It is well known that many violins come from Italy. But Egypt? Yes, that also exists.
Which violins are played in our orchestra? Who made them and what character do they have? In our focus on violins, ten musicians talk about their instruments: Here they are Isabel Neligan, Klaidi Sahatçi and Amelia Maszonska-Escobar, with photos by Paolo Dutto.
"There are not many violins made in Egypt, I have one of them. It's a beautiful work by Marco Dobretsovitch; he came from Montenegro, emigrated to Cairo in 1914, later went to Bologna for his training and then returned to Egypt. With a different name, the instrument would certainly have been twice as expensive ... I found it 15 years ago at a Lausanne violin maker. I was able to try it out for a long time before I had to make up my mind. That was ideal, because I'm not just looking for a 'beautiful' basic sound in a violin; above all, it should be flexible so that I can create very different colours and moods. This violin really does that. I therefore very much hope that nothing bad ever happens to it - as exciting as the search was, I don't want to start all over again so quickly."
"My violin takes its name from the violinist and composer Henryk Wieniawski, who played it for some time; he was something of a Polish Paganini in the 19th century. It has the typical bright Stradivarius sound, but it is a friendly, round sound: not aggressive, not arrogant either. I was once invited to the Polish spa town of Szczawno-Zdrój, where Wieniawski used to spend his summers. I played his 'Légende' there, on his instrument and in the same hall where he had performed. That was a very touching moment, a dream. For me, playing this violin is an enormous opportunity, but also a great responsibility. People often ask me how expensive it is. Then I always say that it has no price: if something happens to it, you can't buy a new one with any money in the world."
"My violin is exactly 100 years old and a Eugenio Degani copy. I discovered it three years ago at the violin maker Marysia Porebska-Synowietz in Wiesbaden, where I bought my first instrument when I was 16. I really appreciate her because she doesn't want to sell you the most expensive violin, but one that really fits. I immediately fell in love with this one, it has a wonderfully powerful depth - as a violinist you're always a little envious of the cello sound. I've never regretted this quick decision, on the contrary: as the violin hadn't been played for a while, it got better and better over the first few months. But I'm not that attached to things; at the moment it wouldn't occur to me to give it away, but maybe that will change at some point. It's the same with an instrument as with food: Suddenly you like something else."
