Hi, I’m a bow-maker. I solve problems.
Interview with Antonino Airenti, bow maker in Genova
Starting from the concept that the instrument, in our case a small cello, was played with the technique most congenial to the musician on duty, and not that it was built with in mind a precise idea of "da gamba" or "da spalla", in the same way, we must suppose that said musician played it with the bow he was most accustomed to, that is to say with his bow. So, instead of looking for a "custom made" bow for the cello da Spalla, I started with the bows I already had at home, preferring among these a rather long viola bow, but which I had to use at very high tension. In the meantime, I ordered a cello bow from my friend Antonino Airenti, leaving him free to decide on the model and characteristics. I received a model Sam 077 bow, which I found a great starting point for our future investigation.
Antonino, tell us about the history of this bow and why you proposed it to me.
Thank you for your question Daniela, this gives me the opportunity to explain my working method today. Yes, I said “today”. When I started making bows (after many years of violinmaking), I thought that just “making bows” was my job. I made good bows (I guess) for many years. But one day, I had a change: I felt I am not only a craftsman but a part of the complex musical production chain. I understood that I was not only a maker but someone who tries to understand the needs of a player and looks for a convenient solution. I try to see myself as someone like Mr Wolf in Tarantino’s “pulp fiction”
Since that day, I made better bows.
Let’s talk about “our” bow for Da spalla. It’s not my own to dive into the matter of the historical coherence of the instrument. Instead, I simply tried to understand how a bow could help a small instrument in producing bass notes: stiff enough to move rather heavy strings but light enough to be played da spalla, long enough to play long notes but short enough to allow the required agility. For sure, I thought, with clip-in frog because only this system can grant a rich harmonics emission (and this could be the lack of small cello). The second step was choosing a model (among all the original items I knew) with all these properties. The “sam77” bow preserved in Kunshistorisches Museum Wien was my choice. It’s an early 17th-century Italian bow, probably part of the Obizzi collections from the Catajo castle, and we also have some evidence of its use up to the 18th century. I made it from snakewood and sent it to you.
Comparing the viola bow, a little too light and soft, with the cello bow, which had a nice deep sound but was not very incisive and agile, you designed my next bow. Could you tell us how you came to it and on what model you based the bow you made for me (which, incidentally, I immediately found very easy, expressive and effective).
I had never seen the instrument being played before, so when I did, I realised that you needed a bow with a balance that could make it easier for you to play in arm position. I got my inspiration from the long Tartini bow, which is a bow that always gave my customers and me great satisfaction.
Another brilliant idea, I would add, being Tartini so close to the environment where the cello da spalla thrived.
Although I felt it already a top-class bow, you did not stop. After a few months, when I contacted you to order a bow for a client, you surprised me by sending me two bows rather different than mine. They were so cool and focused that I wanted to keep one for me, but when the client saw them, he took them both! Unable to resist, I ordered one too! Tell us more about this!
That’s true. I didn’t stop thinking about how to do better. I considered your impressions on the snakewood bow, and I tried different woods (historically used in Italy during either the 16th and 17th century): sorb-wood can enhance the bass harmonics frequencies better than other woods I tried (Pearwood, plum wood or boxwood). Of course, due to the lower density, the stick's thickness is much bigger than in the snakewood bow.
So, in the end, can this bow still be considered a historical option, or we ended up with a custom?
Well, I’d rather consider an artefact “historically informed” than historical. Please believe that, in the endless evolution which characterise the Baroque period, “custom made” was probably the rule.
I highly recommend the reading of Antonino’s blog: don’t hesitate to get in touch with him through his website:
https://baroquebows.airenti.it/
Updates from our workshop
I am at my parents’ place in Piedmont, trying to cheer up a bit my mother while my father is in hospital for a surgery. I am writing text for our website in construction, learning to play the Wagner with my fabulous new bow, and exercising almost every day with my mother: I have to return fit after the pandemic, and she has to maintain herself so!
Alessandro is at home, starting the finishing of his latest violin and bringing on good work on the new cello da Spalla.
Featured video of the week
Here in Piedmont it’s springtime, but it’s actually cold and rainy, and the lyrical meditative music of this video resonates with me. Check it out, it’s beautiful playing.
Alessandro Stradella, by Yun Kim Fernandez and François Fernandez
