About

Michael Holzer has been specializing in the reconstruction of historical string instruments since 2010. A particular interest was sparked by the extraordinary appearance of Italian varnishes from the 16th and 17th centuries. During his studies at the Academy of fine Arts Vienna, he was able to conduct in-depth research into the existing sources and current state of knowledge. Through a year-long research assistantship at the Institute of Natural Sciences and Technology in the Art, pigment analyses were carried out using Raman spectroscopy. Based on the insights gained, the varnishes are now produced in collaboration with chemists.

Since 2020, the focus of the reconstructions has been on the Guarneri "del Gesù" model "Sauret" from 1743. This was a necessary step in the pursuit of tonal clarity and the definition of fundamental parameters.

The instruments speak for themselves, and musicians delight in their balanced, sweet tone. For the varnish production, only materials are used that align with both historical sources and the findings of studies on Italian varnishes from the 17th and 18th centuries. A natural resin-oil varnish serves as the base, allowing for pigment-specific color gradations. Reconstructions of other models are also available, but the waiting time must be discussed depending on the current workload.

Michael Holzer is conservator for the Collection of Historic Musical Instruments of the "Kunsthistorisches Museum" in Vienna since 2021.