Lorenzo Storioni
Encyclopedia
Lorenzo Storioni is considered one of the last of the classic Cremonese master violin makers/ Luthier
s of the 18th century.
Born a generation after Stradivarius
and Guarnerius, with no direct link to the great tradition, violin making made an unlikely comeback in Cremona in the person of Lorenzo Storioni and his two followers, Giovanni Rota and Giovanni Battista Ceruti
.
He was influenced by makers of the previous generations such as Giovanni Battista Guadagnini
and Tommaso Baliestri, and between 1775 and 1795 manufactured a massive amount of high-quality string instruments in a conventional manner. However, Storioni made some bold adjustments with his extreme creativeness. He changed the position of the F-hole, selected unusual materials such as local wild maple, and decorated his instruments with wide and rugged fringe, giving them strong but elegant looks as well as excellent sound.
He used a spirit varnish which sometimes appears that it saturated into the wood.
His choice of wood was not always the best, but that is due to the times he was living in. From the 1750s to the end of the century, Italy endured many wars, and finding materials for makers, at times was very difficult.
"Decades of war, “reforms,” and repeated conquering by the French and Austrians dismantled the social and economic structure of Cremona, as Duane Rosengard explains in a 1991 paper published in the Journal of the Violin Society of America. In the 1770s, just as Storioni emerged, the guilds that had governed the skilled crafts since the Middle Ages were abolished by the conquering Austrians. The Jesuit fathers, whose educational institutions were major patrons of the violin makers, were suppressed by the Pope; and the lay corporations, who conducted commerce on behalf of Cremona’s religious orders, were abolished. The church and nobility—primary patrons of the violin makers—lost power and money as the French and Austrians taxed and requisitioned treasure out of Italy to pay for the wars."
Many of Storioni's instruments are of broad grain in the upper table. He enjoyed working with the Joseph Guarnerius model. He is known to have made magnificent double bass
es.
His followers include Giovanni Battista Ceruti
, Giovanni Rota and Giovanni Francesco Pressenda
.
"If rough work and poor wood characterized the Storioni-Rota-Ceruti school, they still find favor with musicians. “They were not the tidy boys, but they’re all acoustically rock solid,” says Boston violin maker Marilyn Wallin, who enjoys working on them for this reason. “As a group, they didn’t have the best wood, but they did know what to do with it.”
Speaking of his Double Basses, here is one Bass that has been attributed to him and known as a Storioni for over 40 years; http://www.kensmithbasses.com/doublebasses/Storioni/Storioni.htm
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...
s of the 18th century.
Stradivarius
The name Stradivarius is associated with violins built by members of the Stradivari family, particularly Antonio Stradivari. According to their reputation, the quality of their sound has defied attempts to explain or reproduce, though this belief is controversial...
and Guarnerius, with no direct link to the great tradition, violin making made an unlikely comeback in Cremona in the person of Lorenzo Storioni and his two followers, Giovanni Rota and Giovanni Battista Ceruti
Giovanni Battista Ceruti
Giovanni Battista Ceruti was an influential Italian violin maker, and is considered a direct link to the grand tradition of the Cremonese master violin makers/ Luthiers of the 18th century....
.
He was influenced by makers of the previous generations such as Giovanni Battista Guadagnini
Giovanni Battista Guadagnini
Giovanni Battista Guadagnini ; was an emiliano luthier, regarded as one of the finest craftsmen of string instruments in history.-Biography:...
and Tommaso Baliestri, and between 1775 and 1795 manufactured a massive amount of high-quality string instruments in a conventional manner. However, Storioni made some bold adjustments with his extreme creativeness. He changed the position of the F-hole, selected unusual materials such as local wild maple, and decorated his instruments with wide and rugged fringe, giving them strong but elegant looks as well as excellent sound.
He used a spirit varnish which sometimes appears that it saturated into the wood.
His choice of wood was not always the best, but that is due to the times he was living in. From the 1750s to the end of the century, Italy endured many wars, and finding materials for makers, at times was very difficult.
"Decades of war, “reforms,” and repeated conquering by the French and Austrians dismantled the social and economic structure of Cremona, as Duane Rosengard explains in a 1991 paper published in the Journal of the Violin Society of America. In the 1770s, just as Storioni emerged, the guilds that had governed the skilled crafts since the Middle Ages were abolished by the conquering Austrians. The Jesuit fathers, whose educational institutions were major patrons of the violin makers, were suppressed by the Pope; and the lay corporations, who conducted commerce on behalf of Cremona’s religious orders, were abolished. The church and nobility—primary patrons of the violin makers—lost power and money as the French and Austrians taxed and requisitioned treasure out of Italy to pay for the wars."
Many of Storioni's instruments are of broad grain in the upper table. He enjoyed working with the Joseph Guarnerius model. He is known to have made magnificent double bass
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
es.
His followers include Giovanni Battista Ceruti
Giovanni Battista Ceruti
Giovanni Battista Ceruti was an influential Italian violin maker, and is considered a direct link to the grand tradition of the Cremonese master violin makers/ Luthiers of the 18th century....
, Giovanni Rota and Giovanni Francesco Pressenda
Giovanni Francesco Pressenda
Giovanni Francesco Pressenda was an Italian violin maker.He completed his apprenticeship in Turin, probably in the workshop of French violin makers such as Lété and Calot....
.
"If rough work and poor wood characterized the Storioni-Rota-Ceruti school, they still find favor with musicians. “They were not the tidy boys, but they’re all acoustically rock solid,” says Boston violin maker Marilyn Wallin, who enjoys working on them for this reason. “As a group, they didn’t have the best wood, but they did know what to do with it.”
Speaking of his Double Basses, here is one Bass that has been attributed to him and known as a Storioni for over 40 years; http://www.kensmithbasses.com/doublebasses/Storioni/Storioni.htm