Hello everybody. It is an honor for me to be able to interview this "wizard of dreams" of many instrumentalists who trust in his good work with all brass instruments.
I sincerely thank you for your friendship and your enthusiastic collaboration in this interview project.
Without further ado, let's begin.
• Name and surname:
Matthias Vogt
• Do you play or have you played any wind instrument?
As the son of a music teacher, I grew up with music from childhood. At the age of 6 years there were the first touches with recorder and piano. Later it became clarinet and saxophone. From the training as a metal wind instrument maker I took parallel lessons in trumpet and tuba. Through the membership in the music school orchestra and later various music clubs there was always a close relationship to music.
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| Our work |
We represent among others the following brands: B&S, Melton, Besson, Courtois, J.Scherzer, Hans Hoyer, Courtois Adams, Stomvi, Jürgen Voigt, Kühnl & Hoyer, Miraphone, Yamaha, Jupiter and all other popular brands.
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| In the taller |
• What instruments do you make or modified?
We focus on all brass instruments. From the trumpet to the tuba. Our focus is on tuba or low brass.
In addition to the trade, we also sell instruments and accessories. We work closely with all manufacturers. In order to be able to offer high quality instruments in every price segment, we also have used instruments which we take on commission, buy or refurbish.
During the modification we often receive older instruments e.g. from Bohland and Fuchs, which are in a very desolate condition and are no longer playable for professional orchestra use. We restore and modify these instruments in many hours of work, so that in the end an orchestra-suitable tuba with its original sound characteristics is created.
Here, for example, the body is completely soldered apart, lovingly restored and rebuilt in its original form. Some old valves are no longer repairable or usable, so we use a new Meinlschmidt machine. Requests such as bore modification, bore adjustment, making mouthpipes and valve pull loops are normal. The needs for these projects are very individual and are always discussed with the customer on site. Each modification is always a one-off. No two projects are alike.
We started our own project based on our experience with a 6/4 Wendelin Michl from the 50s, which we completely rebuilt. New larger leadpipe, new Meinlschmidt machine, 3rd and 4th valve slide loops exposed, handmade main tuning slide from cut sheet metal, all valve slides new and wider 1st slide.
In addition to the low brass, we have developed our own trumpet model and a flugelhorn with 4 valves.
• What type of Tubas, Euphoniums or another brass instruments are manufactured in your company? Professionals, for students, beginners?
We work not only with professional musicians and large orchestras, but also regionally with students, school orchestras and trombone choirs. Since we have an open workshop, you can always look over our shoulder while we are working.
In workshops, we bring young students closer to our profession by giving them insights into our craft and allowing them to try their hand at it themselves. Of course, not on customer instruments, but on old parts that are no longer used.
• When it was founded?
Our company was founded in the summer of 2007.
• In what city or country?
In my hometown of Leipzig, Germany.
• Who was the founder?
Matthias Vogt
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| The taller |
Since I started working for Peter Hirsbrunner after the end of my apprenticeship in 2001, I have been involved in tube building. Even then, some models were built completely by hand and from sheet metal blanks. One of my master instruments, a handmade Hirsbrunner CC-290 came out of this, which is played today by Niels Lammers (Royal Netherlands Army).
The love for the low brass was then continued since the own company foundation in 2007. With the cooperation and experience of Prof. Walter Hilgers and later, among others, Sebastian Wagemann (Komische Oper Berlin), Richard Alonso Diaz (Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, Buenos Aires Philharmonic Orchestra, La Plata Opera House Orchestra) or Vikentios Gionanidis (Deutsche Oper Berlin), the old tubas were then lovingly rebuilt.
In 2001, after my apprenticeship, I came to Peter Hirsbrunner in Switzerland by chance. I wanted to get out of my hometown and, above all, see something different. At that time, Peter has had a very lasting and positive influence on my professional actions to this day. At that time, Hirsbrunner tubas and euphoniums were in great demand worldwide because of their quality and sound. What impressed me most was that the company dated back to 1748 and had been a family business for eight generations. Until the present day and its closure in 2019, tubas and euphoniums were made by hand. Sometimes models where large temples were made in lead and cut from sheet metal. This centuries-old manufacturing without much use of machinery was very fascinating. They were manufacturing methods that are used less and less in our profession, although it is the basis of good instruments.
Regarding the vast experience of your brand in the market:
Please leave us a count of the most relevant artists in your catalog broken down as follows:
The customers who use our instruments or our work are individual students who are just starting out, trombone choirs / church choirs, music clubs, schools, customers from large professional orchestras as well as soloists or teachers. In the hobby area, it is mainly regional and national customers who visit us or we advise. Internationally and nationally, it is mainly professional musicians or soloists who come to us.
- In Orchestra and / or Band:
Gewandhaus, MDR, Luftwaffen Musikkorps der Bundeswehr, Deutsche Bläserphilharmonie, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Komische Oper Berlin, music academies / universities, police orchestras.
- Soloist / Teachers
Prof. Walter Hilgers
Richard Alonso Diaz (Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, Buenos Aires Philharmonic Orchestra, La Plata Opera House Orchestra)
Vikentios Gionanidis (German Opera Berlin)
Elliot Dushman (Police Orchestra)
Patricio Cosentino (Brass Band Jena, Soloist and Teacher)
David Gribb (Gewandhaus)
Bernd Angerhöfer (MDR)
Niels Lammers (Royal Netherlands Army)
In the enumeration only a few examples are mentioned. They are representative of many other outstanding musicians, orchestras and clients regionally, supra-regionally and internationally that we serve and cannot list them all.
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| Richard Alonso Díaz. |
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| Sebastian Wageman |
TALKING ABOUT TECHNICAL ISSUES:
• Could you give us your opinion on the different concepts of sound and what characteristics define it, according to the different types of instruments, that your brand manufactures?
• Please tell us a bit about the actual manufacture of brass instruments based on your experience.
Construction and sound character are directly related to each other. In addition to the selection of materials, the production method and the design also have an important influence on the timbre. There are basically two production methods that can be distinguished. First, the components manufactured with more machine use and the traditional construction method.
The latter takes place to a lesser extent from an economic point of view, but is still used especially in smaller manufacturer or in certain sectors in larger manufacturing companies. I have experienced and carried out both variants. It cannot be said that the once of machine technology is worse, but the characteristics of the instruments are different. Each manufacturing method fulfills the individually suitable purpose for the respective user. For example, the body production with inflated brackets or hydraulically bent tubes has the advantage that we can build more standardized instruments, which are very good from the price-performance ratio. However, the wall thickness in the plugging and stretching area can be more unevenly arranged. The metal structure is compacted differently than hand-hammered components.
If the same tuba model is made by hand from sheet metal blanks, the cost of which is considerably higher, and if tubes are made in lead, which requires countless annealing processes, hammering of the soldered seam or beating of the folds, this manufacturing process achieves a more homogeneous material condition, which has a positive effect on the sound and playing behavior.
Even the replacement of handmade components in traditional construction in a standard instrument can already bring a noticeable change for both the player and the listener.
• Please, tell us about the tradition of manufacture in Germany
Musical instrument manufacturing in Germany is an industry with 350 years of tradition. Accordingly, German manufacturers continue to export their instruments and services worldwide today. The upper Vogtland developed into the center of instrument making that it still is today. With around 115 companies and over 1,000 employees, the Vogtland is the most important location for musical instrument manufacturing in Europe.
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IN CONCLUSION:
• In your experience, do you think that the diversity of interpreters, instruments and training opportunities in various specialized schools is being homogenized in the interpretive centers that are already established? (Example: Russian, American, German-Austrian, English, etc.).
I don't think that the teaching methods and interpretations of music or sound conception is homogeneous worldwide. In different countries or regions, there are different perceptions of teaching methods, sound ideas and playing styles. This is also the reason why music is so multifaceted.
It is a pleasure and an honor to count on your experience and knowledge in my work as well as your sincerely friendship.
Thank you very much Matthias and my best wishes for you and for the “vogt-instruments”
A big hug.
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