A small history of George Enescu’s violin – The “Cathedral”

The golden age of this violin was the first two decades of the 20th century, when Enescu was ascending rapidly, winning over listeners of all types and levels with equal allure—whether performing for the elite audiences in the major European cultural centers or bringing the art’s message to modest souls in the provincial regions of his homeland and France. The young maestro demonstrated, through his priceless instrument, a captivating power, attested by countless rave reviews filled with all imaginable superlatives. Before this period, in the first two years of his concert career (1899, 1900), he actually played on a Stradivarius purchased in part by his father and partly through a public subscription organized by Ana Haret, the wife of Minister Spiru Haret, raising funds from 90,000 children (each donating ten coins) from schools across Romania. This adolescent artist, thus propelled early into the attention and reverence of an entire country, used a newspaper column to publicly express his gratitude and strove to honor his new violin with an affection worthy of the national endorsement he received.

However, it is well-known that the instrument’s sound soon ceased to satisfy him. As the musician himself later admitted in an interview, the Stradivarius had something of a “light soprano” quality; it was somehow incompatible with his aspirations, prompting him to replace it with another prestigious old violin made by another renowned Italian luthier. This time, he had found a “dramatic mezzo-soprano,” a “Guarnerius that may not possess overwhelming power but has an extraordinary suppleness, with the gift to warm me. It produces vibrations that perfectly match my soul states” (Rampa, October 26, 1931).

On the other hand, Sandu Albu—a violinist with a notable international career who performed alongside Enescu—recounted a different perspective on what caused the “fatigue” of the Cathedral, as the Guarnerius was affectionately known. In his memoir (1972), Albu suggests, albeit as anecdotal curiosity, that it wasn’t so much the ocean air’s humidity but rather a degree of negligence on Enescu’s part in handling the instrument. Albu claims, “our maestro was so immersed in diverse pursuits that he no longer found time to clean and polish the violin. He also used a particularly small chin rest, his jaw extending well beyond it, causing excessive sweat over countless concert evenings, which wore down and even rotted the wood.” In these circumstances, Enescu agreed to Albu’s suggestion to have the violin examined by Emil Herrmann, a famous New York instrument restorer. This occurred in January 1933, at the start of Enescu’s American tour that year. The tour’s conclusion was marked by Enescu’s return to New York on March 31, where Sandu Albu performed a recital at Town Hall, featuring Sonata No. 2 for Piano and Violin, Op. 6, with the composer accompanying on piano.

In Enescu’s absence from New York, Herrmann called me to come to him immediately. “Here,” he told me, “is what I found in Enescu’s violin.” I was horrified at the sight: a thick ash-gray rosin dust, spoonfuls of it! How could the poor violin resonate? […] Once restored, I tried it before the maestro saw it. It was like a bell, resonant, lively, and generous, incomparable in quality to the new Paul Kaul violin that the maestro had been playing with such conviction for so many years. When he saw his violin, he couldn’t believe it. Also present was Mischa Elman—a fine expert in the field. He sincerely advised Maestro Enescu, “We all admire and love you. Allow me to give you some advice: play on your beautiful Guarnerius, leave the new Paul Kaul violin; it’s not for you!” Enescu promised, but continued to play on the Kaul. He had grown accustomed to this instrument precisely because it was larger, though it never resonated in the hall like the Guarnerius.”

For the first time in the history of the Enescu Competition, the Guarneri del Gesù violin was made available to the laureates of the Enescu Competition by the George Enescu National Museum. Maria Marica (winner of the 2022 edition) performed on Enescu’s violin in the opening concert on August 31, 2024, and Valentin Șerban (winner of the 2020/21 edition) played it during a recital on September 13, 2024.

A huge thank you to Muzeul Național “George Enescu” for the incredible opportunity to give today’s young artists the chance to perform on Enescu’s cherished Guarneri del Gesù, keeping his legacy alive and inspiring a new generation!

Article written by Vlad Văidean
Fotos: Alex Damian
Video: Paradigma Film