There is hardly a person who has not heard of Stradivari violins ( Antonio Stradivar i, 1644 - December 18, 1737), the famous Italian master, student of Nicolo Amati ( Nicola Amati), on the head of one who surpassed his teacher.
Only the glory of another student of Amati can be compared with the glory of Stradivari - Andrea Guarneri (Andrea Guarner i, 1626-1698).
Both great Cremonese (city Cremona in Lombardy, was part of the Duchy of Milan, Italy) made about 1,500 string instruments in their lifetime, of which about 650 Stradivari violins and about 140 Guarneri violins have survived to our days.
In addition to violins, there were also guitars, violas and cellos, but nothing is known about their fate.
In the same way, until recently, nothing was known about who was the teacher of their teacher, Amati, who said all his life that he only passes on the knowledge and skills he inherited.
Here is what Amati himself wrote in his memoirs: " ... Our Lord, in His inexplicable mercy, sent me the most skillful teacher who ever lived in the world, and gave me the strength to learn from him those talents with which he was generously endowed. Now I share the received treasure, and I will give it to the last drop.".
But who is this mysterious teacher?
No other data, even a name, except for the Amati family recorded in the chronicles, and the fact of Nikolo's two-year training, have been preserved about him.
It seems that he appeared out of nowhere and disappeared into nowhere.
However, a recent discovery in the dungeon of one of the castles in the Krakow region has finally revealed one of the most amazing secrets.
What did the dungeon hide for more than two, as it is precisely established, centuries?
As it turned out, neither more nor less - famous Fallopian tubes (further FT - ed.) a set of 9 instruments - horns, oboes, flutes and clarinets (two units of each type), as well as a helicon, which was considered lost at the beginning of the 19th century, and according to many historians, did not exist at all, t .e. legendary.
Fallopian Tubes
According to some details, it was possible to establish that they were hidden in the dungeon by order of Napoleon, during the planned redeployment great army for winter quarters during the campaign of 1812.
FT very sensitive to temperature changes, so the only way to preserve them was to place them in conditions where the temperature is stable regardless of the season.
A few explanations to make their uniqueness clear.
Each musical instrument has a certain range of extracted sounds.
These ranges are described by the so-called. octave system, according to which there are 9 octaves in total, each of which has its own name - subcounter, counter, large, small, as well as from the first to the fifth.
In turn, any octave consists of 7 notes, from Before before Xi, whose frequency increases from left to right.
A total of 9 octaves cover the frequency range from 16.352 Hz (note Before subcontroctave) up to 8372 Hz (upper Xi fifth octave).
The human voice obeys the same laws.
A singer from St. Petersburg got into the Guinness Book of Records
Tatiana (Tatiana) Dolgopologova as the owner of the most unique voice on Earth.
It has an amazing range - 5 octaves and 1 tone (!!!). There is hardly a person who can surpass her capabilities.
Modern singers have an average range of 2 octaves, which is quite enough for full-fledged work on the stage.
Of course, among them there are exceptions.
Whitney Houston (Whitney Elizabeth Houston) neither more nor less, FIVE octaves. Thanks to her magnificent voice, the singer, who made a world tour six times in her life, was greeted with enthusiasm in any country in the world.
And the inimitable charismatic
Freddie Mercury (Freddie Mercury) with a voice range of 3 octaves fascinated multimillion-dollar stadiums.
The uniqueness FT lies in the fact that they can reproduce all notes of all octaves, and with absolute accuracy in frequency and without overlapping each other.
That is why the existence of such a set was considered impossible, since even with the help of modern electronic means the problem cannot be solved, primarily because of the imperfection of the acoustic systems.
The very name FT received by the name of the master who created them in the middle of the 16th century, Gabriel Fallopia (Gabriele Falloppio).
Who was the teacher, as established, Nicolo Amati ...
This conclusion was made on the basis of a study of the miraculously preserved leather mouthpiece of one of the flutes, made of stingray skin, on the reverse side of which (the mouthpiece) it was possible to decipher the entry:
I, Mykola Muzichko, of the ranks here are Gabriel Fallopius, having robbed the number of virgins "yet tools for the training of my vihoventsya, Nicholas of the Amati family, for which I took a fee of 404 ducats
I managed to unravel the mystery of sound FT- as it turned out, they are made of an alloy of silver, titanium, rubidium and platinum.
This is, although indirect, but extremely powerful additional confirmation, since only one deposit with a similar composition of metals is known in Europe, and it is located in the Poltava region.
According to experts, the market value FT may be from 8 to 12 billion euros.
Now Ukraine is negotiating with Poland on the return of the national treasure, since its ownership leaves absolutely no room for doubt for those who understand.
These three masters are considered the creators of the first violins of the modern type. However, it would be an exaggeration to see in them the first masters who made high-quality bowed instruments. They inherited the tradition of making viols (and lutes), represented by the few instruments that have survived. There is documentary evidence of the existence of violins that were used 30 years (or maybe even earlier) before the appearance of the first instruments known to us by Andrea Amati, dating back to 1546.
On the other hand, pictorial materials show that during Andrea's lifetime there was a model of the instrument that differed from that approved as the standard by Amati in Cremona and his colleagues in Brescia. This last type of instrument was not substantially changed a century later by the great Antonio Stradivari. Amati first established the type of violin as an instrument approaching in its expressiveness the timbre of the human voice (soprano).
Andrea Amati made mostly small violins with low sides and rather high soundboards. The head is large, skillfully carved. For the first time, he determined the selection of wood characteristic of the Cremonese school: maple (lower decks, sides, head), spruce or fir (top decks). On cellos and double basses, the lower soundboards are sometimes made of pear and plane tree. Achieved a clear, silvery, gentle (but not strong enough) sound. Andrea Amati raised the importance of the profession of a violin maker. The classical type of violin he created (the outlines of the model, the processing of the vaults of the decks) remained basically unchanged. All subsequent improvements made by other masters mainly concerned the power of sound. Today Andrea Amati's instruments are rare. His works are characterized by great elegance and perfection of geometric lines.
Amati brought the type of violin developed by his predecessors to perfection. In some large format violins (364-365 mm), the so-called Grand Amati, he enhanced the sound while maintaining the softness and tenderness of the timbre. With the elegance of form, his instruments make a more monumental impression than the work of his predecessors. The varnish is golden yellow with a slight brown tint, sometimes red. The cellos of Nicolo Amati are also excellent. Very few violins and cellos, created by the most famous of the masters of the Amati family - Nicolo, have survived - just over 20.
Amati violins have a pleasant, clean, gentle, though not strong, tone; these violins are small in size, beautifully finished, significantly arched above and below, as a result of which they do not have a wide and sonorous tone.
It can be seen that people who have achieved perfection in any activity almost always have students. After all, knowledge exists to spread it. Someone passes it on to relatives, from generation to generation. Someone gives the same talented craftsmen, and someone just to all those who show interest. But there are those who, until their last breath, try to hide the secrets of their skill. Anna Baklaga about the mysteries of Antonio Stradivari.
Before understanding his true destiny, the great master went through many professions. He tried to draw, make wooden decorations for furniture, sculpt statues. Antonio Stradivari diligently studied the ornamentation of doors and wall paintings of cathedrals until he realized that he was attracted by music.
Stradivari did not become famous due to insufficient arm mobility.
Despite diligent studies in playing the violin, he failed to become a famous musician. Stradivari's hands were not mobile enough to extract a melody of particular purity. However, he had an excellent ear and an ardent desire to improve the sound. Seeing this, Nicolò Amati (Stradivari's teacher) decided to dedicate his ward to the very process of creating a violin. After all, the sound of a musical instrument directly depends on the quality of the assembly.
Soon, Antonio Stradivari found out how thick soundboards should be. Learned to choose the right tree. I understood what role the varnish covering it plays in the sound of the violin, and what is the purpose of the spring inside the instrument. At twenty-two, he made his first violin.
In his violin, Stradivari wanted to hear children's and women's voices
After he managed to create a violin, the sound is no worse than that of his teacher, he began to work independently. Stradivari had a dream to build the most ideal instrument. He was just obsessed with this idea. In the future violin, the master wanted to hear the sounds of children's and women's voices.
Before achieving the desired result, Antonio Stradivari went through thousands of options. The most important thing was to find the right kind of wood. Each tree resonates differently, and he sought to distinguish them by their acoustic properties. Of great importance was the month in which the trunk was cut down. For example, if in spring or summer, then there was a possibility that the tree would ruin everything, since it would have a lot of juice. A truly good tree came across rarely. Often, the master carefully used one barrel for several years.
The sound of the future violin directly depended on the composition of the varnish with which the instrument was coated. And not only from the varnish, but also from the primer that needs to cover the tree so that the varnish does not soak into it. The master weighed the details of the violin trying to find the best proportion between the lower and upper deck. It was a long and painstaking job. A lot of tried and tested options and many years of calculations went into making a violin unsurpassed in sound quality. And only at the age of fifty-six he managed to construct it. It was elongated in shape and had kinks and irregularities inside the body, due to which the sound was enriched due to the appearance of a large number of high overtones.
Stradivari created the perfect instrument at the age of 56
However, in addition to excellent sound, his instruments were famous for their unusual appearance. He skillfully decorated them with all sorts of drawings. All violins were different: short, long, narrow, wide. Later, he began to make other stringed instruments - cello, harp and guitar. Thanks to his work, he achieved fame and honor. Kings and nobles ordered him instruments that were considered the best in Europe. During his life, Antonio Stradivari made about 2,500 instruments. Of these, 732 originals have been preserved.
For example, the famous cello called "Bass of Spain" or the most magnificent creation of the master - the violin "Messiah" and the violin "Muntz", according to the inscription on which (1736. D'anni 92) it was calculated that the master was born in 1644.
However, despite the beauty that he created, as a person, he was remembered as silent and sullen. To his contemporaries, he seemed aloof and stingy. Perhaps he was like that because of the constant hard work, or maybe he was simply envied.
Antonio Stradivari died at ninety-three. But until the end of his long life, he continued to make instruments. His works are admired and appreciated to this day. Unfortunately, the master did not see worthy successors to the knowledge he had acquired. In the literal sense of the word, he took it with him to the grave.
Stradivari made about 2500 instruments, 732 originals have been preserved
The most interesting thing is that the violins he made practically do not age and do not change their sound. It is known that the master soaked wood in sea water and exposed it to complex chemical compounds of plant origin. However, it has not yet been possible to determine the chemical composition of the primer and varnish applied to his tools. Using the work of Stradivari as an example, scientists have conducted many studies and attempts to make a similar violin. Until now, no one has been able to achieve that perfect sound, like the original creations of the master.
Many Stradivari instruments are in rich private collections. There are about two dozen violins by the master in Russia: several violins are in the State Collection of Musical Instruments, one is in the Glinka Museum, and a few more are privately owned.
Amati, Guarneri, Stradivari.Names for eternity
In the 16th and 17th centuries, large schools of violin makers developed in several European countries. The representatives of the Italian violin school were the famous Amati, Guarneri and Stradivari families from Cremona.
Cremona
The city of Cremona is located in Northern Italy, in Lombardy, on the left bank of the Po River. Since the 10th century, this city has been known as a center for the production of pianos and bowed strings. Cremona officially bears the title of world capital of the production of stringed musical instruments. Nowadays, more than a hundred violin makers work in Cremona, and their products are highly appreciated by professionals. In 1937, on the bicentenary of the death of Stradivarius, a violin-making school, now widely known, was founded in the city. It has 500 students from all over the world.
Panorama of Cremona 1782
Cremona has many historical buildings and architectural monuments, but the Stradivarius Museum is perhaps the most interesting attraction of Cremona. The Museum has three departments dedicated to the history of violin making. The first one is dedicated to Stradivari himself: some of his violins are kept here, samples of paper and wood with which the master worked are exhibited. The second section contains works by other violin makers: violins, cellos, double basses made in the 20th century. The third section tells about the process of making stringed instruments.
The outstanding Italian composer Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) and the famous Italian stone carver Giovanni Beltrami (1779-1854) were born in Cremona. But most of all Cremona was glorified by the violin makers Amati, Guarneri and Stradivari.
Unfortunately, while working for the benefit of mankind, the great violin makers did not leave behind their own images, and we, their descendants, do not have the opportunity to see their appearance.
Amati
Amati (ital. Amati) - a family of Italian masters of bowed instruments from the ancient Cremonese family of Amati. The mention of the name Amati is found in the annals of Cremona as early as 1097. The founder of the Amati dynasty, Andrea, was born around 1520, lived and worked in Cremona and died there around 1580.
Violin making was also done by two famous contemporary Andrea - masters from the city of Brescia - Gasparo da Salo and Giovanni Magini. The Breshan school was the only one that could compete with the famous Cremonese school.
From 1530, Andrea, together with his brother Antonio, opened his own workshop in Cremona, where they began to make violas, cellos and violins. The earliest tool that has come down to us is dated 1546. He still retains some features of the Breschan school. Starting from the traditions and technology of making stringed instruments (viols and lutes), Amati was the first among his fellow workers to create a violin of the modern type.
Amati created violins in two sizes - a large (grand Amati) - 35.5 cm in length and a smaller one - 35.2 cm.
The violins were with low sides and a fairly high vault of soundboards. The head is large, skillfully carved. Andrea was the first to determine the choice of wood characteristic of the Cremonese school: maple (lower decks, sides, head), spruce or fir (top decks). On cellos and double basses, the bottom soundboards were sometimes made of pear and plane tree.
Having achieved a clear, silvery, delicate (but not strong enough) sound, Andrea Amati raised the importance of the profession of a violin maker. The classical type of violin he created (the outlines of the model, the processing of the vaults of the decks) remained basically unchanged. All subsequent improvements made by other masters mainly concerned the power of sound.
At twenty-six, the talented violin maker Andrea Amati had already "made" a name for himself and put it on the labels attached to the instruments. The rumor about the Italian master quickly spread throughout Europe and reached France. King Charles IX invited Andrea to his place and ordered him to make violins for the court ensemble "24 Violins of the King". Andrea made 38 instruments, including treble and tenor violins. Some of them have survived.
Andrea Amati had two sons - Andrea-Antonio and Girolamo. Both grew up in their father's workshop, were partners of their father all their lives and were probably the most famous violin makers of their time.
The instruments made by the sons of Andrea Amati were even more elegant than those of their father, and the sound of their violins was even more gentle. The brothers slightly enlarged the vaults, began to make a recess along the edges of the decks, lengthened the corners and slightly, just a little bit, bent the hilts.
Nicolo Amati
Girolamo's son Nicolo (1596-1684), Andrea's grandson, achieved particular success in making violins. Nicolò Amati created a violin designed for public performances. He brought the form and sound of his grandfather's violin to the highest perfection and adapted it to the requirements of the time.
To do this, he slightly increased the size of the body ("large model"), reduced the bulges of the decks, increased the sides and deepened the waist. He improved the tuning system of the decks, paying special attention to the impregnation of the decks. I selected wood for the violin, focusing on its acoustic properties. In addition, he ensured that the varnish covering the instrument was elastic and transparent, and the color was golden-bronze with a reddish-brown tint.
The design changes made by Nicolo Amati made the violin sound stronger and the sound spread further without losing its beauty. Nicolò Amati was the most famous of the Amati family, partly because of the sheer number of instruments he made, partly because of his illustrious name.
All of Nikolo's instruments are still prized by violinists. Nicolo Amati created a school of violin makers, among the students were his son Girolamo II (1649 - 1740), Andrea Guarneri, Antonio Stradivari, who later created their own dynasties and schools, and other students. The son of Girolamo II could not continue the work of his father, and it died out.
Guarneri.
The Guarneri are a family of Italian string instrument makers. The ancestor of the family, Andrea Guarneri, was born in 1622 (1626) in Cremona, where he lived, worked and died in 1698.
He was a student of Nicolò Amati and made his first violins in the Amati style.
Later, Andrea developed his own violin model, in which the ffs had irregular outlines, the top of the decks was flatter, and the sides were rather low. There were other features of Guarneri's violins, in particular their sound.
The sons of Andrea Guarneri - Pietro and Giuseppe - were also great masters of violin making. The elder Pietro (1655 -1720) worked first in Cremona, then in Mantua. He made instruments according to his own model (wide “chest”, convex vaults, rounded hilts, rather wide curl), but his instruments were close in manufacture and sound to his father's violins.
Andrea's second son, Giuseppe Guarneri (1666 - c. 1739), continued to work in the family workshop and tried to combine the models of Nicolò Amati and his father, but, succumbing to the strong influence of the work of his son (the famous Giuseppe (Joseph) del Gesú), began to imitate him in the development strong and masculine sound.
The eldest son of Giuseppe - Pietro Guarneri 2nd (1695-1762) worked in Venice, the youngest son - also Giuseppe (Joseph), nicknamed Guarneri del Gesu, became the largest Italian violin maker.
Guarneri del Gesu (1698-1744) created his own type of violin, designed to be played in a large concert hall. The best violins of his work are distinguished by strong voices with thick, full tones, expressiveness and variety of timbre. The first to appreciate the advantage of Guarneri del Gesù violins was Niccolò Paganini.
Violin by Guarneri del Gesu, 1740, Cremona, inv. №31-a
Belonged to Xenia Ilyinichna Korovaeva.
Entered the State Collection in 1948.
Main dimensions:
body length - 355
top width - 160
bottom width - 203
smallest width - 108
scale - 194
neck - 131
head - 107
curl - 40.
Materials:
lower deck - from one piece of maple-sycamore semi-radial cut,
the side is made of five parts of sycamore maple, the upper deck is made of two parts of spruce.
Antonio Stradivari
Antonio Stradivari or Stradivarius is a famous master of stringed and bowed instruments. It is believed that he lived and worked in Cremona because one of his violins is stamped "1666, Cremona". The same stigma confirms that Stradivari studied with Nicolò Amati. It is also believed that he was born in 1644, although the exact date of his birth is unknown. The names of his parents are known - Alexandro Stradivari and Anna Moroni.
In Cremona, starting in 1680, Stradivarius lived in St. Dominic, where he opened a workshop in which he began to make stringed instruments - guitars, violas, cellos and, of course, violins.
Until 1684, Stradivari built small violins in the Amati style. He diligently reproduced and improved the teacher's violins, trying to find his own style. Gradually, Stradivari freed himself from the influence of Amati and created a new type of violin, differing from Amati violins in timbre richness and powerful sound.
Beginning in 1690, Stradivari began to build larger instruments than the violins of his predecessors. A typical "elongated violin" Stradivari is 363 mm long, which is 9.5 mm larger than an Amati violin. Later, the master reduced the length of the instrument to 355.5 mm, at the same time making it somewhat wider and with more arched vaults - this is how a model of unsurpassed symmetry and beauty was born, which went down in world history as the "Stradivarius violin", and covered the name of the master himself with an unfading glory.
The most outstanding instruments were made by Antonio Stradivari between 1698 and 1725. All violins of this period are remarkable for their remarkable finish and excellent sound characteristics - their voices are similar to a sonorous and gentle female voice.
Throughout his life, the master created more than a thousand violins, violas and cellos. Approximately 600 of his violins have survived to our time, some of his violins are known by their own names, for example, the Maximilian violin, which was played by our contemporary, the outstanding German violinist Michel Schwalbe - the violin was given to him for life use.
Other celebrated Stradivari violins include the Betts (1704) at the Library of Congress, the Viotti (1709), the Alard (1715) and the Messiah (1716).
In addition to violins, Stradivari made guitars, violas, cellos, and created at least one harp - more than 1,100 instruments by current count. The cellos that came out of the hands of Stradivari have a wonderful melodious tone and outward beauty.
Stradivari instruments are distinguished by a characteristic inscription in Latin: Antonius Stradivarius Cremonensis Faciebat Anno in translation - Antonio Stradivari of Cremona made in the year (such and such).
After 1730 some Stradivari instruments were signed Sotto la Desciplina d'Antonio Stradivari F. in Cremona )
