As is well known there is only a frail link between the classical
violin-making of the 17th and 18th centuries and the regional schools
which have contributed to the richness of the 20th century.
Emilia-Romagna, together with nearby Lombardia, is certainly the
region in which the approach to a classical conception and taste
took the form of a renaissance of the profession; the ground lost
was recovered, not only in the fields of technique and methods of
construction, but also in the harmony and immediate warmth of the
In our region two traditions were active, which, although interacting,
can still be distinguished. In Bologna Raffaele Fiorini founded
a school which was original both with respect to the methods of
construction and to the resulting style; the most important luthiers
who represented and continued this tradition were the Carlettis,
the Pollastris, Monterumici, Cesare Candi and
Otello Bignami. Raffaele Fiorini's son, Giuseppe,
on the contrary, gave birth to a different approach, aiming above
all to recover the methods of classical violin-making, and was followed
by Ansaldo Poggi, Simone Ferdinando Sacconi and Giancarlo
In Parma the 20th century tradition commenced with Gaetano Sgarabotto,
who served his apprenticeship in the workshop of the Bisiachs, and
can therefore be traced back to a Milanese origin.
As is known, after the death of the last great Cremonese Masters
after the middle of the 18th century, only the Cerutis remained
in Cremona to prevent that memorable tradition from dying out completely.
It was the Antoniazzis who undertook the task of transferring
the scant knowledge saved from oblivion from Cremona to Milan.
However the most important event for the renaissance of violin-making
in Lombardy was certainly the meeting between Riccardo Antoniazzi
and Leandro Bisiach; the latter, thanks to his talent, his
taste and his business ability succeded in founding, at the end
of the 19th century, a workshop which soon gained international
fame. Bisiach was an outstanding figure in the commerce of antique
violins but above all had the merit of raising a generation of great
luthiers, among whom for example Sderci, Borghi, Ornati and
Garimberti come to mind.
Gaetano Sgarabotto, another of Leandro Bisiach's pupils was born
in 1878 in Vicenza; while still very young he had demonstrated a
talent for violin-making. After his experience in Milan, Gaetano
moved to Parma in 1926 and two years later was given the task of
directing the School of Violin-Making which had been annexed to
the Conservatory of Music.
The School concluded its experience after nine years, in 1937,
but in the meantime had distinguished itself for the quality of
its teaching. The proof of this is that luthiers such as Sesto
Rocchi, Raffaele Vaccari and of course Gaetano's son Pietro
were among its pupils. Gaeatano was a most prolific and eclectic
maker, and created instruments drawing inspiration from many different
authors. Among this great variety of styles it is interesting to
note his preference for the Amatis' models, as well as the rather
frequent use of Guadagnini forms. After the closure of the
School Gaetano lived in Parma for long periods, from 1942 'till
1948 and again from 1957 until his death in 1959.
His son Pietro, who was also a musician, lived and worked at length
in Parma before being called to teach in the school of Cremona.
For almost half a century, this experience of the first public School
of violin-making seemed to have died out forever. But evidently
the memory of this tradition was still alive because in 1975 the
School returned to its place in the Conservatory under the direction
of Renato Scrollavezza.