Nicola Amati

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Nicola Amati (19th century engraving by Jacques-Joseph Lecurieux )
double bass

Nicola Amati , also Nicolò Amati (born September 3, 1596 in Cremona ; † August 12, 1684 ibid) was an Italian violin maker . He is considered the most important member of the Amati dynasty.

Life

Nicola Amati, son of the violin maker Girolamo Amati , brought the developments of his grandfather Andrea Amati to further perfection. His parents and two sisters died of the plague in 1630 , but instruments signed by Nicolas Hand were only found from 1640 onwards. Since Giovanni Paolo Maggini also died of the epidemic in 1632, Amati suddenly became the only important violin maker in Italy. In 1645 he married Lucrecia de Paleari (1619-1703), his student Andrea Guarneri was best man. One son, Girolamo II. Amati (1649–1740), took over the father's workshop, but after 1695 was unable to assert himself in the competition against the other up-and-coming Cremonese violin makers despite good instruments.

Instruments

Compared to his ancestors, Nicola Amati attached importance to better wood quality, he improved the varnish (probably a soft varnish, the top layer of which was mostly removed) and refined the aesthetic aspect of the violins (scroll and neatly processed inlays). In a later phase he introduced a slightly larger violin model with slightly higher sides. It also increased the tension in the ceiling thanks to a more pronounced coving and a higher ceiling vault. This significantly increased the tone volume of his instruments and gave them the typical Amati sound character. Up until the end of the 18th century, his violins were among the most sought-after instruments , alongside those by Jakob Stainer . Nicola Amati's instruments can be found in important collections and museums today.

student

In his workshop in Cremona, Nicola Amati also trained numerous students who became well-known violin makers, including Andrea Guarneri (grandfather of Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù ), Giovanni Battista Ruggeri , Pietro Giacomo Ruggeri , Francesco Ruggeri , Paolo Grancino and (not documented, but possibly also) Antonio Stradivari . A signet by Jakob Stainer was discovered in an Amati violin, so one can at least assume that Stainer stayed in the Amati workshop for a while.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Lexicon of the Violin Article Niclola Amati pp. 45–46, Laaber-Verlag 2004, ISBN 978-3-89007-544-0
  2. ^ MGG , 2nd edition, Vol. 1, p. 578

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Amati, Nicola
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Amati, Nicolò
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Italian violin maker
DATE OF BIRTH September 3, 1596
PLACE OF BIRTH Cremona
DATE OF DEATH August 12, 1684
Place of death Cremona