Giovanni Battista Guadagnini

(Redirected from Giovambattista Guadagnini)

Giovanni Battista Guadagnini (often shortened to G. B. Guadagnini; 23 June 1711 – 18 September 1786) was an Italian luthier, regarded as one of the finest craftsmen of string instruments in history.[3] He is widely considered the third greatest maker after Antonio Stradivari and Giuseppe Guarneri "del Gesù". The Guadagnini family was known for their violins, guitars and mandolins.[2]

Giovanni Battista Guadagnini
Born(1711-06-23)23 June 1711
Died18 September 1786(1786-09-18) (aged 75)
Turin, Italy
NationalityItalian
Known for
Notable work
  • Baron Knoop (1744, Piacenza)
  • Ex-Lorenzo (c.1745, Piacenza)
  • Baron Köhner (1752, Milan)
  • Campoli,Grumiaux (1773, Turin)
  • Salabue (1774, Turin)
  • Bryant (1775, Turin)
Style
  • Guadagnini style
    • Piacenza period
    • Milan period
    • Parma period
    • Turin period
  • Stradivarius style
MovementGuadagnini school[2]
ElectedCourt luthier of Duchy of Parma[1]
Patron(s)
Websitewww.guadagnini.org
Guadagnini family tree

Biography edit

Giovanni Battista Guadagnini was born on June 23, 1711, in the hamlet of Bilegno, in what is now the Province of Piacenza in Northern Italy. Both his life and his career can be divided into four distinct periods, which correspond to the four cities in which he would live and work, Piacenza, Milan, Parma, and Turin.

Almost nothing is known about his early years until he moved to the nearby city of Piacenza in 1738.[4] In 1742, his first violins start to appear. It is unclear from whom or where he learned his trade. Since he joined the woodworking guild, it is likely that he underwent an apprenticeship with a local woodworker; however, there is no evidence of any local instrument makers in Piacenza at the time.[5]

In 1749 Guadagnini moved to Milan, where he continued to make instruments. The reason for his move is unknown, but was perhaps economically motivated as Milan was a much larger city with a larger and more active music scene. During this time a few of his instruments bear labels implying a relationship to Cremona—the home of the renowned violin makers Amati, Stradivari, and Guarneri—however no evidence exists that Guadagnini ever lived in Cremona.[5]

In 1758 Guadagnini moved again, this time to Parma. He may have been drawn to the city by the recent appointment of Carlo Ferarri, a close musician friend from his time in Piacenza, to a position with the Ducal Court.[6] During his time in Parma Guadagnini was also closely connected to the court, and in particular to the musical patronage of the Prime Minister Guillaume du Tillot. In his later years in Parma Guadagnini even received a direct salary from the court. In 1771, with the Court's financial fortunes in decline, Guadagnini asked to be allowed to leave.[5]

He next moved to Turin. Two years later, in 1773, he began his historically important relationship with notable violin collector Count Cozio. Cozio purchased most, if not all, of Guadagnini's output during this time, and also supplied him with most of his wood and other materials. His business partnership with Cozio ended in 1777, though they continued to have dealings with each other.[5] The Count is likely responsible for Guadagnini's marked shift to a more Stradivari-like style during this time, both by pressuring Guadagnini to more closely copy Stradivari and by providing Guadagnini with access to examples of Stradivari's work.[7]

Giovanni Battista Guadagnini passed away in Turin on September 18, 1786.[1]

Violin maker edit

Guadagnini's work is divided into four distinct periods, which correspond to the four cities in which he worked over the span of his career, Piacenza, Milan, Parma, and Turin. His work in each new city changed in response to the availability of materials, the needs of the local musicians, and finally in Turin, his relationship with Count Cozio. Stylistically Guadagnini's work is generally less refined and polished than that of makers such as the Amatis or Stradivari, however with the same focus on tonal success.[7] He is generally considered to be the last of the great historical makers, ranking just behind Stradivari and Guarneri.[8] He is also possibly the last of historical makers to have used a varnish similar to what was used by classical Cremonese makers.[7]

His instruments have sold for over $2,000,000 at auction.[9]

Performers with Guadagnini instruments edit

Violinists
Violinist Date & place of manufacture Sobriquet Comments Reference
Felix Ayo 1744 [10]
Veriko Tchumburidze 1756, Milan loaned by Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben[11] [12]
Riccardo Brengola 1747, Piacenza Contessa Crespi [13]
Adolf Brodsky 1751, Milan ex-Brodsky [14]
Zakhar Bron 1757, Milan [15]
Amaury Coeytaux 1773 [16]
Andrew Dawes 1770, Parma Dawes, de Long Tearse [17][18]
Richard Deakin English chamber musician and soloist, currently teaching at RAM in London, was using one in 1980s and likely still is.[19]
Julia Fischer 1742 [20]
Carl Flesch 1750s ex-Henri Vieuxtemps [21]
David Garrett 1772 In December 2007, Garrett fell after a performance and smashed his Guadagnini, which he had purchased four years earlier for US$1 million.[22] He now uses it for mainly his outdoor crossover performances.[23]
David Greed 1757 Owned by the Yorkshire Guadagini 1757 Syndicate. [24]
Arthur Grumiaux 1752 ex-Grumiaux [25]
David Halen 1753 [26]
Jascha Heifetz 1741, Piacenza ex-Heifetz Provenance – by Rembert Wurlitzer in 1946 and Dario D'Attili in 1991 [27]
Marlene Hemmer 1764 [28]
Chloe Chua 1753 On Loan from the Rin Collection[1] [2]
Peter Herresthal 1753, Milan [29]
Willy Hess 1740s [30]
Joseph Joachim 1767, Parma ex-Joachim [31]
Ida Kavafian 1751 [32]
David Kim 1757 On loan from The Philadelphia Orchestra [33]
Min-Jeong Koh 1767 [34]
Goran Končar 1753, Milan [35]
Mikhail Kopelman 1773 [36]
Michał Kowalkowski 1753 Gucio
Jan Kubelik 1750 ex-Kubelik [37]
Pekka Kuusisto 1752 On loan from the Finnish Cultural Foundation [38]
Manfred Leverkus 1752 ex-Kneisel
Jack Liebeck 1785 ex-Wilhelmj [39]
Wayne Lin 1779, Turin [40]
Tasmin Little 1757, Milan [29][41]
Mauro Lopes Ferreira [42]
Haldon Martinson 1750 Being used in the Boston Symphony Orchestra [43]
Stefan Milenkovich 1780, Turin [44]
Viktoria Mullova 1750 [45]
Ludwig Müller 1746
Ginette Neveu Purchased early spring, 1949. Involved in an air crash later that year, in which Neveu died. Scroll later apparently appeared in Paris, having changed hands several times. [46]
David Plantier 1766 [47]
Simone Porter 1745 On loan from The Mandell Collection of Southern California [48]
William E. Pynchon 1779, Turin Purchased March 26, 1957. Played in San Francisco Opera until 1998
Linda Rosenthal 1772, Turin [49]
Leon Sametini 1751 ex-Sametini [50]
Mari Samuelsen 1773, Turin On loan from ASAF (Anders Sveeas Charitable Foundation, Oslo). [51][52]
Stephanie Sant’Ambrogio 1757 [53]
Mayumi Seiler 1740, Piacenza
Ittai Shapira 1745, Piacenza [54]
Sini-Maaria Simonen 1760 On loan from the Finnish Cultural Foundation [55]
Roman Simovic 1752 On loan from Jonathan Moulds [56]
Yvonne Smeulers 1785 [57]
Lara St. John 1779 Salabue Called "The Resurrection" by St. John [58]
Lyndon Johnston Taylor 1777 [59]
Henri Temianka 1752 Built based on the Petro Guarnerius model. Certificate of Joseph Vedral, violinmaker, Holland, 28 September 1929
Vanessa-Mae 1761 Gizmo [60]
Pablo Valetti 1758 [61]
Pavel Vernikov 1747, Piacenza ex-Contessa Crespi, ex-Brengola On loan from Fondazione Pro Canale. Worth $1.5 million in 2016. Stolen in December 2016.[62]
Henri Vieuxtemps 1750s ex-Henri Vieuxtemps [21]
Henryk Wieniawski 1750 ex-Wieniawski [63]
Bob Wills 1784 Described as 157 years old when bought in 1941 for $3,000, Wills later claimed in an interview that he gave it away "to a friend of mine in Tayxas" and bought another for $5,000. [64]
Eugène Ysaÿe 1774 ex-Eugène Ysaÿe [65]
Bomsori Kim 1774, Turin
Li Chuan Yun 1784 On loan from the Stradivari Society [66]
Kai Gleusteen 1781 the tiger [67]
Audrey Wright 1753 ex-Alsop On loan from the Alsop Trust. Previously played by Madeline Adkins[68] [69]
Madeline Adkins 1782 ex-Chardon On loan from Gabrielle Israelievitch, previously played by Jacques Israelievitch [70]
Violists
Cellists
Groups

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Giovanni Battista Guadagnini (1711–1786)". Guadagnini.org. 2011. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
  2. ^ a b Kass, Philip. "Violin Making in Turin, part 2: the Guadagnini family". Tarisio Auctions. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
  3. ^ Doring, Ernest N. (1949). The Guadagnini Family of Violin Makers. Chicago: Lewis & Sons. Reprint with new introduction by Stewart Pollins, Dover Books, 2012. ISBN 978-0-48649-796-9
  4. ^ Davide Gasparotto; Anrea Zanrè (2012). "The role of Giovanni Battista Guadagnii in the tradition of violin making, an introduction". Joannes Baptista Guadagnini, fecit Parmae serviens, celsitudinis suae realis : masterpieces from the Parma 2011 Galleria nazionale exhibition. Scrollavezza e Zanrè. ISBN 978-88-907194-0-0.
  5. ^ a b c d Carlo Chiesa (2012). "On a String, Giovanni Battista Guadagnini's life and whereabouts". Joannes Baptista Guadagnini, fecit Parmae serviens, celsitudinis suae realis : masterpieces from the Parma 2011 Galleria nazionale exhibition. Scrollavezza e Zanrè. ISBN 978-88-907194-0-0.
  6. ^ "Giovanni Battista Guadagnini". Tarisio Cozio Archive. Tarisio. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  7. ^ a b c Philip Kass (2012). "The evolution of style and technique in the work of Giovanni Battista Guadagnini". Joannes Baptista Guadagnini, fecit Parmae serviens, celsitudinis suae realis : masterpieces from the Parma 2011 Galleria nazionale exhibition. Scrollavezza e Zanrè. ISBN 978-88-907194-0-0.
  8. ^ "Maker Profile". Tarisio Cozio Archive. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  9. ^ "Price History: Guadagnini, Giovanni Battista". Tarisio. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  10. ^ "Felix Ayo Biography". Swiss Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
  11. ^ "Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben".
  12. ^ "Veriko Tchumburidze Biography". verikotchumburidze.com. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  13. ^ "Guadagnini, 1747". Archived from the original on 4 March 2009. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
  14. ^ "Guadagnini, 1751". Cozio.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2009. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
  15. ^ "Guadagnini, 1757". Cozio.com. Archived from the original on 3 March 2009. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
  16. ^ "Biography". Modigliani Quartet. 2018. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
  17. ^ "References". Pierre Dalphin. 2008. Archived from the original on 3 March 2009. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
  18. ^ "Giovanni Battista Guadagnini, Parma, 1770, the 'Dawes, de Long Tearse'". Retrieved 1 November 2022.
  19. ^ "Staff: Richard Deakin". Royal Academy of Music. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
  20. ^ Fischer, Frank-Michael (25 March 2013). "Julia Fischer performs the same piece on two different violins". Violinist.com. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
  21. ^ a b "Guadagnini, 175x". Cozio.com. Archived from the original on 2 March 2009. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
  22. ^ Wagner, Thomas (14 February 2008). "Violinist: Fall Fractures $1M Fiddle". Times Herald-Record. Archived from the original on 21 February 2015. Retrieved 15 February 2008.
  23. ^ Garrett, David (7 April 2013). "David Garrett – livestream in NY, 8 June 2012". YouTube. Retrieved 24 July 2013.[dead YouTube link]
  24. ^ "David Greed & Simon Lindley". Leeds Town Hall. 24 September 2018. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
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  26. ^ "David Halen". Mercer University. 2006. Archived from the original on 6 March 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
  27. ^ Salabue Auctions (5 February 2016). "Ex-Heifetz 1741 Johannes Baptista Guadagnini Violin". Facebook. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
  28. ^ "Marlene Hemmer". Nationaal Muziekinstrumenten Fonds (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 3 April 2016. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
  29. ^ a b "In praise of Gaudagnini". The Strad. No. Vol. 122. October 2011. pp. 36–44. {{cite magazine}}: |issue= has extra text (help)
  30. ^ "Guadagnini, 174x". Cozio.com. Archived from the original on 3 March 2009. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
  31. ^ "Guadagnini, 1767". Cozio.com. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
  32. ^ "Ida Kavafian, violin". Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. 2008. Archived from the original on 25 May 2009. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
  33. ^ "Biography". David Kim. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
  34. ^ "Cecilia String Quartet". Analekta. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
  35. ^ "Concert to feature a Guadagnini violin worth a million and a half Euros". Croatian Times. 8 October 2008. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
  36. ^ "Kopelman Quartet: Biography". Mariedi Anders Artists Management. April 2005. Archived from the original on 7 September 2008. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
  37. ^ "Guadagnini, 1750". Cozio.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2009. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
  38. ^ "Pekka Kuusisto, violin". Ondine. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
  39. ^ "Guadagnini, 1785". Cozio.com. Archived from the original on 2 September 2005. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
  40. ^ "Wayne Lin". Naxos Records. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
  41. ^ Yangen Xu (3 August 2006). "Great Violinists at the Proms". musicOMH. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
  42. ^ "Les Musiciens De L'Ensemble: Mauro Lopes Ferreira". Café Zimmermann (in French). Retrieved 23 October 2019.
  43. ^ "Haldan Martinson". Boston Symphony Orchestra. Archived from the original on 12 March 2010. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
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  45. ^ "Biography". Viktoria Mullova. 2005. Archived from the original on 9 July 2009. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
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  47. ^ "Les Musiciens De L'Ensemble: David Plantier". Café Zimmermann (in French). Retrieved 23 October 2019.
  48. ^ "Biography". Simone Porter Violin. Archived from the original on 26 October 2018. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
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  54. ^ Sadler, Naomi (28 June 2017). "Ittai Shapira". Tarisio. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
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  61. ^ "La Direction Artistique: Pablo Valetti". Café Zimmermann (in French). Retrieved 23 October 2019.
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  67. ^ Bargreen, Joan G. (1 June 2008). "Kai Gleusteen personal page". Retrieved 22 November 2021.
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Bibliography edit

  • Cozio Archive Giovanni Batista Guadagnini.
  • Grove, George, ed. (1900). "Guadagnini". A Dictionary of Music and Musicians. London: Macmillan and Company.
  • Mnatzaganian, Sarah (2004). "G. B. Guadagnini". Aitchison Mnatzaganian. Archived from the original on 2 June 2008.
  • Doring, Ernest N. (1949). The Guadagnini Family of Violin Makers. Chicago: Lewis & Sons.
  • König, Adolf H., ed. (1981). Die Geigenbauer der Guadagnini-Familie: Die Turiner Schule [The violin makers of the Guadagnini family: The Turin School] (in German). Frankfurt: Verlag Das Musikinstrument. ISBN 978-3-92011-265-7.
  • Fiori, G. (1994). "Documenti biografici di artisti e personaggi piacentini dal '600 all' '800 nell' Archivo Vescovile di Piacenza" [Biographical documents of Piacenza artists and characters from the 600s to the 1800s in the Archdiocese of Piacenza]. Strenna Piacentina (in Italian): 67–111.
  • Kass, P.J. Violin Makers of the Piedmontese School.
  • Vannes, Rene (1985) [1951]. Dictionnaire Universel del Luthiers (vol.3) (in French). Bruxelles: Les Amis de la musique. OCLC 53749830.
  • Henley, William (1969). Universal Dictionary of Violin & Bow Makers. Brighton, England: Amati. ISBN 0-901424-00-5.
  • Hamma, Walter (1993). Meister Italienischer Geigenbaukunst [Master of Italian violin making] (in German). Wilhelmshaven: F. Noetzel. ISBN 3-7959-0537-0.
  • Rosengard, Duane (2000). Giovanni Battista Guadagnini: The Life and Achievement of a Master Maker of Violins. Haddonfield, New Jersey: Carteggio Media. ISBN 978-0-97042-290-3.

External links edit