Domenico Montagnana
Encyclopedia
Domenico Montagnana was an Italian master luthier
based in Venice
, Italy
. He is regarded as one of the world's finest violin
and cello
makers of his time.
His pieces, particularly his cellos, are extremely sought after by orchestras, notable musicians or collectors, and many form parts of collections in museums. Prices for authentic pieces can reach millions of US dollars at auction.
, Italy in 1686. He started making stringed musical instruments (violin
s, viola
s, cello
s) in Venice in 1701.
During his career as a Master luthier he frequented some of the most important Italian cello makers of his time, including Pietro Guarneri
and Matteo Gofriller.
His shop, already active in 1711, was located in Calle degli Stagneri, in Venice.
In 1730 he designed a special kind of violin, but he is best known for his cellos, which are considered as excellent for concertos.
He died in Venice, Italy in 1750.
, Lynn Harrell
, Mischa Maisky
, Truls Mørk
, Alfred Wallenstein
, Josef Roismann, Steven Isserlis
, Yo-Yo Ma
, Maurice Eisenberg, Emanuel Feuermann
, Daniel Saidenberg, Orlando Cole
, Nathaniel Rosen
, Galen Kelch and Ralph Kirshbaum
.
An international festival with concerts where some of Montagnana's instruments are used is held every year in his native town, Lendinara
.
Luthier
A luthier is someone who makes or repairs lutes and other string instruments. In the United States, the term is used interchangeably with a term for the specialty of each maker, such as violinmaker, guitar maker, lute maker, etc...
based in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. He is regarded as one of the world's finest violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
and cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
makers of his time.
His pieces, particularly his cellos, are extremely sought after by orchestras, notable musicians or collectors, and many form parts of collections in museums. Prices for authentic pieces can reach millions of US dollars at auction.
Biography
Montagnana was born in LendinaraLendinara
Lendinara is a town and comune in the province of Rovigo, Veneto, northern Italy. It is part of the historical and geographical region of Polesine.It is the birthplace of Domenico Montagnana , one of the world's finest violin and cello makers....
, Italy in 1686. He started making stringed musical instruments (violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
s, viola
Viola
The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
s, cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
s) in Venice in 1701.
During his career as a Master luthier he frequented some of the most important Italian cello makers of his time, including Pietro Guarneri
Guarneri
The Guarneri is the family name of a group of distinguished luthiers from Cremona in Italy in the 17th and 18th centuries, whose standing is considered comparable to those of the Amati and Stradivari families...
and Matteo Gofriller.
His shop, already active in 1711, was located in Calle degli Stagneri, in Venice.
In 1730 he designed a special kind of violin, but he is best known for his cellos, which are considered as excellent for concertos.
He died in Venice, Italy in 1750.
Legacy
Many of his pieces are still in circulation, used by famous musicians or are part of public or private collections. Artists who play or have played on Montagnanas include Stephen Kates, Lionel TertisLionel Tertis
Lionel Tertis, CBE was an English violist and one of the first viola players to find international fame.Tertis was born in West Hartlepool, the son of Polish-Jewish immigrants, and initially studied the violin in Leipzig and at the Royal Academy of Music in London...
, Lynn Harrell
Lynn Harrell
Lynn Harrell is an American classical cellist.-Biography:Harrell was born in New York City of musician parents; his father was the baritone Mack Harrell and his mother, Marjorie Fulton, was a violinist. At the age of eight he decided to learn to play the cello. When Lynn was 12, his family moved...
, Mischa Maisky
Mischa Maisky
Mischa Maisky is a Latvian cellist.Maisky began studies at the Leningrad Conservatory and later with Mstislav Rostropovich at the Moscow Conservatory whilst pursuing a concert career throughout the Soviet Union. In 1966 he won 6th Prize at the Moscow International Tchaikovsky Competition. In 1970,...
, Truls Mørk
Truls Mørk
Truls Olaf Otterbech Mørk is a Norwegian cellist.Mørk was born in Bergen, Norway, the son of two professional musicians, his father a cellist and his mother a pianist. His mother began teaching him the piano when he was seven...
, Alfred Wallenstein
Alfred Wallenstein
Alfred Wallenstein was an American cellist and conductor, born in Chicago, Illinois. At the age of 17, he joined the San Francisco Symphony as a cellist. He subsequently played cello with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra before becoming principal cello of the New...
, Josef Roismann, Steven Isserlis
Steven Isserlis
Steven Isserlis CBE is a British cellist. He is distinguished for his diverse repertoire, distinctive sound and total command of phrasing. He studied at Oberlin Conservatory of Music and was much influenced by the great iconoclast of Russian cello playing, Daniil Shafran...
, Yo-Yo Ma
Yo-Yo Ma
Yo-Yo Ma is an American cellist, virtuoso, and orchestral composer. He has received multiple Grammy Awards, the National Medal of Arts in 2001 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011...
, Maurice Eisenberg, Emanuel Feuermann
Emanuel Feuermann
Emanuel Feuermann was an internationally celebrated cellist in the first half of the 20th century.-Biography:...
, Daniel Saidenberg, Orlando Cole
Orlando Cole
Orlando Cole was a cello teacher who taught two generations of soloists, chamber musicians, and first cellists in a dozen leading orchestras, including Lynn Harrell, Daniel Lee, David Cole, Ronald Leonard, Lorne Munroe, Peter Stumpf, Anne Martindale Williams, Michael Grebanier, and Marcy Rosen.In...
, Nathaniel Rosen
Nathaniel Rosen
Nathaniel "Nick" Rosen is an American cellist, former gold prize winner at the International Tchaikovsky Competition, and former faculty member at the USC Thornton School of Music and the Manhattan School of Music....
, Galen Kelch and Ralph Kirshbaum
Ralph Kirshbaum
Ralph Henry Kirshbaum is an American cellist currently living in Los Angeles. During his career he has performed solos with major orchestras worldwide, won prizes in several international competitions, and recorded extensively....
.
Famous pieces
- Petunia (1733) - owned by Yo-Yo MaYo-Yo MaYo-Yo Ma is an American cellist, virtuoso, and orchestral composer. He has received multiple Grammy Awards, the National Medal of Arts in 2001 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011...
- Esquire (1723) - owned by Truls MørkTruls MørkTruls Olaf Otterbech Mørk is a Norwegian cellist.Mørk was born in Bergen, Norway, the son of two professional musicians, his father a cellist and his mother a pianist. His mother began teaching him the piano when he was seven...
- Feuermann (1735) - Swiss collector
- Ex-Servais (1738) - owned by Nathaniel RosenNathaniel RosenNathaniel "Nick" Rosen is an American cellist, former gold prize winner at the International Tchaikovsky Competition, and former faculty member at the USC Thornton School of Music and the Manhattan School of Music....
- Mighty Venetian (1738) - owned by Nathaniel RosenNathaniel RosenNathaniel "Nick" Rosen is an American cellist, former gold prize winner at the International Tchaikovsky Competition, and former faculty member at the USC Thornton School of Music and the Manhattan School of Music....
, previously owned by Adrien-Francois ServaisAdrien-Francois ServaisAdrien-François Servais was one of the most influential cellists of the nineteenth century. He was born and died in Halle, Belgium.Servais was originally trained as a violinist before switching to the cello...
(1807-1866) - Kates-Hancock (1739) - owned by Stephen Kates until 2003
- Sleeping Beauty (1739) - owned by Heinrich SchiffHeinrich SchiffHeinrich Schiff is an Austrian cellist and conductor. He studied cello with Tobias Kühne and André Navarra and made his solo debut in Vienna and London in 1971...
- Baron Steinheil (1740) (unknown)
- Duchess of Cleaveland (1740) (unknown)
- Montagnana (1710) - owned by Guilhermina SuggiaGuilhermina SuggiaGuilhermina Augusta Xavier de Medim Suggia Carteado Mena, known as Guilhermina Suggia, was a Portuguese cellist. She studied in Germany with Pablo Casals, and built an international reputation. She spent many years living in England, where she was particularly celebrated...
An international festival with concerts where some of Montagnana's instruments are used is held every year in his native town, Lendinara
Lendinara
Lendinara is a town and comune in the province of Rovigo, Veneto, northern Italy. It is part of the historical and geographical region of Polesine.It is the birthplace of Domenico Montagnana , one of the world's finest violin and cello makers....
.