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Metropolitan Pavilion Proudly Presents Italian Masterpieces in New York

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Metropolitan Pavilion Proudly Presents Italian Masterpieces in New York NEW YORK March 15-17, 2013 - Metropolitan Pavilion proudly presents Italian Masterpieces in New York The inspiration Historical musical instruments represent a very precious heritage. They continue to inspire contemporary violin makers, and they are able to communicate to the general public the values associated with art, culture and human endeavor. Mondomusica New York will bring to the U.S. some of the finest instruments ever made in violin-making history. They come from three of the most renowned collections in Italy, and some of them have never before been taken out of Italy. The instruments Cremona Municipal Collection The Municipal Building of Cremona houses one of the foremost strings collections in the world. These instruments characterize the history of the greatest violin-making dynasty ever known, originating in Cremona from the first half of the sixteenth century and developing until the first half of the eighteenth century. Mondomusica New York makes it possible to admire: Andrea Amati - Carlo IX, 1566 - violin In 1966, due to the efforts of Alfredo Puerari with the expert advice of Simone Fernando Sacconi, two masterpieces by great violin makers born in Cremona returned to the town: the Carlo IX di Francia, a violin constructed by Andrea Amati in 1566, and the Hammerle, made by Nicolò Amati in 1658. Both instruments, purchased by the Provincial Tourist Board in Cremona, came from the Rembert Wurlitzer Company in New York, which in turn had obtained them from the banker Henry Hottinger, a famous collector. Andrea Amati was able to determine the fundamental characteristics of the violin family of bowed stringed instruments, which with some small variations of proportion with regard to violas and violoncellos, are still in use today. The violin of 1566 was part of a group of instruments constructed for the court of Charles IX of France, and is one of only for which have survived. It was rediscovered after the collection, consisting of small violins, large violins, violas and cellos, had been lost during the French Revolution. The instrument is still in perfect working order and in superb condition. On the back, sizeable traces of the coats of arms of Charles IX and his mother, Catherine de’ Medici, are visible. On the ribs, one can still see part of the motto “ Pietate et Justitia”. The pur-fling and the edges accentuate the formal elegance of the back and belly; this contrasts with the f-holes, which are of vigorous and apparently coarse cut, still in keeping with archaic models with the wings barely visible. The warm timbre, persuasive and both charming and powerful, is still capable of meeting the requirements of the great performer. The commission drawing up an expert report in May 1966 expressed itself as follows: «Having verified the excellence, balance and intensity of sound, [the commission] confirms its validity for use in chamber music and solo concerts. [it] recognizes the great artistic and historical value of the instrument and concludes that it is excellent from every point of view». NEW YORK Italian Masterpieces in New York Antonio Stradivari - Cremonese, 1715 - violin Stradivari is the mythical violin maker who has made Cremona famous throughout the world. Even if there are still many gaps in Antonio Stradivari’s biography, it is nevertheless easy to understand how much effort Stradivari put into seeking acoustic perfection in his works. We know that in his long working life, he experimental with different models and also carried out research to determine a the balanced relationship between the evolution of instrumental technique and the production the instruments – something he had to take into consideration. He managed to understand the requirements of the new music so well that even today, his instruments remain unsurpassed and unsurpassable in every respect. It was not until 1961 that Cremona gained possession of one of Stradivari’s instruments: the violin at the time called Joachim, one of the most prestigious among those he constructed, which for the occasion was renamed Il Cremonese. The credit for this acquisition, which was without question of immense importance, goes to Alfredo Puerari, the Then director of the Museo Civico in Cremona. Il Cremonese, dating back to 1715, was at that time owned by Hills London and was bought by the provincial Tourist Board in Cremona with a contribution from the Ministry of Tourism. It was donated to the town and exhibited in the Town Hall, where it can still be found today. We know of just over ten violins constructed by Stradivari in 1715, including the Alard, Tiziano, Imperatore, Bazzini, and Rode; the belonging to the Cremona Collection cuts a worthy figure among the best of the group. Il Cremonese is a violin of large format, the beauty of the workmanship being magnified by the particular quality of the wood used by the Cremonese maestro and the completely original, golden orange varnish. An instrument of extremely generous sonority, also in the less favourable pitch ranges, it displays extraordinary vitality. The balance of timbre is exceptional, from low to high-pitch ranges, it display extraordinary vitality. The G-string is especially rich with regard to volume; this instrument’s capacity for penetration and expansion of sound combines well with an extraordinary responsiveness. Owned in the 1870s by the violinist Darius Gras, it passed into the hands of Jules Garcin in 1877; from there, after about three years, it wen to David Laurie who in turn gave it over to an amateur violinist from Rheims, M.Labitte. In 1889, it was acquired by a special commission and presented to Joseph Joachim on the occasion of is jubilee celebrations. Some time before his death, the great German violinist gave the precious instrument to another family member, Harold, as a present. Harold Joachim subsequently sold the violin to Robert Brandt, who owned it until it became part of the Hill collection. NEW YORK Italian Masterpieces in New York Milan Conservatory Collection The instrument collection of the Milan Conservatory originated in 1881 with the International Musical Exposition. Many exhibitors actually donated their instruments to the organizers at the conclusion of the exposition in order to establish a permanent museum. The collection is now home to more than twenty violins and ten cellos, along with several violas and double basses. All of them are representative of the best Italian violin-making traditions. Antonio and Gerolamo Amati Andrea’s sons; they used to work in their father’s workshop where, together with him, they refined his technique and building style. Girolamo increased the size of the instrument with a particular resonance opening on the soundboard. The violins he made with his brother bear the inscription: Antonius et Hieronymus Amati Cremonae Andreae fil. After 1624 Girolamo got married and separated from his brother, signing alone his productions. Antonio and Gerolamo Amati, Cremona 1597 - viola A back made of two maple parts with a slightly descending, from left to right, marbling characterizes the instrument. The ribs are made of similar wood. The table is made of a very beautiful spruce with a narrow grain in the central part and a medium sized grain towards the sides. The FF are characterized by big and perfectly round harmonic holes, while the rods are relatively thin. They are vertically positioned. Due to some changes, it is possible to notice that the instrument has been probably cut to bring the box to a size of 42.3 cm. Obviously the neck has been modified as well, in order to adapt it to the new turning fork. The same is true for the scroll: the final part of the scroll, from the groove to the eye, is the original one. A very beautiful brown-red paint that has been particularly preserved in the back. Carlo Ferdinando Landolfi Active as lute-maker in Milan from 1745 to 1775, he probably trained in the Testore’s workshop, under the direction of Paolo Antonio. Giovanni Battista Guadagnini arrived in Milan in 1749 and exercised a crucial influence on the work of young Landolfi. The influence of the Giuseppe Guarneri School is also easily detectable in his first violins, while he probably drew inspiration from P. Guarneri and A. Stradivari’s models for the construction of his first cellos. Since 1755, the instruments made by Landolfi in his workshop in S. Margherita "Al segno della Serena", as labels indicate, show a profound maturity and strong personality. The paint he uses is often light characterized by a golden orange colour; however, it sometimes acquired an almost Venetian deep reed tone. The sound is vigorous and powerful. As Guadagnini, Landolfi built some small sized cellos that are still nowadays highly regarded by soloists. Moreover, there is evidence of some full-sized double basses. Carlo Ferdinando Landolfi, Milan 1757 - violin This violin is characterized by a very tense convexity of the table, tense until the side. The back, made of Italian maple in a medium-small sized oblique grain single piece, is characterized by a knob in the lower right part. The excellent threading has a quite deep shell with a medium width purfling. The ribs are made of the same wood of the back: the lower rib is a single piece. The small-sized scroll is characterized by rather deep grooves, a small eye and a fairly straight and very tight trend of the peg box. The FF are largely spaced out and are therefore, in the lower part, very close to the board. The very beautiful orange-brown paint, on golden back, enhances the high level of the manufacturing. NEW YORK Italian Masterpieces in New York Giovanni Battista Guadagnini The one of Guadagnini can be reasonably defined as a true dynasty; a family that managed to pass on from father to son not only the passion of violin making, but also the working activity.
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