Chicago Chicago 芝加哥、芝加哥（1984, Strad雜誌）

THE STRAD, 1984 (P.525~P.528)
Strad雜誌1984年11月號
＿＿

封面：Carl F. Becker小提，標籤1977年758號 


Chicago is an important centre for making , playing and dealing in stringed instruments, with excellent makers, an orchestra of world rekonow and a reputable making school. Report: Anne Inglis. Photos: Lance Knobel.

芝加哥擁有出色的絃樂器製作者、世界聞名的交響樂團和著名的製作學校，是製作、演奏和交易絃樂器的重要中心，Anne Inglis報道、Lance Knobel攝影



左圖：芝加哥交響樂團的樂隊首席Samuel Magad
右圖：交響樂團中的首席大提琴家Frank Miller

‘For the truly cultured pet, a Chicago Symphony Orchestra pet bowl. Specially weighted to make it untippable. In bright red plastic with white artwork on the side.’ This offer is one of the ‘specials’ available to listeners in the Chicago area in return for pledging a contribution to the Chicago Symphony in one of the local radio marathons on WFMT, the classical music station. These sessions of enterprise are lengthy – a typical marathon is 60 hours long, non-stop – but they ensure that the coffers of the Chicago Symphony never run dry. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is undoubtedly the foremost musical ambassador of this the second largest city in the USA, but what might not be immediately realized is that I Chicago provides the most concentrated area of instrument making in America. There is a thriving school of making, several excellent individual makers, a notably Carl Becker, shops that combine S a considerable degree of making with c restoration and dealing, for example the r Reuter brothers, and then the main t heartbeats of Chicago dealing and t workshop restoration, Bein & Fushi and a Kenneth Warren. There is one essential difference between the making and play- ing fraternities in Chicago: most of the Symphony players have long-standing Chicago loyalties, while, as one dealer put it, ‘instruments move out of Chicago with the cold’

「這個芝加哥交響樂團的寵物飯碗，給你家的文青毛小孩。它經過特殊加重處理，不會翻倒。碗由紅色塑膠製成，邊上點綴著白色藝術圖案。」這是芝加哥古典音樂電臺WFMT上播出的當地募款馬拉松廣播，爲芝加哥交響樂團募款活動；芝加哥地區聽衆經由捐款可以得到的贈品之一。這些節目播出很長 時間，典型的長度是60個小時，而且其中不插撥廣告，這樣他們保證芝加哥交響樂團的資金永遠不會用盡。芝加哥交響樂無疑是該美國第二大城市最重要的音樂大使。但是人們可能不會立即意識到，芝加哥是美國樂器製作最集中的地方。這裏有生機勃勃的樂器製作學校、幾位出色的樂器製作者，如卡爾・貝克（Carl Becker）；同時從事樂器製作、修復和交易的商行，如 Reuter brothers，以及芝加哥交易和修復工作室的中心， Bein&Fushi和Kenneth Warren。芝加哥樂器製作者和演奏者 之間存在一個重要的差別：大多數交響樂團演奏者長期忠實於 芝加哥這座城市，而正如交易商所說：「樂器隨著寒冷搬出芝加哥。」

Orchestra Hall, the Symphony’s main base, is situated next door to Bein & Fushi, and not far from Kenneth Warren, a convenient location for all concerned, though not quite convenient enough for Samuel Magad, co-concertmaster of the Symphony, who, though on perfectly amiable terms with his neighbours, bought his most recent instrument, a 1729 Guarnerius del Gesu, from Jacques Francais in New York. 'I like the sound and I'm suited to this fiddle, says Magad. The Chicago Symphony owns a number of instruments, among which are two Strads, benefiting selected members of the orchestra at specific points in their careers. Samuel Magad, for example, took advantage of one of these when he was appointed assistant concertmaster needed a good instrument.

芝加哥交響樂團的主要基地——演奏大廳緊鄰Bein & Fushi，而且距離Kenneth Warren不遠，對於一切相關的人來說都芝 加哥交響樂團的演奏大廳都處於非常方便的位置，但對芝加哥 交響樂團的樂隊首席Samuel Magad來說，這個位置就不太方 便了。儘管Samuel Magad與鄰居們關係友好，但他最近從紐 約的Jacques Francais購買了最新使用的樂器，一把1729年製的瓜奈里（Guaranrius del Gesu）。Magad說：「我喜歡它的音 質，而且這把琴適合我。」芝加哥交響樂團擁有許多樂器，其 中有兩把史特拉迪瓦里（Strad）。 樂團中 個別成員在其職業生涯中的特定時期允許使用這兩把小提琴。 例如Samuel Magad在被任命爲助理樂隊首席，需要出色的樂器的時候就曾利用過其中那小提琴。

Magad, though, finds allegiance to one instrument difficult – at least this is the impression given by the galaxy of violins and bows he has owned. He started with a Becker, then for his first instrument in the Symphony – 26 years ago – he played a Landolphi, ‘very soprano sounding’, graduating through others to a G. B. Rogeri, ‘a beautiful, lovely round quality’, a Seraphin, ‘I wasn't suited to this bigger sound’ (this instrument is now played by Philip Seltzer in the Emerson Quartet), and finally to the del Gesu, selling the Seraphin, and bows by Peccatte and Pajeot, to help finance the purchase of the del Gesu, ‘it is the timbre of sound I like, and it soars above the orchestra’. This last quality is necessary for the concerto role that all principals play in American orchestras, a vital difference in the hierarchical structure of American and British orchestras.

但是Magad發現很難與任何小提琴融合在一起，至少這是他所 擁有的小提琴和弓給他留下了這樣的印象。他最初使用的小提 琴是貝克（Becker）家族製作的。他在26年前加入芝加哥交響樂團時使 用的第一把樂器是一把音色很高的Landolphi小提琴。此後， 他先後使用了其他樂器，然後開始使用G. B. Rogeri提琴， 這是一把非常漂亮的提琴，質量出色。然後他使用了Seraphin 小提琴「但我不適合它的宏大聲音（這把提琴現在由Philip Seltzer在Emerson Quartet使用）」。最後他開始使用瓜奈里小提琴和Peccatte和Pajeot製作的弓，並賣掉了Seraphin小提琴來籌集購買瓜奈里小提琴的錢。「我喜歡它 的音色，它的聲音超越了交響樂團其他聲音。」它的質量對於 所有首席樂師在美國交響樂團中發揮的作用來說是必不可少 的。這是美國和英國交響樂團中等級結構之間存在的重要差別。 

 

SOLO CONTRACT

In Britain it is rare for the concertmaster to be offered a concerto role – indeed in most cases it is not expected – butin the USA solo playing is included in a principal’s contract. So when I visited Samuel Magad he was in the process of coming to grips with Hindemith’s Kammermusik No. 4 which Claudio Abbado, the Symphony’s principal guest conductor, had persuaded him to learn, ‘much against my better judgement. Have you heard this piece? I never have – and it's very difficult to visualize’.

Magad shares the leadership of the Symphony with Victor Aitay – the leader’s chair is alternated weekly, an arrangement not liked by all, it seems. Aitay is familiar to STRAD readers through his endorsement of Sensicore Strings, an advertisement running for some years now where Aitay is shown with his 1715 Baron von der Leyden Strad. Other principals of the string section in the Symphony have also been with the orchestra some years, for example Milton Preves, viola, who this year celebrates his fiftieth anniversary with the orchestra. Preves has been principal viola since 1939 and has played under every music director of the Symphony except Theodore Thomas, the founder. Preves plays a 1723 Montagnana, just another of the galaxy of fine instruments found in the Symphony's string section.

Unlike Samuel Magad, the principal cellist, Frank Miller, has been unswervingly loyal to his instrument, a modern cello by Paul Pilat made for Miller in 1941: 'I really wanted a Goffriller, but in those days the banks would lend money only on Strads, so Pilat, who made "Italian" cellos, made me a copy of a Goffriller’. Throughout the years Miller has looked for an old instrument but never really found anything he liked enough to exchange for the Pilat, and with Miller's fine history of playing who is going to worry about that? Miller joined the NBC Symphony under Toscanini in 1939 and stayed for 15 years until 1954 when it was disbanded - 'I have nothing against any other conductor but Toscanini was in a class by himself. It wasn’t always easy playing lead cello to this great conductor, but it was the best education of my life'. How did Frank Miller end up playing for the Chicago Symphony? 'I heard that Fritz Reiner needed a cellist as two had retired so, armed with a recommendation from Toscanini, I was assigned for a contract from 1959 – 60’. Miller had already agreed to be assistant conductor of the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra for the 1960 – 61 season under Antal Dorati (nephew of Reiner) and wanted to honour the contract, especially as Dorati became ill during the year. But he was invited back to Chicago anyway in 1961, to play first under Reiner, then Jean Martinon and now Georg Solti. `Solti is a different kind of person – he has pulled the orchestra by its bootstraps as high as it can go. There is a great string section and I think this sound must be attributed to the conductor'. Does the orchestra try as hard for a guest conductor? 'Yes, we must – it is our personal integrity and we must keep up our standards.’

There are very few openings in the Chicago Symphony each year – not surprising considering the track record of so many of its players. Miller estimates that there are one or two places annually, and that about 128 apply for any place in the string section. There is an audition panel of 10 – 12 people and the auditions are held anonymously behind a screen – women are asked to take their shoes off to prevent any detection. Today candidates play a prepared selection of repertory but this was not always the case, as Samuel Magad recalls: ‘Reiner carried out all the auditions personally. He either liked you or he didn't, and if he did he took you on the spot – now it’s very different when the anonymous finalists play before Solti. Also, today there is prepared material but then it was all sight-reading. Reiner put this mass of black notes by Wagner in front of me, gave me a minute or so to look at it and told me to play. The idea was to see how quickly you could absorb it, but you don't go out and read concerts so now there is less emphasis on playing by sight’. Miller remembers playing everything he knew for his personal audition with Toscanini at the NBC – ‘for two hours I performed all my repertory, and all Toscanini’s’.  

 

獨奏合同

在英國，很少爲樂團首席提供獨奏角色。在大多數情況下，確 實人們不會期望存在這種安排。但在美國，在樂團首席的合同 中包括獨奏。所以當我訪問Samuel Magad時，他正在學習 辛德密特（ Hindermith）的Kammermusik第四章，Samuel Magad在樂團首席嘉賓指揮阿巴多（Claudio Abbado）勸說下學習這首曲子。「出乎我的 預料。你以前聽過這首曲子麽？我從未聽過——很難想象。」 Magad與Victor Aitay共同領導芝加哥交響樂團——二人每周輪 流擔任樂團領導，但是似乎並不是所有人都喜歡這種安排。 STRAD讀者通過已經播放多年的廣告Sensicore Strings對 Aitay非常熟悉，在廣告中Aitay演奏1715年的Baron von der Leyden Strad提琴。芝加哥交響樂團弦樂組的其他主要 獨奏者也在該樂團工作了多年，例如中提琴家Milton Preves 今年在該樂團已經工作了15年。Preves自1939年期就成爲主 要中提琴獨奏者，在除了樂團創始人Theodore Thomas之外的 所有其他樂團音樂指導的指導下進行了演奏。Preves演奏1723 年的Montagnana提琴，這只是該樂團弦樂組許多出色樂器之 一。

與Samuel Magad不同，大提琴獨奏家Frank Miller 始終不渝地忠於他的樂器，由Paul Pilat在1941年爲他製作的現代 大提琴。「我想要一把Goffriller，但是那時銀行只爲購買史特拉底瓦里（Strads）提琴提供借款，所以製造仿製義大利大提琴的Pilat爲 我製作了一把仿製Goffriller。「在這些年裏，Miller一直在 尋找老樂器，但是從來沒有找到他喜歡程度達到願意用 Pilat 爲他製作的提琴來交換的樂器。」由於Miller演奏技藝精湛，誰 還對那擔心呢？Miller1939年加入托斯卡尼尼（Toscanini）智慧的NBC交響 樂團，並在該樂團演奏了15年，直到樂團解散。「我對除了其 他指揮沒有任何反對意見，但Toscanini屬於單獨一類。托斯卡尼尼指揮下擔任大提琴獨奏並不輕鬆，但是這是 我一生中接受的最好教育。」Frank Miller最後怎麽進入了芝 加哥交響樂團演奏？「我聽說Fritz Reiner需要一位大提琴 演奏家，因爲有兩位大提琴演奏家退休了。在托斯卡尼尼的推薦 下，我獲得了1959-1960年的芝加哥交響樂團聘用合同。此前 Miller已經同意在1960-1961年期間在明尼阿波利斯交響樂團 擔任指揮Antal Dorati（Reiner的侄子）的副指揮，他想履 行這份合同，尤其在Dorati那一年生病之後。但1961年他還是 被芝加哥交響樂團邀請回來，先是在 Reiner、後來在 Jean Martinon現在在蕭提（Georg Solti）手下演奏。」「蕭提是不同類的人，他努力使交響樂團盡可能取得成功。該交響樂團擁有出 色的弦樂組，我認爲我們的成功應該歸功於指揮。」「交響樂團 是否需要努力尋找客席指揮？」「是的，必須——這是我們的 個人誠實品質，我們必須維持我們的標準。」

芝加哥交響樂每年空缺的職位非常少——考慮到樂團演奏人員中 如此多演奏者的成績記錄，這並不奇怪。Miller估計每年有1- 2個位置，而128人申請弦樂組的職位。樂團中有10-12人組成 的評選員，他們在屏風後面匿名進行試聽，要求女性脫掉鞋子 以防止評選員認出。如今候選人演奏準備好的常備劇目選曲， 但是並不是總是這樣。Samuel Magad回憶說：「Reiner親自參 與了所有試聽。他要麽喜歡你要麽不喜歡，如果喜歡，他會當 場留下你。現在情況完全不同了，匿名決賽選手在S蕭提面前 演奏。而且，如今演奏的材料是經過事先準備的而以前是即興 演奏。Reiner把Wagner的黑色筆記本放在我面前，給我一分 鐘左右的時間看，然後讓我演奏。這樣做的目的是考察你能夠 多麽快地理解它，但是你不能出去讀樂譜，所以現在視譜的強度降低了。」Miller還記得在NBC接受托斯卡尼尼的面試時他演奏自己掌握的所有曲目。「在兩個小時裏，我演奏了我和托斯卡尼尼的常備劇目。」

上圖：芝加哥小提琴製作學校的荒涼周邊環境
下圖：芝加哥小提琴製造者領軍人物卡爾・貝克(Carl Becker)

STRING SOUND

That Solti has brought the Chicago Symphony great direction is agreed by most – the last ten years have brought a new brilliant sound to the string section. As music director he is helped by Claudio Abbado, the principal guest conductor, and Henry Mazer, the associate conductor. James Levine also plays his part as the music director of the orchestra's summer season which takes place outdoors at Ravinia, north of Chicago. The choice of programmes here has to be carefully planned since the schedules allow only one rehearsal per concert, or series of concerts with the same pieces. Playing the same programme more than once is an integral part of the concert calendar in Chicago; for every series of three or four concerts there are at least three rehearsals – no wonder Magad does not foresee the likelihood of having to sightread a concert. However, not all the concerts given in Symphony Hall are given by the CSO since there are all kinds of different series given by visiting orchestras, chamber groups, soloists, and not least the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, the training orchestra of the CSO started in 1919 by Frederick Stock, the CSO’s music director after the founder, Theodore Thomas. This orchestra was the first training orchestra in the USA to be affiliated with a major symphony orchestra. The concerts given by the CSO are the only ones where a subscription scheme operates. Tickets for concerts in Chicago are scarce and there is a considerable waiting list before being allowed the benefit of subscribing – benefits not only for the subscribers but also the programme planners with their captive audience. American orchestras are run on a non-profit making basis encouraging not only monetary pledges to radio marathons but also healthy donations from local music aficionados so necessary to keep the wheels well oiled.

獨特弦樂風格

大多數人同意蕭提是將芝加哥交響樂團引入輝煌的發展方向。上一個十年爲弦樂聲部帶來了卓越的音響。作爲音樂總監，蕭提得到首席客席指揮阿巴多和副指揮 Henry Mazer的幫助。James Levine還在樂團在芝加哥北部 Ravina戶外舉行的夏季演出中擔任音樂指導。在這裏必須謹慎地規劃節目選擇，因爲每場音樂會或曲目相同的系列音樂會只允許進行一次彩排。在芝加哥多次演奏同一節目是音樂會行程表中不可缺少的部分。每三或四場系列音樂會就需進行至少3次彩排。難怪Magad不預測必須即興音樂會演出的可能性。但是由於訪問樂團、室內樂演奏團體、獨奏家和芝加哥市民管弦樂團(Civic Orchestra of Chicago)和芝加哥交響樂團下屬的培訓樂團來芝加哥交響樂團演奏大廳進行各類演出，因此並不是所有在演奏大廳舉行的音樂會都是由芝加哥交響樂團演出的。芝加哥交響樂團培訓樂團是Frederick Stock在1919年創辦的，FrederickStock是芝加哥交響樂團繼創立人 Theodore Thomas之後的音樂指導。

該培訓樂團是美國首個附屬於幾大交響樂團的培訓樂團。只有芝加哥交響樂團的演出的音樂會才實施門票申購制度。芝加哥的音樂會門票非常稀缺，大量的人都在等候申購，這使不僅申購人而且節目策劃者及受制而走不開的聽衆也能從中得益。美國交響樂團的經營是非盈利性的，鼓勵廣播馬拉松捐款和來自當地音樂愛好者的捐獻，這對於交響樂團的運營來說是不可缺少的。

VIOLIN MAKING SCHOOL

It could be said that the equivalent of the Civic Orchestra in the instrument world in Chicago is the Chicago School of Violin Making, one of only about three or four such centres in America and one of the more prestigious, its main rival being Peter Paul Prier's school in Salt Lake City. It was started by Kenneth Warren and recently taken over by Tschu Lo Lee, a very well respected maker and restorer, and teacher too, it seemed, judging from the infinite time and patience he was giving to the students during my visit. The school had just taken over a new building, indeed at first the premises did look rather unlikely – a dilapidated house in a deserted street with a front door that looked firmly barred and locked. However, on learning that the front used to be a vegetable shop and the back a car shop the appearance was understandable, and on ringing the bell and then walking into a bright, shuttered room filled with students (natural light did not seem to be favoured as it causes shadows) the deserted feeling also disappeared. The school takes about 29 students altogether, and the course lasts three-and-half years. There is no ability test and consequently a long waiting list, with students constituting a broad international spectrum, for example there were two students from Korea, one from Switzerland, a Canadian, a Hawaiian etc. Next year the school is planning to accept students from the Republic of China.

The students advance gradually, starting with building a body their first term, two bodies their second and three necks their third according to the Amati, Stradivari and del Gesu models. The instruments, or composite parts, are examined at every stage by Lee, and in their turn the students are able to watch Lee at work as he carries out private work on the school premises. Lee considers this of tremendous benefit to the students and pointed out that other schools do not always cater for this aspect of students’ development. The fourth term is spent on a viola (the other bodies were all fiddles). After this the student should build two more instruments, which, including the examination instrument, makes the

minimum of six, a requirement stipulated by the course. The exam instrument is made during a six-week period; the instrument need be taken only as far as the white but another instrument has to be varnished and set up. During these six weeks the student is permitted to work I only school hours, necessitating fast working: There are also other parts to the exam – theory, history (written and oral identification), playing (the student r must give a short recital), but workmanship and theory are considered the most important. The marks for each section are kept separate, so a good craftsman is not penalized by poor playing, for example. There are four grades of marking: excellent, good, fair and unsatisfactory, with examiners, notably Kenneth Warren, being called in from outside the the school to give independent verdicts.

Lee has two assistnts to help with the students, one a student assistant Brian Derber, and the other Peter Stolley, an ex-student of the school. Stolley regarded himself as fortunate that he could go on learning from Lee, but final-year students I spoke to did not seem particularly worried about finding jobs — this confidence was quite reassuring. Some wanted apprenticeships, others wanted to start out on their own but all s were anxious to learn, learn and learn again. In terms of seeking a desirable home, as one student put it ‘Carl Becker is right at the top’, disconsolately adding, ‘but openings are rare’. Considering that Becker has only one assistant, Sebastian Zens, in addition to his son Paul working in his shop, at least when I visited him, the rarity value is not surprising. All the it more too as Becker is considered by makers worldwide to be a superlative craftsman and part of a family dynasty of great makers. Becker’s great grandfather, Herman Macklett (Becker’s – father’s mother’s father) worked as respected luthier in Chicago during the second half of the 19th century. But it was his grandson who really put the family into the limelight, Carl G. Becker, and who began the Becker numbering of instruments in 1901 with No. 1. He worked with John Hornsteiner at Lyon & Healy from 1903, leaving to work for William Lewis & Son in 1924, at this point beginning the numbering again at 100. It was also in 1924 that the family tradition began of adjourning to the woods in north Wisconsin every summer in order to make new instruments.

In 1936 Carl F. Becker, Becker’s son, started his first work on instruments, beginning on cello ribs, and then joined Lewis to be with his father in 1937. It was not until 1968 that the company Carl Becker and Son was formed and which now contains both ‘Carl F. Becker’s children, Paul and Jenny. It was Jenny who showed early promise particularly young, starting to work part-time at the shop when she was eleven – ‘she was by very determined’ confirms her father

The colours of the Becker instruments of range from light golden to red, but the quality of wood throughout remains consistent, and has extraordinary depth and a strength, shown, for example in the wear the and tear of the viola illustrated here which was made in 1952 by father and the son. Common characteristics of all Becker instruments include a soft varnish and a bright, very strong tone. How does Becker continue to produce instruments with the same tonal features? The thicknessing is very important – the differences in thicknessing do seem to explain the difference in sound. Other things, too, must be considered, arching, for example, varnish, and the coating of the wood’. Generations of experience, no wonder every student wants to learn something from him.

提琴製作學校

可以這麼說，在芝加哥的樂器界，芝加哥製琴學校（Chicago School of Violin Making）與芝加哥市民管弦樂團性質等同，它是美國僅有的三四個此類中心之一，而該學校更爲出名。該學校的主要競爭對手是位於鹽湖城的Peter Paul Prier的學校。芝加哥製琴學校是由Kenneth Warren創辦的，最近被聲譽很高的樂器製作者和修理者Tschu Lo Lee接收。我在訪問期間，看到Tschu Lo Lee將大量時間和耐心都投入到學生身上，所以他似乎還是一名教師。這所學校剛剛買下了一棟新建築。這棟建築原來是冷清街道上的殘破房屋，前門來非常牢固而且被緊鎖，最初這裏看來似乎不可能供學校使用。但是當得知樓的前門臉過去曾是蔬菜店而後部曾是汽車店，就會理解它的外觀的爲什麽會是如此。當按響門鈴，走進明亮的擠滿了學生的房間時（這裏不喜歡自然光，因爲自然光會産生影子）荒涼冷清的感覺就會消失。該學校共有29名學生，課程持續三年半。由於沒有能力考試，所以等候入學的人員名單很長。學生們來自範圍廣泛的不同國家，例如兩名學生來自韓國、一名學生來自瑞士、一名來自加拿大、一名來自夏威夷。明年，學校準備接收來自台灣的學生。

學生逐步進步，第一學期從製作一副琴身、第二個學期製作兩副琴身、第三學期根據阿瑪蒂（Amati）、史特拉底瓦里（Stradivari）和瓜奈里（del Gesu）模型製作三副琴頸。Lee在每個階段都會對小提琴或組成部件進行檢查。當Lee在學校進行私人工作時，學生們能夠觀察Lee的工作。Lee認爲這對學生非常有益，並指出其他學校並不總是考慮學生在這方面的發展。第四學期的時間用在一把中提琴上（其他學習物件都是小提琴）。此後學生會製作另外兩把樂器，其中包括一把考試樂器，這樣學生最少需要製作6把樂器，這是課程規定的要求。考試樂器在6星期時間內完成，考試的一件樂器是白琴，但另一件樂器必須上漆。在這6個星期的時間裏，只允許學生在上學時間工作，這使學生必須快速進行工作。考試還包含其他部分——理論、歷史（書面和口頭鑒定）、演奏（學生必須演奏一小段），但是手藝和理論被認爲是最重要的。各部分考試的得分是相互分離的，例如好工匠不會因為不擅長演奏而受到懲罰。在評分中採用四個等級：優秀、良好、一般和不滿意。從學校外聘請考官，如Kenneth Warren來進行獨立評判。

Lee請了兩名助理來幫助學生，分別是學生助理Brian Derber 和曾經是該校學生的Peter Stolley。Stolley認爲自己是幸運的因爲他可以繼續從Lee學習到東西。但是和我談話的畢業班學生對找到工作並不特別擔心，這種自信是非常令人放心的。一些學生想去做學徒，其他學生想要自己創業，但所有學生都非常熱衷於不斷地學習。在找到一個理想的家族進行工作 方面，一位學生說“Carl Becker”家族排在第一位，但又不高興地補充說：「但空缺非常少。」由於Becker只有一名助理，至少在我訪問的時候，Sebastian Zens和Becker的兒子Paul爲Becker工作，這種稀缺價值就不足爲奇了。Becker被全世界的樂器製作者們視爲最優秀的工匠和偉大製作者家族王朝的一部分，這進一步提升了這種價值。Becker的曾祖父Herman Macklett（Becker父親的外公）在19世紀後半期是芝加哥頗受尊重的絃樂器製作者。但Herman的孫子Carl G. Becker使 家族大出風頭。Carl G. Becker在1901年從做出編號1號的 Becker提琴。Carl G. Becker從1903年起在Lyon & Healy 與 John Hornsteiner合作，1924年Becker離開Lyon &Healy去了Williams Lewis& Son，此時再度從100號開始進行編號。也是在1924年，Becker家族開始了每年夏天離開芝加哥到威斯康星州北部的森林裏製作新樂器的傳統。

1936年，貝克的兒子卡爾・F・貝克（Carl F. Becker）首次開始樂器工作， 從大提琴琴身側板開始入手，隨後在1937年加入Lewis與父親 一起工作。直到1968年才建立了貝克父子（Carl Becker and Son）公司，卡爾・F・貝克的兩個孩子Paul和Jenny現在也加入了 家族企業。Jenny在非常小的時候就顯露出在樂器製造方面的 發展希望，11歲的時候就開始利用業餘時間在店裏工作。她的 父親確認說：「她非常有決心。」

貝克家族樂器的顔色涵蓋淺金黃色到紅色各種顔色，但是木 頭的質量始終保持一致而且有非凡的深度和強度。例如，在這 裏展示的中提琴是父親和兒子在1952年製作的。所有貝克家 族樂器的共同特點包括柔和的亮漆和響亮的宏大的音調。 貝克家族是怎樣持續生産音色相同的樂器的？「厚度非常重 要」。厚度的差別確實能夠解釋聲音差別的原因。還必須考慮 曲面、光漆和木料鍛造等其他因素。貝克家族還有經過幾代 積累的經驗。難怪所有學生都想從貝克身上學些東西。

Carl G. Becker和Carl F. Becker1952年製作的中提琴，標號爲“Carl Becker and Son” No.552。