I recently received a call from my friend Claudio Amighetti, expert dealer and restorer in Cremona, because he has received an unusual instrument for sale and he was eager to have our opinion. I drove there to see it and try it as a Violoncello da Spalla. It is now strung with D’addario Helicore and tuned GDAE, but I also brought with me a tailpiece and some strings to try it ain the normal cello tuning.
This instrument has an intriguing history. It was made by Adelino Galeazzi, in Ascoli Piceno, Marche, around 1850.
Adelino Galeazzi was the grandson of Francesco Galeazzi, the great violinist, teacher and conductor, author of “Elementi teorico-pratici di musica, con un saggio sopra l'arte di suonare il violino” (Roma 1791-96). This treatise contains relevant suggestions on strings: how to choose them, maintain them, and also make your own overspoon strings as well as 3 recipes of rosins. Francesco Galeazzi also made at least one violin. His son Eugenio was a violinist, teacher and luthier and also translated some treatises on Lutherie from French and German.
Eugenio’s son Adelino was educated by his father in violin playing and teaching, and also violin-making. He pursued all of these careers, so he was not a full time luthier, but he came from a family of prominent musicians and luthiers, with a wide education for the time and place.
This instrument is an early work of Adelino Galeazzi, it has no purflings and doesn’t employ high quality wood. The top is spruce, the back maple, the ribs walnut. (Together with it came also a violin with walnut back and ribs, obviously made in the same period).
What was this instrument in Adelino’s intentions, we cannot know. It’s too big for a tenor viola. A Violoncello da Spalla would be unusual in that place and time. However, it plays very well as a Violoncello da Spalla. Maybe it was, as the Violoncello da Spalla is today, the perfect companion of a violin teacher, used to accompany students, teach chorus, accompany dances at parties. But these are only hypotheses, we really have no precise ideas. It has a certificate by Florian Leonhard as a tenor viola.
It’s measures are: body 48 cm, string length 45 cm, ribs 6 cm. It instantly reminded me of the instrument used by Sigiswald Kuijken as a spalla. It has wear signs as if it was played da braccio.
It is settled with 4 strings and the neck and pegbox are a bit too narrow to imagine it with 5 strings. Being all completely original (and in very good conditions), it would be a pity to modify it. At the moment it is tuned GDAE but I also gave it a try CGDA.
It has an original transitional neck, glued on the ribs and nailed, and no corner blocks. It also comes with its wooden case!
This instrument is for sale and available for try in Cremona. If you are interested please write us privately for more details.
News from da Spalla world
If you are a luthier and you are interested in making a Violoncello da Spalla, the 2025 is your lucky year! We are publishing our making notes in payed issues of this newsletter. Measure, templates, techniques. The price will go up each time we will add content, so if you are interested, subscribe now! At this link you can see the what’s already out.
The Japanese version of Daniela’s book on violin gut strings and how they changed through the centuries is now available also on Amazon! At this link.
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