"Inventing the Italian Violin Making 'Tradition' ” historical article

[Violadamore]

A March 2021 historical article on Italian violin making, from Musicologica Austriaca - Journal for Austrian Music Studies that I found during research.  Some members may find it interesting. 

http://www.musau.org/parts/neue-article-page/view/63

Here's a separate PDF in case the link ever dissolves.

Santi_1970.pdf

[Televet]

Very interesting article. Thanks for posting

[Three13]

Fascinating read - I managed to find a not-so-great image of the Kresnik from the museum that was mentioned in the article, as well as one that showed up on EBay.

[matesic]

Great stuff that I'll enjoy reading. Having (as you do) topped and tailed it, my first caveat concerns the repeated references to "fascist Cremona", as if Mussolini's regime ("fascism" = "bad", OK?) had infected the town itself. Maybe that's not the impression the author intends to convey and just reflects my own indoctrination, but also I think revealing his bias is the unqualified assertion (last page) that "Many tests ... have shown that new violins are preferred by both musicians and the public".

[Yoshiki]

Thank you, Violadamore, for introducing an interesting article. 

I'm not a specialist of violin making and its history. But to me,  an amateur violin player, the Kresnik's  violin seems to be modern. So, I wonder the author's survey, which concludes he was a self-taught luthier and learned from the old violins such as Del Gesu's etc., lacks some important parts of his background as a luthier. 

[Davide Sora]

Nice article, thanks for sharing.

[romberg flat]

2 hours ago, Yoshiki said:

Thank you, Violadamore, for introducing an interesting article. 

I'm not a specialist of violin making and its history. But to me,  an amateur violin player, the Kresnik's  violin seems to be modern. So, I wonder the author's survey, which concludes he was a self-taught luthier and learned from the old violins such as Del Gesu's etc., lacks some important parts of his background as a luthier. 

There are no other "important parts of his background as a luthier". Only thirty years of studying violins made by Stradivari and Guarneri "in vivo", during his occasional visits to Cremona. Result is aprox. 60 instruments he made and his book "Studio Sull'antica Liuteria Classica Italiana" where he summarized results of his research.

On December 2019 in Rijeka, the town where he lived and worked, in cooperation with Museo del Violino from Cremona an exhibition "Dr. Franjo Kresnik - A Man who read violins" was opened  on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of his birth.

This video was done as a part of the exhibition. Sorry, it isn't on English.

[Violadamore]

1 hour ago, romberg flat said:

There are no other "important parts of his background as a luthier". Only thirty years of studying violins made by Stradivari and Guarneri "in vivo", during his occasional visits to Cremona. Result is aprox. 60 instruments he made and his book "Studio Sull'antica Liuteria Classica Italiana" where he summarized results of his research.

On December 2019 in Rijeka, the town where he lived and worked, in cooperation with Museo del Violino from Cremona an exhibition "Dr. Franjo Kresnik - A Man who read violins" was opened  on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of his birth.

This video was done as a part of the exhibition. Sorry, it isn't on English.

Where might I find a copy of "Studio Sull'antica Liuteria Classica Italiana"  to buy?  I could use any of the editions, language isn't a barrier. 

[Violadamore]

4 hours ago, matesic said:

Great stuff that I'll enjoy reading. Having (as you do) topped and tailed it, my first caveat concerns the repeated references to "fascist Cremona", as if Mussolini's regime ("fascism" = "bad", OK?) had infected the town itself. Maybe that's not the impression the author intends to convey and just reflects my own indoctrination, but also I think revealing his bias is the unqualified assertion (last page) that "Many tests ... have shown that new violins are preferred by both musicians and the public".

Responsible modern historical writing on the Axis powers has to admit the fact that the effects of these regimes were both pervasive and popular.  I read no more into it than that.  In 1930's Italy, Fascist influence was everywhere.  They controlled the budget.  Also recall that, until 1945, these regimes were considered an arguable political alternative over which much ink was spilled, not an absolute work of the Devil.  Things changed after WW II, and the war crimes trials.  Even then, the Allies (and later NATO) had to stomach Franco until he croaked. 

Mussolini funded a lot of cultural activity (along with infrastructure, etc.), as part of his Quixotic quest to regain the respect which Italy had enjoyed in Roman times.  Encouraging Cremonese violin making was less ludicrous than some other examples I could cite. 

[MANFIO]

Mussolini played the violin, was very fond of Beethoven Quartets, spoke fluently Italian, English, French, German. And, yes, the violin making world was in the facist world (as everything), as can be seen in these gold medal diplomas (see in the lower part "Federazione Facista", and the two "fasci" also.

[MANFIO]

Another one here, issued by the "Federazione Nazi Facista Degli Artigiani"

[romberg flat]

Dr. Kresnik - Grand Prix 1926 (no "fasci")

Dr. Franjo Kresnik can be linked with the fascist regime in Italy only through a common desire to revive classical liuteria in Cremona.

The regime had its own reasons, among others the propaganda of its achievements and the showing of the greatness of Italy, and Dr. Kresnik got an opportunity to show his knowledge of the art of great Italian builders, a goal to which he was devoted all his life.

Dr. Kresnik, a cosmopolitan, humanist and erudite, physician and violinist, was not involved in politics, but he actively participated in Croatian public life through the national society "Akademija", which speaks in favor of his national commitment, which he never denied.

[romberg flat]

17 hours ago, Violadamore said:

Where might I find a copy of "Studio Sull'antica Liuteria Classica Italiana"  to buy?  I could use any of the editions, language isn't a barrier. 

There exist only one, this edition. It is bilingual (Croatian/Italian). Re: buying a copy, I'll sent you a pm soon.

Until then here are some photos from the exhibition:

And here you can hear how his violin sounds: 

https://www.mojarijeka.hr/podnevni-koncert-gernota-s%CF%8B%CE%B2mutha-na-kresnikovoj-violini/ 

 

[Yoshiki]

21 hours ago, romberg flat said:

There are no other "important parts of his background as a luthier". Only thirty years of studying violins made by Stradivari and Guarneri "in vivo", during his occasional visits to Cremona. Result is aprox. 60 instruments he made and his book "Studio Sull'antica Liuteria Classica Italiana" where he summarized results of his research.

On December 2019 in Rijeka, the town where he lived and worked, in cooperation with Museo del Violino from Cremona an exhibition "Dr. Franjo Kresnik - A Man who read violins" was opened  on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of his birth.

This video was done as a part of the exhibition. Sorry, it isn't on English.

Thank you, romberg flat 

I enjoyed watching the video although I have not understood any words except for last few minutes. 

However, I feel now I know more about Dr. Kresnik.