Violin makers, also known as luthiers, have passed down their fine art for over four centuries. The first violin, viola, and cello were made in the early 15th century in Italy, and as a result, a number of important and renowned luthiers have risen from its country of origin.
- Antonio Stradivari
Italian luthier, Antonio Stradivari, has been widely regarded as the greatest violin maker in history for quite some time. Born in Cremona in or around 1644, Stradivari was a pupil of Nicolò Amati when he began his career as a violin maker. He quickly became known for his skills in the art as he developed his own style for violins. Today, the Stradivari method of violin making has set a standard for modern times. Out of the almost thousand instruments Stradivari made in his lifetime, only about 650 survived; some of which are still in use to this day and have carried on his legacy for centuries. His instruments have topped prices at auctions and have been owned and played by the greatest musicians of the world. Despite the vast amount of knowledge that has been discovered about Stradivari’s violins, what makes them special is yet to be found. It has long been thought that the secret of Stradivari’s violins lies in his varnish, of which the formula has not been found.
- Nicolò Amati
Teacher of Antonio Stradivari and grandson to Andrea Amati, Nicolò Amati was the fourth in his family of influential Cremonese violin makers. In the year 1596, Amati was born as one of the twelve children of Girolamo Amati. Nicolò Amati began developing and showing his style of violin making, which is now known as the “Grand Amati Pattern.”
The Italian Plague of 1629-31 affected Amati greatly; it killed his father, mother, two of his sisters, and his rival Giovanni Paolo Maggini. This left Nicolò Amati as one of the only active luthiers in the Cremonese tradition with an overwhelming demand for instruments. This resulted in a number of apprentices who would later grow to be a generation of great violin makers. Nicolò passed down his legacy and the art of Cremonese violin making through his instruments and students. Today, his violins are kept in museums or private collections and seldom played in public due to their age and rarity.
- Andrea Guarneri
Among one of the apprentices of Nicolò Amati, Andrea Guarneri was the link between the Amati and Guarneri violin making dynasties. Andrea Guarneri was born in Cremona, Italy in 1626. He began his apprenticeship at Amati’s shop when he was fourteen years of age, in 1641. Guarneri adopted his teacher’s model so masterfully to the point where their works were indistinguishable. His models where generally freer and less precise than those of Amati, but nonetheless impeccable quality. Andrea Guarneri was the beginning of the Guarneri violin making bloodline; his two sons Giuseppe and Pietro both grew to become celebrated and distinguished luthiers and from them the Guarneri legacy grew with time. The instruments of the Guarneri dynasty are highly valued to this day; one of which, known as the Vieuxtemps Guarneri, recently claimed the title for the most expensive violin in the world.
- Francesco Ruggieri
Francesco Ruggieri was the first of an important family of luthiers, the Casa Ruggieri in Cremona, Italy. He was speculated to be one of the earliest apprentices of Nicolò Amati as displayed in his instruments. His violins were visibly inspired by Amati’s “Grand Amati Pattern,” as today many of his instruments are almost as renowned as Nicolò Amati’s violins.
Francesco worked most of his career just outside the walls of Cremona, Italy. There, he was assisted by his three sons as he closely followed the model of his teacher, Nicolò Amati. The Ruggieri tradition was carried on by Francesco’s son, Vincenzo Ruggieri, who was the only of his sons to pursue a successful career as a luthier.
5. Giusseppe Guarneri
Bartolomeo Giusseppe Guarneri was an Italian luthier born into the Guarneri family of Cremona. He was son to distinguished violin maker Andrea Guarneri, and carried on the family dynasty and traditions of violin making. Giusseppe was born in Cremona, Italy in the year of 1698. During his career as a luthier, he rivaled Antonio Stradivari. Their instruments meet each other in quality, as some even claim that Giusseppe’s violins are superior to Stradivari’s.
Many of his instruments were modeled after and derived from his family tradition, but eventually Giusseppe developed his own unique style. Today, fewer than 200 of his instruments survive. And due to the rarity and quality of his violins, their sale prices have been seen to exceed $10 million USD.
To many people this list is just the tip of the iceberg of the worlds most cherished violin makers. Often the best violin is the one that you already have and and can make music on. Keep on practicing and playing and maybe one day you will have the opportunity to see or even play one of the above listed violins.
