Matteo Goffriller Explained

Matteo Goffriller (1659–1742) was a Venetian luthier, particularly noted for the quality of his cellos. He was active between 1685–1735 and was the founder of the "Venetian School" of luthiers,[1] during a time when Venice was one of the most important centers of musical activity in the world.

Biography

Although it is known that Goffriller was born in Brixen, little else is known of him prior to 1685 in Venice. Goffriller arrived in Venice in 1685 to work for luthier Martin Kaiser (Caiser).[2] In 1685 he married Martin Kaiser's daughter Maddalena Maria Kaiser (Caiser), at the Madonna delle Grazie in Venice; they had twelve children (five boys and seven girls) in 26 years. Francesco Goffriller, long thought to be his brother, is now known to have been his son.[3]

He was the founder of the "Venetian School" of luthiers, when Venice was one of the most important centers of musical activity in the world, and is believed to have taught luthiers Domenico Montagnana and Francesco Gobetti in addition to his son Francesco. After arriving in Venice, he is noted for being the city's sole violin and cello maker for some 25 years, between 1685 and 1710.[4]

He died in Venice in 1742.

Mistaken identities

Goffriller's cellos had been erroneously attributed in the past to the Guarneri family, Carlo Bergonzi or even Antonio Stradivari and were virtually unknown until the 1920s, when they began to be discovered. The 1733 Goffriller cello once owned by Pablo Casals was originally attributed to Bergonzi. His earliest authenticated instrument is a viola da gamba dated 1689.

Goffriller labels

The standard label for a Goffriller instrument, whether genuine or forged, uses the Latin inscription Mattheus Goffriller Fece in Venezia Anno [date], identifying maker, city (Venice) and year made; the date is either printed or handwritten. But he actually labeled only a small percentage of the instruments in order to avoid paying Venetian taxes.

Legacy

Pablo Casals's Goffriller 1733 cello was his main concert instrument for most of his professional life. He acquired it in 1913 and played it until his death in 1973. Since 2000, winners of the International Pablo Casals Cello Competition in Kronberg, Germany may use it for two years.[5] Terence Weil played another Goffriller used by Casals before the one he played between 1913 and 1973.[6]

Other notable musicians who have used Goffriller instruments include:

Goffriller instruments

Violins

SobriquetYearProvenanceNotes
Goffriller violin1695currently played by Andrej Power
Sammons1696 Kenneth Sillito[7] currently played by Beth Hafter
Goffriller violin1700ex-Stopakcurrently played by Aaron Boyd[8]
Goffriller violin1700played by Alexander Yudkovsky since 2008
Goffriller violinca. 1700Stradivari Societyplayed by Michala Høj[9]
ex-Sivori; ex-Lalo1700
Goffriller violin1700played on by Jorja Fleezanis
Goffriller violin1700played on by Fanny Clamagirand
Goffriller violin1702played by Jaakko Kuusis
Goffriller violin1708played by Jennifer Pike
Goffriller violinca. 1720Alan Parmenterpurchased in 2008 by an anonymous benefactor
Goffriller violin1720played- by Yuri Torchinsky
Goffriller violin1722stolen from violinist Charmian Gadd in 1999, subsequently recovered[10]
Goffriller Violin1723played by Amanda Favier since 1996
Goffriller Violin1730

Violas

SobriquetYearProvenanceNotes
Goffriller viola1727ex-Walter Tramplermeasures 41 cm; currently played by Richard O'Neill[11]
Goffriller viola1700Rachel Barton Pine Foundation instrument loancurrently played by Emad Zolfaghari[12]

Cellos

SobriquetYearProvenanceNotes
Goffriller cello1689 Mischa Maiskycurrently played by Sevak Avanesyan
Goffriller cello1690previously Sabatier, Axelrod, The New Jersey Symphony Orchestralabeled: Nicolas Amatus, previously played by Maria Kliegel[13]
Goffriller celloca. 1700Antonio Meneses
Goffriller cello1693ex-Leonard Rose; ex-Alfredo Piattion loan to Leonard Elschenbroich
Goffriller cello1693labeled "Carlo Bergonzi"currently played by Bruno Philippe
Goffriller cello1693Previously owned and played by Mischa Schneider of the Budapest String Quartetfeatures a carved Rosette on the top, under the fingerboard; currently played by Zuill Bailey
Goffriller cello1695played by Anner Bylsma
Count Marcello1697Nicholas Anderson; Count Girolamo Marcello; Aldo Pais of Venice; Irving Klein[14]
Rosette1698Leslie Parnasfeatures a carved rosette decoration
Goffriller cello1698played by Andres Diaz
Goffriller cello1698exhibited at the Landesmuseum Joanneum, Graz, Austria
D'Archambeauca. 1700Iwan D'Archambeauplayed by Jonathan Miller of the Gramercy Trio, Boston Artists Ensemble, and formerly[15] Boston Symphony Orchestra
Goffriller cello1700Ex-Amadeus Quartetplayed by Christian-Pierre La Marca
Goffriller cello1701played by Gautier Capuçon
Garbousova1703Karl Fruh; Raya Garbousova (1930–1951)
Comte de Gabriac1703played by Trey Lee
The Star1705Janos Starker (1965)[16]
ex-Warburg1706played by François Kieffer (Modigliani Quartet)
Goffriller cello1707Previously Hershel Gorodetzky (now Gordon), The Philadelphia Orchestra & Stringart Quartet.played by Eric Kim
Goffriller cello1708Istituto della Pietà, Venice
Goffriller cello1710played by Matt Haimovitz
Goffriller cello1710played by Anthony Ross, principal cello, Minnesota Orchestra
Goffriller cello1710played by Richard Hirschl, cellist, Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Goffriller cello1710played by Xavier Phillips, French cellist
Goffriller cello1710played by Alban Gerhardt, German cellist
Goffriller cello1711played by Marc Coppey
Goffriller cello1712Played by Christoph Croisé
Goffriller cello1715Samsung Foundation of Cultureplayed by Sara Sant'Ambrogio
Goffriller cello1715Stradivari Society
Goffriller cello1717Played by Marie Hallynck[17]
Goffriller cello1720Emanuel Feuermannplayed by Joseph Schuster
Goffriller cello1720played by Bruno Delepelaire
Goffriller cello1720"ex-Lederlin"currently played by David Delacroix
Goffriller cello1722Yo-Yo Maplayed by Valentin Erben
Gofriller cello1723ex-Piattiplayed by Arkady Orlovsky principal cello, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra
Goffriller cello1722played by Pierre Fournier
ex-Cossmann1726played by Carl Fuchs, Jenska Slebos; once thought to be a Bergonzi.[18]
Saphir; ex-Harvey Shapiro1727currently played by Daniel Müller-Schott
Goffriller cello1728Samuel Mayescurrently played by Timothy Eddy
Goffriller cello1730-1735“Maddalena”currently owned and played by Robert deMaine
Gorrfiller cello1730Johannes Goritzkicurrently played by Johannes Goritzki
Guffy1730Johann Sebastian Paetschplayed by Gunther Paetsch (1970–1985)
ex-Pablo Casals1733Currently played by Amit Peled; played by Matt Haimovitz; played by Anne Gastinel; played by Claudio Bohorquez.[19]
Goffriller cello1734Nippon Violincurrently played by Yuki Ito
Goffriller cello1735Hermann Buschcurrently played by Matthias Naegele

Double basses

[20]

Bibliography

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Nardolillo, Jo. All things strings : an illustrated dictionary. 2014. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. T. M. Larsen. 978-0-8108-8444-1. Lanham. 874323044.
  2. Book: Dilworth, John. Brompton's Book of Violin and Bow Makers. 2012. Usk Publishing. 9780957349902.
  3. Book: Pio, Stefano. Violin and Lute Makers of Venice 1640-1760. 2004. Venice research. Venice, Italy. 978-88-907252-2-7. 383.
  4. Book: PRIETO, CARLOS. ADVENTURES OF A CELLO.. 2018. UNIV OF TEXAS PRESS. 978-1-4773-1786-0. [S.l.]. 1263024052.
  5. http://www.ks-gasteig.de/kuenstleragentur/kuenstler/violoncello/claudio-bohorquez/index.html Claudio Bohórquez
  6. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary--terence-weil-1610457.html Obituary Terence Weil
  7. Albert Edward Sammons . The Strad Magazine . 97 . 1156 . August 1986 . 2008-04-23.
  8. http://www.chambermusicsociety.org/artists/artist/aaron_boyd The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
  9. http://www.stradivariinvest.com/news.html Stradivari Invest
  10. The Little Box That Sings . . 2000-12-13.
  11. http://www.chambermusicsociety.org/artists/artist/richard_oneill The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
  12. http://www.instantencore.com/contributor/bio.aspx?CId=5130869 Instant Encore, Biography of Matthew Lipman, Viola
  13. Web site: Cello by Matteo Goffriller, 1690c . Cozio.com . 2008-04-24 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070927023617/http://www.cozio.com/Instrument.aspx?id=1042 . 2007-09-27 .
  14. Web site: Nicholas Anderson . The "Count Marcello" Gofriller . https://web.archive.org/web/20051217221935/http://nicholas-anderson.com/gof.html . nicholas-anderson.com . 2005 . 2005-12-17 . 2008-04-23.
  15. Web site: Cellos.
  16. Web site: Katherine Millett . All Things Strings: Born to Teach, page 3 . Strings Magazine . 2008-04-24.
  17. Web site: Marie Hallynck celliste . www.mariehallynck.com . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20190105200940/http://www.mariehallynck.com/violoncelleEng.html . 2019-01-05.
  18. Web site: Cello by Matteo Goffriller, 1726 (ex-Cossmann) . Cozio.com . 2008-04-24 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20071219155816/http://www.cozio.com/Instrument.aspx?id=928 . 2007-12-19 .
  19. Web site: Amit Peled Receives Pablo Casals's Cello . Amit Peled Newsletter . 19 May 2003. 2007-05-06.
  20. Web site: Matteo Goffriller, Venice, 1703, the 'Garbousova' . Tarisio Fine Instruments & Bows.