Berl Mendenhall Posted July 12, 2011 Report Share Posted July 12, 2011 I saw a twentieth century violin today that was very beautiful. It was by Giuseppe Ornati, made in 1926. The violin is owned by a friend who is a collecter. I believe it is one of the nicest twentieth century violins I've ever seen. I don't have pictures of it so you'll just have to take my word for this but it has (so called jelly rolled edges). Didn't hurt this fiddle one tiny bit. His edge work is very elegant, and very beautiful. For those of you who think these edges are big nasty ugly things, you might want to check out some my really great makers. Here is what wikipedia has to say about Ornati. Giuseppe Ornati From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia This article is part of the Fiddle & Violin series. Basic physics of the violin Fiddlers History of the violin Luthiers Musical styles Making and maintenance Playing the violin Violin construction Violin family of instruments Violinists Giuseppe Ornati - (b. Albairate near Milan 1887 - d. Milan 1965). Considered to be one of the greatest violin makers of his time, he trained as a carpenter and then received the first notions of violin making from the amateur maker Carlo Moneta. Towards 1903, he went to work at the workshop of Leandro Bisiach, where he stayed for some years working alongside Gaetano Sgarabotto. Distinguished from the outset by the skill and precision of his work, he made many instruments and carried out repairs for Bisiach until 1919, by which time he already had his own workshop. A prize-winner at the competition of Rome in 1920 and in numerous exhibitions, he taught at the violin-making school in Cremona from 1961 to 1963. His production is characterized by accuracy and elegance.[1] Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Omobono Posted July 12, 2011 Report Share Posted July 12, 2011 Not sure what you mean by "jelly rolled edges"? but... there are some detailed photos of a fiddle labelled Ornati 1923 here: Ornati 1923 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bruce Carlson Posted July 12, 2011 Report Share Posted July 12, 2011 I saw a twentieth century violin today that was very beautiful. It was by Giuseppe Ornati, made in 1926. The violin is owned by a friend who is a collecter. I believe it is one of the nicest twentieth century violins I've ever seen. I don't have pictures of it so you'll just have to take my word for this but it has (so called jelly rolled edges). Didn't hurt this fiddle one tiny bit. His edge work is very elegant, and very beautiful. For those of you who think these edges are big nasty ugly things, you might want to check out some my really great makers. Ornati made everything very soft and rounded. He didn't like hard or sharp edges. The work is delicate and refined. If I recall correctly, when he made instruments, he began by finishing everything crisp and sharp; only THEN did he rounded off the details (edge, f-hole edges, chamfers etc.) to obtain the desired effect. Here's a violin I posted some time ago from 1920. His work was often inspired by the Amati and Stradivari. Bruce Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Omobono Posted July 12, 2011 Report Share Posted July 12, 2011 Ornati made everything very soft and rounded. His work was often inspired by the Amati and Stradivari. Bruce Is that's what is meant by "jelly-rolled" then? Those heads do look more on the Amati-inspired that fully-blown Strads. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Omobono Posted July 12, 2011 Report Share Posted July 12, 2011 Ah.... I see there is another thread active on Jelly Roll edges. New to me: Luis Manfio says it's called "bordo a cordone" in italiano. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Berl Mendenhall Posted July 12, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2011 Is that's what is meant by "jelly-rolled" then? Those heads do look more on the Amati-inspired that fully-blown Strads. My friend's violin is Amati inspired. It has beautiful Amati f holes. He was a heck of a fiddle maker. Berl Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bmccarthy Posted July 12, 2011 Report Share Posted July 12, 2011 Ornati made everything very soft and rounded. He didn't like hard or sharp edges. The work is delicate and refined. If I recall correctly, when he made instruments, he began by finishing everything crisp and sharp; only THEN did he rounded off the details (edge, f-hole edges, chamfers etc.) to obtain the desired effect. Here's a violin I posted some time ago from 1920. His work was often inspired by the Amati and Stradivari. Bruce Bruce, I'm putting my neck on the block here. Would I be correct in saying that this beautiful instrument has strong similarities to Strad's Le Messie. The overall look of the violin, choice of wood, varnish etc. It's obviously not a copy but in some way the maker is paying homage to it. For me an instrument like this strengthens the case for making new instruments as opposed to antiquing and aging new work. I'm sure there will be many who will disagree with me on this. Brian Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fjodor Posted July 12, 2011 Report Share Posted July 12, 2011 Nice tread Berl. The violin I'm making now is based on (I think) the same violin as Bruce posted photos of. There is also a poster of it available. I love the scroll. Here's some scanned and "photoshopped" images I used to make side templates of it. I used the side i thought looked the best. The images should be approximately the correct size if someone like to print it out and use it as a template. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tarisiosfever Posted July 12, 2011 Report Share Posted July 12, 2011 I saw a twentieth century violin today that was very beautiful. It was by Giuseppe Ornati, made in 1926. The violin is owned by a friend who is a collecter. I believe it is one of the nicest twentieth century violins I've ever seen. I don't have pictures of it so you'll just have to take my word for this but it has (so called jelly rolled edges). Didn't hurt this fiddle one tiny bit. His edge work is very elegant, and very beautiful. For those of you who think these edges are big nasty ugly things, you might want to check out some my really great makers. We would love to see your friend's violin. Thanks, T. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bruce Carlson Posted July 12, 2011 Report Share Posted July 12, 2011 Bruce, I'm putting my neck on the block here. Would I be correct in saying that this beautiful instrument has strong similarities to Strad's Le Messie. The overall look of the violin, choice of wood, varnish etc. It's obviously not a copy but in some way the maker is paying homage to it. For me an instrument like this strengthens the case for making new instruments as opposed to antiquing and aging new work. I'm sure there will be many who will disagree with me on this. Brian Hi Brian, The Messiah is an altogether more robust style of instrument with squarer and sharper woodwork; not necessarily more accurate but with a different physical presence the Hills called "masculine". I tend to agree with Omobono that this Ornati is leaning more towards Amati with a little bit of early Stradivari of the more graceful type like the "Baron Knoop" of 1698. Later in his career he makes some bigger models but he never really gets into the more squarish c-bouts you see on Stradivari so he always maintains a good helping of Amati. In the scroll carving at the eye he goes deep into the spiral right away like the Amati and the head itself, compared to the dimensions of the pegbox, is relatively smaller than in Stradivari except for the 1690's. You can see that the first 1/2 turn in the eye is just a sharp cut with no chamfer at all in order to clearly define the shape. The edgework is a well rounded and pronounced "cordone" which highlights the outline of the instrument. Ornati made his own purfling, always with ebony and often with a beech white making it overall slightly darker than the usual maple or poplar or some other white woods used for the center strip. If you like precision work another Milanese maker, contemporary to Giuseppe Ornati, was Ferdinando Garimberti who made some spectacular instruments as well. Bruce Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Berl Mendenhall Posted July 12, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2011 Nice tread Berl. The violin I'm making now is based on (I think) the same violin as Bruce posted photos of. There is also a poster of it available. I love the scroll. Here's some scanned and "photoshopped" images I used to make side templates of it. I used the side i thought looked the best. The images should be approximately the correct size if someone like to print it out and use it as a template. Fjodor, Like that scroll, really nice. Where can one get a poster? Berl Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fjodor Posted July 13, 2011 Report Share Posted July 13, 2011 Like that scroll, really nice. Where can one get a poster? Berl Hi, Try http://amatibooks.com/ under "Folders & posters". It's called: "Giuseppe Ornati Violin 1920, Viola 1921 .Technical folders" Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fjodor Posted July 13, 2011 Report Share Posted July 13, 2011 The Messiah is an altogether more robust style of instrument with squarer and sharper woodwork; not necessarily more accurate but with a different physical presence the Hills called "masculine". I tend to agree with Omobono that this Ornati is leaning more towards Amati with a little bit of early Stradivari of the more graceful type like the "Baron Knoop" of 1698. Later in his career he makes some bigger models but he never really gets into the more squarish c-bouts you see on Stradivari so he always maintains a good helping of Amati. In the scroll carving at the eye he goes deep into the spiral right away like the Amati and the head itself, compared to the dimensions of the pegbox, is relatively smaller than in Stradivari except for the 1690's. You can see that the first 1/2 turn in the eye is just a sharp cut with no chamfer at all in order to clearly define the shape. The edgework is a well rounded and pronounced "cordone" which highlights the outline of the instrument. Ornati made his own purfling, always with ebony and often with a beech white making it overall slightly darker than the usual maple or poplar or some other white woods used for the center strip. If you like precision work another Milanese maker, contemporary to Giuseppe Ornati, was Ferdinando Garimberti who made some spectacular instruments as well. Bruce Thanks Bruce, very interesting! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Berl Mendenhall Posted July 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 13, 2011 Hi, Try http://amatibooks.com/ under "Folders & posters". It's called: "Giuseppe Ornati Violin 1920, Viola 1921 .Technical folders" Thanks, Fjodor. Berl Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bmccarthy Posted July 13, 2011 Report Share Posted July 13, 2011 Hi Brian, The Messiah is an altogether more robust style of instrument with squarer and sharper woodwork; not necessarily more accurate but with a different physical presence the Hills called "masculine". I tend to agree with Omobono that this Ornati is leaning more towards Amati with a little bit of early Stradivari of the more graceful type like the "Baron Knoop" of 1698. Later in his career he makes some bigger models but he never really gets into the more squarish c-bouts you see on Stradivari so he always maintains a good helping of Amati. In the scroll carving at the eye he goes deep into the spiral right away like the Amati and the head itself, compared to the dimensions of the pegbox, is relatively smaller than in Stradivari except for the 1690's. You can see that the first 1/2 turn in the eye is just a sharp cut with no chamfer at all in order to clearly define the shape. The edgework is a well rounded and pronounced "cordone" which highlights the outline of the instrument. Ornati made his own purfling, always with ebony and often with a beech white making it overall slightly darker than the usual maple or poplar or some other white woods used for the center strip. If you like precision work another Milanese maker, contemporary to Giuseppe Ornati, was Ferdinando Garimberti who made some spectacular instruments as well. Bruce Thanks Bruce, That was fascinating. Hopefully some day I'll get a chance to see some of their work. Brian Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bruce Carlson Posted July 13, 2011 Report Share Posted July 13, 2011 Fjodor, Like that scroll, really nice. Where can one get a poster? Berl Hi Berl, Here are the other three views of the scroll. Bruce Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Berl Mendenhall Posted July 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 13, 2011 Hi Berl, Here are the other three views of the scroll. Bruce Thanks Bruce. Dang, that's some sweet work. So clean, but not sterile looking at all. That head has some personality. Sorry didn't mean to mush and gush so much, but I do like his work. Berl Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jeffrey Holmes Posted July 14, 2011 Report Share Posted July 14, 2011 Here's a bigger scroll for you Ornati lovers (yes, I'm one too). The soft treatment of the edges on his instruments aren't what I think of as typical "jelly roll", "sausage", or (my personal term) "rope" edges... they're soft but not really bulbous... though I do like Bruce's term "cordone", which probably fits... and sounds more romantic than "rope". Cheers! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Omobono Posted July 15, 2011 Report Share Posted July 15, 2011 Here's a bigger scroll for you Ornati lovers (yes, I'm one too). Bit more of a Strad look about the cello head? Something about the deeper wider throat undercutting the volute on the fiddle and the carving of the volute itself? Marginal, but an impression. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tarisiosfever Posted July 15, 2011 Report Share Posted July 15, 2011 Ornati made everything very soft and rounded. He didn't like hard or sharp edges. The work is delicate and refined. If I recall correctly, when he made instruments, he began by finishing everything crisp and sharp; only THEN did he rounded off the details (edge, f-hole edges, chamfers etc.) to obtain the desired effect. Here's a violin I posted some time ago from 1920. His work was often inspired by the Amati and Stradivari. Bruce Another violin with Ornati GOM label. Note the diminishing height of the sides...not everybody follows that trend... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
arglebargle Posted July 15, 2011 Report Share Posted July 15, 2011 Another violin with Ornati GOM label. Note the diminishing height of the sides...not everybody follows that trend... Boy, I sure don't see this violin as anything close to an Ornati. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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