Who is Evah Pirazzi? Mystery solved!

http://www.violinist.com/blog/laurie/20182/25658/

February 2, 2018, 12:24 PM · 

I always wondered about that mysterious green goddess who appears on the package of Evah Pirazzi violin, viola and cello strings. Who is she? Is her name really Evah Pirazzi? Is it actually possible that someone has a name that cool?

"That is a drawing my father made of my mother," said Annette Müller-Zierach, answering my long-burning question. Annette is Managing Director of Pirastro GmbH, the Germany-based string company that makes Evah Pirazzis, Obligatos, Pirastro Gold Label and much more. I met her while she was in Los Angeles for the 2018 NAMM Show.

"I don't know that it looks exactly like her..."

Her mother is Eva Pirazzi!?! I couldn't believe it. I truly felt like I was in the presence of a celebrity. I asked for a picture.

Pirastro's Annette Müller-Zierach and Violinist.com editor Laurie Niles.

If my husband drew a picture like that and said, "This is you, my dear," I must say, I'd feel quite happy and well-adored, whether it really looked like me or not.

Eva's maiden name was Pirazzi -- her husband is Volker Müller-Zierach, and so now her name is actually Eva Müller-Zierach. Since the early '90s Eva and Volker have run Pirastro GmbH, along with their children Annette (whom I was meeting) and Henning Müller-Zierach.

Also, her name is "Eva," not "Evah." What's up with that? There are two explanations, one having to do with the family, and one a bit more market-oriented. The letters "E-V-A-H" include every member of their family: E = Eva; V = Volker; A = Annette (and also Anny, Eva's mother); H = Henning (and also Hermann, Eva's father). For marketing, the letters stand for qualities of the string: E = Extra; V = Value; A = Added; H = Hypersonic.

Left to right: Volker Müller-Zierach, with Eva seated in front of him; Annette to his side. The man in the suit on the right is Adrian Müller, Pirastro Technical Director and the inventor of the Evah Pirazzi string, as well as other Pirastro employees.

String-making has run in their blood for centuries, I discovered. Their family goes back to Giorgio Pirazzi (born in 1766), who learned the craft of string-making at age 14, apprenticing with string makers in both Naples and Rome. Giorgio founded the original string company in 1798, which is the year he established the factory in Offenbach, Germany, just south of Frankfurt, where it remains today. Around the turn of the 20th century, the company became "Pirastro" when Giorgio's grandson, Gustav Pirazzi, teamed up with Theodor Strobel, thus "Pira-Stro."

Eventually the company went from father Gustav to son, Hermann, and then in 1992 Eva and Volker took the helm, paving the way for the innovations that the company embraced in the 21st century, with the introduction of new synthetic-core string lines: Obligatos in 2000, designed to produce a warm orchestra sound; Evah Pirazzis in 2002, designed as soloist strings; and Evah Golds in 2014, designed blend the power of Evahs with the warmth of Obligatos.

It was not surprising to learn that her father, Volker, is also an artist. His art work, concepts and even handwriting appear not just on the Evah Pirazzi label but in much of Pirastro's materials - for example, on the packaging for Obligatoand Violino strings.

Who knew that so much history and family lore went into the making of a violin string?

      

그렇잖아도 요즘 다음에 현을 갈게 되면 그 땐 도미넌트 말고 다른 현으로 써봐야겠단 생각을 하던 중이었다.

그래서 후보로 에바 현을 생각 중이었는데 이런 재미난 trivia가 있었네 ㅎㅎㅎ

에바 현 패키지의 저 그림은 솔직히 여태 잘 그린 그림이라고 생각해본 적은 없다.

형편없는 그림은 아니지만 그렇다고 저렇게 패키지용으로 쓸 정도는 아니란 생각을 했었다.

글을 읽고보니 저 그림은 이젠 에바 현의 상징처럼 돼서 바꾸기도 뭐하겠단 생각이 들긴 하네.

현 이름도 에바, 저 그림 속 인물도 에바. 그래도 패키지가 딱히 내 눈엔 그리 비싸 보이진 않는다는...

현 가격이 결코 싸지 않은데 패키지는 그닥 고급지단 느낌은 안 든다.

오블리가토와 에바를 믹스한 현이 에바골드였구나... 난 따뜻한 소리가 좋은데 솔로용은 굉장히 카랑한 음질이라고 알고 있다.

둥글둥글 따스한 소리는 오케용, 카랑카랑한 소리는 솔로용. 

요즘 내 바욜 소리는 너무 건조한 날씨 때문에 강제로 카랑거리는 비명소리 같다. 

E현 소리가 완전 어디서 돼지라도 잡는 듯 째지는 비명소리가 ㅋㅋㅋ - .. -

*    *    *    *    *

사실 이 스토리가 현 선택하는데 큰 도움이 되는 건 아니지만 그래도 흥미로운 스토리.