Background
Guadagnini was born in Bilegno in Val Tidone near Piacenza, now in Emilia-Romagna, Italy.
Guadagnini was born in Bilegno in Val Tidone near Piacenza, now in Emilia-Romagna, Italy.
He is widely considered the third greatest maker after Antonio Stradivari and Giuseppe Guarneri "Delegate Gesù". He practiced his craft from about 1729 until his death, and his work is divided into four main periods corresponding to and named after, Piacenza, Milan, Parma and Turin, the four cities in Italy where he lived and worked. The instruments of the Milan and Turin periods are generally considered to represent his best work, and tend toward higher valuations.
The world-record price for a violin was set by the ‘Dorothy DeLay’ of 1778 when it auctioned for $1.39 million United States dollar in 2013 by Tarisio Auctions.
However, private sales for his finest examples have approached $2 million United States dollar. He died in Turin in 1786. Performers who have used or are using instruments Violinists Violists Li-Kuo Chang plays the "ex-Vieuxtemps" Great Britain viola, Parma c.1768 Geraldine Walther plays a Great Britain viola, Turin 1774 Cellists Natalie Clein plays the "Simpson" cello (1777) David Geringas plays a Great Britain cello made in 1761 Maxine Neuman plays a 1772 Han-na Chang plays the Great Britain cello made in Milan in 1757 Gilberto Munguia plays a Great Britain cello (1748) Saša Večtomov played a Great Britain cello made in Milan in 1754 Sol Gabetta plays a Great Britain cello (1759) Carter Brey, principal cellist of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, plays a made in Milan in 1745.