L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2020 www.italoamericano.org 16 L'Italo-Americano LIFE PEOPLE PLACES HERITAGE I f y o u t h i n k o f "Made in Italy," two words spring to mind: quality and tradition. No busi- ness seems to embody them better than violin-making these days. A quintessential- ly Italian craft, the making of stringed instruments is asso- ciated with the Lombardy town of Cremona since the 16th century. Stradivari, Guarneri del Gesù and Amati pro- duced in their times instru- ments that still bless our stages today, played by some of the most talented musi- cians. Theirs are the most famous violins in the world, all made in the first half of t h e 1 8 t h c e n t u r y : t h e Cremonese, the Vesuvius and the Maréchat Berthier, by Stradivari; Paganini's C a n n o n e , m a d e b y Guarnieri, and the Collins by Amati. Their techniques and industrious know-how were passed from generation to generation and, then, from a n a t e l i e r t o a n o t h e r , s o m u c h s o t h a t C r e m o n a became — and still is — the city of luthiers: this is where you go to become one or to f i n d t h e v i o l i n o f y o u r dreams. With more than 160 mas- ter luthiers around town, the choice is wide, but their craft d o e s n ' t c o m e c h e a p , a n d rightly so: among them, they produce and sell some 7.000 pieces a year, which are usu- ally made on order for high ranked professional musi- cians. But behind the higher price tag, you'll find quality, craftsmanship, dedication to the detail and love for the c r a f t . H a v i n g a s t r i n g e d i n s t r u m e n t M a d e i n Cremona is like marrying the love of your life. I t t a k e s a n a v e r a g e o f three months to a luthier to m a k e a s i n g l e v i o l i n ( o r cello, or viola…) and this is why these aren't pieces for beginners. Not surprising at all, though: if you have ever l e a r n t t o p l a y a m u s i c a l instrument, you know the f i r s t y o u g e t i s u s u a l l y a cheap one, sturdy enough to r e s i s t t h e w e a r a n d t e a r c a u s e d b y i n e x p e r i e n c e d hands. T h i s i s w h e r e C h i n e s e instrument manufacturers enter the picture. China has been produc- ing an enormous amount of violins: last year, according t o B u s i n e s s i n s i d e r , i t churned out 1.5 million of t h e 2 m i l l i o n p i e c e s s o l d around the world, against the 6.727 of Italy. Much of the Chinese production falls in the hands of music stu- dents, but this is not to say of course, that their instru- ments are not good. Just, they are not the same. A s p o i n t e d o u t b y Bénédicte Friedmann, a F r e n c h v i o l i n m a k e r w h o w o r k s i n C r e m o n a , i n a n i n t e r v i e w w i t h M e g a n Teckman-Fullard and her colleagues Dylan Bart and Brittany Stephanis, Chinese violins "are the combination of several hands, whereas the artisan violins made in Cremona have the luthier's personality within them." It may seem simple poetry, but every musician can tell you that there is a truth in the o l d s a y i n g a b o u t i n s t r u - ments having a soul: they do, and certainly, the hand o f t h e i r c r e a t o r b r e a t h e s within it. The real problem, howev- er, is that while Cremona has, hands down, superior craftsmanship, tradition and, therefore, products, it cannot compete with China q u a n t i t y - w i s e , j u s t l i k e a small, family owned enter- prise that makes everything b y h a n d c a n n o t c o m p e t e with a business that mass produces its products. And while the better quality and iconic, almost sacred status of Cremona's violins is rec- ognized all over the world, the market remains saturat- ed with Chinese ones. Covid-19 also affected the trade, perhaps more than o t h e r s , c o n s i d e r i n g t h a t Cremona has been one of the first areas hit by the disease: not only existing orders were c a n c e l l e d , b u t w i t h t h e whole world of music halted because of the pandemic, new ones failed to come in. O n t o p o f t h a t , l a c k o f tourism throughout the win- ter and the spring meant no visitors for the workshops. At the same time, and in typ- ical Italian fashion — one that shows resilience, self- assurance and an incredible f a i t h i n t h e f u t u r e — Cremona's luthiers are confi- d e n t t h a t t h i s , t o o , s h a l l pass. Giorgio Grisales, p r e s i d e n t o f C r e m o n a luthiers' consortium and a v i o l i n m a k e r h i m s e l f f o r more than 30 years, confid- ed to the Businessinsider that, "The tradition of mak- ing viol ins wil l sur vive if whoever holds the reins of the economy realizes that Cremona and all of Italy is a country of craftsmen." A n d m a y b e t h i s i s t h e point: we are a small coun- t r y , w h e n c o m p a r e d t o mastodons like China. Mass p r o d u c t i o n c a n ' t b e a n d shouldn't be our aim. Italy i s a b o u t t r a d i t i o n , a b o u t slowness that creates quali- ty, about uniqueness; it's about objects that'll last you for a lifetime and that can become heirlooms, like our grandmothers' Sunday coats and shoes, or handmade lace. It's also about innova- tion and research, develop- ing new horizons but with our feet sturdily set into the t r a d i t i o n t h a t m a d e u s known in the world. This is why it's important to keep b u s i n e s s e s l i k e t h a t o f C r e m o n a ' s l u t h i e r s a l i v e , well and for long: because w e c a n l e a r n v a l u a b l e lessons from them, and not only in making fantastic vio- lins. It's the precision, the creativity, the love and pas- sion for the craft we need to k e e p c l o s e t o o u r h e a r t because that's what makes the real difference. GIULIA FRANCESCHINI A luthier at work in Cremona (© Misterbeautiful | Dreamstime.com) Cheap is not always cheerful: Italy's v i o l i n m a k i n g t r a d i t i o n a n d t h e threat of low-cost instruments

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