Charles Jean Baptiste Collin-Mezin (1841–1923) was a French maker of

violins The violin, sometimes referred to as a fiddle, is a wooden chordophone, and is the smallest, and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in regular use in the violin family. Smaller violin-type instruments exist, including the violino pic ...

violas The viola ( , () ) is a string instrument of the violin family, and is usually bowed when played. Violas are slightly larger than violins, and have a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of the ...

cellos The violoncello ( , ), commonly abbreviated as cello ( ), is a middle pitched bowed (sometimes plucked and occasionally hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually tuned in perfect fifths: from low to high, ...

basses Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Wood * Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the b ...

and bows. He was an Officier de l'Académie des Beaux-Arts and won gold and silver medals at the Paris Exhibitions in 1878, 1889, and 1900. He was the son of

luthier A luthier ( ; ) is a craftsperson who builds or repairs string instruments. Etymology The word ' is originally French and comes from ''luth'', the French word for "lute". The term was originally used for makers of lutes, but it came to be ...

C. L. Collin, and father of Charles Collin-Mezin, Jr., also a luthier. The ''Henley Dictionary of Violin Makers'' gives him a long and glowing report.

Collin-Mezin’s career

Born in

Mirecourt Mirecourt () is a Communes of France, commune in the Vosges (French department), Vosges Departments of France, department in Grand Est in northeastern France. Mirecourt is known for lace-making and the manufacture of musical instruments, particula ...

, Collin-Mezin apprenticed with his father. Some sources say he worked for a period in the Brussels workshop of Nicolas-François Vuillaume. In 1868 he moved to

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

where he established himself as one of the premier French luthiers of his day. His instruments were considered superior over other new violins. Collin-Mezin was friends with influential people who helped popularize his instruments. He was also connected to musical luminaries of his day, whose opinions he sought out. A number of famous violinists played on his instruments, and praised their quality and playability, including

Joseph Joachim Joseph Joachim (28 June 1831 – 15 August 1907) was a Hungarian Violin, violinist, Conducting, conductor, composer and teacher who made an international career, based in Hanover and Berlin. A close collaborator of Johannes Brahms, he is widely ...

, Sivori,

Scott Tixier Scott Tixier (born February 26th, 1986) is a French-born jazz violinist and professor of jazz violin at the University of North Texas. Life and career Tixier was born in Montreuil, France, and studied classical violin at the Conservatoire de ...

, Léonard, Marie Tayau, and Jules Armingaud, who considered a Collin-Mezin equal to a

Stradivari Antonio Stradivari (, also , ; – 18 December 1737) was an Italian luthier and a craftsman of string instruments such as violins, cellos, guitars, violas and harps. The Latinized form of his surname, ''Stradivarius'', as well as the colloqui ...

for flexibility of sound. The famous cellists Franchomme and Jacquard played on Collin-Mezins.

Characteristics of his instruments and craftsmanship

Like the best French luthiers, his designs followed in the tradition of the famous Italian schools Stradivarius,

Guarnerius The Guarneri (, , ), often referred to in the Latinized form Guarnerius, is the family name of a group of distinguished luthiers from Cremona in Italy in the 17th and 18th centuries, whose standing is considered comparable to those of the Amati ...

, and

Amati Amati (, ) is the last name of a family of Italian violin makers who lived at Cremona from about 1538 to 1740. Their importance is considered equal to those of the Bergonzi, Guarneri, and Stradivari families. Today, violins created by Nico ...

, although he developed his own unique

varnish Varnish is a clear Transparency (optics), transparent hard protective coating or film. It is not to be confused with wood stain. It usually has a yellowish shade due to the manufacturing process and materials used, but it may also be pigmente ...

. * varnish tends to be thick and dull, ranging in colour from yellow to brownish yellow * they typically have a black outline along the edges of the body and scroll * no artificial process of heating or chemically treating the wood * constructed of old wood that was dried naturally * the bass barring (as well as other aspects) adjusted according to the age and type of wood he used * his best work is approximately from 1875–1910 His instruments are also characterized by a powerful and unusually brilliant tone, but also possessed a harshness when new. Musical historian William Henley, in his ''Universal Dictionary of Violin and Bow Makers'' (1959), suggests that this harshness could be eliminated with "many years of strenuous playing," which would then certainly enable the instrument to be played by an active soloist. Henley records that “

Benjamin Godard Benjamin Louis Paul Godard (18 August 184910 January 1895) was a French violinist and Romantic-era composer of Jewish extraction, best known for his opera '' Jocelyn''. Godard composed eight operas, five symphonies, two piano and two violin conce ...

's ''Concerto Romantique'' was first performed at a Pasedeloup Concert, Paris, 1876, by Marie Tayau on a Collin-Mézin violin with (what was then an innovation) E and A steel strings suggested by the maker, which rather points to the fact that he is attempting to get brilliance and clearness at the expense of purity." Steel strings are more popular today, though they tend to be used more by students. (More advanced players and professionals prefer synthetic or gut core strings wound with metal, and an all-metal E string.)

How to recognize an authentic Collin-Mezin

* Many but not all authentic Collin-Mezins have a hand-written signature in addition to a label (according to Henley). * Violins with later dates have a ''Grand Prix'' label in addition to the hand written signature. * On the side of his original sound posts there is a stamp of "Collin-Mézin," a copyright facsimile of his signature. * His labels are not to be confused with the violins of his son and collaborator Charles Collin-Mezin, Jr., whose instruments are also of high quality but priced more moderately. The labels of Collin-Mezin, Jr's instruments still contain labels with his father’s name, and indicate that they are “par Ch J. B. Collin-Mézin.” These mention "Paris" (even though many were made in Mirecourt after 1924), and also mention "Grand Prix Exposition."

His labels

From 1868–1876 :Longeur: 9 cent. Lauteur: 2 cent :Ch J. B. Collin-Mézin fils :Luthier. Paris l'an 1870 From 1876 onwards :Longeur: 9 cent. Hauteur 3½ :Ch. J. B. Collin-Mézin :Luthier á Paris :Rue du Faubg: Poissonnière No. 29 :Ch. J. B. Collin-Mézin :Luthier á Paris :Rue du Faubg: Poissonnière No. 10 :(Up to 1883, some instruments with earlier labels "Ch. J. B. Collin-Mézin fils" were still found. All labels were changed to "Ch. J. B. Collin-Mézin" afterwards. ) His later violins :Ch. J. B. Collin-Mézin :Luthier C. M :Grand Prix-Exposition Universelle, 1900 :Paris, 1921

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Collin-Mezin, Charles Jean Baptiste 1841 births 1923 deaths Luthiers from Mirecourt Luthiers from Paris