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Violin maker Antonio Bagatella: First among equals

14 March 2025

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Despite few of his violins surviving today, Antonio Bagatella is important in violin history for writing one of the first treatises on instrument design. Christian Pabst examines his work and shows how his methods stand up to scrutiny

Very little is known about the life and work of Italian violin maker Antonio Bagatella (1716–1806). Only seven violins made by him are known, along with a viola (and a piece of a broken back). However, he is of great interest to violin makers on account of having authored one of the first ever treatises on violin making in 1782: Regole per la costruzione de’ violini, viole, violoncelli e violoni…

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