Take a look at the 1722 Matteo Gofriller cello, described by Valentin Erben as having ’infinite intensity and depth of tonal spectrum’
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Fournier’s Gofriller
Among Fournier’s most significant instruments was his 1722 Matteo Gofriller, which he played from 1957 until the end of his career. After Fournier sold the instrument, it was briefly owned by Yo‑Yo Ma before being passed to Valentin Erben, cellist of the Alban Berg Quartet, who played it from 1990 until 2017.
The cello, held by the Merito String Instruments Trust, is now played by Antoine Lederlin, cellist of the Belcea Quartet. Reflecting on his long relationship with the instrument, Erben wrote in an essay on his personal website in 2023:
‘It took me years to feel truly “at home” on this instrument. After all, it hadn’t been played for seven years. The cello, like a thoroughbred horse in my imagination, was difficult to tame, but once tamed, it was ready for all great feats.
‘The instrument possesses an extraordinary richness of overtones. If one doesn’t precisely master the core of the tone, it responds poorly. But when mastered, the cello offers an infinite intensity and depth of tonal spectrum. Until our last days together, I was convinced that perhaps no player would ever be able to fully exhaust the possibilities of this instrument, just as the great masterpieces of music will never be fully explored.’
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