Italian violin, Raffaello Bozzi, Milan, approx. 1930

The voice of this full-blooded Italian violin from the Milanese maker Raffaelo Bozzi is bright and nuanced; the instrument is a singular beauty that is rich in character. The unusually luminous nature of the orange-brown oil varnish on a golden-yellow background emphasizes the wild and eye-catching aesthetic of the two-piece maple back in a striking fashion. The margins and scroll, both of which are particularly thickly varnished, creates fascinating areas with an elegant structure. A slight patina plays up the distinctive appearance and gives it a charming historic air. Raffaelo Bozzi painstakingly crafted this violin by hand in the 1930s, and he demonstrated his mastery by selecting outstanding Italian tone woods which were as compelling visually as they are acoustically. Raffaelo Bozzi, a highly talented autodidact, developed his art at the workshop of Riccardo Antoniazzi, who only became famous posthumously as the teacher and later partner of the famous Leandro Bisiach. Today Antoniazzi’s instruments are highly sought after amongst musicians with high standards. This Raffaelo Bozzi violin is to be seen in this context as an interesting example of the status that Milanese violin making had at the time. Its authenticity is confirmed by a brandmark inside the body. The scroll appears to have been replaced at a later date by high-quality work that was also of Italian provenance. This exceptional classic-modern instrument is in top quality, free of cracks and ready to play after having been carefully set up by the specialists at our atelier for restoration. We verified that the well-secured repairs at the outer heel of the neck and the upper rib were solidly performed, and we recommend this rare instrument because of its warm, sweet sound which makes it possible to interpret music with great precision.

 

 

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