Domenico Montagnana
Domenico Montagnana (* June 24, 1686 in Lendinara ( Rovigo ), † March 6, 1750 in Venice) was a Venetian luthier.
Life
His father was a shoemaker Paolo ( " Calzolaio " ) and Adriana spinels had married in 1669 Lendinara. Domenico had seven siblings, some of which, like his mother in 1695, died in infancy. A brother came later also to Venice and worked in Domenico's workshop. It is believed that Montagnana was staying in Venice since 1701 and that he was with Matteo Sellas and Matteo Goffriller in teaching. Pietro Guarneri ( Pietro II, 1695-1762/63 ) ( brother of Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù ) was for a time in his workshop before he was to his competitors.
His "Louder " workshop, which he opened in 1711 or 1712, was in the Calle dei Stagneri in the San Bartolomeo in Venice. He led the shield sub signum Cremonae.
In Venice he married Caterina Berti and had with her six daughters. Lodovica, the first came in 1719 to the world, but already died in 1734. Since the last birth Caterina was ill and eventually died after twenty years of paralysis in 1748. In 1734, he estimated the estate of Mr Angelo soprano, in which a number of German instruments was. After the death of Domenico in 1750 was laid down in a contract, should the neighbor's son and apprentice of Domenico, Giorgio Serafin, his father's business Scolo dei Marzeri in the operation of the daughters alla Cremona let it rise, and that he, within eight months, a sister, Antonia should marry. This wedding took place on 21 November 1751, the most important holiday in Venice. Serafin could now not only have an extensive working capital and continue the contracts for the equipment and maintenance of string instruments of various Venetian Church Orchestra and the Orchestra of the hospitals, but he also took a variety of instruments, two of Girolamo Amati and one of Stainer, in a well-ordered business whose profit he had to share with the sisters.
The house of Montagnana was demolished in the course of proceedings initiated by the Austrian domination urban redevelopment measures in 1857.
Montagnana built stringed instruments such as violins, violas, cellos and double basses. In 1730 the construction of a special design for the violin he had succeeded. Montagnana is known above all as the builder of cellos.
Dissemination of its instruments
It is estimated that there are more than 100 built by Montagnana instruments today, of which many are still in use and are played by famous musicians, they are also in possession of private or public collections.
An instrument of Montagnana play or have played: Lynn Harrell, Mischa Maisky, Orlando Cole, Nathaniel Rosen, Ralph Kirshbaum, Truls Mørk, Alfred Wallenstein, Yo -Yo Ma, Emanuel fires, Jan Vogler, Heinrich Schiff.
In Montagnana birthplace Lendinara takes place every year a festival where his tools come into play.
Famous instruments
- Ex - Hekking (1721 ) - 2011 played by Jan Vogler, Dresden
- Petunia ( 1733) - owned by Yo- Yo Ma
- Fire Man ( 1735) - a Swiss collector
- Sleeping Beauty ( 1739 ) - owned by Heinrich Schiff, Gregor Piatigorsky ago
- Baron Steinheil (1740 ) (unknown)
- Duchess of Cleaveland (1740 ) (unknown)
- Ex -Servais ( 1738) - owned by Nathaniel Rosen
- Montagnana (1710 ) - was owned by Guilhermina Suggia