The use of a rare wood pits violinists against environmentalists
IN 2017 A FRENCH auctioneer sold a 200-year-old violin bow made by François Xavier Tourte, regarded as the Antonio Stradivari of bow-making, for a record €576,000 ($687,000). Tourte was among the first to make consistent use of a raw material that is still prized today for the best bows: pernambuco, or brazilwood. A modern orchestra is a thicket of dancing brazilwood sticks.
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