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Violin by Giovanni Grancino, Milano, c. 1690
Full description
This stunning Italian Masterpiece is not only a lovely and outstanding example of Grancino's work but also a great piece of violin-making history. This instrument portrays the excellence found in Grancino's best instruments and represents the first chapter of the Milanese violin-making tradition.
The elegant Amati style arching, the refined edges fluting and purfling, the refinement of the sharp-edged Scroll design, the high quality, lovely red-brown varnish... everything combines the highest standards of excellence. The maker's approach managed to create a unique aesthetical style that did not run against the own nature of the wood and the natural resins used but enhanced their own natural qualities. And this violin sound is as natural as the aesthetical outcome.
The instrument is in an unforeseen exquisite and unprecedented conservation condition. The varnish appears to have never been French-polished, preserving all the original texture of the varnish as when it was made in the 17th century, as a lot of the original varnish still covers the instrument. It means that the instrument is not only healthy from the aesthetic perspective but also from the structural point of view, as it required minimum maintenance interventions over the centuries, which is quite rare for 1600s violins.
dimensions
Back Length
355 mm
Upper Bout
165 mm
Center Bout
111 mm
Lower Bout
206 mm
String Length
327 mm
sound characteristics
This violin presents itself with a clear, colorful, almost human voice. Very elegant and sparkling, the balanced tone and texture of the instrument make it's sound enchantingly clear in its complexity, rewarding the player with easy playability and inspiring constant exchange between the instrument and musician.
Audio
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Made by
Giovanni Grancino
Giovanni Grancino is the earliest active violin maker in Milan that can be properly tracked, therefore considered the founder of the Milanese classical school of Violin Making and one of its finest representatives. His instruments are higly searched by soloists, due to their strong and beautiful, colorful and intimately Italian voice. And by collectors as they are the finest representation of one of the most important Italian violin-making schools.
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A unique mastermaker crafted this Exceptional Pre-WorldWarII German bow. One of the most recognized makers of Germany's early 1900s, Emil Max Penzel, elegantly displays his references and his origins among the makers of the Pfretszchner workshop in this bow, yet preserves and flaunts his own style. In our opinion, the most noticeable aspect of this bow, beyond the excellent craftsmanship, is the stunning high-quality Pernambuco wood.
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