wood ur instruments are made exclusively of which is not a bad comparison, since tone wood Ospruce and maple from our native forests must mature as a good Bordeaux matures, slowly, and from the forests of Bosnia, Austria and north- under monitored conditions. ern Italy. We carefully air-dry our wood, often for decades. My violins are all modelled after Italian and German All our wood has been master instruments, felled in the winter lovingly handcrafted months during the and hand-varnished, appropriate moon with attentive care phase and carefully to details. stored to season in the family tradition. This attention to detail extends to our customers’ Friends sometimes speak of our instruments and bows in need of woodshed as if it were a wine cellar — servicing, repair or modification.

_ 7 _ Our Sound: Complex, Deeply Satisfying, Tonally Rich

uilding a master violin is an accumula- of commendable violins „in the white“. The com- B tion of many small steps, each carried pletion of an instrument up to this point alone out with painstaking care. takes close to 120 working hours.

Acoustically, the violin is one of the In the ensuing hand-varnishing most complex of musical instru- process, carried out in the family ments. Its responsiveness and reli- tradition, we use the best natural ability depend on the precise gums, resins and dyes — among observance of the physical relation- these shellac, propolis, mastic, ships between its components. copal, benzoin, dragon's blood, frankincense, madder root and aloe Sensibility in wood crafting and the — dissolved in oil or spirits in accord experience of years go into the creation with family recipes. Varnishing a master violin enhances its most sovereign qualities of appearance, lend- If you’d like a little ing it a soft lustre more convincing, we and protecting its invite you to visit features. Sounding our workshop. You beautiful is not will see that „special enough — a violin wishes“ are our must look beautiful, specialty — be too. these carved lions’ „Musicians are the Architects heads, 7/8 sizing, The result of so of Heaven.“ (Bobby Mac Ferrin) marquetry, double much painstaking purfling, a particular attention to detail is a musician’s violin, a re- varnish and/or an individual choice of woods. It sponsive, even and dependable instrument with goes without saying that these requests will be great resonance and carrying potential in any po- fulfilled by a master craftsman. sition. If you’re interested, curious or just plain impa- tient, come and glance over our shoulders while we are working. Take a little guided tour through our shop and display rooms and have a look at our woodshed. You’ll be convinced: Excellence is worth waiting for. We give special attention to setting up our instruments.

The musician’s tools aren’t the gouges and planes Our with which we handcraft violins. His creativity is sound posts and dependent on the pegs, sound post, bridge, fin- bridges — crafted exclusively from selected, gerboard and top nut, fine-tuners and chin rest well seasoned, fine-grained spruce and maple — on his particular instrument. Violin sound and guarantee that the strings and the body of the in- playability are greatly affected by the care taken strument will function as an integrated whole. with these components in the setting-up process. Quality interaction between the player and his violin depend on it. It’s not without reason, for instance, that we speak of the sound post as the „soul“ of the instrument. The Leonhardt Workshop and the Essence of a Good Violin

he Leonhardt Workshop guarantees the The Lyre, our unique generations-old trademark, T quality of its products. Our tuning pegs, symbolizes the Leonhardt quality guarantee. Each tail pins, tailpieces and similar components are of our instruments bears the Leonhardt Lyre generally hand-crafted in , Italy or Eng- twice: once inside the instrument, and again as a land using high-quality precious woods: ebony, brand mark beneath the button on the back. boxwood, Rio palisander, palo azul and snakewood. Decorative materials in- clude mother-of-pearl, wooden- and gold fittings.

The Original Leonhardt Quality Trademark: The Lyre Violin N° 110 Imitation of an Old Italian Violin

his fine instrument was created along T the lines of the old Italian masters. Ground coat and varnish emphasize its special charm.

_ 12 _ Violin N° 100 Mountain Maple

ative wood, felled during the proper moon Nphase, lends special quality to this instru- ment. A rare one-piece maple back and a hazel spruce top.

_ 13 _ Violin N° 150 Imitation of an Old Instrument

e have a good selection of quality W instruments for novices. Various models and types.

_ 14 _ Violin N° 100 Bosnian Maple

olo instruments made of choice, well-sea- S soned tone wood. A shaded, hand-applied varnish enhances the play of light on the wood in this model.

_ 15 _ Viola N° 200

oth master violas and workshop instru- B ments may be had in all sizes (38.0 – 42.0 cm) and in all price classes. We also pro- duce our own individually-sized models for spe- cial playing comfort.

_ 16 _ Cello N° 32 Student Instrument

he perfect violin for the novice, made of well- Tseasoned tone wood. Choice of color. Agreeable, warm tone.

_ 17 _ Cello N° 36 Master Cello „Bergfeuer“ („Mountain Fire“)

aster cellos modeled after famous master M luthier-instruments (Stradivarius, Guarner- ius, Gorfiller …) One-of-a kind instruments made from choice, seasoned Bosnian woods.

_ 18 _ Cellos N° 40 and 51 Italian Poplar

Master cellos made of enhanced by spectacular Italian poplar shadow play varnishing.

Model „Stradivarius“ Model „Montagnana“

_ 19 _ Cello N° 60, built in historic Italian Style Birdseye Maple / Hazel Spruce

hese models are master instruments T made of selected tone wood, with an Ital- ian ground coat and various Italian varnishes. Also available: Flower- and Birdseye Maple for the ribs, bottom and neck. Cello N° 300 Solo Instrument Bosnian Maple

are models of very old, well sea- R soned tone wood of the best quality. Exclusive instruments handcrafted to your per- sonal wishes and needs.

A letter of certification and documentary color photos are included.

_ 21_ _ 22 _ Find your Personal Instrument in the Quiet of Our Spacious Showroom

hether you are considering buying Try out your practice routine. Make side-by-side W a violin, viola or cello, your utmost comparisons. need is for a quiet place to get acquainted with the instruments of your choice at your own pace. You Allow yourself plenty of time. You’ll later be able will find the atmosphere you need in our show- to look back with pleasure on the making of this room. A rich assortment of our products, from important decision, and you will know you’ve quality student instruments to master made the right decision, as well. instruments, stands at your disposal.

“Music in the soul can be heard by the universe.” (Lao Tsu)

_ 23 _ _ 24 _ Violin Making Entails More Than Just Making Violins

violin maker out of conviction will A never limit himself to just building instruments. Our well-stocked Our firm has always seen its task on a broad assortment of accessories scale. Musicians are our partners. It is through includes a great variety of old and them that we have been able to continually refine new violin-, viola- and cello bows. the quality of our instruments. Working closely with musicians also helps us to keep our re- Rehairing your bow with prime Mongolian pair work exceptional and our restora- horse hair can be done at moderate tion work distinguished. cost. This material alone is robust enough to ensure good durability and a Dealing in good used instruments and round, even tone. bows is another rewarding and essential sector of our business. We carry a represen- Naturally, we carry a large assortment of tative assortment of violins, violas and cellos cases, from basic to real pieces of art, in all in excellent playing condition. sizes and price ranges. Look for our cello cases of lightweight durability at an attrac- You haven’t found the instrument tive price. you’re looking for? Ask us. We’ll be glad to be of service in finding the instrument for your special needs.

_ 25 _

The Leonhardt Workshop: Founded in Mittenwald — Known Throughout The World

1993 Medal of Honor, Guild of French Luthiers uality doesn’t necessarily thrive be- Q hind closed doors. The Leonhardt 1995 Winner, Best German Music Instrument (for workshop traditionally welcomes prospective the violoncello „Bergfeuer“), German Ministry of buyers and those simply interested in the craft. Commerce. This may be one of the reasons for the frequent visits the media pay to our shop. 1997 Prize of the European Association of Violin- and Bow Makers for the best crafted instrument Quality isn’t a question of being „discovered“. submitted by a European at the international com- Leonhardt quality instruments may be seen and petition in Mittenwald. heard both at the large European trade fairs (In- ternational Music Fair Frankfurt, Munich Trade 2005 Special Prize of the Kreissparkasse Fair) and at important international expositions. Garmisch-Partenkirchen for handcrafting of ex- We also participate with regular success in the cellence. main European violin making competitions. Surely these awards account in part for the fact Quality can also be materially rewarding, as seen that Leonhardt quality instruments are heard below: throughout the world.

1989 Medal of Honor, First Place, Guild of Violin Makers of the Chamber of Skilled Crafts for Munich and Upper Bavaria.

Success is a Journey, not a Destination

_ 27_ We at the Leonhardt Workshop Are Looking Forward to Your Visit

tance along the „Innsbrucker Straße“ in the direction of It’s easy to find us! the town. After crossing the River take the first right If you’re coming from Munich-Garmisch (A 95), turn („Mühlenweg“). Continue for about 200 m and take a take the third Mittenwald turn-off (Mittenwald right turn again short of the railway tracks. Welcome to Süd — ). „Geigenbau Leonhardt“ — welcome to our workshop! If you’re coming from , take the first Mittenwald turn-off (Mitten- wald Süd — Leutasch). Continue a short dis-

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Rainer W. Leonhardt . Violin Maker . Mühlenweg 53 . 82481 Mittenwald Tel.: 08823/ 8010 . Fax 08823 / 2079 . Cell phone 0171/5719519

Opening Hours: Mo. – Fr. 9.00-12.00 and 13.00-17.00 hours (9–12, 1–5 p.m.) or by Appointment . E-mail: [email protected] www.violin-leonhardt.de Fotos: C. A. Hellhake, Design: P. Block Sauerlach · Translation: Dr. Joan Marie Bloderer