IGINO SDERCI

This volume was conceived as a homage to the work of the master luthier Igino Sderci. The book offers an account of the life of Sderci and his son Luciano, as well as a chapter dedicated to the techniques that distinguished the Bisiach school, of which Igino Sderci was one of the main exponents. The description of these techniques will help the reader to better understand and identify the school.
Following this is a catalogue of instruments, almost all of which previously unpublished. They come from private collections and have been selected in order to represent the whole range of work produced by Sderci throughout his long career.

From his earliest childhood Igino Sderci was interested in music & art. He studied sculpture in Siena and had a gift for wood carving. He made his first violin without supervision. In Siena Sderci was taken under the wing of Leandro Bisiach, who valued the young man's skills highly. In 1917 he went to Milan and worked in the workshop of Leandro Bisiach. Under his guidance he refined his skills and worked with Leandro Bisiach for about 4 years before leaving for Florence to establish his own workshop. Igino Sderci copied the models of Stradivarius and Guarneri and reflected their influence as his instruments are full of character and made with utmost care.

Authors

Claudio Arezio began his work as a violin maker in 1979 under the guidance of master luthiers Igino Sderci and Roberto Ignesti.
He builds his instruments using internal moulds, as is the tradition of classical Italian violin making, on models from Igino Sderci’s workshop.
In 2001 he was commissioned by the Galleria dell’Accademia of Florence to carry out the scientific cataloguing of the collection of bowed stringed instruments belonging to the Medici-Lorraine Court, including the tenor viola and the cello that were part of the Quintet formed by Antonio Stradivari for Ferdinando de’ Medici in 1690.
In 2008, once again for the Galleria dell’Accademia of Florence, he collaborated on the publication of the scientific catalogue: The Conservatorio “Luigi Cherubini” Collection. Bowed Stringed Instruments and Bows, providing the historical and stylistic descriptions and the attributions. He is a member of the Scientific Committee responsible for the publication of the volume entitled Liuteria in Toscana. I liutai del Novecento, and a member of the A.L.I. (Associazione Liuteria Italiana) Gruppo Professionisti. www.claudioarezioliutaio.it

Fabrizio Di Pietrantonio was born in Livorno in 1964. He developed a passion for violin making after his studies at the Accademia di Belle Arti of Florence. He studied under Roberto Ignesti with whom, in 1996, he recovered most of the models, moulds and tools that belonged to Igino Sderci.
In 1998 he opened his own workshop in Livorno. From 1998 to 2000 he carried out research into 18th-century Tuscan makers, particularly regarding the Gragnani family, and is a member of the Scientific Committee that published the volume entitled Liuteria in Toscana. I liutai del Novecento. In the respect of tradition, he builds his instruments using internal moulds, on models that belonged to his predecessor master luthiers. In 2008 he moved to Florence where he now lives and works. www.dipietrantonioviolin.it

Yasuno Toshitake was born in Tokyo in 1965. A violin collector and dealer in his country is one of the leading connoisseurs of Italian violin making.
He first entered a violin trading company in 1984 where he became fascinated with Italian violin making. After many years he leaves the company and continued working in the same field spending most of his time in Italy studying old and modern instruments in which he became an expert. He is good friend with many skillful Italian violin makers and he is familiar with their works.
He collaborated with some Japanese music magazines writing articles regarding violin making, including reports on the Guarneri del Gesù exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum in New York and one essay on the Antonio Stradivari’s life.
Author of Cremonese violinmakers of the late 20th century.