Giuseppe Guarneri
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Categories: 1698 births | 1744 deaths | Italian musical instrument makers | Bowed string instrument makers | Luthiers | Musical instrument company stubs
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Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù (August 21, 1698 – October 17, 1744) is the only luthier to rival Antonio Stradivari (1644-1737) with regard to the respect and reverence accorded his instruments, and has been called the finest violin maker of the Amati line. Giuseppe is known as del Gesù because his labels incorporated the nomina sacra, I.H.S. (iota-eta-sigma) and a Roman cross. His instruments diverged significantly from family tradition, becoming uniquely his own style, and are considered second in quality only to those of Stradivari and argued by some to be superior. The most illustrious member of the Guarneri family of violin makers, he was the son of Giuseppe Giovanni Battista Guarneri, thus the grandson of Andrea Guarneri, both noted violin makers as well. Andrea learned his trade as an apprentice of Nicolo Amati, of whom Stradavari was also an apprentice. Well known violinists such as Eugène Ysaÿe, Jascha Heifetz, Isaac Stern, Itzhak Perlman, and Sarah Chang have used Del Gesus at one point in their career or even exclusively. The famed violin virtuoso Niccolò Paganini’s favorite instrument Il Cannone Guarnerius was a Guarneri del Gesù violin of 1743, and the Lord Wilton Guarneri del Gesù violin made in 1742 was once owned by violinist/conductor, Yehudi Menuhin. Instruments fabricated by Giuseppe Guarneri, particularly the older works, are often referred to as simply Josephs or Del Gesus. See also
es:Giuseppe Guarneri fr:Guarnerius del Gesù it:Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù la:Iosephus Guarnerius nl:Giuseppe Antonio Guarneri |
