- Giovanni Paolo Maggini
Giovanni Paolo Maggini (c. 1580 - c. 1630), was a
luthier born in BotticinoItaly . Maggini was a pupil of another important violin maker of the Brescian school,Gasparo da Salò .Maggini's early instruments are considered less desirable because of their naive craftsmanship. They tended to be modified copies of his teacher's instruments. But once established on his own around the year 1606, Maggini developed his skills and experimented with his designs until he achieved a level of expertise that is still highly regarded. [cite web|url=http://www.si.edu/resource/faq/nmah/violmagg.htm|title=Giovanni Paolo Maggini|last=Smithsonian Institute|accessdate=2006-11-01]
Only known pupil of Maggini isValentino Siani , who worked with him c.1610-1620, before he moved toFlorence and started his own business.Maggini succumbed to the
bubonic plague of 1630-31 that also took another important early luthier, GirolamoAmati . This fact arouses suspicions that some of Maggini's later works are perhaps creations from a different maker since tests reveal that some instruments bearing a genuine Maggini label are from trees living after Maggini's death. [cite web|url=http://www.cozio.com/Luthier.aspx?id=5|title=Giovanni Paolo Maggini|last=Cozio.com|accessdate=2006-11-01]The
National Music Museum has two Maggini instruments in its collection. One is a bassviola da gamba . The other is aviolin . Both predate his death. [cite web|url=http://www.usd.edu/smm/bowstg.html#3365|title=Bowed Stringed Instruments Made Before 1800 at the National Music Museum|last=University of South Dakota|accessdate=2006-11-01]A genuine Maggini violin ranges in value from $200,000 to $2,000,000. [cite web|url=http://www.maestronet.com/history/instruments.cfm?ID=1&first_name=Giovanni&middle_name=Paolo&last_name=Maggini|title=Instrument Price History for Giovanni Paolo Maggini|last=Maestronet|accessdate=2006-11-01]
References
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