Joseph Lété Violin, Nantes 1832

This is a fine and rare violin by the French maker Joseph Lété, with whom JB Vuillaume is believed to have trained. It’s an unusually bold looking instrument with an even, warm and fruity sound.

Joseph Lété trained with Louis Moitessier in Mirecourt, then worked briefly for Charles François Gand, one of the greatests of French makers. His career as a maker of violins seems to have been brief as he became aincreasingly involved in the making of pianos.

We can see in this violin a fascinating synthesis of the bold Mirecourt model and the sophistication of Gand. The fine orange-red un-antiqued varnish is quite unusual for the period and is most reminiscent of Pressenda.

The condition of this violin is pretty outstanding for a violin that’s almost 200 years old – there are some dunts and scratches here and there, the c-bout edge has a few clunks, but there are no cracks or repairs. Even the neck is original.

People love to drone on about “the French sound”, but of course there is no such thing, and I would defy anyone to put on a blindfold and pick out a French violin from a random selection. It’s true that the big shops like Gand & Bernardel went through a phase of making wiry sounding ballbreakers with cranked back nects and too much wood, but this violin couldn’t be further away from that, either in intent or in result.

This is a warm and opulent instrument which would be ideal for chamber music – the sound is rich and smooth, slightly dark but still clear and refined. It’s easy to play, very even across the register, and it sounds good at all dynamic levels. It never sounds harsh or metallic, and it doesn’t break up under pressure.