The MIM and the Maison Luxembourgeoise des Instruments d'Exception seduce viewer and listener with historic cellos...
With great admiration we see what passion for excellent sound, instrument making and heritage preservation can accomplish at its peak. Experts in this field were brought together for an opening event that attracted the greatest interest in the music world. We felt privileged to witness a live demonstration: a performance on historic cellos of excellent quality from the collection of the Maison Luxembourgeoise des Instruments d'Exception (MLIE), at the launch of the "Living exhibition of exceptional cellos" at the MIM in Brussels. This noble initiative embodies the organisers' desire to bring the exceptional pieces out of private collections and vaults, where they remain hidden, and return them to the purpose for which they were made, so they can continue to sound as living artistic voices. This is the hope of MLIE director Rodrique Tournel. The project is unique in its concept, with the instruments actually being played during the exhibition.The historic cultural ties between Belgium and Luxembourg are thus once again honoured and confirmed. This meeting takes place on the occasion of the Queen Elisabeth Competition for cello. During the final, the MLIE, with the support of the House of Luxembourg, offers the opportunity to visit and experience this exhibition for a few days, from 26 to 30 May. The whole is a presentation of a selection of very rare instruments, built in the 17th - 19th centuries and from the hand of prestigious Italian and French makers.
The centrepiece of the collection is a cello by Francesco Goffriller, from Venice and built around 1720-1730. This belongs to the legendary Venetian tradition that also produced the cello of Pablo Casals. This instrument will be loaned to the first laureate of KEW, who will have the use of the instrument for four years, a gesture to support the development of young talent.
The collection
- Francesco Goffriller (1691-1742), great Italian master of the Venetian lutherie school; these instruments were later played by Jacqueline du Pré, Pablo Casals, Ophelie Gaillard.
- Carlo Tononi (1675-1730), violin maker born in Bologna, a great Venetian master, worked with Guarnieri, made precise copies of Stainer and Cremonese models, excellent craftsmanship, beautiful lacquer finishes on his cellos.
- Ecole de Tononi – founder and trainer of multiple generations of violin makers.
- Giuseppe Guarnierius filius Andreae (1666-1740), heir to the craftsmanship and workshop of his father, developed his own style in Cremona.
- Tomaso Balestrieri (1713-1796), grandmaster of the Italian school, born in Viuistino, in the Cremona-Parma region, moved to Mantua, inspired by Guarnieri, influenced by Stradivarius, author of very rare cellos.
- Georges Panormo (1776-1852), son of the famous Neapolitan violin maker Vincenzo Truisiano, was born in England and worked in London and Liverpool. His cellos are distinguished by a radiant golden-yellow lacquer.
- Giacomo Zanoli, great Venetian master, working after the Montagnana model, remarkable for precision, excellent cellos, less curved, richly golden-yellow lacquered.
- Antonio Gibertini (1797-1866), workshops in Parma and Genoa, highly regarded as a restorer, worked for Paganini, after Stradivarius and Guarnierius models.
- Jacques Boquay (1680-1730) First Parisian School, powerful and warm sounding cellos, with a dark, beautiful lacquer, specific to this Parisian lutherie period.
We discovered that all cellos are equipped with Larsen strings. Remarkably, the Balestrieri has a perforation on the back of the soundbox, intended for attaching a cord with which the cello could be carried during the religious processions in which the musicians participated. This occurred in the Baroque period.
Velvet and silk bow tone colour
The musicians Matis Grisó and Désirée Bonacci are Luxembourg students pursuing advanced music education in Belgium at the Koninklijk Conservatorium in Brussel. They explore the expressive possibilities of historical instruments, the refined tonal color and the relationship between instrument, musical tone and interpretation. During their microrecital with two Bach suites no. 2 and 4 and a piece in G major for two cellos from the repertoire of Jean-Baptiste Barrierre, where they alternated between high and low register, they gave the audience an insight into the chromaticism and the universe of these historical cellos. The musicians competed with each other to showcase the exceptional sound of different instruments. In an interactive exercise, presented and explained by master luthier Gert Schrijvers, the listeners could compare the specific qualities of the cellos and express their preference. For example, one of the cellos was experienced as an instrument with a very powerful voice in the high register, which directly sweeps the listener into the dynamics, while another cello sounds enveloping and restrained, evoking a dreamy atmosphere. In the low register, the first sounded very dramatic, while the second was more melancholic, nostalgic and sweeter. We felt elevated by the gift that this entire event represents and believe that it will evoke an appropriate response from the public that will visit in the coming days.
His Excellency Jen-Louis Thill, ambassador of Luxembourg to Belgium, once again referred to the symbolic encounter between the two countries. The Belgian tradition of musical excellence, violin-making and the prestige of the KEW meet Luxembourg expertise in innovative structures for cultural heritage and exceptional objects. MLIE is a foundation dedicated to the preservation, development and transfer of extraordinary historical stringed instruments and bows. The foundation maintains structural cooperation with the Philharmonie Luxembourg.
