Violin by Andreas Ferdinand Mayr, Austria, circa 1725
About Andreas Ferdinand Mayr
Andreas Ferdinand Mayr was born in Vienna in 1693 and became the luthier to the Archbishop’s court in Salzburg. As was common in the era, Mayr also played in the court orchestra: one of his colleagues there was one Leopold Mozart! As a result of this connection, Mayr is known to history as the maker of the young W.A. Mozart’s childhood violin.
Whilst this small violin is undoubtedly of great importance, Mayr is also an extremely fine maker whose name deserves historical weight of its own. As a member of the early Salzburg school, Mayr pioneered a Stainer model with delicate, Amatese influences.
About this violin
The violin was made in Salzburg between 1720 and 1730.
The violin has a two piece back of finely-flamed maple, the figuration descending slightly from the centre joint. The front is two pieces of fine grained spruce and the varnish is a rich reddish-brown, laid over a golden ground. The violin is modelled after the instruments of Jacob Stainer.
The violin has a length of back of 358 mm.
How does it sound?
This one is a real stunner! It has a wonderful combination of power and richness: this allows it to throw a great quality of sound to the very back of a concert hall. The violin is at home in a wide variety of musical styles, providing nuance and flexibility at every turn.
Condition
The violin is in extremely good restored condition with a replacement head.
Further information
Please get in touch for more details about this fine violin by Andreas Ferdinand Mayr for sale and a member of our team will get back to you.