Italian Making Origins to 1750 A survey by Jason Price

in collaboration with An Illustrated History of the Cello Exhibition curated by Jan Strick To celebrate the inaugural Queen Elisabeth Cello As a maker I often have the chance to Competition 2017, violin maker and expert Jan work on made by the great of the Strick has curated an exhibition of fine instruments past. The further back in time we go, the more he earliest surviving identifiable cello was a few dozen known Nicolò illustrating the history of the cello since the 17th changes you see in the shape and size of each made by Andrea (c. 1505–1577) in Amati cellos survive. For century. To accompany the exhibition, Jason Price ‘‘instrument, and the finest examples can give Cremona around 1550–70 as part of the col- whatever reason the main surveys the origins of Italian cello making and its us an idea of how its form has evolved. In this lection of decorated instruments made for supply of cellos in mid-to- th developments to 1750. exhibition we aim to show that evolution by TKing Charles IX of France. Given that there are only two late 17 -century Cremona other cellos, which have survived in vary- appears to have come from bringing together examples which help trace ing states of alteration, there is much that is unknown two other workshops in the history of the cello. about the function and format of these cellos although Cremona: the and we can accept that for Amati in the mid-16th century the Rugeri. Jan Strick, Violin Maker, Expert the cello was already an essential member of the violin consort. (1623–1698) established the first impor- The sons of Andrea, Girolamo and Antonio, took over tant non-Amati workshop in their father’s workshop. Again the exact original dimen- Cremona. His early cellos are The earliest surviving sions of their cellos are unknown beyond the fact that of the same grand dimensions identifiable cello, the ‘King’ Andrea Amati most of them were very large. There are fewer than 20 as those of Nicolò Amati but cello from c. 1550–1570 surviving cellos by the Brothers together with remnants in workmanship they are sig- of several bass and at least one smaller-sized five- nificantly less refined. Andrea’s string cello. son Giuseppe ‘filius’ (1666–1740) made cellos that initially follow the general parameters of his father, The later cellos of the Brothers Amati show the col- but after around 1700 he introduced a slightly smaller laboration of Girolamo’s son Nicolò (1596–1684). Only model with narrow f-holes and lower arching. ‘Harrell, du Pré, Guttmann’ A Survey of Italian Cello Making, Origins to 1750 Stradivari of 1673

Jason Price

he violin has had the good fortune of remain- lonzono, violoncino, granda, violonzino, violonzello, ing more or less unchanged in model, aspect violone doppio and contrabasso. Such varied terminol- and dimensions for nearly 500 years. The ogy suggests both a great variety of instruments and viola and cello on the other hand weren’t so extensive ongoing experimentation. It was only in ‘Soyer’ Andrea Guarneri Giuseppe Antonio & of 1669. Played by David ‘filius Andreae’ Girolamo lucky. Their dimensions, tuning, and intended role in the around 1665 that the first music was written to use the T Soyer (left) and Thomas Guarneri of 1712, Amati of 1616 ensemble remained unsettled for another few hundred specific term ‘violoncello’. For the sake of convenience Demenga, sold by Tarisio sold by Tarisio years. In the case of the cello, even its name was up for we will refer to all instruments in this survey as cellos, grabs: in alone in the 17th century archival sources although it is unlikely that either the makers of the earli- call instruments of the bass register by a multitude of est of these instruments would have called them by that names, including bassetto, basso da brazzo, violone, vio- name. ■

2 1 The most prolific cello-making dynasty of 17th-century The earliest cellos by (c. 1644–1737) Mstislav Cremona, however, was that of the Rugeris. Francesco are bassettos, their long body and stop lengths following Rostropovich Rugeri (c. 1628–1698) produced cellos often featuring the standards set by the Amati workshop. But in or just played the ‘Duport’ less costly materials such as willow and poplar. His cel- before 1707 Stradivari hit upon his greatest cello inno- Stradivari los were also the first Cremonese cellos to be routinely vation, the 75.5 cm ‘forma B’. His wasn’t the first small- of 1711 built on a smaller pattern: examples with a back length model cello but it was effectively the model which was of 75–76 cm exist early as the 1670s. This is significant most fit for purpose and consequently became the most in that with the exception of Maggini it appears that highly revered and most widely copied form. There are the Rugeris were the first to adopt the smaller cello that approximately 20 surviving cellos of the forma B pat- would soon become dominant in Italy. tern, including the 1711 ‘Duport’, the 1712 ‘Davidoff’, 1714 ‘Batta’ and the 1720 ‘Piatti’. The reasons why the cello was so large in the 17th century and why a shorter pattern become dominant Stradivari cellos from the mid-1720s onwards become in the 18th century are complex but can be summarized even more compact in form and are thought to be by two simultaneous developments. First, the advent of predominantly the work of Francesco Stradivari and wire-wound strings allowed instrument makers to build the young . It is unknown why Bergonzi cellos with a shorter string-length. Secondly, music being didn’t continue making cellos on his own after the ‘Batta’ Stradivari of 1714 (top and left), played by Gregor Piatigorsky written for bass instruments began to demand a more death of Antonio in 1737 but for whatever reason both Jacqueline du Pré played two Stradivari manageable and manoeuvrable instrument. he and the other last classical Cremonese master, cellos; the ‘Harrell, du Pré, Gutmann’ of 1673 ‘del Gesù’, steered clear of making pictured overleaf, and the ‘Davidoff’ of 1712 cellos almost completely. pictured right, now played by Yo-Yo Ma

‘Servais’ Stradivari of 1701 A reconstruction of the earliest Cellos by the Brothers Amati have Left to right: outlines of the ‘Medici’ (1690), ‘Davidoff’ (1712) and ‘Pawle’ (c. 1730) Stradivari cellos surviving identifiable cello, the ‘King’ almost all been reduced in size. This Andrea Amati from c. 1550–1570 70.7 cm five-string cello was likely originally intended as a violoncello

2 3 Giovanni Battista ‘Starker’ Matteo Rogeri of 1699 Goffriller of 1705 he first notable Brescian maker of instruments Stradivari’s forma B, indicating that Maggini was very likely the first he first of the great Venetian cello makers was The Cremonese and Venetian violin making was Gasparo Bertolotti ‘da Salo’ (1540–1609). The Gaspar maker to arrive at these proportions. The death of Maggini meant (c. 1659–1742), who came traditions had their first intersection when Pietro instruments that are currently set up as cellos were an irreparable break in the tradition of Brescian instrument making from the Tyrol. His cellos range from 70 cm Guarneri (1695–1762) came to Venice in around probably originally conceived as viols or violones and until 1662, when Giovanni Battista Rogeri (c. 1642–c. 1705) arrived in small-sized instruments to larger 77 and 78 1717. Pietro was a maker of exceptional cellos that Tlater converted. They are rather rustic compared with the refined Brescia, fresh from his training in the shop of Nicolò Amati. While Tcm ones, most of which have since been reduced. perfectly fuse the best parts of the Venetian and Cremonese cellos from this period. The arching is full and rises the of Rogeri are close cousins of Nicolò Amati’s, the model The outlines of his cellos are highly variable, which Cremonese traditions. The model is reminiscent directly from the edges and the outline is broad but highly vari- he used for cellos is markedly different. With a back length of together with variations in the shape and setting of that of his father, ‘filius Andreae’, but distinctly able from one instrument to another. The corners are short and roughly 71 cm, sloping shoulders, closed C-bouts, hooked corners of the soundholes gives each instrument a unique recognisable with its wide set sound-holes, the sound-holes are long and variable and undercut into the plane and narrowly set sound-holes, Rogeri’s cellos presented a forward- appearance. attenuated stems and high-waisted C-bouts. of the table. thinking divergence from the Amati tradition. Without a doubt this was the direction of the cello at the end of the 17th century: a smaller Goffriller was the presumed teacher of the other great Santo Serafin (1699–1776) arrived in Venice from Gaspar was assisted by Giovanni Paolo Maggini (1580–1632). Cellos by body with shorter string and stop lengths, all leading towards a more Venetian cello maker, (1687–1750). Udine also in the year 1717. There are fewer than a dozen Maggini are extremely rare, and their dimensions are very similar to those of manageable instrument for virtuoso playing. Montagnana cellos are shorter in body-length than Goffrillers surviving cellos by Serafin and each is of exceptional quality and but are considerably broader in the bouts and in the waist, making craftsmanship. His model shows the inspiration of Stainer in the for a compact, manoeuvrable instrument with a highly resonant, outline and the head and Amati in the sound-holes, although the full-bodied tone. The archings are rounded but modest and never back length is a manageable 73–75 cm. The shallow C-bouts and Brescia Venice exaggerated. The sound-holes are modelled on an Amati pattern and short, pert corners create an effect of compact refinement and precisely executed. graceful elegance.

Matteo Goffriller, c. 1700–1710

Maggini c. 1630–31 Giovanni Battista Rogeri 1706 Matteo Goffriller c. 1730 Domenico Montagnana 1733 of Venice c. 1739 The few surviving Maggini This was the direction of the cello The outlines of Goffriller cellos are Montagnana cellos are shorter in Pietro Guarneri of Venice provided cellos are the earliest known at the end of the 17th century – a highly variable which gives each body-length than Goffrillers but are the first important intersection This Domenico Montagnana instruments of a 75.5 cm size smaller body with shorter a unique appearance considerably broader in the bouts between Cremona and Venice Beatrice Harrison of 1742 was formerly played by and stop lengths played a Pietro Guarneri Frans Helmerson cello (right) c. 1739

4 David Soyer played a David Bologna Rome Tecchler cello of 1713 ologna was arguably of greater importance The Tononi family provides he great 18th-century Roman tradition of Alongside Tecchler, Michele Platner is revered even than Venice for the development of an important bridge between cello making finds its roots in the workshop for his excellent and attractive cellos. Somewhat music featuring the cello as a solo instrument. Venice and Bologna. The work of of Alberto Platner, whose assistants probably more Germanic in styling than Tecchler with Composers Giuseppe Maria Jacchini, Giovanni Giovanni Tononi (c. 1640–1713) included David Tecchler (c. 1665– slightly rougher workmanship, Platner cellos BBattista degli Antonii, and Domenico Gabrielli all worked is an interesting mélange of Tc. 1747). Originally from Füssen, Tecchler is best known are found in a large and also a smaller pattern. in Bologna and wrote some of the earliest highly orna- different northern Italian traditions. for his cellos, which were built on a large and broad Platner’s assistant and successor Giulio Cesare mented virtuosic music in the cello repertoire. His cellos are built to an Amati pattern with a rounded high arch and an overall very Gigli (c. 1724–1794) made cellos in the style of model but with strong Venetian powerful appearance. Most have since been reduced Platner’s smaller model. Bologna was also an important location for the produc- influences. He often used beech but some extraordinary uncut examples survive. tion of strings for bass instruments and is thought to be and ash for his cellos with rather Tecchler sound-holes are a distinctive blend of Stainer And so by the end of the 18th century, smaller- the first city to produce wire-wound gut strings. These modest pine for the tables. The and Amati influences with large and often rounded pattern cellos were being made almost universally strings first appear around 1660 in Bologna around the heads of his cellos are most similar notches, elegant curved stems and tapered wings. throughout Italy. The great makers of the late 18th same time that the term ‘violoncello’ was first used to Goffriller with a small volute They are set wide apart and low in the belly, giving and 19 th centuries would make their own experi- explicitly in printed music, also in Bologna. These are and a tapering pegbox. Giovanni’s them a unique appearance. The scrolls are also very ments, but by 1730–1750 the cello had reached an perhaps secondary factors but they help to explain son Carlo Annibale (1675–1730) distinctive with a very narrow width between the ears, accepted form and function that has continued why the production of smaller-sized cellos flourished in succeeded him in 1713 but left for a deep and finely carved volute and a chunky eye. more or less unchanged to the present day. Venice and Bologna at the end of the 17th century. Venice in 1717.

Giovanni Tononi, c. 1680, Bernhard Romberg sold by Tarisio owned a David Tecchler cello of 1703

References Blot, Eric, Liutai in Brescia (1520–1724), Eric Blot Edizioni Huggins, Margaret L., Gio Paolo Maggini, His Life and Work, W.E. Hill & Sons, London, 1892 Bonta, Stephen, Terminology for the in Seventeenth-Century Italy, Journal of the American Padoan, Maurizio, La Musica in S. Maria Maggiore a Bergamo Instrument Society 4, 1978 nel periodo di Giovanni Cavaccio (1598–1626), Como, Bonta, Stephen, From Violone to Violoncello: A Question of A.M.I.S., 1983 Strings?, Journal of the American Instrument Society 3, 1977 Pio, Stefano, Violin and Makers of Venice (1640–1760), The best strings came from Bologna, wrote the Dowland, Robert, A Varietie of Lute Lessons, Thomas Adams, Venice Research, 2012 English composer Robert Dowland in 1610 London, 1610 Smith, Douglas Alton. A History of the Lute from Antiquity to Houël, Roland, Reconstitution d’un Violoncelle d’Andrea Amati the Renaissance, Lute Society of America, 2002

6 7 Giovanni Battista Grancino, Jean-Baptiste Milan, c. 1701, Vuillaume, About Tarisio sold by Tarisio Paris, c. 1850, sold by Tarisio Tarisio is a leading international Jean-Baptiste venue for fine instruments and Vuillaume, bows. Our goal is to make buying Paris, c. 1858, and selling instruments increasingly sold by Tarisio accessible for musicians, patrons, dealers and collectors.

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8 9 Wishing participants of the inaugural Queen Elisabeth Cello Competition 2017 great success!

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