LUIGI ROVATTI

A close look at the work of great and unusual makers

Luigi Rovatti was one of the first Italian luthiers to establish himself in Argentina. Born in 1863, he began his training as a luthier in Genoa, studying under the masters Giuseppe and Enrico Rocca.

In 1884, aged 21, Rovatti received a bronze medal at the Esposizione Generale Italiana in Turin. In 1886 he crossed the Atlantic with his wife Margherita Rocca (Enrico’s cousin) on the ship Orione and settled in Buenos Aires.

Rovatti received gold medals for his violins and cellos at the 1898 National Exhibition of Buenos Aires and at the 1920 Industrial Exhibition of the Centennial. These awards contributed to establishing his name in Argentina as an outstanding maker of stringed instruments. He was a prolific luthier, creating a large body of work including violins, violas, cellos, guitars and mandolins. One of his best-known instruments is the cello he crafted in 1910 for the Argentine cellist Ennio Bolognini. This instrument is now part of the permanent collection at the Smithsonian National Museum in Washington DC, and is notable for bearing 51 autographs of famous musicians who were friends of Bolognini. Rovatti died in 1931 leaving behind a son, Tomás, who followed in his father’s footsteps in the art of lutherie.

MATERIALS

The top of the 1899 viola shown here is made from spruce with a fine grain, especially towards the edges, with a small knot in the bass-side lower bout. The back is of tangential maple, very typical of this period in Rovatti’s career. There are two small ebony pins in the neck root; Rovatti normally used either one or two to secure the neck temporarily.

NECK

The neck is carved from a more flamed maple. A particular point of interest is the fitting of the neck. The height at the scroll end is quite low, a common feature in Italian instruments from this period. This is not very advisable, as it causes an angle at the bridge height that does not help the viola’s sound. The pegholes were originally very large; he may have made them like this generally, on account of the tools he had at his disposal.

FORM AND CONSTRUCTION

This viola was crafted on an external mould, as is abundantly clear from the termination of the corners. It has an unconventional size, similar to the violas made by Rovatti’s near-contemporary Camillo Mandelli (1873–1956), who made many smaller violas for tango musicians who would play the violin or viola depending on the orchestra’s needs. This facilitated the switch between instruments.

STAMP

In many cases, rather than adding a label, Rovatti only used a stamp (‘Luigi Rovatti Fabricante’) applied here on the viola’s top-block. Also, he nearly always added the street where he lived. He also did this on his labels; in this case he wrote ‘L’Anarchia, B. Aires . 1899’.

VARNISH

The oil-based varnish is of a yellow– brown colour, set over a golden ground.

INTERIOR

On the linings, one can observe the marks of the presses Rovatti frequently used during the gluing process.