IN FOCUS

A close look at the work of great and unusual makers

Girolamo Amati II was the son of the more well-known Nicolò Amati, the grandson of his namesake Girolamo Amati I, and the great-grandson of the founder of the dynasty, Andrea Amati. With such illustrious names behind him, one could be forgiven for considering Girolamo II one of the lesser Cremonese makers; however, his instruments stand up well to those of his forebears and many of his contemporaries in the city.

Girolamo II was a near-contemporary of Stradivari: he was born in 1649, five years after Antonio, and died three years after him, in 1740. Unlike Stradivari, however, he did not spend his whole working life in Cremona; in 1697 he left for Piacenza, although he eventually returned to his home town. Having apprenticed in his father’s workshop, Girolamo was clearly channelling Nicolò in his earlier instruments, whereas his later style showed the influence of Stradivari: his archings become lower and his varnish is of a deeper, redder hue. Girolamo Amati II was not a prolific maker and had no pupils, and so with his demise, the four generations of Amati violin makers came to an end.

MAKER GIROLAMO AMATI II

NATIONALITY ITALIAN

BORN 1649

DIED 1740

INSTRUMENT DOUBLE BASS

DATE c.1680

INSTRUMENT

This c.1680 double bass is now owned by the Dextra Musica foundation and is currently played by Kenneth Ryland, first principal bassist of the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra. Wonderfully outlined and well proportioned, it is an instrument of immense beauty. It is built on a large model with broad shoulders, yet is reasonably easy to play in the higher registers. As far as I am aware, no other authentic basses by a member of the Amati family are known.

MATERIALS

The table is in five pieces of fine-to medium-grain spruce. The flat back and ribs are made of Italian ash of striking appearance. The back is in two matched pieces, with original wings added. Similar wood was used for a Brothers Amati cello made around 1620.

FORM AND CONSTRUCTION

While the back is flat, the front arching reaches only 32mm at its maximum point. It descends relatively quickly from the edge, leaving hardly any fluting. Much of the purfling on both the back and belly has been replaced, though original purfling can be found in quite a few places.

F-HOLES

The f-holes are set relatively close to each other, and have a striking appearance. They are cut very gracefully with rather large nicks.

SCROLL

The original scroll, made from plain maple, has been grafted on to a later pegbox. It displays a typical feature of an Amati head: the ‘comma’ that is created when the chamfer on the fi turn merges with the eye of the scroll.

LABEL

The instrument bears an original label, which was discovered underneath one with Carlo Bergonzi’s name. The label reads: ‘Nicolaus filei Heironymi filius An’[drea] Amatus, Cremonensis faciebat anno 16..’ After the death of Nicolò Amati, Girolamo continued to use his father’s labels.