Biography
The name Antonio Stradivari is familiar with even those who have never kept a musical instrument in their hands. But only the units know that the talent revealed him thanks to Nikolo Amati - the most famous representative of the oldest genus of violin masters. Unlike predecessors, Nikolo Amati brought to perfection and shape, and sound. To this day, it remains a mystery, as he forced his violins and cello to give birth to such a light, gentle and piercing music.Fate
The violin master was born on December 3, 1596 in Cremona, which is in the province of Lombardy in the north of Italy. He is the fifth son, one of 12 children Girolamo (Ieronimo) Amati and Laura de Lazzarini.
On the personal life of Nikolo Amati knows much less than about his work.
In 1629-1631, the plague broke out in Italy. Unlike his father, Mother and two sisters Nikolo was lucky to survive "Black Death". Osapotev, the master came from the only surviving sister.
On May 23, 1645, the Lucretia Pagliary became his wife Nikolo Amati. Andrea Gwarnery, one of the disciples of a violin master, not only attended marriage, but also acted as a witness from the bridegroom.
Male strength buried in Nikolo Amati, despite the old age. Therefore, nine children were born in the family. Some of them died at an early age. The most famous descendant became Dzhirolamo (Ieronimo) Amati - Jr., born in 1649. The dynasty of the violin masters was interrupted on it.
Biography Nikolo Amati ended on April 12, 1684. The cause of death is more than natural, if keeping in mind the age of a man.
For 87 years, a violin master never left his hometown and here found the last abode. Mogila Nikolo Amati is located in the Cremonian Cathedral of the Ascension of the Virgin Mary.
At portraits, Athi invariably depict the violin in their hands. Masters are distinguished by a dark eye look, high cheekbones, a large nose and chin with a smell.
Mastery
Amati - the most ancient race. The first mentions of Him are found in Italy's chronicles in 1097. But the name was famous thanks to Andrea Amati - Grandfather Nikolo, born in the 1505th and deceased in 1577. It was he who decided to make its main activity to create string-bored instruments: violins, altov, cello and double bass.
According to some information, Andrea Amati is not just a violin master, but the creator of this type of tool. For the right to be called "Father", Gasparo da Salo arguing with it, who lived from 1540 to 1609.
Favorites Andrea Amati case turned out to be prestigious. Over time, representatives of the elite are among its buyers, in addition to secured musicians. So, Karl IX, the King of France, once ordered a violin master of 38 instruments for the court ensemble.
Created by Andrea Amati works of art improved his sons and grandchildren. Nikolo succeed more than others.
The master knew that Grandfather's violins most often dust in the houses of aristocrats, and did not want to repeat this error. He did tools for ordinary musicians. The man wanted to hear his creations, and not admire them.
Nikolo Amati responsibly approached the creation of violins for any, poor man or a monarch. He carefully selected a tree, paid special attention to the impregnation of Dec so that the music sound deeper and easier.
By 1640 Nikolo Amati created what is now known as Grand Amati Pattern is the perfect sample of violin. The tool was distinguished by increased parameters, in a special curl of curl and enhanced sound. The shelter was decorated with a pattern and signature of the creator in the Latin Nicolaus Amatus. The housing was covered with a transparent varnish with an amber tint.
Grand Amati Pattern raised the demand for the instruments of Nikolo Amati. Unable to cope independently, he scored students. Among them were Andrea Gvarnery, Francesco Rujeni, Giovanni Battista Guadanini, Matias Collots. Most of them later founded the dynasty of the violin masters.
Antonio Stradivari is the most famous and, as the story says, the most given student Nikolo Amati. One of his violins of 1666 was signed by Alumnus Nicolais Amati, which means "graduate Nikolo Amati" in Latin.
However, there are researchers who believe that Antonio Stradivari has never been to the workshop of Atami and was not his student. First, there are no written mentions about their cooperation, secondly, the early instruments of Antonio Stradivari much more similar to Francesco Rujerry and Andrea Gvarnery than Nicolo.
The story of Amati and Stradivari is played in several artistic works, for example, in the 5-serial film "Visit to Minotaur" (1987). Two story lines are intertwined in it. One occurs in the USSR in 1986, the other in Italy during the time of Antonio Stradivari.
Nikolo Amati played Rostislav Padatt, Antonio Stradivari - Sergey Shakurov. According to the Vainer brothers, on whose Roman "visits Minotaur" and removed this film, the violin masters are still connected by apprenticeship. The same point of view is expressed in the film "Stradivari" (1988) of Italian production.
Genuine tools Nikolo Amati until current times have been preserved just over 20. Most of them are in private collections. Frequency explains the high price. For example, a violin of 1650, which owns the Kogan musical dynasty, is estimated at $ 1 million.