GIO BATTA MORASSI

A close look at the work of great and unusual makers

Gio Batta Morassi, one of the foremost figures in 20th-century Cremonese violin making, was born in 1934 in Arta Terme, about 30 miles north of Udine in north-east Italy. Morassi graduated from the Cremona International Violin Making School in 1955 and continued to develop his art under the influence of the great violin makers of that time: Leandro Bisiach, Ferdinando Garimberti and Giuseppe Ornati. In 1957 he became an assistant to Pietro Sgarabotto and in 1959 opened his own workshop in Cremona. Over the years, his stringed instruments were awarded numerous gold medals at international violin making competitions, cementing his reputation as one of the successors to the great classical tradition of Cremonese violin making.

Over the course of his career, Morassi built around a thousand instruments. He died in 2018 and his son Simeone, nephew Giovanni Battista and grandson Giulio continue his work, perpetuating a wonderful family tradition.

Teaching was a very important part of Morassi’s life. I had the honour to be under his guidance from 1974 to 1976. This time was very special for me; Morassi’s workshop had a very warm, artistic and creative atmosphere.

• MAKER GIO BATTA MORASSI

• NATIONALITY ITALIAN

• BORN 1934

• DIED 2018

• INSTRUMENT VIOLA

• DATE 1969

MATERIALS

The 1969 viola shown here is one of the best and most important works of Gio Batta Morassi’s middle period. The one-piece back is of spectacular Bosnian maple, with a deep flame which descends from the right. The two-piece belly is of Italian spruce. The grain is of medium width, widening towards the edges. The ribs are cut from the same maple as the back. The scroll differs from the back and ribs, being of a less vivid maple.

FORM AND CONSTRUCTION

The viola was made to Morassi’s personal model, using an external mould and revealing the influence of Giuseppe Ornati and Ferdinando Garimberti. All parts of the instrument are made with artistic and technical virtuosity, in perfect harmony with each other.

F-HOLES

The well-balanced f-holes, based on a beautiful personal model, are carved with exceptional precision.

PURFLING

The purfling is inserted very neatly, and is especially artistic at the corners. The ‘black’ strips are 0.3mm wide, while the ‘white’ is 0.6mm.

VARNISH

The viola is coated with a very beautiful and transparent but fairly matt yellow-brown spirit-based varnish with shades of red, applied over a gold-coloured sealing ground.

SCROLL

The viola’s scroll is excellent in both its model and its artistic craftsmanship. It is executed very harmoniously, with an extraordinary balance between the right and left sides.

LABEL

The label reads: ‘Scuola Cremonese / Gio Batta Morassi / Utinensis fecit Cremonae anno 1969’. It also bears Morassi’s signature and the handwritten number 172.

ALL PHOTOS SIMEONE MORASSI