Instruments
—
Replicas

Violin
—
High Baroque

Violin — High Baroque

Maker
Date
Provenance
Body length
Johann Christian Hoffmann (1683—1750)1729
Leipzig35.6 cm
Neck length
Stop length
Vibrating String length
12.6 cm19.7 cm32.8 cm

Completed 2024 — Photography: Marco Deling

The original instrument has been in the possession of St. Thomas Church in Leipzig since 1729.

Together with the second NK violin — also from 1729 — it was purchased in 1729 on the initiative of J.S. Bach as one of a total of eight instruments (two quartets) for St. Thomas Church and the New Church (renamed St. Matthew’s Church in 1876).

It has been used continuously for musical performances at St. Thomas and the Neue Kirche to this day and has been regularly maintained by violin makers in Leipzig.

There is no record of when it was modified for modern performance practice. In 2000, it was restored by Aline Oberle and fitted with a period tailpiece and gut strings.

It is currently maintained and serviced by the Mehler workshop.

The soundboard is not original and was replaced in 1811 by Samuel Fritzsche during a repair.

Europe
Germany
Leipzig