Arriving in the new year a first class octagonal example from this great maker when he was at his zenith and having just waved goodbye to his apprentice Eugene Sartory. This bow has some damage to the stick so it will be a fine choice for a player needing a great bow but being on a budget, complete with a certificate from Yannick LeCanu and Sylvain Bigot it is a rare beauty.
I learnt an important lesson about this tremendous maker when working in the Bergan Philharmonic in Norway. At the time I was rather proud of my Eugene Sartory. As soon as my desk colleague offered me her Lamy pere I had to admit to myself that if I were to be totally honest with myself (I am a lifelong lover of Sartory) here Lamy was a superior bow than my particular Sartory of that era as a player.
I am particularly impressed with the beauty of the sound of his bows when others play to me. Owning a Lamy pere is just a very real joy.
Not long after this I was visiting the violin dealer Peter Biddulph when I conversation I mentioned my desire to own a Lamy. He very kindly gave me my first Lamy in exchange for a rather flashy modern bow, the player in me couldn’t believe my good fortune, thank you Peter!
Here is the only known photography of this truly great maker, about fifteen years after he had made this bow. Players will know that bows by each maker have within them the capacity to give an insight into the makers personality. Some players want bows that are utterly complicit to their needs. As a player develops so they tend towards bow makers with a big personality that is very present when the bow is being played, Lamy pere falls into this small category of makers.
