Gaspar Duiffobrugcar

DUIFFOPRUGCAR (TIEFFENBRUCKER), Gaspar Born 1514 Tiefenbruck, Füssen, Germany, died 1570 Lyons France. Son of an established lute maker, possibly Ulrich Tieffenbrucker of Venice and Bologna, he was a member of a large and important family of luthiers. The family separated into two streams, one working in Italy and the other, initiated by Gaspar, settling in Lyons in 1533. He was naturalised French in 1558. Although hugely successful, in 1564 his house and workshop were demolished to make way for city defences and his business never recovered. He eventually died in the poor-house. His family were granted a pension by Charles IX and his son, Gaspar (II), moved to Paris. There he married the sister of the luthier Jacques Delamotte and established his own business in the rue Pot-de-Feu 1582. Another son, Jean, revived the workshop in Lyons and appears to have overcome all outstanding debts by 1585. An engraving by Woeiriot dated 1562 presents Duiffoprugcar surrounded by instruments of his making, and shows that he diversified into viols and various forms of bowed instruments (while others of his family remained lute makers). This triggered a movement by French historians to prove that Duiffoprugcar was the true inventor of the violin. Several violins appeared in the second half of the 19th century with Duiffoprugcar labels dated from 1510 to 1520, but these all turned out to be the product of the Vuillaume or Derazey workshops. Third rate instruments, essentially cheap copies of these Parisian violins, started to emerge from Mirecourt and German factories exploiting the situation. Almost all of these instruments, some very finely made but generally over-sized, have as the would-be identifying ‘Duiffoprugcar’ characteristics of a male head in place of the scroll, and generally extensive decorative inlay. Genuine surviving examples of his work are not plentiful. A viola da gamba in the Musée de la Musique, Paris, bears the label: Fait par Dviffoprvgcar / A la coste saint Sebastien / A Lyon

This famous maker of Viols is said to have settled in Bologna in the early part of the sixteenth century. He appears to have obtained much renown as an inlayer of musical instruments, and it is stated that Francis I., upon the occasion of his visit to Italy in 1515, prevailed upon the Viol-maker to settle in France. The name of Duiffoprugcar has been made familiar to us, not so much on account of his merits as a Viol-maker, but almost wholly on account of his having been represented as the first maker of the Violin tuned in fifths, and the representation having been supported by the production of three Violins signed and dated 1511, 1517, 1519. I saw, about the year 1877, one of these, and was informed by the owner that the others were almost identical. The instrument bore distinct evidence of its being a modern French imitation, or rather an ingenious creation evolved from a myth, which in all probability had its origin in France. Duiffoprugcar was unquestionably an artist of a high order, but his abilities appear to have been chiefly directed to the art of wood-inlaying, rather than to the making of stringed instruments. He made Viols da Gamba, and he may have made smaller Viols, though I am not aware of any being in existence ; but there is no evidence whatever to show that he made Violins.

b. about 1514 in Freising, Bavaria; d. about 1570, Lyons. Was the principal member of a large family of Germans, who were working in North Italy—Padua, Venice—till about the middle of the 17th century, and still later in South Germany. There is much variety in the way in which the family name is spelt, ranging from the German form ” Tieffenbrucker,”to ” Dieffenbruger, ” “ Duiffo-brocard,” ” Duiffoprougar,” ” Duiffo-pruggar,” ” Dubrocard,” ” Dufourbourcar ” ” Duyfautbrocard,” and ” Diffobricard.”
The tradition that Gaspard was a viol maker in Bologna, and that, at the request of François I. of France, he accompanied him to Paris, seems to have no foundation. He probably learnt his trade in South Germany, and then went to Lyons, at that time celebrated, owing to the large fairs held there three times a year. The first definite mention of him there is a receipt for some wine signed by “Gaspard Duiffobrocard allemand,” on Nov. 23, 1553 ; another receipt, signed ” Gaspard Duiffoprougar” is dated Nov. 4, 1555. “Lettres de naturalite ” were granted to Gaspard Dieffenbruger by Henri II., from Paris, in Jan., 1558.
It was at Lyons that Pierre Woeiriot engraved, in 1562, his celebrated portrait of him, in which he is represented at the age of 48 years. Gaspard’s instruments are rare, and are more valued for their inlaid work and ornamentation than for the quality of their tone. Instruments known are : the famous bass-viol with the plan of Paris inlaid in different coloured woods on the back, and the neck ending in a horse’s head, now in the Brussels Conservatoire Collection ; the bass-viol with its back inlaid with the picture known as the ” Vieillard dans la chaise d’enfant,” the neck also ending in a horse’s head ; the small bass-viol with the neck finished in exactly the same way, and the back beautifully ornamented; and inscribed with the Latin legend, ” Viva fui in sylvis, sum dura occisa securi; dum vixi tacui, mortua dulce cano ” (It is supposed to be the viol that speaks, ” I was living in the forest, the cruel axe killed me. Living, I was mute; dead, I sing sweetly.”) ; and the bass-viol, with Michel Angelo’s ” Moses” represented on the back.
J. B. Vuillaume, of Paris, caused much misapprehension on the subject of Gaspard’s instruments by, in 1827, producing violins beautifully inlaid and carved in his style, which were so successful that orders for similar instruments were at once received ; his example was soon followed in Germany and Mirecourt, so that now violins and violoncellos of this description are numerous. The ” violins ” known are : one dated 1510, said to have been made for François I. (he only ascended the throne in 1515); one dated 1511, with an oil painting said to be by Leonardo da Vinci; one dated 1515 ; another dated either 1515 or 1539 ; one dated 1517, with a portrait of Gaspard copied from the 1562 engraving; one labelled “Gaspard Duiffoprugcar Bononiensis a. 1515,” the neck ending in an old man’s head ; one dated 1521 ; and one with the label : ” Gaspard Duiffoprugcar a la coste Saint-Sebastien a Lyon.” A “lyradabraccio,” probably made at the beginning of the 16th century, is also labelled : ” Gaspard Duiffopruggar Bononiensis, anno 1515.”
It has only lately been known that Gaspard was not born before 1514. He married Barbe Homeau ; he was in easy circumstances, but unfortunately his house stood on some ground required for the enlargement of a fortress (built in Lyons, 1564); he was turned out of his home in 1566, and it was pulled down; he could not obtain any indemnity and died shortly afterwards, leaving a widow and four children in debt and in great misery. They were awarded a pension by Charles IX. in 1571.