NIELS LARSEN WINTHER

Niels Larsen Winther was born on 3 October 1814 in the village of Igelsø, on the western part of the island of Zealand. He was multitalented and extremely skilled, a locksmith who repaired guns and grandfather clocks, invented tools for agriculture, and made clarinets and flutes as well as all instruments of the violin family. He was also a very active village musician, playing at local dances, weddings and funerals. Reportedly he was at times so overworked that he would fall asleep while playing a minuet, though his fingers would continue playing!

He composed several polkas, mazurkas and hopsas, some of which are still performed.

In 1838 Winther married Marie Frederikke Meyer of nearby Holbæk. The couple had no children and in 1852 they divorced – after Marie Frederikke had run away with Winther’s elder brother Christen, a carriage maker and wheelwright in Holbæk. In 1853 Winther married his housekeeper Ane Andersdatter. This marriage produced no children but the couple did raise a foster son. Winther died on 2 November 1880 in poverty – like many other violin makers of the past.

INSTRUMENT

This is the only Winther viola I have seen. I suspect it was a rarity in the circles where he was playing. The clarinet was predominant in Danish folk and dance music, as it is rather loud and has a range that would cover the melody as well as the viola part – another reason for Winther to make clarinets and flutes.

MATERIALS

The back is made from a single piece of plain Danish maple. The ribs, also in Danish maple, show a faint narrow curl. The neck and scroll show some irregular faint flames. The belly is made from two matching pieces of spruce – most probably imported from Germany, as Danish spruce would be of a poor, open-grained quality.

FORM AND CONSTRUCTION

This viola follows a broad model, very similar to Winther’s violins and cellos. All his instruments are made with an extremely consistent design, inspired by Germanic examples. It is impossible to distinguish his early instruments from the later ones. Archings are full on both back and belly, giving it a slightly plump appearance.

EDGEWORK AND PURFLING

The ‘black’ purfling strip is made from stained maple, while the ‘white’ consists of two maple veneers glued together, showing a glue joint in the middle.

F-HOLES

The f-holes stand rather upright and show a Germanic influence. There is no fluting in the lower wings. From the overall look, it seems as if everything was cut with a knife, rather than using a circular drill for the top and bottom holes. The nicks are slightly rounded.

VARNISH

The pale yellow–brown varnish is very thin. I suspect that it is a spirit/shellac type on a grey–yellow ground.

INTERIOR

The internal work is as neat as the exterior. All blocks and linings are of spruce. The original bass-bar is short and extremely thin – Baroque-like when compared to the examples used today.

MAKER NIELS LARSEN WINTHER

NATIONALITY DANISH

BORN 1814

DIED 1880

INSTRUMENT VIOLA

DATE c.1870