Hi Fellow Musicians!

I am desperately seeking info about the Czech violin maker (Rudolf Sofron) who was actively making violins in the 1940s (maybe before and/or after). I have a violin made by him from an estate inheritance. So far, I have found one other one made by him at this website:

http://www.geigenbauatelier-ulm.de/violinen_shop.html

Number 19 at this site was made by him in 1944 in Prague. The one I have was also made by him in 1944 in Prague.

This is what it says about this on line violin (the one which is #19 on the above site):

Sehr gut erhaltene Prager Violine mit Etikett
Rudolf Sofron, Praha 1944, Perfekter Zustand, spielfertiges Instrument mit leichter Ansprache - which translates to
"Very well maintained violin from Prague with label Rudolf Sofron, Prague 1944, perfect condition, instrument ready to play with light address (use)."

Dearcolleague,

I read your mail and the matter inerested me, so i got information:

Fisrt I asked my best frien, violinmaker / top-dealer ZOLTAN KODAJ (the former violinmaker of the VIE PHIL), who knows much, also the czech market.

Second I asked my dear philharmonic friend TOMAS VINKLAT, who presently is off from the Vienna Philharmonic and at the moment studies in Prague. He heard around.

As to KODAJ, he said the following (also I myself know that): There are many instruments around, which just get a fake paper with a fantasy-name, so that nobody can check and compare. The world is full wih fake violins and there are only few real experts in the world.

Tomas Vinklat heard around in Czekkia and nobody ever heard of that maker.

Therefore the matter is clear...

Please always buy a violin, which is an investment! The value of a good genuine Instrument increases 20 % per year, a Strad even 40 % (If you have got 7 million dollars to buy it...).

If you have any question, please drop me a line l.barki@music-vienna.at

Kind regards from good old Vienna

Laszlo Barki

Hi Fellow Musicians!

I am desperately seeking info about the Czech violin maker (Rudolf Sofron) who was actively making violins in the 1940s (maybe before and/or after). I have a violin made by him from an estate inheritance. So far, I have found one other one made by him at this website:

http://www.geigenbauatelier-ulm.de/violinen_shop.html

Number 19 at this site was made by him in 1944 in Prague. The one I have was also made by him in 1944 in Prague.

This is what it says about this on line violin (the one which is #19 on the above site):

Sehr gut erhaltene Prager Violine mit Etikett
Rudolf Sofron, Praha 1944, Perfekter Zustand, spielfertiges Instrument mit leichter Ansprache - which translates to
"Very well maintained violin from Prague with label Rudolf Sofron, Prague 1944, perfect condition, instrument ready to play with light address (use)."

Hello Martin from Prague,

THANKS SO MUCH for your response. Rudolf Sofron was your granduncle? I am happy to finally get some info about the violin. Was he in Prague in 1944?

Please tell me as much about him as you know (and have time for) debbrahms@yahoo.com

The violin sounds VERY GOOD. I got interested in finding out about its maker because it sounds so great. It surprises me that Rudolf is a little known maker because of the sound. It was shipped to a member of our family from Prague.

Do you know if there would be some reason for him to make two violins in 1944 that are known today and being used or sold today while the others he made don't seem to be around? Did he make lots of others?

In 1944, Germany had control over what is the Czech Republic today. Do you think the violins were somehow taken out of Prague by Nazis or someone else?

Anyway, thanks Martin and I hope to hear from you.

Sincerely, Deb

Hi all,

I got my 1921 Prague Sofrons a few years ago. I bought these from Vavra in Prague, who repaired the violin. He told me he believes that there wasn't any R. Sofron per se and that he thinks the label with his name is attached to make the violin fancier. He also told me that for casual playing, he would be personally super happy with this violin and gave me really good price for them.

How correct he was - it was an amazing deal . The violin sounds amazing, much better than similarly priced instrument I had a chance to play before. I started playing very often since then.

I've read somewhere else as well that R. Sofron actually was and built these violins as his hobby, while working in mines or something like that - so I would really like to hear more from Martin, if he still follows this forum

Best,

Vojta

[QUOTE id=33366 time=1451568411]

Hi all,

I got my 1921 Prague Sofrons a few years ago. I bought these from Vavra in Prague, who repaired the violin. He told me he believes that there wasn't any R. Sofron per se and that he thinks the label with his name is attached to make the violin fancier. He also told me that for casual playing, he would be personally super happy with this violin and gave me really good price for them.

How correct he was - it was an amazing deal . The violin sounds amazing, much better than similarly priced instrument I had a chance to play before. I started playing very often since then.

I've read somewhere else as well that R. Sofron actually was and built these violins as his hobby, while working in mines or something like that - so I would really like to hear more from Martin, if he still follows this forum

Best,

Vojta

Hi Vojta and others,

I came across this forum again by chance and seems like I have missed your posts by couple years - I am sorry for that. So to answer (at least partially) your questions, here is the sum of my current knowledge of Rudolf Sofron and his undertaking in musical instruments manufacturing. Please forgive me incompleteness of this story as he was born almost 150 years ago and only memories of him are from my mom and aunt who met him as small girls

Rudolf was born in a small town south of Prague, in Vrane nad Vltavou in 1877 in a family of a molder Karel Sofron (whose family came from Pilsen and before that from Domazlice, that time their name was spelled as Sollfronk) and learned his father's job. The family incl. my grandpa's mother moved from Vrane to Prague in 1914 and Rudolf was some time also abroad (in 1918 in Hungary). After WWI he moved back to Prague where he married twice during 1920s and 1930s. He was still working in the industry but obviously making of musical instruments was his big hobby. He was an autodidact but from his contemporaries it seems that his works were quite good and known - I found his name in Encyclopedia of Czech Violin-makers (Cesti houslari, 1959). He was also making miniatures of musical instruments, I remember playing small guitar and violin as a small boy when visiting my grandma. To prove above stated you can check this online dictionaly http://www.ceskyhudebnislovnik.cz/slovnik/index.php?option=com_mdictionary&task=record.record_detail&id=1000331. Rudolf died in age of 80 year in Prague and is buried in Bubenec cemetery.

Best, Martin

Hello, I have also been looking for information about Rudolf Sofron violins. I purchased one from my violin teacher around 1990 and have had it since then. Mine says it was made in 192? (the last number is partially worn away... it might be a 6?) I bought it in South Bend, Indiana.

[QUOTE id=6681 time=1258724058]

Dearcolleague,

I read your mail and the matter inerested me, so i got information:

Fisrt I asked my best frien, violinmaker / top-dealer ZOLTAN KODAJ (the former violinmaker of the VIE PHIL), who knows much, also the czech market.

Second I asked my dear philharmonic friend TOMAS VINKLAT, who presently is off from the Vienna Philharmonic and at the moment studies in Prague. He heard around.

As to KODAJ, he said the following (also I myself know that): There are many instruments around, which just get a fake paper with a fantasy-name, so that nobody can check and compare. The world is full wih fake violins and there are only few real experts in the world.

Tomas Vinklat heard around in Czekkia and nobody ever heard of that maker.

Therefore the matter is clear...

Please always buy a violin, which is an investment! The value of a good genuine Instrument increases 20 % per year, a Strad even 40 % (If you have got 7 million dollars to buy it...).

If you have any question, please drop me a line l.barki@music-vienna.at

Kind regards from good old Vienna

Laszlo Barki