Soundtracks of making
- Mathieu started to enjoy repairing instruments at 16
- For him, it is much more than a job: it is fun
- He truly values the traditions of these instruments
Mathieu Pradels played the violin when he was a child, but he was never very good. He was more intrigued by the instrument itself. It is this curiosity that launched him into the making of string instruments rather than in the playing of them. After an internship with his cousin who had just started his career as a luthier, Pradels understood that this was his path. He studied in England, where he deepened his knowledge and nourished his passion. The meeting with Judith Kraft, a very well-known and established luthier since the Seventies, changed his life. What he loves most was the manufacture of ancient instruments, such as string instruments, this ability to revive traditions and "soundtracks" of worlds belongs to the past but that, thanks to his art, do not disappear.
Interview
- What do you like most about your craft?
- For me, when I wake up every day I feel like a day of fun awaits me. It is fun. I do not see it as a strenuous activity. Every day is different, I keep discovering new facets of the tools I build. I am always learning and I still have a long way to go.
- Is the ability to play an instrument important?
- A little yes. I can play, even if I don’t play well. But having a sense of music helps sharpen the sense of sound that the vibration of the string has to give. It’s not mandatory, but it certainly helps.
- Is your art in danger?
- No, I don’t think so. On the contrary, I notice a growing curiosity about the manual arts in general and about the tools I create. Instead, I see few schools that prepare for this profession. It’s all delegated to the individual craftsman, who have little time.
- What does well made mean for you?
- I’m never really satisfied, I think everything is always very improvable. It is a compromise with myself that I reach so that the instrument can leave the atelier. The satisfied look of the customer who commissioned me plays its part in knowing when the object is finished.
Mathieu Pradels is an expert artisan: he began his career in 2003
Where
Mathieu Pradels
