{"id":28774,"date":"2025-05-20T17:06:43","date_gmt":"2025-05-20T15:06:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vichy-encheres.com\/?p=28774"},"modified":"2025-11-25T17:20:03","modified_gmt":"2025-11-25T16:20:03","slug":"christophe-schaeffer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vichy-encheres.com\/en\/2025\/05\/20\/christophe-schaeffer\/","title":{"rendered":"Christophe Schaeffer : une vie pour l\u2019archet"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Le 5 juin 2025, deux archets de Christophe Schaeffer seront vendus \u00e0 Vichy Ench\u00e8res, l\u2019occasion pour nous de revenir sur le parcours de cet archetier discret et exigeant.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Catalogue<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Vente du 2 juin 2025<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Vente du 3 juin 2025<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Vente du 4 juin 2025<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Vente du 5 juin 2024<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Contact<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Experts<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
English version<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Premiers pas : du violon \u00e0 l\u2019atelier (1958\u20131974)<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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N\u00e9 en 1958 au Mans, Christophe Schaeffer grandit \u00e0 Valence, dans la Dr\u00f4me. Tr\u00e8s t\u00f4t, il r\u00e9v\u00e8le des dispositions naturelles pour la musique et plus particuli\u00e8rement pour le violon. Son aisance technique et sa sensibilit\u00e9 lui permettent de s\u2019illustrer dans le r\u00e9pertoire classique d\u00e8s l\u2019adolescence. C\u2019est une rencontre d\u00e9terminante avec le luthier Jean-Yves Rouveyre[1]<\/sup><\/a> qui oriente sa trajectoire – celui-ci lui conseillant de se tourner vers la facture instrumentale. D\u00e8s 1974, il int\u00e8gre alors l\u2019\u00c9cole nationale de lutherie de Mirecourt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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[1]<\/sup><\/a>  Reindorf, Mark. “On <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Bernard<\/a>
Bernard Ouchard \u00e0 l\u2019\u00e9tabli, Mirecourt, 1973 \u00a9 Sylvie Masson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Ecole<\/a>
Ecole Nationale de Lutherie de Mirecourt<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Initialement affect\u00e9 \u00e0 la section d\u2019arch\u00e8terie, Christophe Schaeffer avoue avoir \u00e9t\u00e9 d\u00e9\u00e7u de cette orientation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Violoncelle<\/a>
Violoncelle fait dans les ateliers de Jean Yves ROUVEYRE
Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 2 novembre 2015
\u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Ce sentiment change rapidement gr\u00e2ce \u00e0 la personnalit\u00e9 de son professeur, Bernard Ouchard, figure fondatrice de l\u2019enseignement moderne de l\u2019archet en France. Dans l\u2019atelier comme \u00e0 l\u2019\u00e9tabli, Schaeffer trouve un lieu de discipline et de d\u00e9passement, une forme de rigueur qui va marquer durablement son rapport au m\u00e9tier :<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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“Bernard Ouchard nous a appris la rigueur, l\u2019exigence, la pugnacit\u00e9, et de ne jamais se satisfaire de l\u2019\u00e0 peu pr\u00e8s<\/em>.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Christophe Schaeffer, interview, 6 mai 2025<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Mirecourt : 1974\u20131977<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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\"Lettre<\/a>
Transcription de la lettre dans Reindorf, Mark. On a Higher Plane. The Strad, vol. 100, no. 1185, janvier 1989<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Photo<\/a>
Photo de Christophe Schaeffer dans Mirecourt Bowing to the French, The Strad, 1984 85P<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Christophe Schaeffer \u00e9tudie \u00e0 Mirecourt de 1974 \u00e0 1977, au sein de la premi\u00e8re g\u00e9n\u00e9ration d\u2019archetiers jamais form\u00e9s. Cr\u00e9\u00e9e en 1970, cette formation d\u2019\u00c9tat, confi\u00e9e \u00e0 Bernard Ouchard – fils d\u2019\u00c9mile Auguste Ouchard – entend redonner \u00e0 l\u2019archet fran\u00e7ais sa vitalit\u00e9 d\u2019antan. Le programme combine rigueur classique et adaptation aux exigences contemporaines. Christophe Schaeffer partage notamment sa formation avec Didier Claudel et Jean-Pascal Nehr[1]<\/sup><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

L\u2019enseignement d\u2019Ouchard forge en lui un sens aigu de la pr\u00e9cision, de l\u2019honn\u00eatet\u00e9 du trait et de l\u2019int\u00e9grit\u00e9. Une \u00ab r\u00e9elle complicit\u00e9 \u00bb s\u2019\u00e9tablit entre le ma\u00eetre et l\u2019\u00e9l\u00e8ve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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[1]<\/sup><\/a> Mirecourt Bowing to the French, The Strad, 1984\/85P<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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“Il avait la sensibilit\u00e9 de l’ homme bless\u00e9, mutique et peu extensible en compliments, rigoureux comme la parfaite droiture de la baguette<\/em>.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Dans une lettre adress\u00e9e \u00e0 Philippe Dupuy en 1978, Ouchard le d\u00e9signe d\u2019ailleurs comme l\u2019un de ses meilleurs \u00e9l\u00e8ves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00c0 seulement 20 ans, en 1978, il re\u00e7oit la m\u00e9daille d\u2019or de la Violin Society of America <\/em>pour un archet de violoncelle – une distinction rare qui le propulse imm\u00e9diatement parmi les jeunes archetiers les plus prometteurs de sa g\u00e9n\u00e9ration.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Archet<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Archet<\/a><\/figure>\n
Archet d’alto de Bernard OUCHARD
Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 5 juin 2025 \/ \u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\"Archet<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Archet<\/a><\/figure>\n
Archet de violon de Bernard OUCHARD
Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 5 juin 2025 \/ \u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Les ann\u00e9es 1980 : la libert\u00e9 gr\u00e2ce \u00e0 Philippe Dupuy<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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C\u2019est \u00e0 l\u2019occasion du festival de la Sainte-C\u00e9cile \u00e0 Mirecourt que Christophe Schaeffer fait la connaissance de Philippe Dupuy, luthier \u00e0 Paris et petit-fils d\u2019Eug\u00e8ne Sartory. Leur relation d\u00e9marre par l\u2019achat d\u2019un violon, mais devient rapidement professionnelle. Philippe Dupuy, en qu\u00eate de nouveaux archets pour sa client\u00e8le et disposant d\u2019un remarquable stock de bois anciens, lui propose de l\u2019installer dans un atelier \u00e0 Avignon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pendant plusieurs ann\u00e9es, Christophe Schaeffer y produit un minimum de trois archets par mois, s\u2019effa\u00e7ant humblement sous la signature \u00ab Dupuy \u00e0 Paris \u00bb. Cette p\u00e9riode est pour lui fondatrice, puisqu\u2019elle lui offre une libert\u00e9 totale de recherche et un cadre exempt de pression commerciale. Il d\u00e9clare avoir \u00e9t\u00e9 \u00ab immerg\u00e9 dans une recherche sans concession \u00bb, capable de sonder ses erreurs pour en tirer le meilleur. Il qualifie cette phase de \u00ab d\u00e9couverte tous azimuts \u00bb[1]<\/sup><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

S\u2019il se r\u00e9f\u00e8re au style d\u2019Eug\u00e8ne Sartory dans sa recherche de robustesse, d\u2019\u00e9quilibre ou dans sa ma\u00eetrise, il s\u2019en \u00e9carte toutefois en refusant la  copie, cherchant toujours \u00e0 \u00ab rester vierge de toutes influences \u00bb[2]<\/sup><\/a>. Son style qui, dans les premi\u00e8res ann\u00e9es, restait empreint de la mani\u00e8re d\u2019Ouchard, commence d\u00e8s lors \u00e0 s’individualiser.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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[1]<\/sup><\/a>  Christophe Schaeffer, interview, 6 mai 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[2]<\/sup><\/a>  Christophe Schaeffer, interview, 6 mai 2025<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Photo<\/a>
Photo de Christophe Schaeffer dans Reindorf, Mark. On a Higher Plane. The Strad, vol. 100, no. 1185, janvier 1989, pp. 54\u201358<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Archet<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Archet<\/a><\/figure>\n
Archet de violon de Christophe SCHAEFFER
Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 30 novembre 2023 \/ \u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\"Bel<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Bel<\/a><\/figure>\n
Bel archet de violon de Christophe SCHAEFFER
Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 5 d\u00e9cembre 2018 \/ \u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\"Archet<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Archet<\/a><\/figure>\n
Archet de violon de Eug\u00e8ne Nicolas SARTORY
Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 5 juin 2025 \/ \u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\"Archet<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Archet<\/a><\/figure>\n
Archet d’alto de Eug\u00e8ne Nicolas SARTORY
Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 5 juin 2025 \/ \u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\"Archet<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Archet<\/a><\/figure>\n
Archet de violon de Eug\u00e8ne Nicolas SARTORY
Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 5 juin 2025 \/ \u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Vers une identit\u00e9 stylistique personnelle – ann\u00e9es 1990<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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\u00c0 partir des ann\u00e9es 1990, Christophe Schaeffer affirme un style distinct, fond\u00e9 sur la sobri\u00e9t\u00e9, la qualit\u00e9 de la cambrure et le soin apport\u00e9 \u00e0 la densit\u00e9 sonore. Il d\u00e9veloppe ce qu\u2019il appelle lui-m\u00eame une esth\u00e9tique \u00ab assagie, efficace, m\u00fbrie \u00bb. Les t\u00eates de ses archets adoptent une ligne douce, fluide, inspir\u00e9e de Nicolas Voirin, Lamy P\u00e8re et Eug\u00e8ne Sartory, loin de la rigueur tranch\u00e9e des mod\u00e8les \u00e0 la Peccatte :<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u00ab Je n\u2019ai pas quitt\u00e9 cette volont\u00e9 de plaire \u00e0 Bernard Ouchard et \u00e0 Philippe Dupuy, qui pr\u00e9f\u00e9raient les t\u00eates rondes. \u00bb<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Christophe Schaeffer, interview, 6 mai 2025<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Deux archets embl\u00e9matiques de cette p\u00e9riode, r\u00e9alis\u00e9s en 1995, seront propos\u00e9s \u00e0 la vente le 5 juin 2025 \u00e0 Vichy Ench\u00e8res. Le premier, un archet de violon mont\u00e9 \u00e9caille et or, synth\u00e9tisant cette tension entre raffinement formel et efficacit\u00e9 acoustique ; le second, un archet d\u2019alto mont\u00e9 argent, illustrant une conception sobre mais exigeante de l’instrument.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Archet<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Archet<\/a><\/figure>\n
Archet de violon de Christophe SCHAEFFER
Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 5 juin 2025 \/ \u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Christophe<\/a><\/figure>\n
Christophe Schaeffer dans son atelier, archives personnelles <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Le geste, le son, la mati\u00e8re : une esth\u00e9tique de la retenue<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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En effet, la signature de Christophe Schaeffer ne se trouve pas dans l\u2019ornement, mais dans la conception de l\u2019archet. Il accorde \u00e0 l\u2019\u00e9quilibre dynamique de la baguette une importance primordiale. L\u2019objectif est d\u2019obtenir une \u00ab sensation plaisante dans la main du musicien \u00bb, une \u00ab stabilit\u00e9 avant m\u00eame que l\u2019archet ne touche la corde, et apr\u00e8s qu\u2019il l\u2019ait quitt\u00e9e. \u00bb Il recherche ce qu\u2019il appelle \u00ab le gras du son \u00bb[1]<\/sup><\/a>, la densit\u00e9 pleine, les r\u00e9sonances harmoniques. Son \u0153il guide le choix du bois – souvent des baguettes anciennes issues du stock de Dupuy -, mais c\u2019est par le travail, l\u2019\u00e9coute et l\u2019intuition qu\u2019il r\u00e9v\u00e8le le potentiel acoustique. Il repousse parfois tr\u00e8s loin la finition, en incorporant des cercles en nacre enti\u00e8rement faits \u00e0 la lime ou des boutons facett\u00e9s, mais il associe cette pr\u00e9ciosit\u00e9 \u00e0 l\u2019insouciance de la jeunesse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ses \u0153uvres ne visent pas \u00e0 s\u00e9duire. Elles cherchent \u00e0 soutenir, \u00e0 prolonger l\u2019expression musicale, dans une fid\u00e9lit\u00e9 absolue \u00e0 la mati\u00e8re, \u00e0 la main, et \u00e0 une certaine id\u00e9e du silence int\u00e9rieur de l\u2019artisan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u00ab Mes archets m’ont tellement captiv\u00e9 qu’ils m’ont captur\u00e9 et utilis\u00e9 tout le long de ma vie,  sans que j’ai eu vraiment le temps de m’en rendre compte, pour qu’ainsi, je puisse avoir le temps d’essayer de leur donner cette id\u00e9e de beaut\u00e9 qu’ils n’ont jamais cess\u00e9 de m\u00e9riter, sans qu’eux-m\u00eames, ils n’aient jamais pu oser la demander… \u00bb<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Christophe Schaeffer, interview, 6 mai 2025<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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[1]<\/sup><\/a>  Christophe Schaeffer, interview, 6 mai 2025<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Christophe<\/a>
Christophe Schaeffer dans son atelier, archives personnelles <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Archet<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Archet<\/a><\/figure>\n
Archet de violoncelle de Christophe SCHAEFFER
Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 7 juin 2018 \/ \u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\"Archet<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Archet<\/a><\/figure>\n
Archet de violoncelle de Christophe SCHAEFFER
Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 8 juin 2017 \/ \u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\"Archet<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Archet<\/figure>\n
Archet de violon de Christophe SCHAEFFER
Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 5 juin 2025 \/ \u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Une \u0153uvre rare et respect\u00e9e<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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Christophe Schaeffer a toujours pr\u00e9f\u00e9r\u00e9 le retrait \u00e0 la sc\u00e8ne, la solitude de l\u2019atelier \u00e0 la comp\u00e9tition. Il reste pourtant une figure discr\u00e8tement essentielle de l\u2019arch\u00e8terie fran\u00e7aise contemporaine. Estim\u00e9 par ses pairs, il est souvent cit\u00e9 comme un artisan d\u2019exception, dont la coh\u00e9rence stylistique et la qualit\u00e9 de production traversent les d\u00e9cennies. Ses collaborations et son respect pour le travail de ses confr\u00e8res t\u00e9moignent de son ouverture, m\u00eame s\u2019il se tient toujours \u00ab un peu \u00e0 l\u2019\u00e9cart \u00bb.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Les ventes pass\u00e9es chez Vichy Ench\u00e8res documentent la richesse de son travail : des archets de violoncelle mont\u00e9s or, ivoire, \u00e9caille aux mod\u00e8les d\u2019alto sign\u00e9s dans les ann\u00e9es 1990, en passant par des pi\u00e8ces \u00e0 l\u2019\u00e9tat neuf issues de ses d\u00e9buts sous la signature Dupuy, etc. La constance de qualit\u00e9, l\u2019exigence int\u00e9rieure et la sinc\u00e9rit\u00e9 de la d\u00e9marche en font un corpus rare, recherch\u00e9 des musiciens comme des collectionneurs.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Archet<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Archet<\/a><\/figure>\n
Archet de violon de Christophe SCHAEFFER
Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 1 d\u00e9cembre 2022 \/ \u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\"Archet<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Archet<\/a><\/figure>\n
Archet de violoncelle de Christophe SCHAEFFER
Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 28 novembre 2019 \/ \u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\"Archet<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Archet<\/a><\/figure>\n
Archet de violon de Christophe SCHAEFFER fait en collaboration avec sa femme Laure Laetitia GREVY
Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 6 juin 2019 \/ \u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\"Archet<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Archet<\/a><\/figure>\n
Archet d’alto de Christophe SCHAEFFER
Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 30 novembre 2017 \/ \u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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R\u00e9sultats des ventes du 2 au 5 juin 2025<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\u00c0 travers sa production, c\u2019est toute une certaine id\u00e9e de l\u2019archet fran\u00e7ais – humble, exigeant et au service des musiciens – qui se prolonge. Et peut-\u00eatre aussi, une le\u00e7on silencieuse – celle de l\u2019artisan qui \u0153uvre pour la beaut\u00e9, sans jamais la revendiquer.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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CHRISTOPHE SCHAEFFER: A LIFE DEDICATED TO BOWS<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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On 5 June 2025, two bows by Christophe Schaeffer will be sold at Vichy Ench\u00e8res. This provides us with an opportunity to revisit the career of this self-effacing bow maker with very high standards.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Catalog<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Sale of 2 June 2025<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Sale of 3 June 2025<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Sale of 4 June 2025<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Sale of 5 June 2024<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Contact<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Experts<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Version fran\u00e7aise<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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First steps: from violin playing to bow making (1958 – 1974)<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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Christophe Schaeffer was born in 1958 in Le Mans, and he grew up in Valence, in the Dr\u00f4me department of France. From an early age, he showed natural talent for music, particularly the violin. As a teenager he excellent in the classical repertoire thanks to his technique and musical sensibility. An encounter with maker Jean-Yves Rouveyre[1]<\/sup><\/a>, in which the latter advised him to pursue a career in instrument making, was a turning point. In 1974, he joined the National School of Violin Making in Mirecourt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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[1]<\/sup><\/a>  Reindorf, Mark. “On <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Bernard<\/a>
Bernard Ouchard \u00e0 l\u2019\u00e9tabli, Mirecourt, 1973 \u00a9 Sylvie Masson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Ecole<\/a>
Ecole Nationale de Lutherie de Mirecourt<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Christophe Schaeffer was initially assigned to the bow-making department, which he conceded was initially a disappointment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Violoncelle<\/a>
Violoncelle fait dans les ateliers de Jean Yves ROUVEYRE
Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 2 novembre 2015
\u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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However, his teacher, Bernard Ouchard, a founding figure of modern bow teaching in France, quickly changed his mind. In the workshop and on the workbench, Schaeffer learned discipline and self-improvement, and a rigorous approach to the craft that would have a lasting impact on him:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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“Bernard Ouchard taught us discipline, high standards, perseverance, and never to be satisfied with anything less<\/em>.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Christophe Schaeffer, interview, 6 mai 2025<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Mirecourt : 1974\u20131977<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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\"Transcription<\/a>
Transcription de la lettre dans Reindorf, Mark. On a Higher Plane. The Strad, vol. 100, no. 1185, janvier 1989<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Photo<\/a>
Photo de Christophe Schaeffer dans Mirecourt Bowing to the French, The Strad, 1984 85P<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Christophe Schaeffer studied in Mirecourt from 1974 to 1977, and was amongst the first generation of bow makers to join the state-run educational programme established in 1970, under the direction of Bernard Ouchard \u2013 son of \u00c9mile Auguste Ouchard \u2013 which aimed to restore French bow making to its former glory. The programme combined the traditional high standards of the craft and the demands of contemporary musicians. There, Christophe Schaeffer studied in particular alongside Didier Claudel and Jean-Pascal Nehr[1]<\/sup><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Ouchard he learned a keen sense of precision, the accuracy of the line, and integrity. A genuine closeness existed between master and student.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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[1]<\/sup><\/a> Mirecourt Bowing to the French, The Strad, 1984\/85P<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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“He had the sensitivity of a wounded man, was silent and not very forthcoming with compliments, as demanding as the perfect straightness of a stick<\/em>.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

In a letter addressed to Philippe Dupuy in 1978, Ouchard referred to Schaeffer as one of his best students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At just 20 years old, in 1978, he received a Gold Medal from the Violin Society of America<\/em> for a cello bow, a rare distinction that immediately propelled him amongst the most promising young bow makers of his generation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Archet<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Archet<\/a><\/figure>\n
Archet d’alto de Bernard OUCHARD
Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 5 juin 2025 \/ \u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\"Archet<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Archet<\/a><\/figure>\n
Archet de violon de Bernard OUCHARD
Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 5 juin 2025 \/ \u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The 1980s: the freedom of working for Philippe Dupuy<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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It was during the Sainte-C\u00e9cile festival in Mirecourt that Christophe Schaeffer met Philippe Dupuy, a violin maker in Paris and grandson of Eug\u00e8ne Sartory. The initial introduction through the purchase of a violin quickly led to a lasting collaboration. Philippe Dupuy, who at the time was looking for newly made bows for his clients and had a remarkable stock of old wood, offered to set up a workshop for him in Avignon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For several years, Christophe Schaeffer produced a minimum of three bows per month, which he self-effacingly stamped “Dupuy \u00e0 Paris”. This was a formative period for him, as he had complete freedom in his research and was exempt from commercial pressure. He said he was “researching relentlessly and without compromise”, and allowed to learn from his mistakes. He described this phase as one of “discovery in all directions”. [1]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While he was inspired by the style of Eug\u00e8ne Sartory in his search for strength and balance, and by his craftsmanship, he nevertheless distanced himself from him by refraining from merely copying, always seeking to “remain free of all influences” [2]<\/sup><\/a>. His style, which in his early years remained influenced by Ouchard’s, then began to take on a more individual character.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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[1]<\/sup><\/a>  Christophe Schaeffer, interview, 6 mai 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[2]<\/sup><\/a>  Christophe Schaeffer, interview, 6 mai 2025<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Photo<\/a>
Photo de Christophe Schaeffer dans Reindorf, Mark. On a Higher Plane. The Strad, vol. 100, no. 1185, janvier 1989, pp. 54\u201358<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Archet<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Archet<\/a><\/figure>\n
Archet de violon de Christophe SCHAEFFER
Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 30 novembre 2023 \/ \u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\"Bel<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Bel<\/a><\/figure>\n
Bel archet de violon de Christophe SCHAEFFER
Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 5 d\u00e9cembre 2018 \/ \u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\"Archet<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Archet<\/a><\/figure>\n
Archet de violon de Eug\u00e8ne Nicolas SARTORY
Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 5 juin 2025 \/ \u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\"Archet<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Archet<\/a><\/figure>\n
Archet d’alto de Eug\u00e8ne Nicolas SARTORY
Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 5 juin 2025 \/ \u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\"Archet<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Archet<\/a><\/figure>\n
Archet de violon de Eug\u00e8ne Nicolas SARTORY
Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 5 juin 2025 \/ \u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Towards a personal stylistic identity \u2013 the 1990s<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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From the 1990s onward, Christophe Schaeffer asserted himself and developed his own style, based on simplicity, the quality of the arch and the purity of the sound. He developed what he described himself as “tamed, efficient and mature” aesthetics. The heads of his bows took on a soft and fluid shape, inspired by Nicolas Voirin, Lamy P\u00e8re and Eug\u00e8ne Sartory, far from the austere rigour of the Peccatte models.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u00abI never lost sight of the desire to please Bernard Ouchard and Philippe Dupuy, who preferred round heads<\/em>\u00bb<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Christophe Schaeffer, interview, 6 mai 2025<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Two iconic bows from this period, made in 1995, will be auctioned on 5 June 2025 at Vichy Ench\u00e8res. The first, a tortoiseshell and gold-mounted violin bow, resolves the conflict between formal refinement and acoustic efficiency; the second, a silver-mounted viola bow, demonstrates a simple but demanding approach to the design of the bow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Archet<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Archet<\/a><\/figure>\n
Archet de violon de Christophe SCHAEFFER
Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 5 juin 2025 \/ \u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Christophe<\/a><\/figure>\n
Christophe Schaeffer dans son atelier, archives personnelles <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Gesture, sound, material: an aesthetic of restraint<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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Indeed, Christophe Schaeffer’s signature style is not found in the ornamentation, but in the design of the bow. He attaches paramount importance to the dynamic balance of the stick. The goal is to achieve a “pleasant sensation in the musician’s hand” and “stability before the bow touches the string, and after it leaves it. “He seeks what he calls “the fatness of the sound”[1]<\/sup><\/a>, i.e., a full sound with harmonic resonances. His eye guides his choice of wood \u2013 often antique sticks from Dupuy’s stock \u2013 but it is through his work, listening and intuition that he reveals all its acoustic potential. He sometimes pushes the finishing touches very far, incorporating mother-of-pearl eyes entirely made with a file, or faceted buttons, but he associates this high ornamentation with the carefree spirit of youth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His works are not intended to seduce. They seek to support and extend musical expression, by remaining true to the materials, to the hand, and to a certain idea of the inner silence of the craftsman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u00ab My bows captivated me so much that they captured and used me throughout my life, without me really having time to realize it, so that I could have the time to try to give them that sense of beauty they have never ceased to deserve, without them ever having dared to ask for it<\/em>... \u00bb<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Christophe Schaeffer, interview, 6 mai 2025<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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[1]<\/sup><\/a>  Christophe Schaeffer, interview, 6 mai 2025<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Christophe<\/a>
Christophe Schaeffer dans son atelier, archives personnelles <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Archet<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Archet<\/a><\/figure>\n
Archet de violoncelle de Christophe SCHAEFFER
Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 7 juin 2018 \/ \u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\"Archet<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Archet<\/a><\/figure>\n
Archet de violoncelle de Christophe SCHAEFFER
Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 8 juin 2017 \/ \u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\"Archet<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Archet<\/figure>\n
Archet de violon de Christophe SCHAEFFER
Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 5 juin 2025 \/ \u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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A unique and respected body of work<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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Christophe Schaeffer has always preferred privacy to the stage, the solitude of the workshop to competitions. And yet, in his discreet way, he remains an essential figure in contemporary French bow making. He is esteemed by his peers, and often mentioned as an exceptional craftsman, whose consistency of style and quality of output span decades. His collaborations and his respect for the work of his colleagues testify to his open mind, even if he always keeps “to himself a little”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Past sales at Vichy Ench\u00e8res illustrate the depth of his work: from cello bows mounted in gold, ivory and tortoiseshell to viola ones made in the 1990s, including examples in mint condition from his early years under Dupuy, etc. The consistent quality, high standards he set for himself and sincerity of his approach make his body of work unique and sought after by musicians and collectors alike.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Archet<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Archet<\/a><\/figure>\n
Archet de violon de Christophe SCHAEFFER
Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 1 d\u00e9cembre 2022 \/ \u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\"Archet<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Archet<\/a><\/figure>\n
Archet de violoncelle de Christophe SCHAEFFER
Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 28 novembre 2019 \/ \u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\"Archet<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Archet<\/a><\/figure>\n
Archet de violon de Christophe SCHAEFFER fait en collaboration avec sa femme Laure Laetitia GREVY
Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 6 juin 2019 \/ \u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\"Archet<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Archet<\/a><\/figure>\n
Archet d’alto de Christophe SCHAEFFER
Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 30 novembre 2017 \/ \u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Sales results from 2 to 5 June 2025<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Through his work, a certain idea of the French bow \u2013 humble, demanding and at the service of musicians \u2013 has been perpetuated; perhaps also a lesson in silence \u2013 that of the craftsman who strives for beauty, without ever claiming it.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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\ud83d\ude80 Suivez-nous !<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n