CAMILLO MANDELLI

WRITTEN BY LIONNEL GENOVART

A close look at the work of great and unusual makers

Guglielmo Secondo Camillo Mandelli is also known to the violin world as ‘Camillo di Calco’ after his birthplace in northern Italy. Born in 1873, he worked as a furniture maker until he moved to Milan, about 30 miles south of Calco, to study instrument making. He began his tuition under Leandro Bisiach, and later trained with the brothers Riccardo and Romeo Antoniazzi.

In 1899 Mandelli moved to Buenos Aires, where he was mainly employed in the construction of violins, violas and cellos, although he also made a few piccolo violins and double basses. He was the first luthier hired by the Teatro Colón opera house when it opened in 1908.

Because of the high quality of his instruments, Mandelli cultivated strong links with important musicians and the high society of his time, such as the affluent Tornquist family. Notable collectors valued his instruments, among them Gustavo Herten who at one time owned the 1703 ‘Emiliani’ Stradivari violin. Most notably, the amateur musician and collector Isaac Fernández Blanco commissioned many instruments from him, including a ‘pochette’ violin which won a gold medal and diploma at the 1910 Centennial International Exposition in Buenos Aires. In 1920 he returned to Italy, motivated by the passion he had for his art, and continued building instruments.

Mandelli maintained a strong stylistic personality, although his masters’ influences can be perceived in his work. He selected fine materials and utilised oil and alcoholbased varnishes, generally of red–brown or red–gold shades. His instruments are labelled ‘Camillo Mandelli’, ‘Camillo da Calco’ or even ‘Camillo Mandelli di Calco’.

ALL PHOTOS JULIÁN LARRALDE

MAKER GUGLIELMO SECONDO CAMILLO MANDELLI

NATIONALITY ITALIAN

BORN 1873

DIED 1956

INSTRUMENT CELLO

DATE 1911

MATERIALS For the 1911 cello shown here, Mandelli used the finest woods available to him. The top is made from spruce of regular grain, which gives a deep, resonant bass timbre. The back is made from maple of medium flame perpendicular to the central joint.

FORM AND CONSTRUCTION The cello is a personal model inspired by Matteo Gofriller. Both the exterior and interior reveal Mandelli’s meticulous attention to detail. There are several marks in the interior indicating the use of a thickness gauge.

ARCHINGS AND RIBS The ribs are wide and the archings well pronounced. These, along with the choice of wood, lend a deep bass timbre to the instrument; the projection is exceptional and clear.

VARNISH The oil-based reddish-brown varnish is applied on a golden ground. It has great transparency and thickness, revealing the exquisite beauty of the wood.

LABEL AND BRANDS The label reads: ‘Fatto da Camillo Mandelli di Calco / Premiato con Med. d’Oro Esp. del Centenario / Buenos Aires 1911’ with the two final numbers added in ink. It bears a heat stamp on both sides of the label, and on the top-block where it joins the neck. The labels of Mandelli’s Buenos Aires instruments all use the spelling ‘di Calco’, while those of his Italian output say ‘da Calco’.

TRANSLATION BY HERNÁN VILLAMIL