Giovanni Battista Guadagnini

Giovanni Battista Guadagnini
Background information
Also known as G. B. Guadagnini
Giambattista Guadagnini
Born June 23, 1711(1711-06-23)
Bilegno in Val Tidone, Italy
Died September 18, 1786(1786-09-18) (aged 75)
Turin, Italy
Occupations Luthier, pedagogue
Years active 1729–1786

Giovanni Battista Guadagnini (or G. B. Guadagnini; Giambattista Guadagnini); (June 23, 1711 – September 18, 1786) was an Emiliano luthier, regarded as one of the finest craftsmen of string instruments in history.

Contents

Biography

Guadagnini was born in Bilegno in Val Tidone near Piacenza, now in Emilia-Romagna, Italy. He practiced his craft from about 1729 until his death, and his work is divided into four main periods corresponding to and named after, Piacenza, Milan, Parma and Turin, the four cities in Italy where he lived and worked. The instruments of the latter period, Turin, are generally considered to be his best work, and tend toward higher valuations.

Guadagnini's father, Lorenzo, his son, Giuseppe, and some other members of the Guadagnini family continued in the line of violin making through several generations.

He died in Turin in 1786.

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]
Goran Končar 1753, Milan [2]
Michał Kowalkowski 1753 "Gucio"
Adolf Brodsky 1751, Milan ex-Brodsky [3]
Amaury Coeytaux 1773 [4]
Roman Simovic 1752 on loan from Jonathan Moulds [5]
1752 ex-Kneisel Zakhar Bron 1757, Milan [6]
Andrew Dawes 1770, Parma [7]
Julia Fischer 1750 [8]
Felix Ayo 1744 [9]
David Halen 1753 [10]
Carl Flesch ex-Henri Vieuxtemps [11]
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.[1]
David Greed 1757 Owned by the Yorkshire Guadagini 1757 Syndicate. [12]
Arthur Grumiaux ex-Grumiaux [13]
Willy Hess 1740s [14]
Joseph Joachim 1767, Parma ex-Joachim [15]
Ida Kavafian 1751 [16] David Kim 1757 on loan from The Philadelphia Orchestra [17]
1752 ex-Kneisel
Mikhail Kopelman 1773 [18]
Jan Kubelik 1750 ex-Kubelik [19]
Pekka Kuusisto 1752 [20]
Tasmin Little 1757 [21]
Haldon Martinson 1750 Being used in the Boston Symphony Orchestra [22]
Viktoria Mullova 1750 [23]
Linda Rosenthal 1772, Turin [24]
Leon Sametini ex-Sametini [25]
Yvonne Smeulers 1785 [26]
Lara St. John 1779 Salabue called "the Resurrection" by St. John [27]
Stephanie Sant’Ambrogio 1757 [28]
Lyndon Johnston Taylor 1777 [29]
Vanessa-Mae 1761 "Gizmo" [30]
Henri Vieuxtemps ex-Henri Vieuxtemps [31]
Henryk Wieniawski 1750 ex-Wieniawski [32]
Eugène Ysaÿe 1754 ex-Eugène Ysaÿe [33]
Sini-Maaria Simonen 1760 on loan from the Finnish Cultural Foundation [34]
Jack Liebeck 1785 ex-Wilhelmj [35]
Cellists

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

References

  1. ^ Wagner, Thomas (2008-02-14). "Violinist: Fall Fractures $1M Fiddle". The Associated Press (Associated Press). http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080215/NEWS34/80215023. Retrieved 2008-02-15. 
  2. ^ Natalie Clein
  3. ^ Aitchison Mnatzaganian cello makers, restorers and dealers
  4. ^ Maxine Neuman's biography

External links