“Through the years I have encountered many mandolin players and builders and have tried playing on numerous mandolins from various places around the world. But never have I encountered any instrument that matched the possibilities or the shades of sound produced by Arik Kerman’s mandolins.”
It is Kerman’s instrument which allows Jacob to perform the great majority of the violin repertoire in a convincing, resonating manner. Kerman’s instruments manage to overcome many of the difficulties common to other, more traditional mandolins. For example, with his instruments it is possible to play on the highest positions even on the lower strings, and the notes produced never sound choked or muffled; in general, the notes resonate longer and the sound is warmer and more amicable than in traditional instruments. This is particularly important when playing solo pieces, Bach sonatas specifically, where a compensation for the lack of bass is required. Kerman’s mandolin compensate for the lack of bass by enabling longer reverberation of the melodic lines on different registers. Another important point is the tuning – mandolins are generally tuned in an equal temperament, which can generate intonation problems in various musical settings, such as when being accompanied by a piano, or a modern orchestra or an ethnic ensemble. Kerman’s mandolins are so well balanced that they can be tuned to fit successfully any musical setting. Kerman’s prime objective was, and still is, to improve the mandolin sound so players have an enhanced freedom of expression. Jacob’s acquaintance with Kerman and his mandolins goes back some 20 years. They connected immediately thanks to their shared quest of making the mandolin a boundless concert instrument. They also shared an origin: Kerman’s knowledge was based mainly on many years of violin building, whereas Jacob’s musical education was based heavily on the violin repertoire.
See also Kerman Mandolin Quartett
From getting to know you, I know you became interested in building instruments in mid-life, around the age of 45; and what do you think led you into the world of mandolin building?
I have always loved making things out of wood, as well as playing folk instruments, balalaika and a bit of mandolin. I started building musical instruments after I met a violinist master who agreed to take me to his studio as a student, where I learned to listen to classical music that became the routine of my life.
The violin has not changed much since Stradivari and violin makers to this day build according to a tradition that is passed down from generation to generation. I was not satisfied with that, I wanted to give in to the imagination, to create, to develop. I decided to move from making violins to making a mandolin whose strings are tuned like a violin but as a folk instrument it is more open to change.
Already in the construction of the first mandolins I tried to improve the sound, I opened the mandolin, I changed, I changed and changed it again. The experiment itself fascinated me. Violinists who visited the studio called me Arik the ripper. Some mandolins were destroyed as a result of my experiments.
What made you build a mandolin in the special style you build?
The significant turnaround that led me to the development of the mandolin was as a result of my encounter with the Mandolin Ensemble of the Beer-Sheva Conservatory. They played a high-class classical repertoire. They played violin pieces with Japanese-made Neapolitan mandolins. This led me to the decision to try to improve the mandolin technically and musically to allow it to cope more successfully with the classical music repertoire above the concert stage.
I had the idea to change the resonant body structure of the mandolin and on the second try I had a breakthrough. The result was a mandolin with a "big sound" – a beautiful and strong sound. It encouraged me to keep improving the sound.
Your mandolins have a great sound. Is it because the mandolin is bigger? Because of the double board? Or because of the type of wood? Do you know in advance what sound a mandolin will have? Do you control the sound?
Indeed, my mandolin is slightly larger than a traditional mandolin, but it is not the size that gives a big sound, and not the double board either; it is much more complex. Acoustics is a complicated and wild thing and sometimes similar results are obtained from different resonator bodies, and vice versa.
The type of wood has an effect on the sound, it is a primary parameter that affects the color of the sound. Everything else – the sound strength, its length, etc. is in the hands of the builder. It is possible to tune in advance which sounds will be dominant, the low ones or the high ones, the aspiration of course that all the sounds will sound good. I can say that in my mandolin I can slightly change the sound while testing the instrument after it is finished – very small changes, which affect the feel of the player.
Israeli musicians get to test your mandolins in the final stages. We like to test a new mandolin, how important is it to you?
Musicians love to explore a new mandolin. It is important for me to examine the mandolin before lacquering, so that I can make changes if necessary, even to open the instrument.
Occasionally I would test the mandolins in a concert hall, to hear them in the hall. There is a difference in sound between a pre-lacquered mandolin and a finished mandolin. When testing a new mandolin, the sound changes and develops within half an hour of playing, provided the player plays it to its full potential on all the strings. Musicians have a tendency to take a new mandolin and play something by Bach or another piece. I stop them and instruct them how to activate the mandolin first so that it opens. Not every player is able to do this so I choose to test the mandolins with the help of players of the highest level. Naturally, over time the mandolin continues to evolve.
It seems that Israeli soloists and students only play your mandolins, can you tell us about your relationship with the Israeli musicians? Do musicians have the ability to influence the construction of instruments?
My interaction with the musicians helped in that the high level of playing of the musicians allowed me to improve the sound, and the musicians for their part improved their playing as a result of improving the mandolin. At the same time, I allow myself to say that I have been privileged to assist a generation of young and talented musicians to play a classical repertoire at a high level. About 30 years ago I established a fund to encourage outstanding mandolin players to play classical music. Young musicians who passed an entrance test were given my mandolin on loan for a period of two years, until entering the Academy, and more. Among these talented young people were you, Avi Avital, and Alon Sariel.
The makers of musical instruments in the world have websites, they give lectures around the world, they prepare marketing materials. We have not found such information, and you are not going on conferences of instrument makers around the world. How do you see the subject of marketing? How do you address it, if at all?
I prefer to make the mandolins because it’s something I really like to do. I have always been interested in how to reach a perfect sound. It is a fact that my mandolin is famous in the world, and it is not as a result of marketing but probably because of its quality. Would marketing affect that? I'm not sure.
How do you relate to the fact that there are a lot of "Kerman Mandolin" imitations in the world?
I'm glad there are mandolin makers who think my mandolin is good so they chose to simulate it.
There seems to be a lot of traditions in the world of instrument making, the European – Germany, Italy, USA… Do you have a connection to traditional construction from around the world? It seems that a tradition of "Israeli mandolin" has already been established. Do you register it? Is the knowledge of your construction documented somewhere?
I'm not good at documenting. My knowledge is preserved by passing it on to my son Yam, and he is an excellent builder. Since he decided to study the building of mandolins we are working together. He also introduced more advanced techniques into the building process where possible.
Your instruments have a presence at the top of the world of mandolins all around the globe, recordings of labels, orchestras concerts, teaching and students in academies and ensemble master classes just with your instruments and a chamber quartet bearing the name "Kerman". Do you see this as a vision fulfillment? Does this connect to the overall goal you had in developing the instrument?
As I said my goal was to improve the sound of the mandolin to allow it to cope more successfully with playing a classical repertoire over the concert stage, as well as encourage talented young musicians. It seems to me that I have largely been able to achieve these goals.