Gasparo da Salò
Gasparo da Salò Gasparo Bertolotti also ( born May 20, 1540 ( some sources also 1542) in Polpenazze del Garda near Salo, † April 14, 1609 in Brescia ) was an Italian luthier and bassist.
Da Salo was the founder of the school of Brescia in violin. These instruments are more conservative under construction as the instruments at the same time resulting in the Cremona Amati family. Many of his surviving instruments are large violas, which were later often reduced for a more comfortable playability. Among his pupils was his son Giovanni Paolo Maggini as well and most likely the Polish violin maker Marcin Groblicz (after 1540-1609 ).
Origin
Gasparo was born in Salò in a family of musicians and artisans. His grandfather Santino owned land and sheep and presented well strings for string instruments made from sheep intestine ago.
His father Francesco ( † around 1561/1565 ) was a flautist. His uncle Agostino (* 1510), who was also in demand as an expert in musical instruments, was first concertmaster of the cappella di Salo and had to teach this function, the task of the clergy and Schola Cantorum of the cathedral in the song. Agostino had four daughters and a son, Bernardino (* 1547), who was a musician and a violinist and trombonist ( trombonista ) worked successively at the Este court in Ferrara, then one of the musical centers of northern Italy, then in Mantua at the court of the Gonzaga as there Claudio Monteverdi, and later at the papal court in Rome. Gasparo's son Francesco was also instrument makers.
Life
Gasparo received his first musical education by his well Vanter and his uncle. Northern Italy and particularly Salò and Brescia then brought forth a number of outstanding violin players and other musicians who were engaged at the St. Mark's Basilica, and in many courts of Europe since the early 1540s.
After the death of his father in 1562, he moved to Brescia, where he bought a house with a shop in the Contrada Antegnati in which several instrument makers and musicians had settled. Probably he led there, the traditional business of the family, trade with strings on. His business was so good that he was just three years later married Isabetta Cassetti, the daughter of a local potter and glass manufacturer.
Gasparo maintained friendly relations with Virchi Girolamo (1523-1575), at that time one of the foremost instrument makers of the city, referred to in the records as maestro de musica instrumentis. 1565 Virchi Godfather of Gasparo's firstborn son, still followed by six more children. Two of the sons died in the early childhood, Francesco was the only surviving son, who later became a violin maker like his father.
In the same neighborhood lived two famous organist of the Cathedral of Brescia, Fiorenzo mascara and its successor Costanzo Antegnati, and the violin virtuoso Giuseppe Biagini. Mascara played, as well as others of his fellow musicians from Brescia, multiple instruments, and he was considered an excellent Viola and viola player. The friendship with these musicians and the frequent close contact with them, Gasparo opened new musical horizons, especially with regard to perfecting the sound and the improvement of strings and construction of the instruments. In a notice of assessment from 1568 a thriving business as a result. In 1575 he bought a house in the Contrada delle Cossere, which was the cradle of one instrument maker 's workshop, whose importance grew steadily during the first half of the 16th century and gained an excellent reputation throughout Europe. All Tpyen were produced at that time sought stringed instruments.
With Gasparo the art of violin making reached a high level. Among his students that he trained in the art of violin making, including his son Francesco, the Frenchman Alexandro de Marsiliis ( = Alessandro from Marseille), Giovanni Paolo Maggini from Botticino near Brescia, Giacomo Lafranchini from Vallecamonica and a violin maker, which is handed down only by his first name Baptista. His business was so good that he was able to acquire extensive lands in Calvagese with a villa and farmhouses. Gasparo supported the families of his siblings and served as guardian for his three nephews, as their parents, his sister Ludovica and her husband Rocco Cassetti, 1577, died of the plague.
Gasparo da Salò died on 14 April 1609 and was buried in the church of San Giuseppe in Brescia. His grave is not obtained, only a plaque on the Church reminds us of the great violin makers of the city.
After his death, Francesco, Maggini and Lafranchini worked on and led the workshop for a short time on.
Gasparo da Salò instruments
Gasparo da gamba viol built, violoni, cellos, double basses, cittern and probably lira da Braccio and Lironi Few of his musical instruments are preserved in their complete original condition, most are supplemented by later additions. Viole da gamba were often converted into cellos, some of his sechsaitgen Bassviolen to three - and four-string double basses.
Extremely rare condition are violins. Created in a time in which the violin was not yet standardized, they are similar in size and proportion very modern violins. While, in the judgment of professionals Bertolotti violins Amati and Guarneri of which are inferior in quality, his violas are in viola players, because of their full sound, richness of overtones and their depth very commits. A viola by Gasparo achieved at Christie's auction in 2010 $ 540,000. His violas are dimentsioniert often large and can reach a length of up to 44.5 cm.
's Basses are deemed outstanding. Typical of his basses are the sound holes in the form of elongated sine curves and narrow wings.
Wood for the instruments was also imported from Venice, gut strings from Rome, both for existing documents. The wood for his stringed instruments was stored in some cases over 200 years. Unlike the Amati he placed little value on an aesthetically beautifully crafted compilation of the wood grain on the rear of the instruments. Salo used a rather soft reddish brown or amber varnish, which darkens in the course strongly of. His label is Gasparo da Salo, Brescia In or Gasparo da Salo.
Pictures of musical instruments
- Viola, 1580
- Violin, 1591
- Bass, 1580