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Amati

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For other uses, see Amati (disambiguation).
This Andrea Amati violin, now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, may have been part of a set made for the marriage of Philip II of Spain to Elisabeth of Valois in 1559, which would make it one of the earliest known violins in existence

Amati (/əˈmɑːti/, Template:IPA-it) is the last name of a family of Italian violin makers who lived at Cremona from about 1538 to 1740. Their importance is considered equal to those of the Bergonzi, Guarneri, and Stradivari families. Today, violins created by Nicolò Amati are valued at around $600,000.[1] Because of their age and rarity, Amati instruments are mostly kept in museum or private collections and are seldom played in public.

Family members

Andrea Amati

Main article: Andrea Amati

Andrea Amati (c. 1505 – December 20, 1577) designed and created the violin, viola and cello known as the "violin family". Based in Cremona, Italy, he standardized the basic form, shape, size, materials and method of construction. Makers from nearby Brescia experimented, such as Gasparo da Salò, Micheli, Zanetto and Pellegrino, but it was Andrea Amati who gave the modern violin family their definitive profile.

A claim that Andrea Amati received the first order for a violin from Lorenzo de' Medici in 1555 is invalid as Lorenzo de' Medici died in 1492. A number of Andrea Amati's instruments survived for some time, dating between 1538 (Amati made the first Cello called "The King" in 1538) and 1574. The largest number of these are from 1560, a set for an entire orchestra of 38 ordered by Catherine de Médicis the regent queen of France and bore hand painted royal French decorations in gold including the motto and coat of arms of her son Charles IX of France. Of these 38 instruments ordered, Amati created violins of two sizes, violas of two sizes and large-sized cellos. They were in use until the French revolution of 1789 and only 14 of these instruments survived. His work is marked by selection of the finest materials, great elegance in execution, soft clear amber, soft translucent varnish, and an in depth use of acoustic and geometrical principles in design. [2]

Antonio and Girolamo Amati

Andrea Amati was succeeded by his sons Antonio Amati (c. 1537–1607) and Girolamo Amati (c. 1551–1630). "The Brothers Amati", as they were known, implemented far-reaching innovations in design, including the perfection of the shape of the f-holes. They are also thought to have pioneered the modern alto format of viola, in contrast to older tenor violas, but the widespread belief that they were the first ones to do so is incorrect given that Gasparo da Salo (1542 – 1609) made violas ranging from altos of 39 cm to tenors of 44.7 cm.[citation needed][when?]

Nicolo Amati

Main article: Nicolò Amati

Nicolò Amati (December 3, 1596 – April 12, 1684) was the son of Girolamo Amati. He was the most eminent of the family.[citation needed] He improved the model adopted by the rest of the Amatis and produced instruments capable of yielding greater power of tone.[3] His pattern was unusually small, but he also made a wider model now known as the "Grand Amati", which have become his most sought-after violins.

Of his pupils, the most famous were Antonio Stradivari and Andrea Guarneri,[3] the first of the Guarneri family of violin makers. (There is much controversy regarding the apprenticeship of Antonio Stradivari.[citation needed] While the label on Stradivari's first known violin states that he was a pupil of Amati, the validity of his statement is questioned.[citation needed]

Girolamo Amati (Hieronymus II)

The last maker of the family was Nicolò's son, Girolamo Amati, known as Hieronymus II (February 26, 1649 – February 21, 1740). He improved the arching of his father's instruments.[citation needed]

Extant Amati instruments

Amati instruments include some of the oldest extant examples of the violin family, dating to as far back as the mid-16th century. For reasons of conservation[citation needed], they are only occasionally played in public.[why?]

United Kingdom

Instruments in the UK include Andrea Amati violins from the set delivered to Charles IX of France in 1564.

United States

Violas

The Stanley Solomon Tenore

Attributed to the Brothers Amati, ca 1536, c1539/77 (various sources below)

Originally a tenor viola, the front is of pine of slightly wavy grain of medium width. The back is one-piece of maple, slab-cut, slightly flamed but with evident circular decorations. The little scroll is later, but it matches the instrument. The varnish is golden brown.

Measurements (cm)
Length of back Upper Bout Middle Bouts Lower Bouts
43.2 20.6 13.7 24.5


Archivio della Liuteria Cremonese

Tarisio

The Witten, The IX Charles, The ex Collis

Andrea Amati, ca 1560

This rare viola is one of the best preserved of Andrea Amati's decorated instruments. It features gilt paintings of fleurs-de-lis and trefoils on its back, surrounding the monogram identified by Italian scholar Renato Meucci to be that of Marguerite de Valois-Angoulême. The Latin motto painted in gilt around the monogram, as well as around the ribs, is identical to that found on the Museum's Amati violin made at about the same time and may relate to the court of King Philip II of Spain. The loss of some of the mottoes' text, as well as other decorative elements painted on the back, clearly reveals that this instrument was reduced in both length and width from its original, large tenor dimensions.

Measurements (cm)
Length of back Upper Bout Middle Bouts Lower Bouts
40.6 18.5 13.1 23.9


Fine Strings

National Music Museum, The University of South Dakota

National Music Museum, The University of South Dakota

Tarisio

From the Charles IX Set

Andrea Amati, ca 1564

Label not original. "Andrea Amadi in Cremona M. D. L. xxiiij." (1574). Large tenor viola, with Charles IX decoration

Back: Two-piece of small-figured maple, bearing the royal insignia and motto. Top: of pine of varying grain. Scroll: original. Varnish: Golden-brown.

Measurements (cm)
Length of back Upper Bout Middle Bouts Lower Bouts
46.9 22.5 15.1 26.9


Tarisio

Tarisio

The ex Herrmann

The Brothers Amati, ca 1620

Norther Italian viola attributed to Andrea Amati. Made, in our opinion, circa 1620 by a member of the Amati school. The head by another maker. The back is from one piece of slab cut maple with faint irregular flames. The sides are from slab cut maple similar to the back. The scroll is from quarter cut maple with faint narrow flames. The top is from two pieces of spruce with medium and narrow grain. The dimensions are somewhat reduced. The varnish has a golden brown color. Labelled ANDREAS AMATIUS CREMONA 1567.

Measurements (cm)
Length of back Upper Bout Middle Bouts Lower Bouts
40.9 18.6 13.4 23.2


Christie's

Featured in The History of the Viola by Maurice W. Riley, ISBN 0960315004, 0960315012

The ex Wahl

Andrea Amati, ca 1568

Two-piece back with an ebony inlay of "Chinese-knot" design. Scroll not original. Label not original, dated 1568.

Measurements (cm)
Length of back Upper Bout Middle Bouts Lower Bouts
42.7 21 14 25.1


Strings Magazine

Tarisio

The Violetta

Andrea Amati, ca 1570

Two-piece back. The painted decoration is the coat of arms of the Spanish crown. Top with two small wings in the lower bouts. Scroll not original. Labeled "Niccolaus & Antonius Fratres Amati, Cremonem Fes...1649."

Measurements (cm)
Length of back Upper Bout Middle Bouts Lower Bouts
39.5 19 13.3 23.4


Tarisio

The Trampler

Antonio & Girolamo Amati, ca 1580-90

This instrument was cut down in size around 1800 from an original length of about 47 cm. The ribs are painted with the inscription: "Non AEtesin Homine sed Virtus Consideramus".

Although the instrument comes with a certificate from Simone F. Sacconi attributing it to the Brothers Amati circa 1620, both Charles Beare and Jacques Francais believe it to be a work of Andrea Amati, possibly completed by the Brothers Amati, in which case its date would be closer to 1580c.

Measurements (cm)
Length of back Upper Bout Middle Bouts Lower Bouts
44.4 21.6 15.2 27.6


Tarisio

Featured in The History of the Viola by Maurice W. Riley, ISBN 0960315004, 0960315012

The Henry IV

Girolamo Amati, ca 1590

One-piece back, covered with a painting of the armorial bearings of Henry IV supported on each side by an angel. Top of spruce with an open and well-defined grain. Scroll: of faint narrow curl. Ribs of wood similar to back, inscribed in gilt letters "Dvo Proteci Tvnvs". Red-brown varnish.

Measurements (cm)
Length of back Upper Bout Middle Bouts Lower Bouts
42.2 20 12.9 24.3


Tarisio

Featured in The History of the Viola by Maurice W. Riley, ISBN 0960315004, 0960315012

The Crocfisso, The Medecia

Antonio & Girolamo Amati, ca 1594

Commissioned for the Medici family, known as the 'Viola Medicea' or the 'Viola del Crocifisso' after the crucifix decoration on its back.

The Strad

The Stauffer

Antonio & Girolamo Amati, ca 1615

One-piece back of medium curl sloping from left to right. Top of distinct grain, broadening slightly towards the flanks. Scroll of wood similar to back. Ribs of wood similar to back. Golden-brown varnish. Labeled "Antonius & Hieronymus Fr. Amati Cremonen. Andreæ fil. F 1615."

Measurements (cm)
Length of back Upper Bout Middle Bouts Lower Bouts
41.1 19.6 12.9 24.6


Tarisio

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Violin Price Histories Archived 2011-07-17 at the Wayback Machine, violinadvisor.com, accessed 18 martie 2014
  2. ^ Dilworth, John. "The Violin and Bow-Origins and Development." The Cambridge Companion to the Violin. Ed. Robin Stowell. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992. 1–29. doi:10.1017/CCOL9780521390330.002
  3. ^ a b  One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Amati". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 1 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 783.
  4. ^ "A Double Bass Disaster!". Google Arts and Culture. Retrieved 2023-03-19.
  5. ^ "Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar – Single Episodes: The Ricardo Amerigo Matter". Retrieved October 31, 2017.

References

  • Dilworth, John (1992), "The Violin and Bow-Origins and Development" in: The Cambridge Companion to the Violin, ed. Robin Stowell. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 1–29.
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