03
July
Joseph & Pierre HEL
Luthiers in Lille
by
Pierre CARADOT
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Cinema THE RIO
48 Rue Sainte-Cécile - 88500 Mirecourt
Public Lecture
Joseph and Pierre Hel were two major luthiers of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The quality of their work deserves to be highlighted through a temporary exhibition that we invite you to discover at the Museum of French Violin Making and Bow Making in Mirecourt, along with a lecture presented by Pierre Caradot.
Joseph Hel, the father, was born in Mazirot (Vosges) on 8 February 1842 and died in Lille on 14 March 1902.
Joseph began a serious apprenticeship at the age of 14 in several workshops in Mirecourt. He spent five years with François Salzard (1808–1874), then continued his training in Paris with Sébastien Vuillaume (1835–1875) from 1862. In 1864, he spent a decisive year with Nicolas Darche in Aix-la-Chapelle, which strongly influenced the work of his early production years.
He opened a workshop in Lille in 1865, where he became the official luthier of the Conservatoire. His work was awarded the Grand Prix in 1900, along with a series of other prestigious distinctions. He took part in several World’s Fairs, which earned him international recognition.
Joseph Hel drew inspiration from the great Italian masters—Stradivari, Amati, Guarneri, and Maggini—in his craftsmanship, and he trained his son and successor, Pierre Hel (Lille, 1883–1937).
Before joining his father, Pierre trained with Gustave Bazin in Mirecourt. He took over the Lille workshop in 1902 at the age of 18.
At the head of the Hel workshop, Pierre remained luthier to the Lille Conservatoire and also obtained the title of luthier to the Conservatoire of The Hague.
Honours: St Louis (USA) Exhibition in 1904, Milan in 1906, and Roubaix in 1911. In 1927, two of his violins were awarded prizes for their tone at the International Exhibition for Music in Geneva. In addition to making instruments, Pierre also carried out very fine restorations.
Reputation and legacy: the Hel workshop gained renown through instruments played by great musicians (Enesco, Hecquet, Grappelli, Thibaud, Ysaÿe, etc.).
The workshop continued its activity after Pierre Hel’s death until 1943, thanks to his widow and his collaborator Marcel Demey.
Lecture in french with english translation
Duration: 1h
Reservation required; Free admission depending on the places available
Free entry with priority access for the holders of the WEEKEND pass
Pierre CARADOT
I graduated from the Mirecourt School of Violin Making in 1983 and continued my training with various master luthiers in Besançon, Paris and Aix-en-Provence, before joining Etienne Vatelot’s workshop in 1985. During my fifteen years in this workshop, I learnt about the masters of the past, particularly French and Italian, whilst working on restoring and adjusting their instruments. At the same time, I built violas and cellos, either based on Etienne Vatelot’s models and designs, or by exploring more personal approaches. In October 2000, I joined forces with Philippe Dupuy, a renowned luthier, with the aim of perpetuating and passing on a tradition of high-quality French craftsmanship. I am committed to the widest possible exchange of experience and knowledge, particularly knowledge that complements the essential technical foundations of the craft, in the sciences and the arts: music, physics, geometry, history, philosophy, etc. I am a member of the Groupement des Luthiers et Archetiers d’Art de France.
