Here’s a lovely Guarneri model violin by one of our favourite makers, Karel Vávra. It’s in near-perfect condition and has a first class solistic sound.
Prague has a long and fine tradition of violin-making, and the early 20th century Prague makers produced some of the best sounding modern violins around. Karel Vávra was a leading maker of this school, and here we have a very fine Guarneri-inspired violin of his from 1935.
The condition of the violin is generally excellent, and there are no cracks or restorations. The varnish is lightly craquelled on the table with some chipping to the edges, but that’s all there is to report.
We are always on the lookout for Vávra violins – they are beautifully conceived and they always sound great. Indeed it’s one of the eternal mysteries of the violin trade that you could pay 5 times as much for a Pedrazzini that sounds less than half as good as a regular Prague violin of the same period.
Vávra was a real master of tone, and while we’ve found a lot of variety in his instruments, they are always positive and rewarding to play. This violin has an unusually clear tone for a Guarneri model, slightly stiff in feel but still full and gutsy. Its principal attribute is its muscularity – ideal for solo work, it will take any level of bow pressure, and it really projects. The high reaches of the E string are sensational, but the entire range has an unusual mercurial power. It responds best to a big technique but it also sounds refined and musical even at low dynamics.
In short, yet another exceptional violin from a hugely under-rated maker.
