1889-1964) was an Italian

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

 violin

Violin

The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....

 maker. Trained in Cesare Candi

Cesare Candi

Candi, Cesare - .Italian maker of violins, mandolins, guitars and other string instruments. In 1884, after his father's death, he went to work with his brother Oreste Candi at the workshop of Raffaele Fiorini in Bologna...

's workshop, Paolo DeBarbieri is now considered one of the best violin makers of the school of Genova

Génova

Génova may refer to:* Spanish spelling of the city of Genoa, Italy* Génova, Quindío, a municipality in the department of Quindío, Colombia* Génova, Quetzaltenango, a municipality in the department of Quetzaltenango, Guatemala...

.
His style changes greatly during the years, but it is always easy recognisable for his unmistakable making technique, based on the 'continuous' linings (the linings are not mitred or setted in the central blocks, but pass over - two pieces only per plate instead of six). His workmanship is fine and inspired, and reveal very good taste and good technique.

Biography

At the age of 13, he left a note on his kitchen

Kitchen

A kitchen is a room or part of a room used for cooking and food preparation.In the West, a modern residential kitchen is typically equipped with a stove, a sink with hot and cold running water, a refrigerator and kitchen cabinets arranged according to a modular design. Many households have a...

 table

Table

Table or Tables may refer to:* Table * Table * Deliberative procedures:** Table , deferral or commencement of consideration** Table , contrasting usages* Tables , a class of board games...

 stating "be back in a minute".....leaving for six years to work as a sailorboy. Upon his return, he frequently visited the workshop of Cesare Candi, becoming his first true pupil (soon after which he married a cousin of Candi's wife, becoming a part of the family). During his military service (in the Navy) in 1912, he participated in the famous Dardanelli Battle for which he received a medal. During this time, he also made guitars for the soldiers.

The real beginning of his own career was in 1918-1919 (after the Great War), in a workshop located at Piazza Paolo da Novi 5/14. He won a great many awards and prizes including a Gold Medal 1929 in Barcelona, Silver Medal 1931 Padua. At the 1949 Cremona competition / Stradivari exhibit, he exhibited two violins, one viola and a quartet. For the quartet he was awarded a silver medal and a special prize (Gold Medal) assigned by the Executive Committee for the "best quartet made by a living Italian Violin Maker".
He also won two Gold Medals in Rome at the competition held by the Royal Academy in 1954 and 1955 and 1956, where he won two silver medals and a prize in the bow category (he was also a gifted bow maker).

Candi left a permanent imprint on both professional and amateur 20th-century Genoese violin making. Paolo de Barbieri entered Candi’s workshop when he was about 30, having previously been a sailor and soldier. He learnt external mould construction from Candi, as well as the use of continuous linings, which he employed throughout his life. He made more than 360 violins, as well as violas, cellos and guitars. In his early period he used his master’s Strad model, followed later by a personal Strad model with narrow f-holes and round archings; but his main model was the ‘Cannon’ Guarneri

Guarneri

The Guarneri is the family name of a group of distinguished luthiers from Cremona in Italy in the 17th and 18th centuries, whose standing is considered comparable to those of the Amati and Stradivari families...

 ‘del Gesù’, which since Praga had been a steady reference for all Genoese makers.

De Barbieri’s place in Candi’s workshop was taken in 1924 by a talented young woodworker called Giuseppe Bernardo Lecchi

Giuseppe Bernardo Lecchi

Giuseppe Bernardo Lecchi was an Italian violin maker.Originally from a Piedmontese village near Alessandria, Lecchi showed great talent for woodworking at a young age. In 1924, he took over De Barbieri’s place in Cesare Candi’s workshop...

 (1895–1967), originally from a southern Piedmontese village.
"Lecchi proved the ideal partner for Candi and made a considerable contribution to his last series of decorated instruments, taking charge of the delicate inlays."

It is necessary to point out the importance of the world renowned 'del Gesù' of Paganini

Niccolò Paganini

Niccolò Paganini was an Italian violinist, violist, guitarist, and composer. He was one of the most celebrated violin virtuosi of his time, and left his mark as one of the pillars of modern violin technique...

 " Il Cannone" for every violin maker of Genoa. De Barbieri's interpretation/copy stands out amongst them.

Paolo de Barbieri's son Renato de Barbieri (1929-1991) was a well known concert violinist/soloist.

External links

• La Liuteria Italiana / Italian Violin Making in the 1800s and 1900s - Umberto Azzolina
• I Maestri Del Novicento - Carlo Vettori
• La Liuteria Lombarda del '900 - Roberto Codazzi, Cinzia Manfredini 2002
• Dictionary of 20th Century Italian Violin Makers - Marlin Brinser 1978

View this fine example of Paolo De Barbieri viola Genoa circa 1927 close-up:

• Paolo DeBarbieri - viola 1927 top
• Paolo DeBarbieri - viola 1927 back
• Paolo DeBarbieri - viola 1927 scroll front
• Paolo DeBarbieri - viola 1927 scroll back
• Paolo DeBarbieri - viola 1927 scroll right

also

• http://www.giordanoviolins.com/stolenInstruments/index.html#DeBarbieri