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November 26, 2016 by adarnton

Nicolo Amati After 1640

Nicolo Amati Violin

Nicolo Amati, the third generation of the illustrious Amati instrument makers, must have begun to assume a leadership role in the family workshop by the early 1620s. His rise was interrupted by the plague epidemic of 1629-1630, the worst mortality crisis of the early modern period in Italy, which took the lives of as much as 30 to 35% of the population in Northern Italy.1  Read more…

Filed Under: Gallery Article

August 8, 2015 by adarnton

Gallery of Instruments

On these pages you will find articles we’ve written highlighting some of the noteworthy and/or unusual instruments that Darnton & Hersh Fine Violins has handled, along with photographs of the instruments.

Additional articles we’ve authored that have been published elsewhere are listed below. (Those published in the Cozio Archives of the Tarisio website require registering for a free Tarisio login to view.):

  • Andrea Guarneri cello article in the July 2019 issue of The Strad magazine
  • David Tecchler cello article in the June 2018 issue of The Strad magazine
  • How the US-Born Alfred Lanini Helped to Bring Milanese Making to California—After His Early Studies in Italy with Riccardo Antoniazzi and Celeste Farotti
  • Monteverdi to Goffriller: The Advent of Baroque Music in Venice, 1613–1742
  • The Bows of Nikolai Kittel
  • Late Period Stradivari Cellos, Part 1: The “Bein, Fruh”
  • Late Period Stradivari Cellos, Part 2: The “Vaslin Composite”
  • The Mantegazza Family: An overview of one of the earliest violin workshops to specialize in repairing as well as making new instruments
  • Santo Serafin Cello, Venice, 1740: Featuring extravagant materials and meticulous workmanship, this cello is a typically fine example of Serafin’s mature work
  • Alessandro Mezzadri: The enduring influence of Alessandro Mezzadri on the Ferrara school of violin making
  • What do we know about Gioffredo Cappa, one of the most talented of the early Piedmontese makers and a favorite of Count Cozio? Read Part 1 and Part 2

Filed Under: Gallery Article

July 30, 2015 by adarnton

A Large Form Stradivari Cello The "Bonnet," 1693

Stradivari Cello Head

Prior to 1701 the Stradivari workshop built cellos of large dimensions, in keeping with standards that had been established and sustained in Cremona by the Amati family for three generations. Only a few of the large form Amati cellos have survived unaltered. Of the 25 pre-1702 Stradivari cellos known today, only the “Medici” (1690) now residing in the Instituto Cherubini of Florence, the “Castelbarco” (1697), housed at the Library of Congress in Washington D.C., and the “Servais” (1701) at the Smithsonian remain intact with their original dimensions. Read more…

Filed Under: Gallery Article

July 30, 2015 by adarnton

Brothers Amati Violin Cremona, c.1624

Amati Brothers Head

To fully appreciate the exquisite instrument shown here, it is instructive to go back to the dawn of the Amati violin-building tradition, believed to be sometime around 15251 although a more precise date has so far remained elusive. Prior to the counter-reformations of the Council of Trent implemented from 15632, church records did not routinely include births, deaths and marriages, making it difficult to verify the dates of key historical events. From legal documents in the Cremona archives we know that Andrea Amati (c. 1505-15773), the patriarch of the Amati instrument-building dynasty, leased a large residence with a workshop and prominent storefront in Cremona in 1538–39.4 From this we infer that the Amati atelier was already well established and thriving by 1538. Read more…

Filed Under: Gallery Article

July 30, 2015 by adarnton

The Bows of F.N. Voirin

François-Nicolas Voirin (1833-1885) was perhaps the most important French bow maker of the second half of the 19th century. After an apprenticeship in his hometown of Mirecourt with Jean Simon (a relative of the more famous Pierre Simon), Voirin moved to Paris in 1855 to join the workshop of his cousin, J.B. Vuillaume. Read more…

Filed Under: Gallery Article

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Monday through Friday
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Other hours by appointment

At this time, we are open by appointment only. Please call or use the contact form to let us know how we can assist with your instrument needs.

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Darnton & Hersh is located in Chicago's Loop, near Symphony Center and the Art Institute of Chicago. Convenient paid garage parking is just east of the building at 17 E Adams. We are close to numerous bus and train routes; CTA Red and Blue Lines stop nearby at Jackson while Purple, Brown, Green, Orange, and Pink Lines are steps away at Adams and Wabash.

Events at D&H

Concerts and other events that formerly would have been held in the Darnton & Hersh Salon are now under the auspices of a new not-for-profit music incubator organization, Guarneri Hall NFP. Guarneri Hall is located on the third floor of the same building where Darnton & Hersh is located, in Chicago's Loop.

If you would like to be informed of Guarneri Hall events, head on over to their website to subscribe and receive notifications of concerts and other exciting events!

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11 East Adams, Suite 1450
Chicago, IL 60603
312.566.0429
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Monday - Friday, 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Other hours by appointment

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Violin Scrolls Visit Soundpost Online, an archive of articles published from 2000 through 2006, geared to string players, connoisseurs, and makers (external website).

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