Pietro Guarneri

• Настоящее Имя:
•  Pietro Giovanni Guarneri 

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• Псевдонимы:
• Pietro Guarneri

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• Об исполнителе: 
• Not to be confused with Pietro Guarneri II.
  
  Pietro Guarneri (18 Feb 1655—26 Mar 1720), also known as Petrus Guarnerius fecit Mantuæ (Peter Guarnerius of Mantua), "Pietro di Mantova," or Pietro Guarnieri of Mantua, was an Italian luthier of renowned Casa Guarneri family: Andrea Guarneri's eldest son, brother of Giuseppe Guarneri Filius Andreae (1666—c.1739), uncle of Pietro 'Filius Jofeph' fecit Venetijs (1695—1762) and Bartolomeo Giuseppe del Gesù (1698—1744). Born in Cremona, Pietro began working at his father's shop around 1670–'78. Even as a young apprentice, he strived to experiment in pursuit of more personal style, against his father's vehement disavowal of anything but pure "Grand Amati." (Guarneri patriarch, as Nicolo Amati's unswerving disciple, sanctified his teacher's instructions in an almost religiose manner, to the point of detriment—while the rest of Amati's alumni approached it more as a "blueprint," foundation to build upon).
  
  Around 1679, over creative disagreements with his father, Pietro quit Casa Guarneri, relocating to Mantua with his wife and newborn son. Duchy of Mantua (and neighboring Montferrat), ruled by House of Gonzagas for over three centuries, was among Northern Italy's most prominent cultural centers, prospering under the ruling of avid music aficionados and patrons of arts: Guglielmo (1538–'87) or Vincenzo I (1562–1612), for instance, and indeed Ferdinando Carlo Gonzaga, the last ruler of the dynasty. With plenty of viol and lute makers, the city of Mantua didn't yet have any prominent violin shops, so when Pietro opened his circa 1683, it faced virtually no competition.
  
  Back in Cremona, as old Antonio Stradivari's fame and prosperity peaked, other luthiers (including Pietro's younger brother, Giuseppe filius Andrea, who inherited Casa Guarneri in 1698) faced incredibly tough competition, compromising on materials and finesse, labor and price margins just to become "Stradivarius next best." Pietro di Mantova, contrarily, had the privilege to perfect his techniques non-hastily, while commanding premium prices: his label perspicaciously read Petrus Guarnerius Cremonenƒis fecit Mantuæ ("Cremonese, made in Mantua"), ensuring both familial and geographical pedigree kept working on his local brand.
  
  Perhaps, Pietro Guarneri was also the sole XVII-century Italian luthier who took full advantage of his oeuvre's formal music training. By 1685, Pietro gained enough prominence as a violinist and viol player to join the Mantuan Court Orchestra (among Europe's most splendid and prestigious in the XV–early XVII centuries). In later years, Pietro also began manufacturing strings, granted Ferdinando Gonzaga's royal monopoly by 1699.
  
  Mysteriously, Pietro Guarneri had no successors or apprentices, despite having five children. The luthier, as the first notable violin specialist in the region, inspired other Mantuan violinmakers, such as Camillo Camilli (1703—1754) and Tommaso Balestrieri (c. 1735—179?). Due to such a multifaceted career, Pietro built significantly fewer instruments than other Guarneris. There are no more than 50 violins in existence, plus the 1694 cello (one of the violoncellos mislisted as Andrea Guarneri's but manufactured by his sons).
  
  Notable 'Petrus Guarnerius' players