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Just like wine and the grape varieties that compose it, the anatomy of the violin is
a miracle of balance, a subtle alchemy between the voluptuousness of its curves,
the pure sound of its strings and the firmness of its structure. By the way, the
violin scroll, the final touch added by the instrument maker as a sign of absolute
refinement, bears more than a passing resemblance to the spiral pattern of the
vine. Just like the sun’s reflections on the grape, the varnish gives the violin its
warmth, its depth, its life – the shimmering character that vibrates in man’s heart.
‘Just like wine, the violin is a meeting point between the real and the metaphysical
worlds. One thing you should know is that the soundpost, the piece of wood that
transmits the vibrations of the belly, at the bottom of the instrument, is called in
French “l’âme”, “the soul”. And it is the position of that “soul” that determines the
whole harmony of the sounds produced. Once again, the comparison with wine
is tempting. In 1857, Charles Baudelaire wrote the poem
L’âme du vin
(“the Soul of
wine”), in which he breathed words and life into that magical beverage: “
One eve
in the bottle sang the soul of wine...
” – the same way the strings of the violin sing to
calmmankind.
‘What about man? The instrument maker is not only the craftsman who shaped
the object. He is also the violin’s physician throughout its existence, just as the
wine grower is the vine’s doctor. More than its dedicated labourer, he is its eternal
servant.’
Bernard Magrez
Owner of four grands crus classés in Bordeaux