Annibale Fagnola violin, 1925, Pressenda copy | Metzler Violins

pure, powerful, brilliant

About the Instrument
This violin is magnificent and projecting in its sound, commanding and colorful. It is lovely to play, responsive and effortless. Its mature and brilliant timbre make it an exceptional choice for a solo instrument. This violin’s rich auburn varnish is applied over a golden ground, which is revealed in its shading. The lovely flame figure on the single-piece maple back falls from the treble side. Its scroll shows a similar flame, and has blackened camfers. This violin is inspired by the workmanship of Giovanni Francesco Pressenda.

Interior contains two labels. One reads: "Hannibal Fagnola fecit / Taurini anno Domini 1925" and bears the maker's stamp. The other is for Giovanni Francesco Pressenda, whose work inspired the instrument.
Upper Bouts: 354 mm
Middle Bouts: 166 mm
Lower Bouts: 204 mm

About the Maker
Annibale Fagnola (1865-1939) was the first of eight born to farmers in Montiglio, 40 kilometers away from Turin, where Fagnola would ultimately live and work. His first craft was baking, and Fagnola seemed to have no interactions with luthiers until after his move to Turin in 1894. The origins of his violin making are murky, often with differing accounts delivered from Fagnola himself. The historians of today agree he may have shown some interest in lutherie while still in Montiglio, but, if so, never progressed beyond amateur work while in his hometown. All concur Fagnola initially built guitars before moving to bowed instruments, and likely turned to the latter under the guidance of Marengo Rinaldi in his Turinese workshop.

In 1899, Fagnola opened his own atelier, making instruments deeply influenced by Rinaldi, Carlo Giuseppe Oddone, and Evaso Emilio Guerra, with several early Fagnola instruments bearing Rinaldi’s label and likely sold through that shop and others. Once he had facility in the craft, Fagnola built imitations of Giovanni Francesco Pressenda and Giuseppe Antonio Rocca, giving him the reputation as a fine maker of violin replicas by the city’s master luthiers, including their thick red varnishes. His attention to detail in these copies were notable, at times to such a degree appraisers were left uncertain of which luthier’s hand was behind the instrument’s making. In 1906, he exhibited his work in Genoa and Milan and received international acclaim for his craftsmanship.

During the 1920s, Fagnola drew from his deep study of 18th and 19th century Turinese masters to focus on developing his own style, reaching the peak of his artistry and producing the instruments for which he is best known. It is during this period that he began to sign the interior upper rib of his instruments in ink. Fagnola continued to reference the work of Pressenda in his models (as with this violin), as well as Giovanni Battista Guadagnini, but with his own bold and defining characteristics. As Fagnola’s reputation grew, he began to make instruments with greater speed to meet demand, at times at the expense of their varnish. Fagnola’s work sets him apart as one of the master Piedmont luthiers and instrument dealers of the early 20th century, with the notable accomplishment of being largely self-taught. The sonorous tone and excellent quality of his instruments make them sought by players worldwide.