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Cello comparison at the 15th Cervera Luthiers’ Fair, organised by Càtedra Cervera Emili Pujol
The antique and modern cello comparison took place at 4 pm in the conference hall of the University of Cervera, following an intense trade fair morning and lunch with all the luthiers and their companions.
The first part of the comparison was further divided into two sections. In the first section, the violist Emile Cantor (who specialises in string instruments and has a profound knowledge of the craft of lutherie in general) provided a summary of the evolution of the cello during Giovanni Grancino’s time. This was linked to the display of a 1694 Grancino cello at the Fair itself, as an iconic instrument. The second section consisted of a presentation of the five cellos selected for the comparison, which were:
Lluís Clapés – 2014 cello, a copy of A. Stradivari’s 1712 Davidov
Jaume Bosser – 2018 cello (unvarnished), a copy of A. Stradivari’s 1712 Davidov
Casa Parramon – 1926 cello, a J. Guillami copy
Wolfgang Schnabel cello – 2015, a copy of D. Montagnana’s 1735 Pergamenschikow model
Stephan von Baehr – 2009
Laurentiu Sbarcea, the course cello teacher, then played the same fragment of the prelude to Gaspar Cassadó’s Suite on each instrument, using the same bow, whilst hidden behind a curtain.
Each cello was given a number, and the audience (composed mainly of students and teachers) filled in a survey rating the instruments they had just heard. The survey, which could be answered in writing or on a mobile app, contained five questions about sound, timbre, power and sound balance.
All the cellos were of remarkable quality and it was an extremely positive experience. There was also great participation from the audience. The final result was a surprise for everyone: the winner was the most modern cello, which was not yet “finished” and hadn’t yet been varnished. It was the instrument made by Jaume Bosser from Igualada.
This is not the first time that a new instrument has won a blind comparison, which suggests that, when we hear the sound without seeing the instrument, and have no knowledge about either the luthier or the period in which it was made, our assessment is based not on its price or reputation but on the quality of its sound.