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In Focus: A 1659 violin by Nicolò Amati

2025-07-25T08:46:00

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Colin Adamson examines a mid-17th-century violin by the revered Cremonese maker

Nicolò Amati’s place as one of the most important luthiers in the history of violin making remains unchallenged. He survived the catastrophic plague in 1630, losing his father, mother and two sisters to the pandemic. This, combined with famine and war, left him as the only active violin maker in the Cremonese tradition. At the age of 34, after suffering so much tragedy, Nicolò had to pick up the pieces and oversee the family business. He must have been a truly formidable and strong character…

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