Cello by Matthew Hardie, Edinburgh, circa 1820

About Matthew Hardie

Popularly known as the `Scottish Stradivari´, Matthew Hardie was a remarkably talented luthier whose impact on Scottish violin making cannot be overstated.

Hardie was born in the Borders town of Jedburgh in 1754 and was baptised in the Associate Church there on the 27th of November that year. His father, Stephen Hardie, was a clockmaker in the town and young Hardie trained as a joiner before joining the South Fencible Regiment in 1778. He married the next year and left the regiment in 1782. Sadly, life was not kind to Hardie and his family: constant financial trouble, alcoholism and the death of first wife and son within a few months of each other all took their toll. Hardie´s unstable finances led to the production of a number of less fine instruments alongside those of excellent quality.

Hardie´s name is first mentioned in connection to music when we see him noted as a subscriber to Neil Gow´s Second Collection in 1788. It is not clear how the joiner from Jedburgh became Scotland´s finest violin maker: various suggestions have been made as to a possible teacher but no concrete evidence exists. Hardie was known to have boasted that his instruments were inferior to none of the London-made instruments: we can certainly confirm that he is now considered to be the most important Scottish violin maker to have lived. It is interesting that Hardie compared his work to the London trade: his instruments look remarkably similar to those of a number of his London counterparts, most notably the Panormo family.

Matthew Hardie died in 1826, having been imprisoned as a debtor in the notorious Calton Hill jail and then admitted to the Edinburgh Charity Workhouse some time afterwards. Some parts of the workhouse still stand today and can be seen from the site of Hardie´s gravestone in Greyfriar´s Kirkyard. Hardie´s son Thomas continued the business until his early death in 1856.

About the cello

This cello was made in Edinburgh around 1820. The model is typical of Hardie's cellos, being his interpretation of the Stradivari model.

The cello has a two piece back of book-matched maple with irregular figure. The ribs are of similar wood and the head is more plain. The front is two pieces of very wide-grained pine and the varnish is a rich amber red in colour.

The cello has a length of back of 746 mm.

How does it sound?

This cello finds the ideal balance between richness and responsiveness. The overall tone is mature and resonant, with good projection across the range. A really great instrument!

Condition

The cello is in good restored condition.

Certification

The cello comes with the 2014 certificate of David Rattray.

More information

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