Giovanni Battista Guadagnini
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| Giovanni Battista Guadagnini | |
|---|---|
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| Background information | |
| Also known as | J.B. Guadagnini Giambattista Guadagnini |
| Born | June 23, 1711 Bilegno in Val Tidone, Italy |
| Died | September 18, 1786 (aged 75) Turin, Italy |
| Occupation(s) | Luthier, pedagogue |
| Years active | 1729-1786 |
Giovanni Battista Guadagnini (J.B. Guadagnini; Giambattista Guadagnini; June 23, 1711 - September 18, 1786) was an Italian luthier, regarded as one of the finest craftsman of string instruments in history. His violins are often referred to as "poor man's Strads" which alludes to the work of Antonio Stradivari, who is generally considered to be the greatest violin maker of all time.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
Guadagnini was born in Bilegno in Val Tidone near Piacenza, current Emilia-Romagna. He practiced his craft from about 1729 until his death and his work is divided into four main periods corresponding to and named after Parma, Piacenza, Milan, and Turin, the four cities in Italy where he lived and worked. The instruments of his later period, Turin, are generally considered to be his best work, and tend toward higher valuations.
Guadagnini's father, Lorenzo, his son, Giuseppe, as well as some other members of the Guadagnini family continued in the line of violin making through several generations.
He died in Turin in 1786.
[edit] Performers who have used or are using Guadagnini instruments
- Violinists
| Violinist | Date & place of manufacture | Instrument name | Comments | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riccardo Brengola | 1747, Piacenza | "Contessa Crespi" | [1] | |
| Adolf Brodsky | 1751, Milan | ex-Brodsky | [2] | |
| Zakhar Bron | 1757, Milan | [3] | ||
| Julia Fischer | 1750 | [4] | ||
| Carl Flesch | ex-Henri Vieuxtemps | [5] | ||
| David Garrett | 1772 | In December of 2007, Garrett fell after a performance and smashed his Guadagnini, which he had purchased four years earlier for US$1 million.[1] | ||
| Arthur Grumiaux | ex-Grumiaux | [6] | ||
| Willy Hess | 1740s | [7] | ||
| Joseph Joachim | 1767, Parma | ex-Joachim | [8] | |
| David Kim | 1757 | on loan from The Philadelphia Orchestra | [9] | |
| Franz Kneisel | 1752 | ex-Kneisel | [10] | |
| Mikhail Kopelman | 1773 | [11] | ||
| Jan Kubelik | 1750 | ex-Kubelik | [12] | |
| Pekka Kuusisto | 1752 | [13] | ||
| Tasmin Little | 1757 | [14] | ||
| Viktoria Mullova | 1750 | [15] | ||
| Linda Rosenthal | 1772, Turin | [16] | ||
| Leon Sametini | ex-Sametini | [17] | ||
| Lara St. John | 1779 | Salabue | called "the Resurrection" by St. John | [18] |
| Stephanie Sant’Ambrogio | 1757 | [19] | ||
| Vanessa-Mae | 1761 | [20] | ||
| Henri Vieuxtemps | ex-Henri Vieuxtemps | [21] | ||
| Henryk Wieniawski | 1750 | ex-Wieniawski | [22] | |
| Eugène Ysaÿe | 1754 | ex-Eugène Ysaÿe | [23] |
- Cellists
- Natalie Clein plays the "Simpson" Guadagnini cello (1777) [2]
- David Geringas plays a G. B. Guadagnini cello made in Turin in 1761 [3]
[edit] Bibliography
 This article is part of the Fiddle & Violin series. |
| Basic physics of the violin |
| Fiddlers |
| History of the violin |
| Luthiers |
| Musical styles |
| Making and maintenance |
| Playing the violin |
| Violin construction |
| Violin family of instruments |
| Violinists |
- Guadagnini
- G B Guadagnini
- E.N. Doring: The Guadagnini Family of Violin Makers (Chicago,1949)
- A.H. König, ed.: Die Geigenbauer der Guadagnini-Familie. Die Turiner Schule (Frankfurt, 1981)
- G. Fiori: ‘Documenti biografici di artisti e personaggi piacentini dal ’600 all’ ’800 nell’Archivo Vescovile di Piacenza’, Strenna piacentina (1994), 67–111
- P.J. Kass: Violin Makers of the Piedmontese School
- Vannes, Rene [1951] (1985). Dictionnaire Universel del Luthiers (vol.3). Bruxelles: Les Amis de la musique. OCLC 53749830.
- William, Henley (1969). Universal Dictionary of Violin & Bow Makers. Brighton; England: Amati. ISBN 0901424005.
- Walter Hamma, Meister Italienischer Geigenbaukunst, Wilhelmshaven 1993, ISBN 3-7959-0537-0
- G.B. Guadagnini - The life and achievement of a master maker by Duane Rosengard (Carteggio Media 2000)
[edit] References
- ^ Wagner, Thomas. "Violinist: Fall Fractures $1M Fiddle", The Associated Press, The Associated Press, 2008-02-14. Retrieved on 2008-02-15.
- ^ http://www.natalieclein.com/
- ^ http://www.aitchisoncellos.com/articleguad.htm
[edit] External links
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Guadagnini, Giovanni Battista |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Luthier |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1711-06-23 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Bilegno in Val Tidone |
| DATE OF DEATH | 1786-11-18 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | Turin |
