AMAT Andrea

AMAT (Amati), family of Italian masters of stringed instruments from Cremona (c.. 1520-1740).

Andrea Amati (c.. 1520 - ca. 1580) - founder of the dynasty. His teachers are unknown; Andrea contemporaries were two famous masters of Brescia, Cremona rival: Gasparo da Salo and Giovanni Magini. These three artists are the creators of the first violins of the modern type. But it would be an exaggeration to see in them the first masters, stringed instrument manufacturing high quality. They inherited the tradition of making viols (and lutes), provided the few remaining tools. There is documentary evidence of the existence of violins, which were used for 30 years (and perhaps earlier) until the first known instruments of Andrea Amati, dated 1564. On the other hand, imaging materials indicate that during the life of Andrea in the course of a model instrument, which differs from the one adopted as a standard Amati at Cremona and his colleagues in Brescia. This latter type of tool has not significantly changed a century later, the great Antonio Stradivari.

Type Amati violins remained completely unchanged over the subsequent generations there were two sizes: large, or grand Amati, had a length 35.5 cm in length, less - 35,2 cm. Andrea manufactured as violas and cellos.