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THE BOW
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Types
of bows:
Three bow types are in use today, these are baroque, transitional
and modern. |
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Baroque
bow
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The baroque bow
commonly referred to as the Corelli (1653-1713) and also the Tartini
(1692-1770) so named after the two violinists who probably influenced
the style, can be as basic as a plain round stick with a non-adjustable
clip-in frog. In this case the hair tension is applied with the thumb
or a finger. Other methods of hair tensioning are a dentated or cremaillere
mechanism or the threaded metal shaft and brass eyelet device used
on all modern style bows.
The sticks of baroque or dance bows are almost always made without
a camber (term used for the concave arch in the stick, as in the modern
bow) usually resulting in a convex or over bent stick under tension.
Free hair length will be around 580mm, this will vary more than the
standardized length of modern bows (the modern bow has a free hair
length of 645-650mm).
Weights for violin bows will be approximately 51-53grms while the
weight for 'cello bows will be around 70-80grms with a free hair length
of 580-620mm. Styling for these bows can be quite elaborate, sticks
are sometimes made with up to 8 or 16 flutes.
Fluting is the term used for shallow grooves cut along the length
of the stick. Normal practice was to make the stick octagonal in section,
with some bows being made round in section.
Development of this bow peaked around 1730-50 and considering that
wood from the new world was available at this time, some of these
bows would have been made from either snake wood, ironwood, china
wood or pernambuco. Frogs are made of either wood, ivory or bone.
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Transitional
bow |
In the 1780s,
the Italian violinist and composer Viotti (1755-1824) lived in Paris
and was a friend of the Tourte family, this connection resulted in
the further development of the transitional bow and its evolution
to the modern bow. At this stage there is the development of the ferrule
(small and narrow) and the upright hatchet style head.
Francois Xavier Tourte was born in Paris in 1750 and died in Paris
in 1835 and is considered to be the major influence of the development
of the early modern bow.
John Dodd in collaboration with Wilhelm Cramer was on a similar track
in London.
This type of bow is now more like the modern bow, being heavier, up
to 58 grms, with a well defined camber (although still not the complete
modern camber) and made from the same hardwoods, but still retaining
some of the characteristics of the transitional bow, |
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Modern
bow |
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To counteract
a longer and heavier stick, the modern bow needed a heavier frog and
this required the addition of more metal, usually in the form of silver
or gold. |
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Bow
makers |
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Very little is
known of the makers of the early baroque period, bow types were generally
designated according to the players who used them i.e. The Cramer,
Corelli, Tartini or Viotti. The Tourte family with Viotti, and primarily
Francois Tourte were responsible for the development of the early
modern bow, while John Dodd in London produced similar bows. With
the arrival of bow makers such as Peccatte, bows, while looking similar
to those of Francois Toute are heavier and stronger but do continue
to retain the same camber shape. Voirin(1833-1885) takes the next
step and increases the camber of the stick, in particular, behind
the head. Sartory(1871-1946) later produces a more robust version
of this style of bow. |
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Prices
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What determines
the price of bows. Here I will only be considering handmade bows.
A bow maker with a possible working life of no more than 40 years
and working alone, producing about 40 bows per year will produce in
a lifetime something like 1600 bows. Of these, about 30% may be considered
very good bows and if the bow maker is very fortunate, 10% of these
may be thought of as great bows. The bows of Francois Tourte for example
are very expensive. There are two main reasons for this, rarity and
quality. Looking to auction prices for guidance is useful, if the
prospective buyer is considering all the determining factors.
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Wood
or Carbon fibre? |
When discussing
prices it is useful to make comparisons. It would be possible to make
many thousands of carbon fibre bows each year if the demand existed
or the market could cope. In the last 20 or so years, the prices for
good handmade and above average bows have been increasing by up to
10% per year. This increase in price is due to the difficulty of reproducing
something that has been made by hand, one by one.
Carbon fibre bows on the other hand are easily reproduced, with the
major component made in a mold, the same process used to manufacture
all plastic goods. When these factors are considered, I believe that
this type of bow is over priced and as they are easily reproduced,
carbon fibre bows will not increase in value. It is true to say that
carbon fibre bows are much less prone to breakage, but in the event
of loss or theft, insurance will always be necessary.
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What
to look for when buying a bow |
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Many players choose
a bow on the basis of the name or of what feels most comfortable.
Selecting on the basis of name may seem reasonable if the name on
the bow is genuine and its price is reflected by the condition overall,
including the authenticity of the frog and its components. If a bow
by a major maker sells for some fantastic price at auction there are
factors that have determined that price. These are authenticity, condition,
and a factor many overlook, history. Who has owned the bow. Comfort
for many players can be a critical and deciding factor when buying
a bow, unfortunately this eliminates many bows with potentially dynamic
qualities. Too much choice can also result in confusion and indecision.
There have been great and poor bows made in every period.
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