Reference Library Makers

B.1659, Bressanone, d. 1742, Venice.

Born in the south Tyrol, he arrived in Venice in 1658, probably already with some training as a violin maker. Worked in Venice for Martin Kaiser, a luthier of northern Tyrolean origin before taking over his business in 1690. The first significant violin maker of the Venice school, he produced many instruments in different styles, violins influenced by Amati and Stradivari, but cellos (and also a small number of violas) made on an original pattern that established him as the dominant luthier in Venice until 1720, after which his output diminished significantly. His pupil Domenico Montagnana then took over as Venice??Ts leading maker. His son, Francesco (1692-ca 1740) was less productive and his instruments less disciplined. He left Venice in 1714 for Udine, where he subsequently died.