Tag: Dequincey

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Cello Awards

Last November, I was pleased to finish a cello in time to participate in the 23rd International Violin making competition held by the Violin Society of America (VSA) in Cleveland.

Among the 68 cellos presented, my instrument was awarded a Double Certificate of Merit :

-a Certificate of Merit for Tone by judges and cellists Dane Johansen, Jeffrey Solow and Brian Thornton.

-a Certificate of Merit for Workmanship by judges and violin makers Ulrike Dederer, Antoine Nédélec and Raymond Schryer.

It was a great achievement and honour to be rewarded for my work in this way. For a violin maker it is significant and meaningful to receive such distinction at this international level and to see the results of years dedicated work acknowledged and encouraged.

This event is also an excellent opportunity to acquire a representative overview of global contemporary instruments which were, in my opinion, quite remarkable in quality.  It also gives to participants the opportunity to discuss their individual work with the judges. Thank you and congratulations to everyone who took part in it!

I also wanted to personally thank Paul Marleyn, Rachel Mercer, and Raphael Weinroth-Browne for their time and useful feedback while adjusting the cello.

This 2018 Dequincey Cello has a body made of Canadian poplar and spruce. The maple neck and pear wood scroll are sourced in Europe.

Copyrights © 2019-2021 Charline Dequincey. All rights reserved.

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Maker’s Forum in Toronto

Last Saturday I was honoured to be part of the Maker’s Forum exhibition in Toronto. Contemporary violin makers and bow makers from Canada (34 on 37 participants) and abroad  were presenting their work. As a maker, this event was a great way to meet with musicians. I was able to discuss the instruments I had brought (a cello and a violin) and get their feedback.

During the afternoon, Kerson Leong performed on the 24 new violins exhibited. As part of a sonority test, Leong played the same excerpts on each one of them. He masterfully realized this challenging task, in my opinion. He was able to adjust wonderfully to each one of the instruments, performing over their full register. Interestingly, Leong’s consistent and methodical approach,   brought to life the individual qualities and character of each violin.

This experience was followed with a chamber ensemble, set up for the occasion, performing a Mozart quintet in C Major. The ensemble featured on violin: Jonathan Crow (Concertmaster of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra) and Kerson Leong ; on viola: Theresa Rudolph (Assistant Principal Viola of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra) and Madlen Breckbill ; on cello : Joseph Johnson (Principal cello of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra).

At the last minute some of the musicians decided to switch instruments between movements, using instruments from the exhibition. The change of colour with the different settings was quite noticeable, a good way to show how the choice/matching of instruments can affect the dynamic of the voices within an ensemble. After the exercise, I was honoured to learn that my 2016 Plowden/Del Gesù model violin was among the instruments selected to perform on.

Overall the event was well attended and quite a success. It was also a chance to see and catch up with peers. The standard of work was very high, and this made me proud to be part of it. 

I’d like to warmly thank the organizers for all their coordination work : Elizabeth Barbosa, Fany Fresard and Emanuel Euvrard.

Copyrights © 2017-2021 Charline Dequincey. All rights reserved.
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A Thank You to the Ontario Arts Council

I wanted to extend my warmest thanks and share with you some highlights from my experience gained through the Chalmers Professional Development Grant, which was granted to me by the Ontario Arts Council in 2015.

The grant allowed me to attend this year’s violin making workshop in Oberlin, Ohio for two weeks. There, while working on a violin, I was able to attend great lectures given by colleagues coming from all over the world and discuss various making techniques and the latest technological developments. Additionally, I had a chance to study the Jackson Stradivari violin (1714) and I was able to show my work and discuss it with my peers.

I also went to Sault-Ste-Marie for one week of study with Raymond Schryer in the fall. We discussed the use of wood, in particular Canadian species and studied the classical design and arching of Stradivari’s golden period (in particular the P form). I got to see and use his methods of making, which was a very valuable experience for me.

Those experiences allowed for me to see many different approaches and consider ideas which in future years can only be beneficial to my work as a violin maker. Thanks again,

Charline Dequincey

 

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Copyrights © 2016-18 Charline Dequincey. All rights reserved.

 

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Making a cello

“Very nice cello, with a handsome varnish. The sound is well balanced with a deep and strong C string, which can be difficult to find in a cello. I also like the width and projection of the A string sound.”

Paul Marleyn, Professor of Cello at the University of Ottawa

www.paulmarleyn.com

Poplar Cello all copyrights Ch. Dequincey

A musical instrument such as a violin, viola or cello is the result of an accumulation of decisions from its conception (and wood choice) to its set up including the design of its outline, proportions, arching shapes, distribution of thickness, sound hole placement/shapes, neck measurements, etc. Despite certain standardizations created by the historical evolution of the instrument, we are still left with a relatively large range of choices.

Before starting an instrument, it is quite important for me to define clearly what I want to achieve in terms of sound, comfort of playing and style. This helps me to determine what model of instrument I’ll be working from. I then decide how much freedom I’m going to take with the entire design: if I’ll base it on a particular instrument or maker, or if I’ll just work from a general feeling of a violinmaking school/period and create my own outlines.

I personally fancy the dark and deep quality of the lower register in quartet instruments, so when I got access to a source of poplar big enough to built cellos, I thought it would be perfect since poplar has a reputation for creating a darker sound in violas and cellos. While I was researching more about it, it also seemed to be associated with quieter instruments. I thought this would make an interesting challenge: to try to get both projection and depth in the lower range of a cello.

With this goal in mind, I picked a model with proportions that would serve this purpose, while also ensuring that the body measurements remain in a standard range that would be comfortable for a cellist to handle. Of course, the overall look is also quite important to me and was taken into consideration. From this starting point, all subsequent decisions were based on previous experience making cellos, observations I gathered working on older instruments as a restorer and influences from publications on related topics. One source of inspiration that was particularly helpful was Frank Ravatin’s talk entitled ‘’Cello making, models and measurements’’ given in November 2004 and published in the Vol. XX, No3 of the fall 2006 VSA journal.

One might never know, but some unexpected exceptions to what we thought was the rule might bring us to revise all our conceptions, and such it is the exciting learning curve of a violin maker’s journey. I’m generally quite curious before playing an instrument for the first time, and especially when trying a new model! Did the elements come together as expected? I was quite pleased with the results of this last instrument.

As a limited cello player, I felt very lucky to get feedback from professional cellists performing in Ottawa.  I would like to thank them all warmly for it. As a maker working for and with musicians, it is essential for me to stay in touch with their needs and variety of tastes. Therefore, after benefiting from their experience, I was able to make some final adjustments on what turned out to be a very fine instrument!

Poplar Cello 2014 © Ch. Dequincey c

Copyrights © 2016-2021 Charline Dequincey. All rights reserved.
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Making varnish for violins

Violin varnish © Ch. Dequincey -Rsz2The warm season is the ideal time to prepare varnish as it is better to be outdoors to cook the ingredients. I wouldn’t recommend that anyone experiment in their kitchen as there are too many ways it could go wrong, starting with strong and persistent resin and linseed oil smells in the best case scenario.

The varnish I use for my instruments is a mixture of drying oil, cooked rosin and thinner. I’m using ingredients, like linseed oil and colophony, known to be accessible in Europe at least 400 years ago, and were used by painters. The delicate part of preparing oil varnish resides in the cooking: it is important to use the right temperatures; the right amount of time; and the proper ratios to obtain the desired hues and properties. The layers should cure within a reasonable waiting time, and have the desired texture and transparency. Of course, regarding the colouring there are different ways to adjust it later by adding some finely ground pigments for example.

Pot de vernis © Ch Dequincey

I also enjoy experimenting with the products. It allows me to explore their range of properties and get more acquainted with the results that can be obtained. This provides me a better understanding and control in the resulting product.

This year I’ve been incredibly lucky to be able to work with an outdoor laboratory ventilation hood within an inspiring country sight. I want to warmly thank Mo for making this happen, his family for their welcome and Devon for his chemistry advice.

In the last decades analyses of Stradivari’s varnish have been published, some of the most recent ones confirm the use of several materials.

-Two articles related to the study driven by la Cité de la Musique in Paris:

What exalts Stradivarius? Not Varnish study says, by Henry Fountain (December 4, 2009). The New York Time, retrieved from link.

Complementary spectroscopic analyses of varnishes of historical musical instruments, by Jean-Philippe Echard and Loïc Bertrand (7 April, 2010). Spectroscopy Europe Asia, Retrieved from link.

–Stradivari Varnish: Scientific Analysis of his Finishing Technique on Selected Instruments, by Brigitte Brandmair, Peter Stefan Greiner, 2009, ISBN 3-00-028537-7.

An other interesting read about violin varnish:

–Violin varnish, notes and articles from the workshop of Koen Padding, edited by Helen Michetschläger, 2015, (Sale, UK) Doratura publications.

Pigment © Ch. Dequincey

Copyrights © 2015-2021 Charline Dequincey. All rights reserved.
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Poplar cello

Cellos or Violas made with poplar or willow backs have a reputation for having a warm sound. These wood species were used throughout the history of violin making, and particularly in Cremona during the second half of the XVII century and the first half of the XVIII century. In his book, “The Secrets of Stradivari,” Simone F. Sacconi mentions that two fifths of Stradivari’s cellos still remaining, feature poplar or willow backs. There are fine examples of those instruments in the collections of the Royal Academy of Music in London and at the Library of Congress in Washington DC.

A few years ago, I acquired some pieces of Canadian poplar which were quarter sawn for violin making use and big enough for a cello. Guy Harrison and I had built in 2009 a cello using European poplar, resulting in a very satisfying sounding instrument. As I was curious to try this other kind of poplar on a cello, I built one. In fact, the spruce used for the blocks and the front also came from Canadian forests, making the body of this instrument entirely Canadian sourced!

Cello patchesTo work with a different wood than the more common maple required that I take into consideration the differences in mechanical and acoustical properties. Accordingly, I adjusted the thicknesses in relation to the density of the wood. Then I measured the tap tones and weight, in order to adjust the final stiffness of the back as a free plate, using Nigel Harris’ method.

Some instruments with poplar/willow back features ribs made in a different wood than the back, such as ash or beech, matching the scroll. I used poplar for the ribs to match the back, and reinforced them with linen (a method also employed by Antonio Stradivari).

Copyrights © 2015-2021 Charline Dequincey. All rights reserved.
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Forum des luthiers / Maker’s Forum

Je suis heureuse d’annoncer que je participerai au Forum des fabricants organisé par la maison Wilder & Davis à Montréal le samedi 6 décembre. Ce sera une bonne occasion de revoir des collègues et de présenter au public montréalais un violon 7/8ième et un alto de ma facture.

Au programme également, un concert du « Quatuor d’occasion », un récital en duo composé d’Andrew  Wan et Jonathan Crow, suivit d’une démonstration de sonorité avec Frédéric Lambert.

Passez nous voir!

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I am pleased to announce that I will be participating in the Maker’s Forum organised by Wilder & Davis‘s workshop in Montreal this coming Saturday the 6th of December. The Forum will be a good opportunity to catch up with colleagues and present a 7/8th violin and a viola I made to Montreal’s public.

There will also be a concert given by the “Quatuor d’occasion”, a recital featuring the duo Andrew Wan and Jonathan Crow, followed by a sound demonstration with Frédéric Lambert.

Come visit us!

 

 

Forum des fabricants Montreal 2014