Amati Facts and Fictions
The Amati family of the 16th and 17th centuries are widely considered some of the most important contributors to the violin string family of instruments. Their works would populate much of Europe and are noted as the first of their kind in many studies. From Andrea Amati, responsible for the standardization of the violin, viola, and cello forms – to Girolamo Amati, whose double bass from 1680 still survives to this day, these crafters have a lasting legacy to the symphonic sound we know today.
Andrea Amati lived from 1505 to 1577 in the town of Cremona in present day Italy. While he gave the modern-day string family its shape and standard design, the nearby town of Brescia was also responsible for luthiers that forged important contributions to the violin family. (Gasparo del Salò was one such crafter. Learn more about him in this post, here.) Andrea crafted some 38 instruments to outfit an entire orchestra in France, with the motto and coat of arms for Charles IX on them. This correlates with some of the earliest examples of the violin’s use in the courts of French aristocracy for dancing and recreation. As access to large concerts and public interest for them grew, the need for an instrument that could produce more volume became more in demand, and the size of groups increased to accommodate the necessity for louder performances. While Andrea’s sons, Antonio and Girolamo would implement innovations to the f-holes and overall designs, it would be Girolamo’s boy, Nicolò (1596 – 1684) that would eventually improve the tone and volume production of the family. He was the teacher of Andrea Guarneri, a student who would go on to produce a famous line in his own right. Nicolò is also reputed to have been a teacher of Antonio Stradivarius, although there is some dispute to this claim.
Nicolò Amati’s son, Girolamo Amati (1649 – 1740), also known as Hieronymus II, would continue the family name and craft a bass in his father’s workshop that is still used to this day. It’s latest restoration was in 2006 in Hungary by Barnabás Rácz and subjected to dendro-chronological examination by John C. Topham, verifying its manufacture and origins. To my horror, Southwest Airlines damaged the instrument in transit in 2015, displacing the neck from the body. It was thankfully repaired and is in the capable hands of Dutch double bassist Niek de Groot, as a lifelong loan from a generous investor who owns it. Since then it has been played to a growing audience in many major concert-venues throughout the world. (Wiki).
The shock value of this bass’s travel debacle is thrilling, but a more romantic story of Amati unfolds with the history of Serge Alexandrovich Koussevitzky (1874 – 1951). He was an incredible double bassist and the music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra from 1924 to 1949. He fled Russia after the 1917 revolution, as many musicians did, (read more about it previous blogs, here) and became known for beginning a golden era for the Boston Orchestra and helped shape it into one the world’s leading American groups. What’s more interesting, is the double bass that he played, was reputed to be an Amati bass from 1611. Gary Karr, the famous soloist recalls a story, that after a recital he played in 1962, Koussevitzky’s widow, Olga called upon him. He claims that the night after the recital, he received a call from an aristocratic sounding woman. He presumed it was a joke being played on him by his friends. She kindly invited him to her home. Once there, the first thing he noticed was an upright bass in the corner. She told him that she saw the ghost of her late husband in his performance, and that she felt his prized bass had finally found a home. Karr continued to use the instrument, that while difficult to play, produced exceptional tone for soloists. The bass was donated to the International Society for Bassists and is continually used for performance to this day.
Koussevitzky had purchased the bass from a French dealer, although nothing was officially known of the instrument prior to 1901. It was believed to be made by Antonio and Girolamo Amati; however, recent studies indicate a French origin and manufacture date closer to 1800. These studies consider the style and dimensions used for the instrument, and ring analysis confirms the more recent date. The name of Amati may not be authentic in the heart of this famous instrument, but the dramatic tale has so much more power when an extra 200 years is tacked on to the age of its travels.
I will explore the fascinating science of sound quality related to famous instruments and their newer competitors. Experts in the field of sound quality have been put to the test to identify prized violins and other famous instruments by their tonal comparisons to modern equivalents, and the results are interesting. For now, lets enjoy the incredible playing of Gary Karr in today’s listening example, performing the 1st movement of the Koussevitzky Concerto.