Show Notes
ANDREA AMATI PART 5. Andreas life is coming to an end, war is raging in France and fashion is dictating how you can hold your violin! Check it all out in this new episode. As the violin making workshop of the Amatis in Cremona was in full swing, different members of the French royal family were trying not to get murdered as Henry of Navarre soon to be King Henry IV of France married Catherine de Medici’s daughter. In the City of Cremona already renowned for its violin makers we take a look at the different musicians and composers coming out of the cathedral school, Monteverdi being one of them, who would go to work at the famed Mantuan court, and the Amati Brothers taking on a pivotal role in the family violin workshop as Andrea enters old age continuing the family tradition. Transcript It is said that many years ago, the king Agilulf destroyed the city of Cremona, and that for the longest time it remained a pile of ruins, destined to be forgotten with the memory of its people crumbling to dust. But then one spring morning, a war weary Gaelic prince, encamped on the banks of the Po, with his army, near a pile of crumbling stone buildings. And it was there, as he was resting, that he saw an extraordinary sight. A lion, but this was no ordinary lion. It was limping and appeared to be in pain, unable to walk on one of its paws. The gallant and fearless prince approached the animal, and the beast, upon remarking the prince, showed him his injured paw, cut and bleeding, with a thorn sticking out of the wound. The young man, showing not an inkling of fear, removed the thorn and healed the lion's soft paw. Just imagine the prince's surprise when a few hours later, the lion reappeared with a deer in his jaws. Padding forward, he offered his gift to the young man, laying his catch at the prince's feet as a gift. The mysterious prince left with his army the very next morning, but as they were setting off, who should appear but the faithful lion, who would go on and follow him wherever he would go. When they reached Rome, the prince realized that the ruined city where he had encamped and met his beloved lion was the city of Cremona. And so, as he made his way once again through the countryside, he headed for the ruins of this city. But tragically, on the way, his trusty lion died. And so, upon reaching the city, the Gaelic prince decided to rebuild Cremona. Firstly, he buried the lion, and on that spot, he built an incredibly tall tower, called the Torazzo. This is the bell tower of the cathedral in Cremona. And on top of this tower, for a very long time, was a majestic bronze statue of a lion in the act of raising his paw towards the prince. A few centuries after the lion was placed on the tower, the bronze animal was melted down and fashioned into a large bell that was placed in the tower. And as the bell rings, the memory of the faithful lion lives on. Today, there are at least 13 lions dotted along the facade of the baptistery, and more in front of the cathedral. Perhaps one of these fierce felines was the prince's faithful friend. And this is the legend of the Lion of Cremona. Hello and welcome to the Violin Chronicles, a podcast in which I, Linda Lespets, will attempt to bring to life the story surrounding famous, infamous, or just not very well known, but interesting violin makers of history. I'm a violin maker and restorer. I graduated from the French violin making school of Mirecourt some years ago now, and I currently live and work in Sydney with my husband Antoine, who is also a violin maker. In the last episode of the Violin Chronicles, we looked at Andrea Amati perfecting the outline of the modern day violin and the French court under King Charles IX, Catherine de Medici's heavy influence as regent on her young son, and the significance of the images painted on the instruments ordered for the king, who was indeed a music loving monarch. And finally, the Amatis working methods that led in part to the
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Katerina Guarneri was the wife of Giuseppe Guarneri AKA Del Gesu and what a life she had! Come experience the whirlwind of a life she had before she was quite literally ripped from history. To listen to the full episode please join me on Patreon at Patreon.com/theviolinchronicles.
DEL GESU PART 6. These are the final and perhaps most interesting years of Giuseppe Guarneri Del Gesu from an instrument making point of view, he is almost the last man standing in Cremona and with Stradivari and his father gone he really lets loose. Add to this the unanswered question of his wife Katarina’s role in the workshop and things just get a bit more mysterious. Dga1FbltPIWiq9i5mCJT
DEL GESU PART 5. Lets take a look at the tumultuous 1730s in Cremona shall we? And how the following events were in some way the making of our hero. As armies clash in the War of the Polish Succession, Del Gesu returns to his father's workshop, heralding a period of profound transformation in his craft. Discover how this chaotic era influenced Del Gesu's violins, leading to a golden period of violin-making amidst the backdrop of war and occupation. Featuring insights from expert guests Jonathan Marolle, Joe Bein, Christopher Reuning, and John Dilworth, this episode charts the transition and innovation that marked Del Gesu's golden period. Transcript The year was 1733 and the world beyond Cremona buzzed with talk of kings and crowns far away in Poland, king Augustus II the Strong, had died leaving behind a throne without an heir. It seemed a distant affair to the people of this quiet Lombard city on the Po River. Famous for its violins. Its craftsmen, and its golden fields. Yet even as the bells of the cathedral of Cremona tolled across the piazza whispers began. “The French are coming”, someone murmured. “For Poland?” came the puzzled reply “no” said another “for us”. In Poland, the nobles had gathered to elect a new king, many favoured Stanisław Leszczyński once a Polish monarch himself, and now the father-in-law of King Louis the 14th of France, the Polish monarchs were elected, but the Emperor Charles, the 6th of Austria and Empress, Anne of Russia, refused to accept a French backed candidate. They championed Augustus iii, the son of the late king, two kings were proclaimed and here comes the war for France and Spain. The Polish question was an excuse to strike at Austria's power, for Cremona it was the beginning of another unwanted war. In a small shop near the Piazza Del Commune, a Violin maker, Giuseppe bent over his workbench, listening to the chatter outside his mind, going over the question. “They say, the emperor calls us his subjects, but now the French and the Spanish march this way, whose subjects will we be next month? It's the same everywhere. We make violins. They make widows” Outside Austrian soldiers marched through the square, their white coats bright against the grey stone. To the people of Cremona they were both protectors and occupiers. Foreign rulers who demanded loyalty, taxes and silence. But our hero, well, he'd married the daughter of one, perhaps he spoke a bit of German. She could at least make herself understood. By 1734, the storm had broken French and Spanish troops allied to defend Stanisław claim poured across the Alps into northern Italy. The Austrians already fighting on too many fronts, fell back towards Mantua and Parma. Soon the fertile fields between the Po and the Olgio rivers became the front lines of Europe's quarrel, the Battle of Parma thundered. Only a day's ride from Cremona cannon's roared from the distant hills and smoke rose like storm clouds. Weeks later came another clash, the battle of Guastala so close that the ground in Cremona trembled under foot. Well, I might be exaggerating. Refugees streamed through the city gates, fields lay trampled bread grew scarce. The sound of music was replaced by the crack of muskets. They fight for the Polish crown people were saying in the market, but they break Italian hearts to do it. By 1735 Prince Charles Bourbon, a young and fiery commander from Spain, had taken the lead in the southern campaigns. His victories in Naples and Sicily filled Europe with his name in Cremona. Rumours spread that he would soon March North again. When Spanish troops entered the city that spring, they came weary, but triumphant. The Austrians had retreated. The people watched from behind shuttered windows as new banners. Red and gold flooded over the Citadel. Is this victory? You think Katarina asked Giuseppe? No. He replied. Setting down his tools. This is another kind of silence. For months, Cremona was caught between armies, supplies were seized
DEL GESU PART 4. The Violin Chronicles: Interview with Julian Thompson on His Antique Cello In this episode of the Violin Chronicles, we sit down with Julian Thompson, a distinguished cellist with the Australian Chamber Orchestra since 2006. Julian shares fascinating insights into the unique 1729 Giuseppe Guarneri cello he's been playing for the past eight years. We delve into the history, craftsmanship, and intricate details of this extraordinary instrument, including its complex provenance and distinctive features. Julian also discusses the quirks of playing such a historic cello, from its responsiveness to various climates to how its rich history impacts his playing style. Additionally, we touch upon the differences in construction techniques between Baroque and modern instruments, exploring how these methods influence their sound and playability. Join us for an in-depth look at one of the most remarkable cellos in existence and gain a deeper appreciation for the artistry involved in its creation and performance.
DEL GESU PART 3. In this episode we look at the mysterious years following Del Gesu's departure from his fathers workshop and his early independent work. This is a period in his life when our hero is in his prime and the instruments are all his own. The army is back in town and Giuseppe is putting new labels in his violins that today have all but disappeared, what statement is he trying to make here? Transcript Welcome back to the Violin Chronicles podcast. A show dedicated to the stories of history's greatest violin makers. My name is Linda Lespets, and if you haven't already done so, I would encourage you to sign up to Patreon, that's Patreon.com/the violin chronicles, where you can get extra episodes and extra content and to support the podcast if you felt that it has been useful and that you've learned so It would be very much appreciated. But here in this third episode, we're gonna jump in and have a look at what our violin maker is up to. So picture this, it's the early 1730s in Cremona. Our hero, the young Giuseppe Guarneri, is standing before the altar in the Church of San Pantaleone By special decree with the usual bands of marriage conveniently skipped. He weds Katarina, a German woman from Vienna, right under the watchful eyes of the Church's Vicar General. The witnesses are nobles and neighbours and the ceremony formal and blessed. Yet beneath her there is a hint of scandal because this wasn't just any marriage. Giuseppe Guarneri had married a foreigner from among what many locals saw as the occupying forces, and as if that weren't enough to raise eyebrows in Cremonas narrow streets he wasn't about to settle down at the family home on Piazza San Domenico, no Guarneri Del Gesu and his new bride were leaving. His brother had written from Venice boasting of steady work and success making instruments. Meanwhile, back home, Del Gesu’s father, the elder, Giuseppe, was drowning in debt and dragging the family workshop down with him. The house was falling apart, the business barely alive, and Giuseppe Guarneri Del Gesu knew that if he stayed, he'd sink with it. So he packed up his tools, took his young wife, and vanished from Cremona for a while. Or at least vanished from records. Where did he go? Honestly, no one's quite sure. These are what I like to call the wilderness years. A time when the trail goes cold and speculation begins and yeah, I like to speculate. Now remember this was the same era as Antonio Stradivari's Golden Period when Stradivari's instruments were gracing the salons of princes and patrons across Europe. But while Stradivari's clients were wealthy and insulated from the region's economic troubles, the rest of Cremona was in deep depression. The market for fine instruments had shrunk, and the city's famed liutaio were competing for a handful of buyers. Del Gesu must have wondered, what's the point of making violins here when no one's buying? So he didn't stop entirely. He continued to make the occasional instrument, but this time he refused to put his father's label inside. He wanted no association with the elder Giuseppe Guarneri, whose reputation was well, less than spotless. The old man owed money to half the city. His health was failing and his name wasn't one to build a future on, Guarneri Del Gesu’s new labels read. Giuseppe Guarneri Andrea Nepos (Giuseppe Guarneri, grandson of Andrea). He deliberately skipped his father's name, linking himself instead to his grandfather, the revered student of the great Nicolo Amati. It was a bold move, a quiet act of rebellion, and a statement of identity. I'm my own maker and I belong to the legacy of excellence, not the shadow of debt. He probably knew people would talk that it wasn't proper to make violins under a new name while his father still lived. But Del Gesu wasn't one to bow to convention. He had a new life, a new wife, and he had plans even if that meant wandering into obscurity for a while. And so began the lost years of Giuseppe Guarner