Portrait
W. E. Hill & Sons is a London firm established in 1880. For over two and a half centuries the Hill name has stood for craftsmanship and for the highest standards of expertise in the English tradition, and it remains synonymous with English violin making.
The firm makes instruments, bows and accessories entirely in its own Hampstead workshop. New making is directed today by Stefan-Peter Greiner and Robert Brewer Young, continuing where the historic Hill instruments left off. The models are drawn from the finest examples available: golden-period Stradivari including the "Messiah" of 1716, Carlo Bergonzi, and the "Rode" Guarneri del Gesu of 1734.
Hill instruments and bows are played and collected worldwide, and the firm's historic certificates remain among the most recognised documents in the trade.
Both Hill violins we have handled showed the same command of the model with quite different characters. The Bergonzi is bright and distinctive, extremely responsive and precise, and that clarity gives it plenty of projection, particularly in the higher register, with a wide tonal range and the brilliance many players are looking for. The "Rode" Guarneri is charming and balanced, with an E string that sings beautifully and depth and resonance across the whole range, and it is versatile enough to move between settings without complaint.
Elsewhere
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