Francois Xavier Tourte

TOURTE, François Xavier Born 1748, died 1835 Paris France. Bow maker, known as ‘Tourte le jeune‘. Younger brother of Nicolas Leonard Tourte and son of Nicolas Pierre, below. Acknowledged as the most important archetier in the history of the craft, commonly referred to as ‘the Stradivari of the bow’. Trained as a watchmaker from c.1760. After his father’s death in 1764, he came under the protection of his elder brother, and appears to have been drawn into bow making as his assistant. He is credited with making pernambuco the standard material for the sticks, introducing it to his brother’s workshop and making the earlier use of ironwood or snakewood obsolete. In 1782 the virtuoso J. B. Viotti came to Paris and made contact with the Tourte brothers. The younger François Xavier seems to have been quicker to respond to his requirements for a more even and flexible stick, and developed the familiar ‘incurved’ camber of the standard modern bow. Another notable violinist, Rudolph Kreutzer, was instrumental in François Xavier developing the form and function of the frog to keep a more controlled flat ribbon of hair, through the metal ‘D’ ring or ferrule. By about 1785 he had laid down the formal pattern for the modern classical bow. From this point he used his elder brother’s brand, with the ‘L’ removed, signifying that Nicolas Léonard was no longer active. The next phase of his career is suggested by his production of octagonal, rather than round sticks after c.1800, and his move to 10 Quai de l’École. In this his ‘golden period’ he arrived at the ideal standard lengths and weights of the violin, viola, and cello bow (previously were highly variable) and the fully mounted functionally modern frog. One authenticated double bass bow is known. He worked until at least 1833, and retired to 38 rue Dauphine, beside the Seine. His work remains the most admired and desirable of all the numerous and gifted French bow makers that followed his inspiration. Brand: TOURTE. Business card (1774): Tourte le Jeune / fait et vend toutes sortes d’archets / Demeure quai de l’école, maison / de marchand de musique, ci / devant Caffé du Parnasse No. 10 / au 4me A Paris

He settled at 10, Quai de l’Ecole, and began to make bows; for his first experiments he used the staves of old sugar hogsheads from Brazil, but afterwards always selected fine Pernambuco wood of perfectly straight grain, strong and elastic, without excessive weight. By subjecting this in a state of flexion to a moderate amount of heat for some time, he obtained a permanent and regular bend: to do this without making the exterior brittle is always the great difficulty of bow makers. He was able to definitely settle the correct length and curvature of the stick, the gradual tapering towards the point, and also invented a method of spreading the hairs of the bow and fixing them on the face of the nut by means of a moveable band of metal, fitting on a slide of mother-o’-pearl. In fact, he practically invented the modern bow and has well been called the ” Stradivari” of the bow, for his skill has never been equalled. Most of his great work was done after 1775. Viotti, who arrived in Paris in 1782, is said to have suggested many of the improvements that were required from a violinist’s point of view. He worked until he was eighty-five, when failing eyesight necessitated a rest. He himself charged 12 louis d’or (about £10) for the bows mounted in gold, and 3 1/2 louis d’or (nearly £3) for those mounted in silver, but they now fetch from £20 each ; for Tourte’s bows are always preferred to any others by violinists, and as yet show no signs of wear. Violoncello bows are rarer; at a sale in Paris, Feb. 5, 1887, one was sold to Messrs. Hill and Son for £44. Several of his bows are in the Paris Conservatoire Collection, they are never marked ; only two are known with small engraved labels : ” Cet archet a ete fait par Tourte en 1824, age de soixante-dix-sept ans.” His bows were so closely imitated by other makers that it is not easy always to distinguish between the original and the copy.

Der Stradivari in der Kunst des Bogenmachens. Er war ursprünglich Uhrmacher und trat erst, nachdem er acht Jahre als solcher gearbeitet hatte, in die Werkstatt seines Vaters und Bruders ein. Eine ganz eigenthümliche Begabung und die peinliche Genauigkeit, die er bei der Uhrmacherei erlernte, brachten es dahin, dass er eine vorher nie dagewesene und auch jetzt noch kaum wieder erreichte Meisterschaft erlangte. Anfangs nahm er das Holz von Zuckerfässern zu seinen Bögen, die er dann für 20—30 Sous verkaufte. Bald erkannte er aber, worauf es bei einem guten Bogen hauptsächlich ankam, und nun versuchte er alle verwendbaren Holzsorten, bis er das Fernambucholz fand. Das mag um 1775—1780 gewesen sein. Er war unablässig bemüht, seine Bögen zu verbessern, und schliesslich gab er dem Bogen seine heutige Gestalt und stellte die Maasse fest. Er ward sehr bald berühmt und erhielt gerne für seine Bögen bis zu 15 Louis d’or; aber er zerbrach jeden fertigen Bogen, wenn das Geringste daran auszusetzen war. Die Stange schnitt er nicht bogenförmig, sondern gerade aus dem Holze und bog sie über dem Knie, nachdem er sie über gelindem Kohlenfeuer erhitzt hatte. Er hat auch seine Stangen nie lackirt, sondern nur mit Öl und Bimstein geschliffen. Er war sich seiner Künstlerschaft bewusst, obwohl er nicht einmal lesen und schreiben gekonnt haben soll. Bekannt ist, dass er auch Stege wundervoll zu schnitzen verstand. Er war sehr fleissig und machte noch in seinem 77. Jahre treffliche Arbeiten. Zum Unterschied von seinem Bruder X. wurde er auch »Tourte le jeune« genannt. — Mehr über ihn berichtet nach Vuillaume’s Erzählung Fétis in seinem Buche über Stradivari (S. 118-128).

The most celebrated of all the French bow makers, thanks to whose improvements we have a standard bow model. In his best sticks, the workmanship is incomparable. A conscientious worker, he delivered only irreproachable bows, destroying those he deemed not fully successful. After having used common woods, as was the custom at the time, he gave preference to the « Pernambouc » wood, adopted it, and since then, this particular wood has always been used in the making of good bows. It is said that he effected the curve by heating. Tourte hardly ever signed, and sometimes, but very seldom, a very small label is found on the lining. He died at an advanced age. Copied by the best makers, such as Peccatte and Lafleur, it is sometimes difficult to distinguish his own works.