Andrea Guarneri - Instruments

Instruments

The earliest Andrea Guarneri violins unsurprisingly closely resembled the Amati style with rounded 'bouts and slender corners whose looser curves end with a slight flat. It appears that he simply continued to use the same moulds that he had in his master's workshop. The arching height is moderate with graceful fluting and the f-holes are quite Amatian, though with the upper eyes tending to be slightly too close together. As the years went on more and more characteristic features of Guarneri's work distinguished themselves. His arching tends toward fullness, and the mitres of his purfling often turning rather abruptly at the corners. The scroll was generally relatively small, without clearly defined chamfers and with shallower volutes than was typical of his teacher. He left the back plate quite thick in the centre, thinning it towards the edges, and the table of consistent thickness, though there seems to be no desire to obtain perfect accuracy in the thicknessing. The maple used seems to be of local origin and often fairly plain figure.

Later in his life the corners become shorter and blunter, edges heavier, and arching more pinched which became somewhat irregularly formed at times with exaggerated fluting. The f-holes tend to stand more upright, cut generously with slightly hollowed wings. The Scrolls when made by Andrea Guarneri were generally neat, but when assisted by Guiseppe Filius, one may notice that they were more youthful not necessarily more finely finished.

Throughout his career Guarneri used a high quality oil varnish, the recipe of which was probably learned from his master Nicolò Amati, though evidence of the use of dryers is sometimes apparent specially thus providing a Brescian hue to some of the instruments of Casa Guarneri which was never done by Amati. The color varies from chestnut brown, orange brown, to brown-red.

Probably his most famous instrument is the 41.5 cm (16.3 in) Conte Vitale viola of 1676. It is one of the most copied viola patterns today, though few modern makers chose to copy its distinctively deep fluting. The modeling of the instrument incorporates much that he learned from the Amatis, yet exhibits a characteristic Guarneri robustness. There is a harmony between model, f-hole placement, head and arching that is rarely duplicated.

Andrea Guarneri also pioneered a smaller sized violoncello, which evolved over the course of his lifetime from the Amati form and style, though credit may also be due to his acquaintance and competitor, Francesco Ruggieri who made many 'celli in the same period.