All Historical articles – Page 9
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News
Luthier Marten Cornelissen has died
The Dutch-born craftsman made more than 600 instruments during his lifetime
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New registry for fine instruments launched
The Si-Yo Fine Instrument Registry will store and update information on the musical treasures of the past
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The double basses of Domenico Busan
Busan was an assistant to Matteo Gofriller, the first maker of what is unambiguously a double bass. Here, Thomas Martin, George Martin and Martin Lawrence compare the styles of the two makers
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The Strad Calendar 2022: Antonio Stradivari violin c.1716 ‘Paul Godwin’
One notable feature of the Stradivari is the angled grain when looking at the side of the scroll
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Historical lutherie methods: Salts of wisdom
Remy Gug examines the treatment of wood described in several manuals of the 16th to 18th centuries, in this article from July 1987
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Double Bassist magazine: Matteo Gofriller c.1708 bass
Barrie Kolstein marvels at a magnificent 18th-century instrument by Matteo Gofriller, in this feature from the Autumn 2001 issue of our now-discontinued sister publication, Double Bassist
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The Strad Calendar 2022: G.B. Guadagnini cello 1750
The Guadagnini cello has intense deep reddish-brown varnish to spare
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Double Bassist magazine: The Master’s Voice - Bottesini's bass
Made in 1716 by Carlo Antonio Testore, this stylish double bass was once the companion of Giovanni Bottesini. Stefan Krattenmacher examines the instrument and its history, in this Summer 2000 article from our now-discontinued sister publication, Double Bassist
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Alchemy and wood treatment in Cremonese instruments
Wenjie Cai and Hwan-Ching Tai discuss the possible influence of alchemy in Cremonese wood treatment, in this extract from the December 2021 issue
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Wood treatment: Choosing resonant wood
Rémy Gug examines a method of selecting wood for making instruments. From January 1991
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The Strad Calendar 2022: Michele Angelo Bergonzi violin c.1750
Bergonzi used plain maple for the ribs but opted for a beech scroll with widely projected eyes
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Double Bassist magazine: The Merchant of Venice
Taken from our now-discontinued sister magazine, Double Bassist, this Winter 1996 article sees Barrie Kolstein admiring a beautiful bass by the maligned 18th-century luthier Francesco Gofriller
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Lutherie in the US: An American Dream
Violin making in the US was built on the aspirations of a few woodworkers with talent – and in two centuries it has evolved into a multimillion-dollar industry. Ahead of the publication of a new book, The American Violin, co-author Philip Kass traces the advancement of American lutherie and shows ...
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The Strad Calendar 2022: Gennaro Gagliano cello 1734
The Gagliano scroll is a perfect example of the Neapolitan style
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‘The first maker of what is unambiguously a double bass’
In this extract from the December 2021 issue, Thomas Martin, George Martin and Martin Lawrence examine the beginnings of bass making in Venice
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In Focus: An 1807 violin by William Ferguson
David Rattray details an instrument by the Scottish maker
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Making Matters: The imitation game
In 1927 a cache of documents came to light, purportedly from the Stradivari workshop – and fooled some of the leading experts of the day. Carlo Chiesa explains how the case turned out to be an elaborate forgery
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The Strad Calendar 2022: Giuseppe Antonio Rocca violin 1844
The Rocca is clearly modelled after the most famous Stradivari violin, the ‘Messiah’
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Pierre Aloysius Josephs: the first bow maker of the San Francisco Bay Area
In this extract from the November 2021 issue, Raphael Gold profiles the bow making work of Pierre Aloysius Josephs and his family
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The Strad Calendar 2022: Carlo Ferdinando Landolfi double bass c.1770
Landolfi’s choice of wood ranges from plain maple scrolls to highly flamed backs