Carl Becker is probably the finest American maker of the 20th Century …and his Cellos are among the best of his creations. This fine example dates from the 1930’s and has all the defining characteristics …especially his luminous, transparent reddish-orange varnish.
This cello is owned and played by a wonderful player/teacher in the area who comes from Chicago ….the land of generations of Beckers. The dramatic wear pattern is a testimony to both the close-up physicality of playing the Cello colliding with the delicacy of Becker’s varnish.
It was pleasure to be entrusted with this delicate repair (which consisted of restoration over the entire instrument)… the building up of layers of color and vanish .. doing your best to give the Cello what it deserves. Its a reminder that old instruments are now a collaborative effort; stretching from the maker, through all the hands in the past, to the hands of the present.
