Classed as Stradivari’s late period, the years of 1722 – 1737 saw a time of gentle decline in both his workmanship and the quality of materials he used. However, this did not necessarily make for a lesser quality instrument, as he continued to craft violins with excellent acoustics. In comparison to the pieces he created […]
From 1700 – 1725, Stradivari hit the peak of his violin making career, also known as the Golden Period. Creating instruments of a higher calibre than his previous work, it was now that he distanced himself from the long pattern violin and returned to the standard, smaller sized instrument. Although not technically beginning until 1700, […]
Continuing with our exploration of Stradivari’s expansive career, the Long Pattern period (1690 – 1700) was a time of experimentation for this renowned maker. Branching out from the standard sizing, Strad’s violins from this time were 12mm longer than the traditional model. It is also worth noting that he might have taken his inspiration from […]
The years 1660 – 1690 are known as the Amatisé period of Stradivari’s making career. It is likely that alongside Andrea Guarneri and Stainer, Antonio Stradivari was under the pupilage of Nicolo Amati. His instruments from this time portray characteristic signs of working with Amati, such as similar purfling, outline and arching. These pieces also […]
As one of the most celebrated violin makers in history, Antonio Stradivari crafted an estimated 1,000 instruments, 650 of which survive today. After the death of Nicolo Amati in 1684, this sophisticated craftsman became Cremona’s greatest luthier in history. Amorim Fine Violins will be exploring the life of Stradivari through a series of blogs, looking […]
As a member of the Dresdner Philharmonic Orchestra and as Artistic Director of the Ensemble Mediterrain, Bruno Borralhinho is an esteemed Portuguese cellist. Performing internationally as a soloist with an orchestra, in solo recitals and with piano and chamber music, Bruno’s artistic offering also includes orchestral conducting. Having imparted his musical knowledge in masterclasses held […]
As a young cellist, Daniel Muller-Schott’s former teacher, Heinrich Schiff, played the original Sleeping Beauty cello by Domenico Montagnana. Using the cello frequently as his student, Schott soon developed a connection with the cello, recently commissioning Luiz Amorim for his very own copy. We caught up with Daniel at his home in Munich, exploring the […]
Sakura Toba Visits Amorim Fine Violins Amorim Fine Violins recently welcomed Sakura Toba, 14-year-old Japanese cellist who studies with Professor Mori (Toho Music School, Tokyo, Japan) and during the summer of 2018 and 2019 at the Siena Music Academy (Masterclass) with Professor Antonio Meneses. Sakura currently loans the Miremont cello that was once owned by […]
Anatol Toth Visits Amorim Fine Violins We were delighted that Menuhin Competition Junior Semi-Finalist, Anatol Toth, treated us to a private performance recently whilst testing out a few of our bows and instruments. Performing as a soloist and as a chamber musician, the skilled young violinist has won 1st prize with distinction at the Swiss […]
It was wonderful to welcome Sean, Lauren, David Carpenter and their mom Grace to our Cremona workshop recently. There is a lot of synergy between the two families and we share similar ideals, so it was great to spend time with them and show them around. Talented musicians in their own right, the family run […]
