Violin Makers since 1820
Although there were some significant 19th-century Italian makers such as G.F. Pressenda (1777–1854), Giuseppe Rocca (1807–65) and Gaetano Chiocchi (1814–81), the leadership in violin making passed to the French, notably Nicolas Lupot (1758–1824), F.-L. Pique (1757–1822) and Lupot's pupils C.-F. Gand (1787–1845) and S.-P. Bernardel (1802–70). Most influential was jean-baptiste Vuillaume (1798–1875), who worked for François Chanot and Simon Lété in Paris before establishing his own business in 1827. In 1855 he purchased Luigi Tarisio's collection of fine Italian violins. His talented workforce copied these instruments, including the ‘Messiah’ Stradivari, producing many high-quality violins. Most of these bear Vuillaume's label and brand, serial number and the date of manufacture. Among skilled craftsmen who worked for Vuillaume were Paul Joseph Bailly (1844–1907), Honoré Derazey (1794–1883) and Hippolyte Silvestre (1808–79).
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Giovanni Pressenda |
J.F. and J.B. Cuypers, the sons of J.T. Cuypers (1724–1808), continued their father's work in The Hague, but to a lesser standard. Central to the British violin market was the firm of W.E. Hill & Sons, formally established in 1835, as well as the family businesses of J.T. Hart, the younger Georges Chanot, Edward Withers and John Beare. Several skilled foreign luthiers also lived and worked in Britain, among them the younger B.S. Fendt (1800–52), George Craske (1795–1888) and J.F. Lott (1776–1853). |
Leading 20th-century makers include C.G. Becker (1887–1975), Sergio Peresson (1913–91), Dario D'Attili (b 1922), David Burgess (b 1953) and Luiz Bellini (b 1935) in the USA; Annibale Fagnola (1866–1939), Giuseppe Fiorini (1861–1934), Cesare Candi (1869–1947), Fernando Sacconi (1895–1973), Vittorio Bellarosa (1907–79), Francesco Bissolotti and Giovanni Battista Morassi (b 1969) in Italy; Joachim Schade and Eugen Sprenger (1882–1953) in Germany; Pierre Gaggini (b 1903), Etienne Vatelot (b 1925) and Frédéric Becker in France; the Portuguese Antonio Capela (b 1932); and the Czechs PÅ™emsyl Špidlen (b 1920), Vilém Kužel, and Tomáš and Vladimír PilaÅ™, as well as several fine Japanese craftsmen. In the postwar resurgence of violin making in Britain the work of William Luff (1904–93), Thomas Earle Hesketh (1866–1945), Geroge Wulme-Hudson (1862–1952), Arthur Richardson (1882–1965), Maurice Bouette (1922–92), Wilfred Saunders (b 1927), Clifford Hoing (1903–89), Lawrence Cocker (1912–82), Roger Hargrave (b 1948) and Gimpel Solomon (b 1934) is outstanding. The early music revival has encouraged craftsmen such as Ronald Prentice (b 1932), Derick Sanderson (b 1932), Colin Irving (b 1945), Rowland Ross and David Rubio (b 1934) to make reproduction instruments to Baroque dimensions.
