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Circa 1695 - 1725 Deep and brilliant in tone, the best Stradivarius violins were made during the third period, when Stradivari was in his 50's. The grace, beauty, and faultless perfection of instruments made during this period reflect the greatest violin maker's powers at his peak, reaching its zenith around 1714. Supple and elastic, the glorious translucent varnish applied by Stradivari continues to baffle experts. Over the centuries, masterful copies perfect to the smallest detail, still fail to capture the soul that Strads from this era radiate. Only after 1725, does the work of this great master begin to show the effects of age. Stradivari was a very prolific and industrious maker, completing, on the average, twenty five violins or ten celli a year. In his sixty or seventy years of activity, he must have completed well over a thousand instruments. A surprising number have survived to this day. However, as the single most imitated maker, there is little doubt that some of the surviving "genuine" Strads may ultimately be revealed as masterful copies. Bartolomeo Giuseppe Guarneri (b.1698 - d.1744) Bartolomeo Giuseppe Guarneri (also known as Joseph Guarnerius del Gesu) was the greatest master of the celebrated Guarneri family of violin makers. He was the grandson of Andrea, and son of Giuseppe Giovanni Battista (who was known as Joseph Guarnerius filius Andreae). The term "del Gesu" comes from his labels which always incorporated the characters I.H.S. (Iesu Hominum Salvator) and a Roman cross. Although his work may be divided into four periods,
instruments from the third period exhibit great originality
and superb varnish. Instruments of this period are broader
in the waist, with long but elegant inner bouts, long
and During the latter part of his life, many of Joseph del Gesu's instruments exhibited a noticeably impetuous and personal character. Contemporary research has dispelled the apocrophyl tales claiming that many of these instruments were "prison fiddles" or "drunken Josephs", made in prison, using wood, tools and varnish smuggled in by sympathetic jailers. On the contrary, these later instruments show remarkably accurate workmanship and originality. The famed violin virtuoso Nicolo Paganini's favorite violin was a Guarneri del Gesu violin from this era (1743). Francesco Ruggieri (b.1620 - d.1695) Thought to be Nicolo Amati's first pupil, Francesco Ruggieri is increasingly becoming recognized as a great Cremonese maker in his own right. Although he left Amati's shop around 1641, Francesco Ruggieri continued to craft instruments in the Amati style, and often labeled them as such. Ruggieri also made a large number of celli, and experimented with the pattern, eventually developing a smaller, more manageable model than the typical large dimension standard of the 17th century. Carlos Bergonzi (b.1683 - d.1747) Bergonzi is one of the greatest Cremonese makers, overshadowed only by Antonio Stradivari and Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesu. Carlos Bergonzi is thought to have learned the art of violin making from Giuseppe Guarneri filius Andreae, and Guarneri del Gesu, and established his own shop around 1720. Bergonzi's work is characterized by the delicacy of detail, especially his scrolls, which are cleanly carved and exceptionally symmetrical. His finest instruments date from 1730 to 1740, and are made from handsomely figured wood. Bergonzi apparently made neither violas nor celli. Continue
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perpendicular f-holes, perfect scrolls and
lovely varnish, said to equal Stradivari's. Deep and
powerful in tone, Guarneri instruments are said to rival
those made by Stradivari.