Our model

Our violoncello da spalla is the result of many years of research—both in terms of construction, through close collaboration and comparison with luthiers of the past and present, and through the study of historical treatises and surviving iconography. Particular attention has also been devoted to the instrument’s setup, in order to achieve the sound we believe to be the most authentic and expressive.

In developing this instrument, we carefully measured and studied several examples preserved in museums, including the small cellos of Johann Christian Hoffmann and Johann Wagner. We examined references in early treatises, built numerous instruments with different configurations—both Baroque and modern—and continue to exchange ideas with leading soloists at the forefront of the worldwide revival of the violoncello da spalla.

Our instrument draws inspiration from the Brescian style, featuring very open C-bouts that facilitate bow movement and elegantly elongated f-holes.

It offers a rich, full-bodied sound with powerful basses and brilliant trebles, remarkable dynamic range, and exceptional versatility—equally suited to basso continuo and solo concertos, to Bach’s cantata obbligato parts for violoncello piccolo, the solo cello suites, as well as to folk music and Hausmusik.

This is our flagship model, representing the culmination of extensive study and refinement in both setup and playability.

Our clientele includes members of major orchestras, distinguished soloists, chamber musicians, and educators from around the world—both modern and period performers—as well as curious and open-minded enthusiasts.

For this small cello, we drew inspiration from an instrument built by the luthier Johann Wagner of Borstendorf (Saxony) around 1750, which is preserved in the St. Anna Museum in Lubeck. The luthier in question is known only for this creation, built according to the standards of Saxon lutherie of the time.

It is constructed in a much simpler manner compared to traditional Italian lutherie and is rather worn and worm-eaten, but it presents very interesting characteristics. Specialists consider it to be completely original, unmodified over time in its fundamental structure, and it has the particularly unique feature (for our times but not for the construction era and the type of music it was likely dedicated to) of an extremely short and stubby neck, yet absolutely proportionate, pleasant, and comfortable.

Likely built for playing in processions or while on the move, it is particularly suitable for performing accompaniment and basso continuo while posing challenges for high-level virtuosity. Our interpretation produces a rather dark sound with a decent dynamic range but very pleasant and manageable, thanks also to the short neck, which one quickly becomes accustomed to.

Especially suitable for folk music groups and for playing at home, it also allows for explorations of more original repertoire from the era.

Inspired by instruments in museums or completely customized

In museums, we've seen many instruments that would be inspiring to use as models for building a Shoulder Cello. Among others, the large tenor viols by Amati and Gasparo stand out. Thanks to harmonic design, we can collaborate with you to create the instrument you're passionate about, making it something truly unique. (In the photo above, on the left are the three small cellos from the MIM in Brussels.)

Have you ever played in an ancient Greek or Roman theater? It feels effortless, no need to force the sound, it doesn't even feel like you're outdoors. And everything is heard with clarity. It's beautiful, almost magical. Well, it's not magic but rather the result of construction according to harmonic proportions.

What's the difference between mathematical and harmonic proportions? Mathematical proportions involve calculations, while harmonic proportions are based on listening. In short, once we establish the vibrating length of our instrument, we measure at what lengths we achieve tuned intervals. In our design, we will use only lengths derived from tuned intervals. We'll have the freedom to prefer perfect intervals as in the German school or dissonant ones as in the Italian school. This way, our work will never be a random invention but will have solid foundations and a rich, personal voice.

This was the process used to build theaters and palaces: Vitruvius, Leon Battista Alberti, Palladio recommended using musical proportions and often mentioned music. Today's architects have indeed studied arithmetic and geometry, but unfortunately not music (which, along with astronomy, once formed the quadrivium, a preparatory education for the study of philosophy and theology). They have unfortunately not perceived all the references to musical intervals in the treatises, assuming they were mathematical proportions. This is why our theaters no longer have that magical acoustics. Because musical awareness is lacking!

In our instruments, however, music is at the core of everything. The beauty is that it can be used in all directions: to calculate from the harmonic body the length of the original short Baroque neck or vice versa, to calculate a long modern neck on a Baroque body. We can even go as far as to build an instrument based on the measure of your hand or the length of your arm or even on YOUR tuned intervals! What could be more personal?