Klotz (violin makers)
Encyclopedia
Klotz is a family of violin
makers. Members of the Klotz (or Kloz) family have made violins in Mittenwald
, Germany
from the mid-17th century to the present. Dictionaries of violin makers list more than 25 artisans by this name.
Matthias I (1656–1743) founded the Mittenwald school of violin making after study with Jacob Stainer
and Nicolo Amati
.
Typical labels:
Instruments by Sebastian I
(1696–1768) are probably the most admired among the many existing examples by this family. Some instruments which have been identified as Sebastian's work bear his father's label.
Typical labels:
Joseph (1743–1819), son of Sebastian, worked in a manner similar to that of his father.
The quality of their instruments varies enormously, and many inferior, unauthentic examples have labels bearing the Klotz name.
Translation:
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
makers. Members of the Klotz (or Kloz) family have made violins in Mittenwald
Mittenwald
Mittenwald is a German municipality in the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in Bavaria.-Geography:Mittenwald is located approx. 16 kilometers to the south-east of Garmisch-Partenkirchen...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
from the mid-17th century to the present. Dictionaries of violin makers list more than 25 artisans by this name.
Matthias I (1656–1743) founded the Mittenwald school of violin making after study with Jacob Stainer
Jacob Stainer
Jacob Stainer was the earliest and best known Austrian luthier.Stainer was born in Absam, Austria. His designs influenced instrument construction in Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, parts of Italy, and several other countries....
and Nicolo Amati
Nicolò Amati
Niccolò Amati was an Italian luthier from Cremona.-Biography:Nicolò Amati was the fifth son of Girolamo Amati and the grandson of Andrea Amati, the founder of the Amati Family of violin makers. Of all the Amati Family violins, those of Nicolò are often considered most suitable for modern playing...
.
Typical labels:
- Mattias Klotz Geigenmacher zu Mittenwald an der Iser 1697
- Mathias Klotz Lauten und Geigenmacher in Mittenwald an der Iser Anno 1695
- Mathias Kloz Lautenmacher. A label of the family http://www.atelierlabussiere.com/klotzeti.jpg in Mittenwalt Anno 1725.
Instruments by Sebastian I
Sebastian Klotz
Sebastian Klotz was an influential German violin maker, one of three sons of Mathias Klotz.Klotz was born in Mittenwald on 18 January 1696, the second son of Mathias Klotz, from whom he learnt the art of violin making. On 15 May 1724, he married Maria Rosina Mayr, with whom he had eleven children...
(1696–1768) are probably the most admired among the many existing examples by this family. Some instruments which have been identified as Sebastian's work bear his father's label.
Typical labels:
- Sebastian Klotz in Mittenwald an der Iser 1734
- Sebastian Kloz, in Mittenwald, an 1743
- Seb. G. Kloz in Mittenwald, 1732
Joseph (1743–1819), son of Sebastian, worked in a manner similar to that of his father.
The quality of their instruments varies enormously, and many inferior, unauthentic examples have labels bearing the Klotz name.
Translation:
- Geigenmacher: violin maker
- Lautenmacher: lute maker
- See also LuthierLuthierA luthier is someone who makes or repairs lutes and other string instruments. In the United States, the term is used interchangeably with a term for the specialty of each maker, such as violinmaker, guitar maker, lute maker, etc...