he
peaceful atmosphere of the Tyrolean town of Schwaz, which is situated
near Innsbruck in a broad valley between high mountains in the Western
Alps of Austria,
home to Europe´s largest silver mine towards the end of the Middle Ages
and home
also to the mediaeval castle of Freundsberg, offers the ideal surroundings
for making historical string instruments of high quality.
The
woods are selected with a "feeling for their tuneful sound". Once the
instrument is finished, having been made using the utmost of craftsmanship
and artistic understanding,
the fine adjustment in tuning crowns the making of a high-quality instrument.
The
examples I use for making my instruments can be found in museums in
the form of well-preserved originals on the one hand, and in the numerous
depictions
from the Middle Ages and Renaissance on the other. In this way replicas
of harps from previous centuries are made in order to reexperience their
richness of sound.
Alternatively, instruments are made at the harpmaker´s own discretion
according to
the traditional art of harpmaking handed down through the centuries.
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specially
when it comes to buying a harp, one needs a great deal of time
and relaxation to ensure fulfilling one´s individual, 