Dictionary of Makers

At the beginning ofthe 1630s Nicolo Amati found him- self to be practically the only notable violin maker in Italy. The plague of 1630-31 had claimed his father, Girolamo, as a victim, as well as Giovanni Paolo Maggini in Brescia. Thus, it was left to Nicolo to continue the Amati family business and to uphold its violin-making tradition. The instruments illustrated here cover the breadth of NicolO's output over his long working life, which spanned more than 60 years.

Nicolo adapted and improved on his father's work, de- veloping the 'Grand Pattern; which is perhaps his most significant contribution to the acoustics of the violin (see the 1683 violin, pp. 38-39). His immaculate craftsmanship can be seen in the 1635 example on pp. 32-33, which also demonstrates the quality of the wood that he had at his

disposal this early in his career. The 1640s and 50s are con- sidered the pinnacle of his career, and from about 1670 he progressively entrusted most of the work to his son, Girolamo.

 

NicolO's great legacy is as a teacher, and his apprentices in the years 1640-1670 included Andrea Guarneri, G.B. Rogeri, Giacomo Gennaro and possiblyJacob Stainer. Re- cent research suggests that Francesco Ruggieri and Anto- nio Stradivari were never apprentices in the Amati house- hold, but they were undoubtedly acquainted with his methods and influenced by his style. It would be more ac- curate to describe Stradivari as a follower of Nicolo Amati rather than a pupil, but it is still true to say that it was Amati's work that inspired the two great violin-making families of Stradivari and Guarneri