A Stunning Italian Violin Attributed to Giuseppe Pedrazzini: Made By/With His Nephew, Natale Novelli, 1956.

I am delighted to present this fine Italian violin crafted in 1956, attributed to and made in the workshop of Giuseppe Pedrazzini (1879–1957) by his nephew, Natale Novelli (1908-1981). Pedrazzini’s authentic label and fire-brands adorn the belly in the correct places. In so much as the work can clearly be ascertained as the hand of Novelli, it is perhaps the most graceful and refined example of his work I have seen. This would suggest it was made under the close supervision of and possibly in collaboration with his uncle, Pedrazzini. Two pins to the back, placed upon the seam - one of Novelli’s trademark details. It is generally accepted that Novelli’s work is less refined in the years after his uncle’s death the following year, in 1957. Other collaborators and shop workers included several famous makers, including the likes of Ferdinando Garimberti and Piero Parravicini.

The tailpiece features a silver emblem, the hallmark family crest of the House of Savoy, the last ruling Monarchy of Italy which supported Garibaldi and led the Italian Unification in 1861, only to be exiled in 1946 for propping up Mussolini and failing to remove him from power despite their key efforts in driving the Nazi regime from Italy. Queen Marie José of Belgium (1906-2001) reigned Italy for only 34 days and settled in Switzerland, where she endowed a charitable organization for the arts which supported ballet, visual artists, and even commissioned instruments.

Though inferring any further is absolute conjecture, this instrument may indeed have been made for a Royalist as Italy became a formal Republic 10 years prior in 1946 by majority vote. It is a remarkable example mid-20th century Italian violin-making, embodying the culmination of two generations of expertise and blending traditional Cremonese influences with Milanese refinement in a manner of which the quality thereof simply speaks for itself. Moreover, the voice delivers everything one would expect from such pedigree and easily more with dazzlingly brilliant lyricism and color.