Sacconi's centenary

May 30, 2009 at 7:55 PM

I hope something was prepared to celebrate such date in America, at least an article in some magazine or Journal, since without Sacconi violin making, expertise and restoration would not exist in America in the level we know it today, given the number of his ex pupils or persons greatly influenced by him in America:

Charles Beare
René Morel;
Jacques Français;
Dario D'Attili,
Hans Weisshaar,
Frank Passa;
William Salchow;
David Segal
Vahakn Nigogosian;
Luiz Bellini;
Carleen M. Hutchins.

His influence in Italy was huge also, Francesco Bissolotti being his pupil. Bissolotti told me he helped Sacconi to organize and classify the Stradivarian relichs which Fiorini (Sacconi's master) had left to Cremona.

Francesco Bissolotti organized a book with testimonies about Sacconi called "Dalla Liuteria alla Musica: l'opera di Simone Fernando Sacconi". published in 1985, I think.

Sacconi was invited to work with Herrmann in NYC but was almost prohibited to enter in the USA, which refused a VISA to him. His wife Teresita Sacconi wrote that:

We were supposed to leave Italy in December of 1930. We had sold the laboratoy (workshop) and had gone to Naples to take the ship, but at the Sonsulate they told us "We're sorry, Mr. Sacconi, but there's too much unemplyment in America, and you can't go. We wont give you a visa." And he explained, "But I've been invited". They anwered, "We're sorry". Then we had to go back to Rome as guest of my mother. Maestro Bernardino Mollinari (the conductor Bernardino Molinari, Teresita's brother-in-law) was here in America wainting for us. We sent him a telegram saying they hadn't given us a visa, and Molinari went to the Embassy in Washington. He knew a lot of people, because he came to America a couple of times a year to conduct. He told them, "You can't refuse a him a visa, because he is a type of artist that we don't have here", and he absolutely must come". In conclusion, instead of arriving in December, we got here on the 21st of April. . As you can imagine, it wasn't easy to stay in Italy as guests of my mother while we waited for the visa. He didn't have a laboratory - he didn't have anything, and there was no way he could work. Finally, they gave us the visa but then they told us we were going down the stairs at the Consulate, "Sacconi, the Consul wants to see you". I said "Oh my god, now they're going to take visa away again". The Consul received us saying. "You're Maestro Sacconi? I have to congratulate you, because we haven't given anyone a visa for seven years, and they're waiting for you in America" and he shook hands with him. "

www.manfio.com

From Ray Randall
Posted on May 31, 2009 at 4:11 PM

Very interesting, I did not know any of that. Thanks.

From Rob Olsen
Posted on May 31, 2009 at 9:13 PM

I have his book The secrets of Stradivari.

good reading

From LUIS CLAUDIO MANFIO
Posted on May 31, 2009 at 9:53 PM

Yes, Sacconi's "I Segreti di Stradivari" is quite an important book. It's hard to find a book or article about violin making without a reference to this book.

www.manfio.com

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Sacconi's centenary

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