One of OP Ryhmän Taidesäätiö sr (OP Art Foundation´s) violas is an Italian one from 1737 acquired in 1982. This instrument, which was built in Bologna by Joannes Florenus Guidantus, has previously belonged to the violin maker Enrico Marchetti and in the 1930s to the famous British viola player Watson Forbes.
Because violas are tuned lower than a violin, making them is something of a challenge. On the one hand, the instrument should be as easy to handle as possible, and on the other, achieving a warm and sonorous timbre from a small frame is almost impossible. There are very few good old violas to be found: indicative of this is the fact that about 550 Stradivarius violins are known to exist, 60 cellos but only 13 violas.
Guidantus was famed for his violas in particular. OP Art Foundation has indeed been fortunate in finding this important Guidantus viola for its collection. The instrument maker has achieved the rich full sound of a large instrument trough the instrument’s rounded shape. The reddish brown varnish of this beautifully sounding viola is of the highest quality, just like a Stradivarius.
It can be stated that the timbre of the instrument corresponds to its appearance. The soft aristocratic tone of the instrument offers precisely what its visual qualities promise.
OP Art Foundation’s Guidantus is currently on loan to Charlotta Westerback. The violas previous holder was Riina Piirilä.
