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Old Violins And Their Makers, 1883
6 lines. Read by computer on 30 September 2026. Printed page 86. See the scan on archive.org.
1M. A. Bergonzi, son of above, worked in Cremona till about 1758. His instruments are poor. N. Bergonzi, son of the latter, was at the same place till about 1765, and his brother Zosimo worked almost at the same time. Their productions are the worst of the family. C. F. Landolfi is another maker of the same school, who worked at Milan from about 1735 to 1775. His violins, which are covered with a thick varnish, have found some favour in the eyes of connoisseurs. Some reckon him to be a pupil of Guarnerius, from a similarity in the models, but there does not appear to be any good ground for this supposition. His sound holes are not very correct. He is likewise called a pupil of Stradivari.
3There was a Gregorio Montade at Cremona about 1735, whose instruments were at one time fairly appreciated, but I do not know anything about him. Lorenzo Storioni was the last of the Cremonese makers of any merit. His instruments, however, have not much value. He was born in Cremona in 1751. He was working in the Via di Coltellai, near the square of St. Domenic, down to 1790. If, as is said, he began to work in 1760, he began early, as he would then be nine years old. His varnish is very dry, and clearly indicates the change of process and materials which was then adopted. F. Milani is said to have been a scrupulous imitator of Stradivari, and to have been taught by Lorenzo Guadagnini. His date is given as 1742, but I do not know of anyone who ever saw any of his instruments.
5Another maker, Thomas Balestrieri, is said to have made good violins at Mantua, about 1757, and a P. Balestrieri, at Cremona, about the same period.
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