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The quartet's luthier, craftsman of history
Olivier Gary
"The long sobs
Violins
Of autumn
hurt my heart
With a languor
Monotone."
Paul Verlaine.
The sound of the violin, its material, its resonance, its history, its tears, its emotions, its warmth have always had on me this magical effect that music can provide.
This is why my first photo report on music, its instruments, and its craftsmen is dedicated to him.
What is a quartet luthier?
A quartet luthier is a passionate craftsman.
An artist who continues to build himself over an entire lifetime.
A luthier manufactures, restores, appraises and maintains the instruments of the quartet, which are violins, cellos, violas and basses.
All his senses are involved...
The view that allow him to appreciate the wood he chooses. Each streak, inscribed in this noble and warm material, allows him to appreciate its sound qualities.
Touch allows him to play its resonance.
The hearing to remove each chip of wood which will make it a unique instrument.
The smell that will make him feel his story and that will guide him in the choice of his opening. This smell that will guide him with respect in the love of building or restoring it.
Who is Olivier Gary, this maker of history?
Someone unique, to begin with, a man passionate about his profession and inhabited by his art.
First of all a musician, for nearly 10 years, he gradually discovered his love for the profession of violin making, which he studied at the prestigious school of Mirecourt.
Installed for more than 40 years, it shapes, maintains and restores instruments that can sometimes date from the 18th century.
He works in particular with many musicians, some of whom are part of the Mulhouse conservatory and others much further away.
The many instruments he has made are already stamped "Gary".
A passionate, marvelous man who deserves to be called an "artist".
Thank you Olivier for opening your doors to me.
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