About this instrument
This exceptional viola by Nicolas Jomier, made in Mirecourt around 1750, is a particularly appealing example of 18th-century French violin making. Jomier belonged to a family of violin makers active in Mirecourt and is documented there as a violin maker as early as the mid-18th century.
Visually, the instrument possesses a strong and unmistakable personality. Its warm golden-brown to orange-brown varnish and the patina acquired naturally over more than two and a half centuries lend the viola an impressive historical character. Particularly noteworthy is its exceptionally fine state of preservation for an instrument of such age.
One of the instrument’s most distinctive features is its body length of 41.3 cm. For a viola dating from the mid-18th century, such a well-balanced size—one that offers excellent playability by modern standards—is exceedingly rare. It combines historical integrity with proportions that are also highly attractive to today’s musicians.
Tonally, the viola impresses with a powerful, substantial sound of very fine quality. It possesses the desired depth and warmth of a fine historical viola, while offering sufficient power and presence to project clearly. Its sound is full, rich in colour and distinctive in character, without becoming heavy or sluggish.
Especially appealing is the combination of tonal quality, volume and responsive handling. The instrument responds immediately to the player and offers a carrying, mature tone with the natural personality sought in a fine viola of this age.
The combination of its date of manufacture around 1750, its almost ideal body length of 41.3 cm, its remarkable state of preservation and its powerful, high-quality sound makes this viola a special instrument for discerning musicians and connoisseurs of historical French stringed instruments.