The Amatis were Cremonese violin makers universally recognized as those who perfected the morphology of the violin by defining the form considered “classic” today. They...

The Amatis were Cremonese violin makers universally recognized as those who perfected the morphology of the violin by defining the form considered “classic” today. They worked in Cremona for 300 years from the first half of the 16th Century until the end of the 17th Century. In particular the head of the family, Andrea Amati, and his sons Antonio and Girolamo, brought about an actual revolution in construction and form that contributed in a predominant way to attributing the violin a real soloistic role. But what music were these instruments built for? Which composers? What use of violins considering that the orchestra as we know it today was a long time in coming? With this release, the ensemble hope to contribute to bringing to light many still obscure aspects tied to violin repertory of Lombardy during the 1500’s and 1600’s. They believe that only through meticulous research of the repertory and its execution with historically informed performance practice will it be possible to correctly frame Andrea Amati and his sons, rediscovering, in addition to their renowned exceptional qualities as craftsmen, their influence and their innovative contribution to music history and to the emancipation of the soloistic instrument.