A new website for ars musica, the music store
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Ars musica – the music store, as it proudly calls itself – is breaking new ground in the digital world. Roland Fritsch, owner of the music store in Lindwurmstraße in Sendling, has unearthed his most valuable treasures and presents them on the new website: www.arsmusicashop.com. A handwritten sheet of music by Reger, a 12-string acoustic guitar by the famous English guitar maker Zemaitis, violins from three centuries, rare guitars of all kinds, richly decorated accordions, unusual vintage musical instruments and antiquarian sheet music are presented and offered for sale on the new website. A team of four and generous funding from the German Music Council have made the “Digitalization of the music trade” project possible. Four artists have transformed the owner’s vision with images, an image film, technical texts and an appealing design into a digital site that guides visitors through three centuries. The adjoining digital museum also combines the technical progress of today and the craftsmanship of the old masters.
Innovation, craftsmanship and intellectual knowledge
Let’s travel through time and jump back to the early 18th century. At that time, innovation meant the establishment of manufactories, such as the production of faience tableware or fabric prints in calico factories, and the division of labor, including in the field of musical instrument production. 270 years later, innovation means digitizing existing human knowledge and leaving many work processes to artificial intelligence. Even though humans, as intelligent beings, are constantly driving technical progress forward, the “golden” craftsmanship and artisanship are not falling by the wayside. There are still great masters among the instrument makers who use, apply and further develop the knowledge of their ancestors. The digital museum on the new website uses various examples to provide an insight into the fine art of instrument making past and present. From the bible harmonium around 1800 to the sewing box piano from the Biedermeier period to the still handmade echolette from Olching near Munich, the museum takes you through the centuries. And what is Catherine the Great doing there?
From Cremona to St. Petersburg
The greatest violin makers of all time come from a small town of 70,000 inhabitants in the north of Italy – Cremona. While Italy’s neighboring countries were engaged in the 30 Years’ War at the beginning of the 17th century, the most famous violin maker Andrea Amati turned to what the Italians do best – amore. Amati’s Amore was dedicated to making violins and founding the most famous violin making school in the world. Guarneri, the Stradivari, Ruggeri and Bergonzi families also come from Cremona. Not quite an Amati, but a Bohemian violin from the 18th century based on an Amati model is also on display in the ars musica digital museum. Another Bohemian 4/4 violin from the museum was dedicated to Catherine the Great, an avowed music lover. How Catherine the Great, Russian empress, philosopher and close friend of Voltaire, would have reacted to this charming gesture is anyone’s guess, as the instrument was not made until eighty years after her death, as the owner and musical instrument expert Roland Fritsch found out.
Incidentally, the oldest violin in the collection was made around 1750 by Nikolaus Dopfer from Mainz and is still awaiting professional restoration.
A strong team
Uniting the analog and digital worlds, presenting the centuries in style – this was only possible with a strong team. Just two years ago, companies were still debating the meaning of the term “digital transformation”. While the interpretation of it was simply “colorful”, the pandemic provided immediate and complete clarification. Cultural professionals, restaurateurs and retailers have suffered the greatest economic damage. As a result, the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media supported the digitization of music stores with a funding programme that also benefited ars musica. Many thanks to the sponsor, with whose help the new digital presence of ars musica, the music store, was able to go online worldwide. Filmmaker Michaila Kühnemann shot the image film for the new website, photographer Massimo Fiorito supplied the photo material, owner Roland Fritsch had the vision and wrote the texts, Sabine Hanse from Heartelier and Elias Wallat from Stralende UG produced and technically implemented the new website.
ars musica – the music store in Munich Sendling is a music store for used and historical musical instruments as well as antiquarian sheet music. In the store, you can literally feel the centuries looking back at you from the shelves. There is always a new exciting corner to be discovered. The online store and the museum, on the other hand, only present the most exclusive pieces from the diverse collection. Here, the appearance is modern and tidy. This brings us full circle, from the 18th to the 21st century, from the analog store to the digital store.
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