Violin by Honoré Derazey, Mirecourt, circa 1860
This violin has now sold.
About Honoré Derazey
Honoré Derazey was born in 1794 and completed his apprenticeship in Mirecourt. He then moved to Paris and worked for several makers, including Jean Baptiste Vuillaume between 1830 and 1839. Derazey was the only maker to produce complete violins for Vuillaume: this accolade speaks volumes about the quality of his work and his sophisticated understanding of the Vuillaume model.
Derazey returned to Mirecourt to set up independently and quickly became very successful. He was awarded medals at the Paris exhibitions of 1839, 1849 and 1855, as well as in London in 1851. His son Justin Derazey took over the workshop in 1879 and was able to ensure its continued success, albeit with more of a focus on workshop-produced instruments.
About the violin
The violin was made in Mirecourt around 1860 and is an excellent example of Derazey´s top-quality work.
The violin has a one piece back of attractive maple: the ribs and scroll are of similar wood. The front is two pieces of straight-grained spruce which widens towards the flanks. The varnish is an extremely attractive golden-red colour, laid over a lighter ground.
The violin is modelled after the instruments of Stradivari and has a length of back of 357 mm. The strong influence of Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume can be seen in the golden-reddish varnish with the slight halo effect round the f-holes, the choice of wood and the neat yet bold work interpretation of the Stradivari model.
How does it sound?
This violin has a fantastic projection to texture ratio! It carries extremely well without any compromise to the quality of tone, never needing to resort to shouting. It is a real chameleon, able to charm in more intimate dynamics whilst being able to ramp up the power for the big repertoire.
Condition
The violin is in very good condition. The violin bears its original label as well as Derazey´s brand.