Jacques Sainpre (Saint-Pre)

History

Jacques SAINPRE (SAINT-PRE) (17th century) was a maker active in Berlin, Germany. According to George Hart's The Violin, a Baryton Viol made by Sainpre is housed among the musical instruments at the Kensington Museum. This instrument is said to have belonged to Johann Quantz, the renowned flute player, and the Baryton was a favored instrument of Haydn, who composed several pieces for it and enjoyed playing it. Cecie Stainer's A Dictionary of Violin Makers also notes that a viola di bordone, or baryton, by Sainpre was exhibited in the South Kensington Museum in 1872. Willibald Leo Lütgendorff, in Die Geigen- und Lautenmacher vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart, states that nothing could be ascertained about him in Berlin, and his name became known solely due to this Viola di Bordone, which was exhibited in 1872 and believed to have belonged to Quantz. Lütgendorff suggests the correct spelling of the name might have been Saintpré or Saint-Preux. John Dilworth's The Brompton's Book of Violin & Bow Makers confirms Sainpre (Saint-Pre) as a 17th-century maker in Berlin, Germany, and mentions the Baryton exhibited in South Kensington in 1872, bearing the label: "Jacques Sainpre A. Berlin [Vannes]."

Craft

• Instrument Type: Jacques Sainpre is known for making a Baryton Viol, also referred to as a Viola di Bordone.
• Characteristics: This instrument is characterized by being strung with sympathetic metal strings, similar to the Viole d'Amour, but is described as a larger and more complicated instrument.

Further Information

• Location: Jacques Sainpre was active in Berlin, Germany.
• Exhibited Instrument: A Baryton Viol by Sainpre was exhibited in the South Kensington Museum in 1872.
• Label Information: The exhibited Baryton bore a label stating: "Jacques Sainpre A. Berlin [Vannes]."

Summary

A 17th-century maker from Berlin, Germany, Jacques Sainpre (Saint-Pre) is primarily known for a Baryton Viol (Viola di Bordone) that was exhibited in the South Kensington Museum in 1872. This instrument is notable for its sympathetic metal strings and is said to have belonged to the famous flautist Johann Quantz.