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Scarampella and Gadda: The art of the deal

2024-02-19T08:10:00

Figure 2 1924 gg top

Signed 100 years ago, an agreement between luthier Stefano Scarampella and his apprentice Gaetano Gadda has recently been discovered. Philip Kass explains how it shines a light on the business relationship between two of Mantua’s leading 20th-century makers

On 8 August 1924, two violin makers met to work out a sales contract. One was old and at the end of his career; the other was just beginning to make his mark. The consequences of their agreement would extend the influence of the older maker right up to the present day, and fix in our collective minds the look and style of Mantuan violin making…

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