A short history of polish violin-making, which have rich over five century long tradition:
The Polish
word "lutnik"(violin maker) comes from Italian
word „liutaio” which in the 15th Century originally
meant lute maker.
In Poland the word "lutnik" has been known
since the end of the 19th Century.
Earlier Polish violin makers were called "Gusmen".
Since in the past almost every instrumentalist would make
an instrument for himself, the words used to describe
people
making instriments like lute,violin etc. and playing them
were
not strictly distinguished.
Polish word "skrzypce" (violin)
was firstly used in homily
"Meditation about Jesus Christ's life" (1500).
A lot of informations on origins of violin-making can be
found
in the works of german theoreticians.
Martin Agricola (1486-1556) in
„Musica instrumentalis deudsch”,
nominates the polish violin „polnische Geige”
as the known and popular instrument in Poland,
describing the features of its construction, tune and
sound,
which may suggest that violin as an instrument comes from
Poland.
Michael Praetorius (1571-1621) in
„Syntagma Musicum”
wrote that most famousviolinists at that time originated
from Poland.
He wrote that origin of the violin is closely bound up
with Poland.
Although originally violin wasn't accepted in lordly
manors
in a similar degree as harp, viola, lute were, it gained
popularity
in lower social classes. Appearance of the classic violin
in first
half of the 16th century, induced the intense interest
and demand
for it in Poland. Violin-making was the reputable
occupation;
violin-makers enjoyed high social rank. Like in Italy and
Germany,
art of the violin-making was passed from fathers to sons.
The Polish art of violin-making played significant role
in developement
of european violin-making. In 1518 Bona Sforza, the wife
of the polish King Zygmunt I, came from Italy to Cracov.
Her arrival enabled the contacts between Poland and the
west
and south of Europe, which was important for the culture,
music and art. The principal cultural centers in Poland
in
the 16th century were Cracov, Warsaw, Poznan and Vilnius.
The first famous violin-makers in Poland
The characteristic features of Cracov school instruments
Mateusz Dobrucki (1520~1602)
One of the ancient known Polish violin-makers.
We don't know his works; from the documents coming 1602,
we learn that he owned a big violin-making atelier, in
which i
t was several tens of violins in the act of construction
and many materials and ready elements.
Baltazar Dankwart I (I half
16th century-1622)
The first, most outstanding
representative of Dankwart's lineage.
He's one of the first violin-makers in Poland. Probably
he held
a position of the royal violin-maker in Cracov (together
with Dobrucki).
After the death of the King Zygmunt August (1572), he
moved to Vilnius,
where he was making string instruments for the courtly
choir.
Soon he was nominated to the position of courtly violin-maker
of king.
Jan Dankwart (~1600-1683)
The longer part of his life he worked in Warsaw.
Son and student of Baltazar Dankwart I.
Baltazar Dankwart II (~1629- 1690)
Probably the son and learner of Jan Dankwart.
As jesuit, he was the author of the sacred works.
His one and only violin is in the Museum of Instruments
in Poznan.
Marcin Groblicz I (~1540~1609)
The most famous violin-maker from Cracov. He began family
tradition and the Groblicz violin-making dynasty. We don't
know
much about his life. Only from distinctive-chits we
understand,
where and when he created. Probably he practised in
Italian ateliers.
From Dobrucki, Dankwarts and Groblicz lineages begins the
history
of the Polish violin-making art. Common stylistic
features of the works
from those times we call „the Cracov school”. The
supreme collection
of these instruments is in Museum of Instruments in
Poznan.
Elongated body of the instrument;
shallow bouts "CC", widened and open
"waist"; short corners, often double purfling
situated near the border;
characteristicly rether highly arching; large and low-placed
soudholes
with big eyes whose inner "tongues" are cut
sharply (like in brescian school);
ribs and back plate made of eye-sycamore; top plate of
densly-rinped spruce;
the head is typically stylised as a "dragon head";
on the outer side of the pegboxthere is a very rich,
curved, flored ornament.
The stylistic features of cracov school show a
relationship with Brescian
school (Italy). We assume that in many of the instruments
from Polish
violin-making ateliers, the identity chits had been
changed; so these
instruments are today treated as originated in Italy.
In Polish violin-making (17th and 18th century), besides
Italian influences,
there were German and Austrian influences (especially
from Tirol and Vienna).
Well-known violin-makers of those times: T. Glazowski, B.
Przeworski,
K. Puniecki, D. Kawarski, S. Zwierzyniecki, M.
Kwiatkowski, F. Gromalski,
J. Kostrzewski. The most priced violin-makers of those
times:
Kazimierz Burzenski, Wojciech Pilichowski (1750-1802;
Cracov),
Karol Ferdynand Lang (1811-1906; Lvov).
In the 19th century Mikolaj Sawicki
was one of the most famous Polish
violin-makers (1793-1850; Lvov -Vienna). In 1828 the well-known
violinist
Nicolo Paganini, fascinated by the violin created by
Sawicki, called him:
"an exceptional genius"... In the 19th and 20th
century the violin-making regained interestand renascence
again.
Tomasz Panufnik (1876-1951) was the principal
personage of the Polish lutherie of those times. He's
author of the first
theoretical violin-making works ("Violin-making art",
1926;
"Violin-making technology", 1934). Panufnik is
the author of the famous
instruments, excellent experimenter, priced violin-maker
among
the famous virtuosos. He made new models of the violin
"Polonia"
and "Antica"- expressed new stylistic ideas.
The model "Polonia" differs in
form
from the instruments in the
secession style.
Others most famous polish violin-makers at this time:
in Krakow: Józef Zajac, Henryk Skórzyński, Piotr Kubas (1906-1978), Jan Chamot (1894-1973), and Haussler family,
in Poznan: Eibich family, Stanisław Niewczyk (1890-1969).
in Lvov: Władysław Baczyński (1866-1924) /learner of Gustaw Haussler from Krakow and Knopf in New York/,
in Warsaw: Rudert family, Konstanty Pruszak (1883-1961), Eugeniusz Gosiewski (1901-1974), Paweł Bojomir Kruziński (1877-1921), Fryderyk Kanigowski,
violin- and bow-maker /„polish Tourte”/, author of essay „About the violins and others string instruments”/,
Tolimir Żarski (1834-1896), one from most famous violin-makers from Warsaw,in Katowice: Józef Świrek (1899-1978),
in Lodz: J. Radzikowski (1888-1974).
Others famous polish violin makers: Florian Sikora, Józef Jarocki, Karol & Szymon Troszczyńscy, Józef Makowiecki, Ludwik Arnold, Józef Rymiwid Mickiewicz, Józef Zając,
Marcin Czternastek, Mieczysław Bielański.