STEFANO SCAMPARELLA 1843 - 1925
We decided to also give some insight on Stefano Scarrampella’s story. His presence was crucial to the historical and artistic development of the Gadda family, having been their predecessor.
He was a carpenter but his passion lied in being a luthier. His passion was so great that his instruments are considered as of today the best and most valued of Italian production between 19th and the 20th century.
His work, from his hometown Brescia to Mantua, contributed to the rebirth of a skill, an art that after it’s prime with powerhouses like Gasparo da Salò, Guarnieri and Stradivari, was almost lost.
Stefano Scarrampella was born in 1943 in Sant’Alessandro, a neighborhood in Brescia, to an amateur luthier who taught him the trade. Stefano’s younger brother Giuseppe, instead, went to France to be a luthier and studied under Nicolò Bianchi’s guidance, thanks to the musician Antonio Bazzini’s “recommendation”.
Giuseppe shortly became successful, becoming the curator and specialising in the restoration of the collection of the Florentine museums, while his brother Stefano had a much harder time. In 1886 he was widower with two children and he became a carpenter for the construction of the Ostiglia - Mantova - Brescia stream tramway out of necessity.
Scarampella lived in Mantua but he frequently changed home. He rarely dedicated himself to his passion, working on instruments only during the little free time he had after his exhausting day job.
He started officially working as a luthier only in 1890, starting as an amateur until he inherited his brother’s equipment after his death in 1902, which permitted him to bring his work to a high level. Always in between Brescia and Mantua (where he passed away in 1925), as proven by his labels, he had the habit of referring to himself as “Giovanni’s brother and pupil”, to underline his gratitude towards the person he considered the real professional of the family. As of 1915, Stefano produced numerous masterpieces which were greatly sought-after and immediately copied, proving the quality and appreciation of his instruments.
In 1919 Gaetano Gadda, his only pupil, started supporting Scarrampella, and he stayed by his side until his death in 1925.
Stefano Scarrampella’s work was able to unwittingly salvage the great Italian tradition that during the end of the 19th century was declining because of the French and German semi-industrial workshops’ competition.
Within Eric Blot’s volume the following can be read :
<< His instruments prove his genius and spontaneity of expression which is rivaled only by Guarnieri del Gesù (in another time period)>>.
<<The models he favoured most were the ones either he or his brother created; they were inspired by the antique Mantuan models (Dallaglio or Balestrieri), and also by his brother’s Guarnieri model. In any way, the final products were unmistakable, worked upon with care and passion…>>.
<<Even the scroll has its own personal twist, sculpted with an abundance of spontaneity but with a very strong and solid look. It is without doubt the part that helps distinguish his instruments from the copies because it’s style is incredibly difficult to replicate>>, the expert explains.
<<The varnish is beautiful and varies from a rich light orange-brunette to a brilliant red on a yellow base. The engravings on the purfling are irregular and light, but still present, the back is quite round and full.>>
What the skilled hands of the “carpenter/luthier” made are works of art that have been passed into the hands of collectors and musicians, where they can still produce their impeccable sound today.
Back
