Ferdinand Kugler Violins
The emergence of the resurrection of the Kugler-violin
It was the year 2009 when a customer visited our company Erika Ciesielski to sign in for a service for his violin. It was an instrument which the brilliant Viennese violin maker Ferdinand Kugler had built in 1955. Our violin workshop was immediately aware of the unique sound. At that time we had three more violins in our shop and were therefore able to compare them with the Kugler-Violin. The three violins were a Lemböck, a Ruggeri and Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume. None of these three violins could withstand in comparison to the sound of the Kugler-Violin. Even two of the owners did also agree that their violins didn´t sound so beautifully like the Kugler did.
From that moment on, we knew that we had to necessarily rebuild this master instrument built in 1955 in cooperation with well known violin makers. Many violinists of the famous Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra played a Kugler-Violin, and as we found out from a reliable source, also Herbert von Karajan and Sir Yehudi Menuhin have been owner of a Kugler violin.
The basic requirements to build a good violin are:
Craftsmanship skills, above-average knowledge and excellent material. Everything our workshop has. So we were convinced to create a violin containing the highest standards for a soloist. Our success is the confirmation.
With today's tools and technology it is much easier to reach high peak values in violinmaking. Since hundreds of years violins are copied by violin makers with the knowledge of the "Old Masters". Out of this circumstances always new and genius luthiers developed and this is the way it supposed to be.
We were lucky enough to know a friend of the late Ferdinand Kugler. With his help, we got all the documents, the original model of the most appreciated Violin Model 1955, also scroll models from the collection of the great master.
After opening some of the violins, we got from the owner, we recognized the sophistication in the work of the master. It also turned out that kind of meticulous work technology inside the violins. In the choice of wood, it was probably not so easy to be picky because of the post war-period, therefore a not so nice flame was used at the bottom of the instruments, which does not ultimately influenced the sound.
After four years of research, we have finally reached the goal, to have created a violin of exceptional sound. Built on the basis of a great Viennese luthier. Kugler violins all had a very soft red varnish and were easily recognized from afar when played in the orchestra. Of course, we will customize the colors as desired.
THIS IS HOW TO GET A ORIGINAL REPLICA OF A FERDINAND KUGLER VIOLIN
Our customers will be shown a catalogue with different violins having different flames, to get an idea of how the wood could look like. It is discussed if the back should be divided, or at once. How the front supposed to be. Then we try to find the right wood. After the desired wood of the violin is picked, the colour will be chosen.
At any time it is possible for our customers to observe the process of work. The last meeting is about the assembling. What will always be the same for the Erika Ciesielski violin, is the model shape and the F-holes. A certificate with the producer number and the date will finally be handed over.
Each instrument has two hot-iron brandings and a latin phrase written in pencil on the bottom. Additional the label of Erika Ciesielski and on the front inside the signature of the violin maker and employee.
Of course we also build Stradivari, Amati and Guarneri models, but the Model Erika Ciesielski just has the very special mystique in sound.
