It was December 27, three days before the new moon – a crisp, cold winter day, perfect for what lay ahead. All eyes were on the moment the chainsaw would roar to life.
Before us stood a giant: 40 meters tall, 15 tons of living wood. Felling such a tree is no simple task. The very first cut would decide the direction of its fall, every movement measured, every stroke precise.
And then, the moment of truth: a first glimpse into the heart of the tree. Its grain, its colors, the rings of 260 years revealed a story written over centuries. This was the moment raw wood becomes inspiration, destined to carry the soul of an instrument.
The video was created in the early morning hours at the foot of the Latemar massif. Frost coated the landscape, and the soft dawn light transformed the forest into a shimmering, magical scene.
The search for the perfect tree is anything but simple. Many individual factors play a decisive role in this delicate process. Fundamentally, the trees in question must have reached an age of at least 200 years. To grow this old and remain healthy for such a long time, they need to stand at an altitude of around 1,400 meters above sea level.
Deciding where to make the first cut is a critical and thrilling moment. The initial approach sets the path for the entire sawing process and demands full focus and precision.
