Age of the Instruments

Feb 10, 2025

Did you know that a musician’s instrument has a story all its own?

Just look to a Chamber Music at The Barns performance where Timothy Ridout plays one of the oldest violas ever made, crafted by Italian luthier Peregrino di Zanetto circa 1565–75. Meanwhile, Matthew Lipman uses a powerful 2021 viola built for him by Brooklyn-based maker Samuel Zygmuntowicz. Despite the instruments’ more than 400-year age difference, they complement each other’s sounds beautifully.

High-quality instruments transcend age. To celebrate pianist Wu Han’s final season as Artistic Advisor, Wolf Trap asked her and her husband, cellist David Finckel, about all things instruments.

Humble Beginnings

Over the course of their careers, musicians cycle through many instruments—from learning on beginner strings, keys, and winds to finding their current professional favorite.

“My first instrument was a Yamaha upright…Yamaha pianos are Japanese made—they are reliable, don’t break, and hardly go out of tune. But they’re utilitarian and there’s hardly any color…It’s not until I touched the real concert piano when I was probably 14 that I realized there was another level. That’s where I learned how to create the grandeur of the piano,” said Wu Han.

Finckel received his first cello from his parents around age 10. Though he can’t remember the specific model, he recalls that it came in a brown canvas bag.

“I remember when I opened that cello case, it had this incredible smell. Anybody who’s been in a violin-making shop will know it, because it’s the smell of varnish, rosin, and all the wonderful things they use to make a cello. It was beautiful to look at, but I’ll never forget that smell hitting me for the first time.”

Cello Customization

With Finckel’s student days behind him, his primary instruments are a 1991 Zygmuntowicz cello and a 1754 Italian-made G.B. Guadagnini cello.

“What is extraordinary about playing an old instrument is that you are hearing a voice from the past. When my cello was made, Bach had only been dead for four years. Composers like Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven were all alive while this cello was playing concerts,” said Finckel.

Finkel performs masterfully on both cellos but often spends several months on one before reacquainting himself with the other. He explains they have different sound qualities, which he can further alter by adjusting the bridge or swapping out different strings and bows.

Preferred Pianos

Unlike string musicians, pianists are often at the mercy of whichever piano is available at performance venues. Luckily for Wu Han, she helped Wolf Trap’s Opera and Classical Programming team select The Barns’ piano: a magnificent 2022 Steinway & Sons Model D concert grand.

“I’m very grateful Wolf Trap decided to have that wonderful concert grand because I know I can depend on [it] when I come to The Barns,” said Wu Han.

Back at home in New York, she plays on a 1910 Steinway American Model B and a Steinway Hamburg Model D. Plus, she practices on five other Steinway Model D pianos with Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center (CMS), where she is Co-Artistic Director. Because of their expressive qualities, each of CMS’s pianos boast lavish, operatic names like Lorelei (Wu Han’s favorite), Belinda, and Dorabella, all lovingly named by piano technician Tali Mahanor.

A Brush with History

Early on in her time with CMS, Wu Han rehearsed on a piano once owned by pianist Vladimir Horowitz. Known for its powerful bass, Wu Han says the piano’s uneven string lengths created “an incredibly brilliant buzz on the top register.”

While in Taiwan, Finckel had a chance to play the oldest existing cello in the world, made by Andrea Amati in the mid-1500s. He shared, “It was like hearing a voice from 500 years ago, and you can make it sing. [Older instruments] are a joy to live with, to listen to, and a big responsibility to care for. But it’s also a great privilege to share these ancient voices with listeners all over the world.”

No matter the age of the instrument, it’s the musician’s skill and passion that bring it to life.

Explore the rest of the Chamber Music at The Barns season at wolftrap.org/chamber

DEBORAH F. AND DAVID A. WINSTON, 2024-2025 ARTISTIC ADVISOR SPONSORS