Augusto Pollastri (11 March 1877, in

Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...

– 9 November 1927, in Bologna) was an Italian violin maker, older brother to Gaetano Pollastri. He began his career as an apprentice in Raffaele Fiorini's studio. Augusto's father was a miller and an amateur musician, which exposed him to music at an early age. He also enjoyed visiting the shop of a famous violin maker Raffaele Fiorini, where he started to perform small services in the shop, eventually leading to an apprenticeship with maestro Fiorini. By age 20, Augusto had devoted himself entirely to the activity which had inspired him (violin making), showing remarkable artistic gifts. Towards the end of Raffaele Fiorini's life, Augusto took over the workshop. He quickly became famous as a maker and restorer. By 1927 (the year of his death), Augusto had received official recognition in his art: including the Cross of Merit and Gold Medals at the Geneva Exhibition and the United Exhibitions of the "Littriale' in Bologna." For thirty years, he managed one of the most important luthiers' Atelier in Bologna. After the passing of Raffaele Fiorini, his brother Gaetano Pollastri joined him. Augusto's production was of an astounding quality and class, but the quantity was unfortunately not very high. Today, Pollastri's instruments are considered legendary and among the most copied in the world aside from the Classics (

Stradivari Antonio Stradivari (, also , ; – 18 December 1737) was an Italian luthier and a craftsman of string instruments such as violins, cellos, guitars, violas and harps. The Latinized form of his surname, ''Stradivarius'', as well as the colloqui ...

Guarnerius The Guarneri (, , ), often referred to in the Latinized form Guarnerius, is the family name of a group of distinguished luthiers from Cremona in Italy in the 17th and 18th centuries, whose standing is considered comparable to those of the Amati ...

etc.). "The number of fake instruments and imitations one could come across is much greater than the number of originals. " Among his students were his brother Gaetano Pollastri and Marco Dobresovitch, and he collaborated with Carlo Carletti.''Il Suono di Bologna, Da Raffaele Fiorini ai grandi maestri del Novecento". Catalogo della Mostra nella chiesa di San Giorgio in Poggiale'', Bologna 2002,

Bibliography

* Augusto e Gaetano Pollastri / Bologna 1877-1960 by Cesare Magrini about the Pollastri family. Cremona 1990. * ''Il Suono di Bologna, Da Raffaele Fiorini ai grandi maestri del Novecento". Catalogo della Mostra nella chiesa di San Giorgio in Poggiale'', Bologna 2002, * Eric Blot, ''Un secolo di Liuteria Italiana 1860-1960 - A century of Italian Violin Making - Emilia e Romagna I'', Cremona 1994 and 2003, , *

Marlin Brinser Marlins are fish from the family Istiophoridae, which includes between 9 and 11 species, depending on the taxonomic authority. Name The family's common name is thought to derive from their resemblance to a sailor's marlinspike. Taxonomy Th ...

, ''Dictionary of 20th Century Italian Violin Makers'', 1978 *The Strad, January 1984, ''Bologna - A living tradition of Violin Making'' * * *

References

External links

Pollastri violin

at www.florenusedizioni.com

at www.artigianatoartistico.it

at www.giordanoviolins.com

Living Museum

Discover the history of the Bolognese School 'Up to the first half of the nineteenth century, Violin Making in

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

was in a standstill cycle; yet, during the second half of the century, Raffaele Fiorini :it:Fiorini Raffaele gave new impulse to it. Thanks to him, born in Musiano di Pianoro, the luthier's ancient Art was brought back to a new life.' - {{DEFAULTSORT:Pollastri, Augusto Italian luthiers Businesspeople from Bologna 1877 births 1927 deaths 19th-century Italian musicians