Soprano violin (British nomenclature, descant violin).

Carleen Hutchins

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Alternative Title

Soprano violin of the New Violin Family.

Instrument

Violin ; Violin/Violins/Strings/Musical Instrument

Instrument Family

Strings

Maker

Carleen Hutchins

Place Made

Montclair ; United States of America ; North America

Date Made

1968

Description

This instrument has a soundboard of spruce; ribs, back, neck and scroll of maple; fingerboard, tailpiece, tail-gut protector, pegs and endbutton of ebony. The instrument has an orange varnish with dyed pear/poplar/dyed pear purfling. The soundboard is medium grained. The two piece back has figure rising from the edges to the centre. There is a plugged hole on the back at the top, offset from the centre line. Measurements: Unvarnished neck, 132mm long. Neck and head of one piece. Fingerboard 249mm long, 21.4mm wide at nut, 41.0mm wide at bottom. Soundboard arch 16mm; Back arch 12mm. Inscription: Labelled "CARLEEN HUTCHINS / SUS No 48 / Montclair, N.J. 1968", the '48' and '68' handwritten, the rest printed. "CMH" monogram on label. Handwritten "Soprano" and "C-G-D-A". Scratched on the bass upper rib (near the top) "SOPRANO / A D G C@, before the instrument was varnished. "CMH" monogram stamped on back. Playing accessories: chin rest, 3 fine tuners and wolf suppressor. With hard violin case. General literature references: Hutchins 1962; Hutchins 1967; Hutchins 1973; Atwood 1986. Performance characteristics: described in Skeaping 1980. Specific literature references: Darius 1977; Speaking 1980. Illustration references: New Scientist 75 No. 1061, 21 July 1977, p. 175. Specific usage history: brought to Britain for the International Congress on Acoustics, 1974; musical and scientific research programme at the Royal College of Music, London, funded by the Leverhulme Trust, 1976-79; University College, Cardiff, 1980-86; Faculty of Music, University of Edinburgh, 1987-. Current ownership: Gift of Peter Fellgett.

Other Information

Specific usage history: brought to Britain for the International Congress on Acoustics, 1974; musical and scientific research programme at the Royal College of Music, London, funded by the Leverhulme Trust, 1976-79; University College, Cardiff, 1980-86; Faculty of Music, University of Edinburgh, 1987- .

Notes

D. Martin, 1993-94.

Measurements

549.

Provenance

Gift of Peter Fellgett.

Collection

MIMEd

Accession Number

2792

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