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Joannes Baptista Guadagnini
Giovanni Battista Guadagnini (often shortened to G. B. Guadagnini; 23 June 1711 – 18 September 1786) was an Italian luthier, regarded as one of the finest craftsmen of string instruments in history. Reprint with new introduction by Stewart Pollins, Dover Books, 2012. He is widely considered the third greatest maker after Antonio Stradivari and Giuseppe Guarneri "del Gesù". The Guadagnini family was known for their violins, guitars and mandolins. Biography Giovanni Battista Guadagnini was born on June 23, 1711 in the hamlet of Bilegno, in what is now the Province of Piacenza in Northern Italy. Both his life and his career can be divided into four distinct periods, which correspond to the four cities in which he would live and work, Piacenza, Milan, Parma, and Turin. Almost nothing is known about his early years until he moved to the nearby city of Piacenza in 1738. His first violins begin appearing in 1742. It is unknown where or from whom he learned his trade. It is li ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bilegno In Val Tidone
Borgonovo Val Tidone ( egl, label= Piacentino, Burgnöv, or ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Piacenza in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about northwest of Bologna and about west of Piacenza. Borgonovo Val Tidone borders the following municipalities: Agazzano, Alta Val Tidone, Castel San Giovanni, Gragnano Trebbiense, Pianello Val Tidone, Rottofreno, Sarmato, Ziano Piacentino. The ''frazione'' of Bilegno was the birthplace of the luthier Giovambattista Guadagnini. The town was founded in 1196 by the commune of Piacenza as a fortified outpost with a rectangular plan. This '' Rocca'' is now the town hall. People *Francesco Alberoni (born 1929), sociologist and journalist *Matteo Corradini (born 1975), writer * Flaviano Labò (1927–1991), operatic tenor *Mario Morini (born May 1940), hospitality entrepreneur *Fabio Paratici (born July 13, 1972), managing director of football, Tottenham Hotspur FC International relations Twin towns †... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bilegno
Borgonovo Val Tidone ( egl, label= Piacentino, Burgnöv, or ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Piacenza in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about northwest of Bologna and about west of Piacenza. Borgonovo Val Tidone borders the following municipalities: Agazzano, Alta Val Tidone, Castel San Giovanni, Gragnano Trebbiense, Pianello Val Tidone, Rottofreno, Sarmato, Ziano Piacentino. The ''frazione'' of Bilegno was the birthplace of the luthier Giovambattista Guadagnini. The town was founded in 1196 by the commune of Piacenza as a fortified outpost with a rectangular plan. This '' Rocca'' is now the town hall. People *Francesco Alberoni (born 1929), sociologist and journalist *Matteo Corradini (born 1975), writer * Flaviano Labò (1927–1991), operatic tenor *Mario Morini (born May 1940), hospitality entrepreneur *Fabio Paratici (born July 13, 1972), managing director of football, Tottenham Hotspur FC International relations Twin towns †... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Felix Ayo
Felix Ayo Losada (born July 1, 1933, Sestao, Spain) is a Spanish born, naturalised Italian, violinist. He is renowned as a founder of the Italian ensemble I Musici; as an internationally renowned violinist, who is often a soloist, and is a performer of chamber music; as a teacher; and as a recording artist with a career that has spanned more than fifty years. Early career He was born in Sestao (Spain). He began his musical studies at the Municipal Conservatory of Sestao. He then continued his music studies at the Municipal Conservatory of Bilbao. Completing his musical studies with honours at 14 years of age, Felix Ayo continued to study in Paris, Siena and Rome. He was a founder of the ensemble I Musici, and remained their first violin soloist for sixteen years. In 1970 he formed the Quartetto Beethoven di Roma, which is generally considered to be one of the best string quartets and piano quartets in existence. Performances He has played in the most important theatres of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sobriquet
A sobriquet ( ), or soubriquet, is a nickname, sometimes assumed, but often given by another, that is descriptive. A sobriquet is distinct from a pseudonym, as it is typically a familiar name used in place of a real name, without the need of explanation, and it often becomes more familiar than the original name. The term ''sobriquet'' may apply to the nickname for a specific person, group of people, or place. Examples are "Emiye Menelik", a name of Emperor Menelik II of Ethiopia, who was popularly and affectionately recognized for his kindness ("emiye" means "mother" in Amharic); "Genghis Khan", who now is rarely recognized by his original name Temüjin; and Mohandas Gandhi, who is better known as " Mahatma" Gandhi ("mahatma" means "great soul" in Sanskrit). Well-known places often have sobriquets, such as New York City, often referred to as the " Big Apple". Etymology The modern French spelling is . Two early variants of the term are found: and . The first early spelling vari ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ignazio Alessandro Cozio Di Salabue
Count Ignazio Alessandro Cozio di Salabue (1755–1840) was an Italian count known as the first great connoisseur and collector of violins. A trove of correspondence and memoirs on the history of violinmaking known as the ''Carteggio'' forms the basis of his biography. Cozio's meticulous notes on nearly every instrument that passed through his hands contributed enormously to the body of knowledge surrounding Italian violinmaking. Early life and education Cozio was born in the Piedmontese town of Casale Monferrato to an aristocratic and intellectual family. The count's father Carlo Cozio owned an Amati violin, which may have piqued Cozio's fascination with violinmaking.Rosengard, p. 107 Career In 1771, Cozio attended the military academy in Turin, where he became acquainted with Giovanni Battista Guadagnini, the famous violin maker. Guadagnini became a principal figure in Cozio's education about the history of violinmaking and his acquisition of instruments. The Count's aristoc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Guillaume Du Tillot
Léon Guillaume (du) Tillot (Bayonne, 22 May 1711 — Paris, 1774) was a French politician infused with liberal ideals of the Enlightenment, who from 1759 was the minister of the Duchy of Parma under Philip, Duke of Parma and his wife Princess Louise-Élisabeth of France. At a time when both Bourbon France and Bourbon Spain thought of Parma as a strategic point of interest, Tillot favoured French policies abroad and wide-ranging reforms within the Duchy of Parma. He was made marchese di Felino. Tillot's career was of his own making. The son of a ''valet de chambre'', he studied at the Collège des Quatre-Nations at Paris, then went to the court of Charles III of Spain; after Charles' departure to be King of Sicily, Tillot was attached to the household of Philippe de Bourbon, whose private secretary and treasurer he became. He organised ''fêtes'' for Philippe at Chambéry and elsewhere. Career at Parma In June 1749, at Louis XV's request he left Paris for Parma, to serve as obser ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Parma
Parma (; egl, Pärma, ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, music, art, prosciutto (ham), cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,292 inhabitants, Parma is the second most populous city in Emilia-Romagna after Bologna, the region's capital. The city is home to the University of Parma, one of the oldest universities in the world. Parma is divided into two parts by the stream of the same name. The district on the far side of the river is ''Oltretorrente''. Parma's Etruscan name was adapted by Romans to describe the round shield called '' Parma''. The Italian poet Attilio Bertolucci (born in a hamlet in the countryside) wrote: "As a capital city it had to have a river. As a little capital it received a stream, which is often dry", with reference to the time when the city was capital of the independent Duchy of Parma. History Prehistory Parma was already a built-up area in the Bronze Age. In the current ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Guarneri
The Guarneri (, , ), often referred to in the Latinized form Guarnerius, is the family name of a group of distinguished luthiers from Cremona in Italy in the 17th and 18th centuries, whose standing is considered comparable to those of the Amati and Stradivari families. Family members * Andrea Guarneri ( 1626 – 7 December 1698) was an apprentice in the workshop of Nicolò Amati from 1641 to 1646 and returned to make violins for Amati from 1650 to 1654. His early instruments are generally based on the "Grand Amati" pattern but struggled to achieve the sophistication of Amati's own instruments. Andrea Guarneri produced some fine violas. The ex-Primrose Viola, which was played by William Primrose, bears Andrea's label but may have been made by his son Giuseppe. Two of Andrea's sons continued the father's traditions: * Pietro Giovanni Guarneri (''Pietro da Mantova'') (18 February 1655 – 26 March 1720) worked in his father's workshop from around 1670 until his marriage in 1677. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stradivari
Antonio Stradivari (, also , ; – 18 December 1737) was an Italian luthier and a craftsman of string instruments such as violins, cellos, guitars, violas and harps. The Latinized form of his surname, '' Stradivarius'', as well as the colloquial ''Strad'' are terms often used to refer to his instruments. It is estimated that Stradivari produced 1,116 instruments, of which 960 were violins. Around 650 instruments survive, including 450 to 512 violins. His instruments are considered some of the finest ever made, and are extremely valuable collector's items. Biography Family and early life Antonio Stradivari's birthdate, presumably between 1644 and 1649, has been debated amongst historians due to the numerous inconsistencies in the evidence of the latter. The 1668 and 1678 censuses report him actually growing younger, a fact explained by the probable loss of statistics from 1647 to 1649, when renewed belligerency between France's Modenese and Spain's Milanese proxies led ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Amati
Amati (, ) 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. 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 Andrea Amati (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 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cremona
Cremona (, also ; ; lmo, label= Cremunés, Cremùna; egl, Carmona) is a city and ''comune'' in northern Italy, situated in Lombardy, on the left bank of the Po river in the middle of the ''Pianura Padana'' ( Po Valley). It is the capital of the province of Cremona and the seat of the local city and province governments. The city of Cremona is especially noted for its musical history and traditions, including some of the earliest and most renowned luthiers, such as Giuseppe Guarneri, Antonio Stradivari, Francesco Rugeri, Vincenzo Rugeri, and several members of the Amati family. History Ancient Celtic origin Cremona is first mentioned in history as a settlement of the Cenomani, a Gallic ( Celtic) tribe that arrived in the Po valley around 400 BC. However, the name Cremona most likely dates back to earlier settlers and puzzled the ancients, who gave many fanciful interpretations. Roman military outpost In 218 BC the Romans established on that spot their first military o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city has 3.26 million inhabitants. Its continuously built-up urban area (whose outer suburbs extend well beyond the boundaries of the administrative metropolitan city and even stretch into the nearby country of Switzerland) is the fourth largest in the EU with 5.27 million inhabitants. According to national sources, the population within the wider Milan metropolitan area (also known as Greater Milan), is estimated between 8.2 million and 12.5 million making it by far the largest metropolitan area in Italy and one of the largest in the EU.* * * * Milan is considered a leading alpha global city, with strengths in the fields of art, chemicals, commerce, design, education, entertainment, fashion, finance, healthcar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
