Dolce Violins

Month: October 2025

The English Cello Makers: Craft, Identity, and Legacy

Although the violin-making traditions of Cremona, Milan, and Mirecourt have long dominated discussions of European lutherie, England fostered a remarkable and distinct school of craftsmanship that flourished from the early eighteenth through the mid-nineteenth century. English cello making, in particular, developed along lines that drew from Italian exemplars yet reflected the social, musical, and material …

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Giuseppe Sgarbi (1818–1905): An Independent Voice in 19th-Century Italian Violin Making

Giuseppe Sgarbi (1818–1905), known by the nickname “Jarino,” was an Italian violin maker active in Finale Emilia, Modena, and later Rome. Though trained within the general traditions of the Emilia-Romagna region, Sgarbi followed an independent path, producing instruments that reflected both imagination and individuality rather than strict adherence to classical models. His career spanned the …

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