Stradivarius and Beyond: The Italian Violin Maker Lorenzo Storioni
People all over the globe - not just violinists - associate the name "Stradivarius" with arguably "the greatest violin maker who ever lived," Antonio Stradivari, who lived from 1644 to 1737 in Cremona, Italy.
But what about the other Italian violin makers who made fine instruments -- violins, violas, and cellos that still grace concert halls some 250+ years later?
Amorim Fine Violins Cremona has created a new Youtube series called "Stradivarius and Beyond: Old Italian Violin Makers' Untold Stories" that aims to tell the stories behind some of the lesser-known but still important makers of that era.
The videos will explore the lives of each violin maker, going into the historical backdrop of their times and how they were able to become masters of their craft. Amorim plans to release one video per month, with the next one about Giovanni Grancino. Following that will be videos about Santo Serafin, Guadagnini, Giuseppe Gagliano, Ceruti, Fagnola, and of course, Stradivari and Guarneri del Gesù.
The first video is about the Cremonese violin maker Lorenzo Storioni (1744-1816), who came after the time of Stradivari and Guarneri del Gesù, and seems to have been more influenced by the latter. Storioni, who was not from a family of violin makers, took a creative approach to the craft, using unusual materials and experimenting with designs and forms.
The video includes detailed descriptions of the 1768 "ex-Segelman" and 1778 "Countess Pestalozzi" Storioni violins, as well as demonstrations of both instruments by violinist Sofia Manvati.
Enjoy!
You might also like:
- David Fulton Recounts His Multi-Million-Dollar Violin Journey in New Book
- Remembering Stradivari's Genius
- Review: Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra Honors Stradivari Violins with Strad Fest LA (2014)
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Replies
Very cool! I will look forward to viewing these videos. Thank you for bringing them to our attention.
A channel that aligns well with this video series is @BromptonsAuctioneers. (See link below.)
https://www.youtube.com/@BromptonsAuctioneers
Bromptoms Auctioneers produce a short video for each violin that they put up for auction. This channel contains these videos. There are quite a large number of videos, mostly for Italian instruments. I thoroughly enjoy listening to the different voices that these instruments produce. At least one of these videos features a Storioni.
Another internet site that aligns is Tarisio.com. I signed up for their Cozio Archive, which includes information (auction results, descriptions, etc.) for thousands of instruments and bows. I'm not sure if I pay anything for limited access? They indicate on the site that $100 will pay to have "full" access to the archive.
Lorenzo Storioni was a self-taught maker. Most players today can't even afford a top contemporary instrument, imagine these very expensive ones....
Do you know why he was born "Antonino Stradivari" and called "Antonio Stradivarius"? Back in those days people wanted to sound important so they would want to sound Latin so they would add "us" on the end of their name like "Columbus", which is really "Columbo".
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August 28, 2023 at 10:56 PM · I got to hear Jonathan Vinocour play the Walton viola concerto on a Storioni viola a few years ago. Magnificent instrument.