{"id":22086,"date":"2023-10-23T16:34:06","date_gmt":"2023-10-23T14:34:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vichy-encheres.com\/?p=22086"},"modified":"2024-11-28T09:11:51","modified_gmt":"2024-11-28T08:11:51","slug":"violoncelle-annibal-fagnola","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vichy-encheres.com\/en\/2023\/10\/23\/violoncelle-annibal-fagnola\/","title":{"rendered":"Annibale Fagnola : une \u0153uvre entre c\u00e9l\u00e9bration des anciens et style personnel"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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D\u00e8s sa premi\u00e8re \u00e9poque, Fagnola s\u2019attache particuli\u00e8rement \u00e0 perfectionner ses vernis, cherchant \u00e0 obtenir un fini lumineux et transparent, ajoutant parfois quelques ornements aux instruments pour en parfaire l’esth\u00e9tique. Durant les ann\u00e9es 1920, la carri\u00e8re de Fagnola conna\u00eet une ascension fulgurante et sa capacit\u00e9 \u00e0 r\u00e9interpr\u00e9ter et \u00e0 ajouter sa touche personnelle aux techniques des ma\u00eetres anciens lui permit d\u2019affirmer son style. Cela en fait une figure embl\u00e9matique de la lutherie du XXe<\/sup> si\u00e8cle, perp\u00e9tuant la grande tradition de l’\u00e9cole pi\u00e9montaise.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Catalogue<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
R\u00e9sultats<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Contact<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Experts<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
English version<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Une vie entre Montiglio et Turin<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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Vie familiale<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\"Montiglio<\/a>
Montiglio Monferrato<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Annibale,<\/a>
Annibale, Roberto et Elvira Danzena, \u00a9 Accornero, Epicoco, Guerci, Annibale Fagnola, 1999, Il Salabue<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Annibale<\/a>
Annibale et Roberto avec le violon fait par son p\u00e8re \u00a9 Accornero, Epicoco, Guerci, Annibale Fagnola, 1999, Il Salabue<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Annibale Fagnola est n\u00e9 le 28 d\u00e9cembre 1866 \u00e0 Montiglio, une petite ville situ\u00e9e dans les collines du Monferrato, \u00e0 cinquante kilom\u00e8tres \u00e0 l’est de Turin. Son acte de bapt\u00eame constitue le premier document officiel le concernant. Son acte de naissance civil indique que la famille Fagnola vivait dans la Regione Convento<\/em> et que son p\u00e8re, Domenico, \u00e9tait agriculteur.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bien que la famille Fagnola ne figure pas parmi les plus anciennes de Montiglio, Giovanni Fagnola, le grand-p\u00e8re d’Annibale, y r\u00e9sidait bien avant 1850. La famille, d\u2019origine probablement modeste, \u00e9tait compos\u00e9e de dix enfants – Annibale \u00e9tant l’a\u00een\u00e9. Ses \u00e9tudes primaires furent probablement interrompues pour aider sa famille, ce qui explique son \u00e9criture parfois approximative.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Vers l\u2019\u00e2ge de vingt ans, Annibale Fagnola est actif en tant que boulanger \u00e0 Montiglio, comme le fut Giuseppe Rocca dans les ann\u00e9es 1820. En 1918, alors qu\u2019il a d\u00e9j\u00e0 la cinquantaine, il se marie \u00e0 Cattarina Risso \u00e0 Turin, mais cette derni\u00e8re d\u00e9c\u00e8de l\u2019ann\u00e9e suivante, motivant Annibale Fagnola \u00e0 retourner \u00e0 Montiglio, o\u00f9 il travaille un temps avec Riccardo Genovese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

En 1921, il se remarie \u00e0 Montiglio avec Elvira Danzena, qui lui donne un fils, Roberto, n\u00e9 la m\u00eame ann\u00e9e \u00e0 Turin. Annibale portait beaucoup d\u2019espoirs en ce fils unique puisqu\u2019il esp\u00e9rait \u00e9tablir une lign\u00e9e de luthiers. Certainement guid\u00e9 par ce dessein, il lui fabrique d\u00e8s son plus jeune \u00e2ge des instruments, dont un petit violon ou encore un violoncelle. Malheureusement pour Annibale Fagnola, ce r\u00eave de transmettre l\u2019amour du m\u00e9tier \u00e0 son fils ne s\u2019est pas concr\u00e9tis\u00e9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Infos tir\u00e9es de Giovanni Accornero, Ivan Epicoco, Eraldo Guerci, Liuteria Piemontese, Annibale Fagnola, Annibalotto Fagnola, Stefana Vittoria Fasciolo, Riccardo Genovese, 1999, edizioni I<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Fagnola \u00e0 Turin<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\"Turin,<\/a>
Turin, photographie des ann\u00e9es 1890-1900, Library of Congress Online Catalog<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Annibale<\/a>
Annibale Fagnola dans son atelier, \u00a9 Accornero, Epicoco, Guerci, Annibale Fagnola, 1999, Il Salabue<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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En 1894, \u00e0 l’\u00e2ge de vingt-sept ans, Fagnola d\u00e9m\u00e9nage \u00e0 Turin, int\u00e9grant rapidement le milieu de la lutherie. En effet, un an seulement apr\u00e8s son installation \u00e0 Turin, il se d\u00e9clare “fabricant d’instruments de musique” et ouvrira probablement cette m\u00eame ann\u00e9e 1895 son premier atelier. Plusieurs hypoth\u00e8ses existent concernant son apprentissage. Les unes sugg\u00e8rent une formation aupr\u00e8s de son p\u00e8re, les autres supposent qu\u2019il aurait \u00e9tudi\u00e9 avec Enrico Marchetti peu apr\u00e8s son arriv\u00e9e \u00e0 Turin en 1894. Pourtant, tout laisse \u00e0 croire qu\u2019il \u00e9tait autodidacte. Son aptitude naturelle pour le travail du bois pourrait s\u2019expliquer par sa jeunesse \u00e0 Montiglio, o\u00f9 beaucoup d\u2019artisans locaux travaillaient ce mat\u00e9riau et o\u00f9 la musique \u00e9tait pr\u00e9sente. Au d\u00e9but de sa carri\u00e8re, il se consid\u00e9rait davantage comme un \u201cfabricant d’instruments\u201d que comme un luthier \u00e0 proprement parler. C\u2019est au tournant du XIXe<\/sup> si\u00e8cle, suite \u00e0 son installation \u00e0 Turin, qu\u2019il va progressivement se perfectionner, et ce principalement gr\u00e2ce \u00e0 l’avocat et collectionneur d\u2019instruments Orazio Roggiero, qui lui permit d’acc\u00e9der et d’\u00e9tudier une riche collection d’instruments \u00e0 cordes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Atelier<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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En 1899, Annibale Fagnola appara\u00eet pour la premi\u00e8re fois dans l’annuaire commercial majeur de Turin, le Paravia<\/em>, sous le titre de “Constructeur d’instruments de musique”. Malgr\u00e9 une absence entre 1900 et 1902, il r\u00e9appara\u00eet en 1903 en tant que \u201cluthier\u201d et y sera par la suite constamment mentionn\u00e9 jusqu’\u00e0 sa mort en 1939.
A partir de 1903, son activit\u00e9 prend un essor rapide et gagne en r\u00e9putation. La demande s’intensifie alors et Fagnola embauche plusieurs assistants et \u00e9l\u00e8ves renomm\u00e9s. Des luthiers tels que Riccardo Genovese et Stefano Vittorio Fasciolo vont travailler sous sa direction, tout comme son propre neveu, Annibalotto Fagnola.
Toutefois, c’est avec Evasio Guerra qu’il va \u00e9tablir l\u2019une de ses plus fructueuses collaborations. Celle-ci est aujourd\u2019hui tr\u00e8s perceptible sur certains de leurs mod\u00e8les qui pr\u00e9sentent de nombreuses similitudes. A la mort d\u2019Annibale Fagnola le 16 octobre 1939 \u00e0 Turin, son atelier et ses outils sont l\u00e9gu\u00e9s \u00e0 Annibalotto. Malgr\u00e9 l’importance qu’eut son atelier, celui-ci cessa d\u2019exister apr\u00e8s 1945. Son fils, Roberto, ne souhaitait pas faire carri\u00e8re dans la lutherie et Annibalotto \u00e9tait trop inexp\u00e9riment\u00e9 pour en reprendre la direction. En ce qui concerne ses \u00e9l\u00e8ves, tels que Riccardo Genovese et Stefano Fasciolo, ils d\u00e9c\u00e9d\u00e8rent respectivement en 1935 et 1944.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Violon<\/a>
Violon de Riccardo GENOVESE\nInstrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 02 juin 2022\n\u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Annibalotto<\/a>
Annibalotto Fagnola, \u00a9 Accornero, Epicoco, Guerci, Annibale Fagnola, 1999, Il Salabue<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Reconnaissance et distinctions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\"Les<\/a>
Les souverains d’Italie inaugurent l’exposition internationale de Milan en 1906<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Turin<\/a>
Turin 1911 Affiche de l’Expo par Adolfo de Carolis<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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C\u2019est en 1906 qu\u2019Annibale Fagnola re\u00e7oit ses premi\u00e8res distinctions, \u00e0 l\u2019occasion des expositions de G\u00eanes et de Milan, au cours desquelles il remporte des dipl\u00f4mes et m\u00e9dailles. Plus que celle de G\u00eanes, l’Exposition Internationale de Milan est un v\u00e9ritable succ\u00e8s pour Fagnola qui parvient \u00e0 vendre tous les violons expos\u00e9s. Peu de temps apr\u00e8s, il \u00e9tend son activit\u00e9 et d\u00e9m\u00e9nage son atelier Via San Tommaso. Cependant, c\u2019est r\u00e9ellement en 1911, \u00e0 l’Exposition Universelle de Turin, que le travail de Fagnola est couronn\u00e9 de succ\u00e8s. En effet, \u00e0 l\u2019occasion du 50\u00e8me anniversaire de l’unification italienne, Fagnola est r\u00e9compens\u00e9 de la m\u00e9daille d’or – affirmant sa place parmi les ma\u00eetres luthiers internationaux. Suite \u00e0 cette cons\u00e9cration, les commandes d\u2019instruments grimperont en fl\u00e8che. Fagnola \u00e9tait particuli\u00e8rement appr\u00e9ci\u00e9 en Angleterre et jouissait d\u2019une tr\u00e8s bonne r\u00e9putation d\u00e8s le d\u00e9but de sa carri\u00e8re. Il travailla l\u00e0-bas en collaboration avec plusieurs grandes maisons \u00e0 l’instar de W. E. Hill and Sons ou J. and A. Beare.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Une \u0153uvre entre c\u00e9l\u00e9bration des anciens et style personnel<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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Premi\u00e8re \u00e9poque<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Alors qu\u2019il rentre dans la quarantaine, Annibale Fagnola s\u2019engage dans la lutherie. Les ann\u00e9es 1905-1910 peuvent ainsi \u00eatre qualifi\u00e9es de \u201cp\u00e9riode de jeunesse\u201d ou de \u201cpremi\u00e8re \u00e9poque\u201d. Au d\u00e9but de sa carri\u00e8re, il est tr\u00e8s proche d\u2019Orazio Roggiero qui lui permet d\u2019observer et d\u2019\u00e9tudier les instruments de ma\u00eetres anciens, qu\u2019il commence \u00e0 imiter. Probablement autodidacte, le luthier apprend par t\u00e2tonnements, en faisant des essais et des erreurs, ce qui est parfois perceptible dans la simplicit\u00e9 de certaines de ses premi\u00e8res \u0153uvres.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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N\u00e9anmoins, gr\u00e2ce \u00e0 un talent inn\u00e9 et \u00e0 l’exp\u00e9rience acquise, Fagnola se perfectionne rapidement et d\u00e8s le d\u00e9but de sa production, ses oeuvres sont reconnues par ses pairs et les experts. L’Exposition Universelle de 1911 de Turin en est un bon exemple puisqu\u2019elle a vu la cons\u00e9cration des instruments de Fagnola et l’affirmation de son identit\u00e9 stylistique, m\u00e9langeant mod\u00e8le personnel et r\u00e9f\u00e9rences aux luthiers de Turin – principalement Pressenda, Rocca et Guadagnini. D\u00e8s sa premi\u00e8re \u00e9poque, Fagnola s\u2019attache particuli\u00e8rement \u00e0 perfectionner ses vernis, cherchant \u00e0 obtenir un fini lumineux et transparent, ajoutant parfois quelques ornements aux instruments pour en parfaire l’esth\u00e9tique.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Violon<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Violon d’Enrico ROCCA
Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 03 d\u00e9cembre 2020 \u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Violon<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Violon d’Annibale Fagnola vers 1895\/1900
Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 27 novembre 2019 \u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Violon<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Violon d’Annibale Fagnola de 1912 – Collection Bernard Millant
Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 29 novembre 2017 \u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Les ann\u00e9es 1920<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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Durant les ann\u00e9es 1920, la carri\u00e8re de Fagnola conna\u00eet une ascension fulgurante et, pour r\u00e9pondre \u00e0 la demande croissante d\u2019instruments \u00e0 l\u2019international, le luthier s\u2019appuie sur plusieurs collaborateurs, parmi lesquels on retrouve Riccardo Genovese et son neveu Annibalotto, ou encore Evasio Guerra. Significatif de l\u2019estime dont jouissait Fagnola dans les ann\u00e9es 20, le dictionnaire des luthiers anciens et modernes d\u2019Henri Poidras en fait l\u2019\u00e9loge suivante en 1929 :<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cSa renomm\u00e9e comme l\u2019un des meilleurs luthiers de notre \u00e9poque est quasi mondiale. Fils de ses \u0153uvres, il ne se r\u00e9clame d\u2019aucun ma\u00eetre. Les mod\u00e8les de Guadagnini et de Pressenda lui permirent, en les reproduisant souvent, de devenir le copiste distingu\u00e9 que l\u2019on sait.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nHenri Poidras, Dictionnaire des luthiers anciens et modernes, critique et documentaire<\/em>, tome additif (vol. II), 1929<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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La mention de \u201ccopiste\u201d est ici int\u00e9ressante, puisque Fagnola faisait pr\u00e9cis\u00e9ment la distinction entre le fait de “copier” et d\u2019 “imiter” un instrument. Pour lui, copier une \u0153uvre permettait de conserver son propre style, tandis qu’imiter n\u00e9cessitait de s\u2019effacer derri\u00e8re le ma\u00eetre pour garantir une fid\u00e9lit\u00e9 minutieuse \u00e0 l’original, et ce jusque dans les moindres d\u00e9tails, de telle sorte que certains des travaux d’imitation de Fagnola \u00e9taient si parfaits qu’il est aujourd\u2019hui presque impossible de les discerner des originaux. Toutefois, bien qu’il puisse \u00eatre tentant de vouloir \u00e9tiqueter Fagnola d’imitateur, sa capacit\u00e9 \u00e0 r\u00e9interpr\u00e9ter et \u00e0 ajouter sa touche personnelle aux techniques des ma\u00eetres anciens lui permit d\u2019affirmer son style. Cela en fait une figure embl\u00e9matique de la lutherie du XXe<\/sup> si\u00e8cle, perp\u00e9tuant la grande tradition de l’\u00e9cole pi\u00e9montaise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cIt would be unjust to consider Fagnola only as a copyist or imitator. Due to his skill in reinterpreting the technical and stylistic lessons of Guadagnini. Pressenda and Rocca without ever losing his own identity, Annibale Fagnola was the natural successor to the great tradition of the Piedmontese school, proving himself to be a fundamental figure in twentieth-century violin making.\u201d<\/p>\nGiovanni Accornero, Ivan Epicoco, Eraldo Guerci, Liuteria Piemontese, Annibale Fagnola, Annibalotto Fagnola, Stefana Vittoria Fasciolo, Riccardo Genovese, 1999, edizioni Il Salabue<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Violon d’Annibale FAGNOLA de 1923
Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 1er d\u00e9cembre 2022 \u00a9 Christophe Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Violon d’Annibale Fagnola de 1925 – Collection Bernard Millant
Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 29 novembre 2017 \u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Violon d’Annibale Fagnola de 1922 – Collection Bernard Millant
Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 5 d\u00e9cembre 2018 \u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Les ann\u00e9es 1930<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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Dans les ann\u00e9es 1930, Fagnola cherche constamment \u00e0 s’am\u00e9liorer et, malgr\u00e9 son succ\u00e8s en tant que luthier au style affirm\u00e9, consacre beaucoup de son temps \u00e0 r\u00e9aliser des copies fid\u00e8les. Fagnola menait principalement des recherches sur le vernis, visant \u00e0 reproduire les originaux ou \u00e0 leur donner un aspect vieilli. Cependant, certaines de ses derni\u00e8res \u0153uvres montrent les marques de l’\u00e2ge et de la maladie qui l’a finalement emport\u00e9.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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En 1931, il d\u00e9m\u00e9nage son atelier pour la derni\u00e8re fois. Les ann\u00e9es 30 sont aussi marqu\u00e9es par son amiti\u00e9 avec le professeur Vincenzo Tommasini, une figure importante de la sc\u00e8ne musicale de l’\u00e9poque, avec qui il entretient une longue correspondance. Plusieurs lettres de Tommasini font l\u2019\u00e9loge des instruments de Fagnola. Ainsi en 1937, il \u00e9crit :<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cI have to tell you that your violin has such a good sound and I like it so much that I put away my old violins and only play on yours\u201d<\/p>\nGiovanni Accornero, Ivan Epicoco, Eraldo Guerci, Liuteria Piemontese, Annibale Fagnola, Annibalotto Fagnola, Stefana Vittoria Fasciolo, Riccardo Genovese, 1999, edizioni Il Salabue<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Violon d’Annibale Fagnola de 1929 en mod\u00e8le Guadagnini
Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 6 juin 2019 \u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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ANNIBALE FAGNOLA: WORK THAT CELEBRATES THE OLDER MASTERS WHILST REMAINING PERSONAL IN STYLE<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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Very early on, Fagnola paid particular attention to the quality of his varnishes, seeking to obtain a luminous and transparent finish, and sometimes added a few ornaments to the instruments to further improve their visual appearance. During the 1920s, Fagnola’s career experienced a meteoric rise and his ability to re-interpret and add his personal touch to the work of the old masters allowed him to assert his own style. This makes him an emblematic figure of 20th century violin making, who perpetuated the great tradition of the Piedmontese school.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Catalog<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Results<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Contact<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Experts<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Version fran\u00e7aise<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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A life split between Montiglio and Turin<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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Personal life<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\"Montiglio<\/a>
Montiglio Monferrato<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Annibale,<\/a>
Annibale, Roberto et Elvira Danzena, \u00a9 Accornero, Epicoco, Guerci, Annibale Fagnola, 1999, Il Salabue<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Annibale<\/a>
Annibale et Roberto avec le violon fait par son p\u00e8re \u00a9 Accornero, Epicoco, Guerci, Annibale Fagnola, 1999, Il Salabue<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Annibale Fagnola was born on 28 December 1866 in Montiglio, a small town located in the Monferrato hills, 50km east of Turin. His baptism certificate is the first official document we have about him. His civil birth certificate indicates that the Fagnola family lived in the Regione Convento and that his father, Domenico, was a farmer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although the Fagnola family is not amongst the oldest in Montiglio, Giovanni Fagnola, Annibale’s grandfather, resided there well before 1850. The family, probably of modest origins, included 10 children, Annibale being the eldest. His primary school studies were most likely interrupted so he could help his family, which might explain his approximate use of the written language at times.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Around the age of 20, Annibale Fagnola was active as a baker in Montiglio, as was Giuseppe Rocca in the 1820s. In 1918, when he was already in his fifties, he married Cattarina Risso in Turin, but she died the following year, prompting Annibale Fagnola to return to Montiglio, where he worked for a time with Riccardo Genovese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

n 1921, he re-married in Montiglio with Elvira Danzena, who gave him a son, Roberto, born the same year in Turin. Annibale had high expectations for his only son, and hoped it would be the start of a dynasty of violin makers. With this in mind, he made instruments for his son when he was still very young, including a small violin and a cello. Unfortunately for Annibale Fagnola, his aspiration of passing on the love of the craft to his son did not materialise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Information extracted from Giovanni Accornero, Ivan Epicoco, Eraldo Guerci, Liuteria Piemontese, Annibale Fagnola, Annibalotto <\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Fagnola in Turin<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Turin, photographie des ann\u00e9es 1890-1900, Library of Congress Online Catalog<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Annibale<\/a>
Annibale Fagnola dans son atelier, \u00a9 Accornero, Epicoco, Guerci, Annibale Fagnola, 1999, Il Salabue<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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In 1894, at the age of 27, Fagnola moved to Turin, and quickly entered the world of violin making. Indeed, only one year after his move, he declared himself a \u201cmusical instrument maker\u201d and probably opened his first workshop that same year, in 1895. Several theories exist as to his training. Some believe he might have trained with his father, while others think that he studied with Enrico Marchetti shortly after his arrival in Turin in 1894. However, all the evidence points to him having been self-taught. His natural talent for wood working could be explained by his early years in Montiglio, where many local artisans worked this material and music was present. At the start of his career, he considered himself an \u201cinstrument maker\u201d rather than a violin maker specifically. It was at the turn of the 19th century, following his move to Turin, that he gradually specialised and perfected his craft, mainly thanks to the lawyer and instrument collector Orazio Roggiero, who gave him access to his great collection of stringed instruments.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Workshop<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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In 1899, Annibale Fagnola appeared for the first time in Turin’s main business directory, Paravia, as “Musical Instrument Manufacturer”. He was not listed there between 1900 and 1902, but reappeared in 1903 as a \u201cviolin maker\u201d and was included thereafter without interruption until his death in 1939.
From 1903, his activity grew rapidly and gained in reputation. Demand for his instruments intensified and Fagnola hired several renowned assistants and apprentices. Makers such as Riccardo Genovese and Stefano Vittorio Fasciolo worked under his wing, as would his nephew, Annibalotto Fagnola.
However, his most fruitful collaboration was with Evasio Guerra. This is very noticeable today when comparing some of their models, as they are very similar. When Annibale Fagnola died on 16 October 1939 in Turin, his workshop and tools were passed on to Annibalotto. Despite the workshop\u2019s success, it closed its doors after 1945. His son Roberto did not want a career in violin making, and Annibalotto was too inexperienced to take over the running of the workshop. As for his pupils, Riccardo Genovese and Stefano Fasciolo, they died in 1935 and 1944 respectively.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Violon de Riccardo GENOVESE\nInstrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 02 juin 2022\n\u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Annibalotto<\/a>
Annibalotto Fagnola, \u00a9 Accornero, Epicoco, Guerci, Annibale Fagnola, 1999, Il Salabue<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Acclaim and awards<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Les souverains d’Italie inaugurent l’exposition internationale de Milan en 1906<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Turin 1911 Affiche de l’Expo par Adolfo de Carolis<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Annibale Fagnola received his first awards in 1906, at the exhibitions in Genoa and Milan, in which he won diplomas and medals. The Milan International Exhibition was particularly successful for Fagnola, as he managed to sell all the violins he exhibited. Shortly afterwards, he expanded his business and moved his workshop to Via San Tommaso. However, it was really in 1911, at the Universal Exhibition in Turin, that Fagnola’s work was crowned with success. Indeed, in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the Italian unification, Fagnola was awarded the gold medal \u2013 confirming his place amongst the best violin makers worldwide. Following this great success, the demand for his instruments skyrocketed. Fagnola was particularly appreciated in England, where he had a very good reputation from the start. He collaborated with several large establishments there, including W. E. Hill and Sons and J. and A. Beare.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Work that celebrates the older masters whilst remaining personal in style<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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First period<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Annibale Fagnola started his violin making career as he entered his forties. The period 1905-1910 can therefore be described as his first or early period. At the start of his career, he was very close to Orazio Roggiero, who allowed him to examine and study instruments by the old masters, which he began to imitate. As he was probably self-taught, he learned through trial and error, which is sometimes in evidence in the rudimentary nature of some of his early works.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Nevertheless, thanks to an innate talent and his growing experience, Fagnola improved quickly, and from the start, his instruments were praised by his peers and the experts. This was in evidence at the Universal Exhibition of 1911 in Turin, which saw Fagnola’s instruments rewarded for their individual style, which combined a personal model with elements from the makers of Turin \u2013 mainly Pressenda, Rocca and Guadagnini. Very early on, Fagnola paid particular attention to the quality of his varnishes, seeking to obtain a luminous and transparent finish, and sometimes added a few ornaments to the instruments to further improve their visual appearance.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Violon d’Enrico ROCCA
Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 03 d\u00e9cembre 2020 \u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Violon d’Annibale Fagnola vers 1895\/1900
Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 27 novembre 2019 \u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Violon d’Annibale Fagnola de 1912 – Collection Bernard Millant
Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 29 novembre 2017 \u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The 1920s<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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During the 1920s, Fagnola’s career experienced a meteoric rise and, to meet the growing international demand for his instruments, he relied increasingly on assistance from several other makers, including Riccardo Genovese, his nephew Annibalotto and again Evasio Guerra. A good testimony of the esteem in which Fagnola was held in the 1920s can be found in Henri Poidras’s dictionary of ancient and modern violin makers, which praised him as follows in 1929:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cHis reputation as one of the best makers of our time is almost universal. He is the son of his works, and claims no master. By often reproducing the models of Guadagnini and Pressenda, he became the distinguished copyist that we know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nHenri Poidras, Dictionnaire des luthiers anciens et modernes, critique et documentaire<\/em>, tome additif (vol. II), 1929<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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The mention of \u201ccopyist\u201d here is interesting, since Fagnola made a clear distinction between \u201ccopying\u201d and \u201cimitating\u201d an instrument. According to him, copying someone else\u2019s work allowed one to maintain one’s own style, whilst imitating required one to step in the master\u2019s shoes to meticulously reproduce the original, down to the smallest details, so much so that, today, some of Fagnola’s imitations are almost impossible to distinguish from the originals. Whilst it may be tempting to think of Fagnola as a pure imitator, his ability to re-interpret and add his personal touch to the work of the old masters allowed him to assert his own style. This makes him an emblematic figure of 20th century violin making, who perpetuated the great tradition of the Piedmontese school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cIt would be unfair to consider Fagnola as a mere copyist or imitator. Thanks to his ability to re-interpret the technical and stylistic learnings from Guadagnini, Pressenda and Rocca, without ever losing his own identity, Annibale Fagnola was the natural successor to the great tradition of the Piedmontese school, proving himself to be a key figure in 20th century violin making.\u201d<\/p>\nGiovanni Accornero, Ivan Epicoco, Eraldo Guerci, Liuteria Piemontese, Annibale Fagnola, Annibalotto Fagnola, Stefana Vittoria Fasciolo, Riccardo Genovese, 1999, edizioni Il Salabue<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Violon d’Annibale FAGNOLA de 1923
Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 1er d\u00e9cembre 2022 \u00a9 Christophe Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Violon d’Annibale Fagnola de 1925 – Collection Bernard Millant
Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 29 novembre 2017 \u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Violon d’Annibale Fagnola de 1922 – Collection Bernard Millant
Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 5 d\u00e9cembre 2018 \u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The 1930s<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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In the 1930s, Fagnola constantly sought to improve and, despite his success as a maker of individual style, he devoted much of his time to making faithful reproductions. Fagnola mainly focused his research on varnish, aiming to reproduce that of the original instruments and give them an antique appearance. However, some of his later works betray the signs of age, and the illness from which he died eventually.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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In 1931, he moved his workshop for the last time. The 1930s were also marked by his friendship with Professor Vincenzo Tommasini, an important figure on the musical scene of the time, with whom he corresponded for a while. Several letters from Tommasini praise Fagnola’s instruments. For instance, in 1937, he wrote:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cI have to tell you that your violin has such a good sound and I like it so much that I put away my old violins and only play on yours\u201d<\/p>\nGiovanni Accornero, Ivan Epicoco, Eraldo Guerci, Liuteria Piemontese, Annibale Fagnola, Annibalotto Fagnola, Stefana Vittoria Fasciolo, Riccardo Genovese, 1999, edizioni Il Salabue<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Violon d’Annibale Fagnola de 1929 en mod\u00e8le Guadagnini
Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 6 juin 2019 \u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\ud83d\ude80 Suivez-nous !<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n