Celeste Farotti violin, Milan, 1920, with Wurlitzer and Moennig certificates | Metzler Violins

[further details about this instrument are forthcoming]

About the Instrument
This violin’s varnish is a lovely apricot over a golden ground, bringing out the strong medium tiger flame ascending from the center joint of its two-piece maple back. A similar figure runs along the ribs, while the scroll is over a plainer wood.

Interior Label Reads: "Farotti Celeste / da San Germano di Casale / FECE in Milano nell' anno 1920" 
Length: 354 mm
Upper Bouts: 166 mm
Middle: 110 mm
Lower Bouts: 205 mm

About the Maker
Celeste Farotti (1864-1928) was born Celeste Farotto to a family of farmers in Olivola Monferrato, a Piedmont-region town nestled between Milan and Turin. Initially trained as a carpenter, in 1895 Farotti began to pursue violin making, dedicating himself to the practice by 1898. The cellist Giuseppe mentored Farotti, convincing him to move to Milan, which the latter did in 1900, opening up his own shop in the major city. Initially focusing on repairs and restorations, Farotti learned the craft of luthiery from Cremonese masters alongside those of the Milanese school, soon becoming a successful dealer of instruments as well as build his own. He wrote in one note, “From the first year in 1900 when I moved to Milan, to 1923 I have sold many instruments and would not be able to even approximate a guess as to how many.” 

By 1906, Farotti was overwhelmed with the volume of work and called for his brother Salvatore to help him and learn the craft. While Salvatore roughed out the instruments, Farotti completed the finishing off, scroll, purfling, f-holes, and varnish of each. This method made it possible for Farotti to craft many instruments, making him a prolific luthier while maintaining exceptional quality in his instruments. (His nephew Celestino Farotto, reclaiming the surname lost due to a clerical error, studied under his uncle in his workshop before beginning his own career as a luthier. Alfred Lanini also apprenticed at the atelier.) For his models, Farotti drew upon the work of Giovanni Francesco Pressenda and Giuseppe Antonio Rocca, developing his own in homage to these Turinese makers with bold innovations and brilliant varnishes. Farotti also made copies of Rocca, Pressenda, Guadagnini, Amati, Gagliano, and many others with excellence and care, though many no longer bear his label. His wood was always of superior selection, and included l’oppio or field maple and poplar in addition to the  maple varieties commonly used by luthiers around the world. His plates were at times carved from high-grade wood beams salvaged from homes set for demolition. The Milanese influence is seen in his elongated corners, his personal touches in the extended scrolls.

In 1906, Farotti earned a Gold Medal in Milan and another in Turin in 1911. He continued to receive remarkable distinctions, including the Diploma of Medal of Honor in San Francisco and three medals at the National Violin Making Competition in Rome. He often used a label that bore the Casale Monferrato coat of arms in honor of his native city. After an accident while on a trip in the mountains in 1924, Farotti could no longer work, at which point his nephew Celestino took over his shop. Known for their lush tone and phenomenal quality, Farotti instruments are sought by professional players world wide.