Rocchi Sesto
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Sesto Rocchi (1909 – 1991) was a violin maker from Reggio Emilia in Italy. Rocchi’s work contributed to the rebirth of violin making in the region Reggio Emilia after the difficult times of World War II.
Information on Rocchi’s life can be found in Life for Violin Making by Gianfranco Boretti, and in 1860–1960, A Century of Italian Violin Making: Emilia Romagna Region, by Eric Blot.
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[edit] Biography
Sesto Rocchi (1909 – 1991) was born in Reggio Emillia, Italy. He started his violin making studies at the School of Violin Making at the Conservatory of Music in Parma under Gaetano Scarabotto. After approximately 6 years of study, he moved to Milan to further his learning with Leandro Bisiach. Between 1956 and 1988 Sesto served on every prestigious violin making body including an appointment (1980) as the custodian of the Paginini Guaneri del Gesu “Canon”.
 This article is part of the Fiddle & Violin series. |
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He acquired over 17 international competition awards for his violins from 1952 – 1966. Sesto Rocchi made as many as ten quartets and a few antiqued instruments following in the steps of his masters, Sgarabotto and Bisiach. His experience in the Bisiach workshop where he made many instruments and where he could observe and copy antique instruments was extremely useful to his own career.
"His work is very precise and the varnish varies from a warm orange to brownish red. He was constantly occupied with varnish experiments and research. He used Stradivarian "Amatise" and Guarneri models. The sonority is always excellent." - 'Liuteria Italiana' vol. 1 - Eric Blot 1994
Rocchi is considered one of the finest modern Italian makers and many of his instruments are now being copied by shops and makers. - Life for Violin Making by Gianfranco Boretti,
[edit] Quotes
"Sesto Rocchi’s inborn capacities, his personal involvement, the passion that inhabited him, but mostly the teachings that he received from Sgarabotto in Parma and Leandro Bisiach in Milan helped him become one of the best Italian contemporary makers. His curious mind was always on alert, and his receptive attitude toward young people interested in violin making was remarkable."
—Gualtiero Nicolini, president of ALI (Associazione Liutaria Italiana), a teacher at the Cremona School of Violin Making, and an author of books on lutherie.
"I feel proud to have had him as a colleague and then as a friend. The legacy left by Rocchi demonstrates that even in the 20th century, it is possible to conduct the activities of a violin maker with nobility."
—Gianfranco Boretti, author of a book on Rocchi "Life for Violin Making"
"Emilia-Romagna, together with nearby Lombardia, is certainly the region in which the approach to a classical conception and taste took the form of a renaissance of the profession; the ground lost was recovered, not only in the fields of technique and methods of construction, but also in the harmony and immediate warmth of the instruments.
In our region two traditions were active, which, although interacting, can still be distinguished. In Bologna Raffaele Fiorini founded a school which was original both with respect to the methods of construction and to the resulting style; the most important luthiers who represented and continued this tradition were the Carlettis, the Pollastris, Monterumici, Cesare Candi and Otello Bignami. Raffaele Fiorini's son, Giuseppe, on the contrary, gave birth to a different approach, aiming above all to recover the methods of classical violin-making, and was followed by Ansaldo Poggi, Simone Fernando Sacconi and Giancarlo Giucciardi. In Parma the 20th century tradition commenced with Gaetano Sgarabotto, who served his apprenticeship in the workshop of the Bisiachs, and can therefore be traced back to a Milanese origin.
Gaetano Sgarabotto, another of Leandro Bisiach's pupils was born in 1878 in Vicenza; while still very young he had demonstrated a talent for violin-making. After his experience in Milan, Gaetano moved to Parma in 1926 and two years later was given the task of directing the School of Violin-Making which had been annexed to the Conservatory of Music.
The School concluded its experience after nine years, in 1937, but in the meantime had distinguished itself for the quality of its teaching. The proof of this is that luthiers such as Sesto Rocchi, Raffaele Vaccari and of course Gaetano's son Pietro were among its pupils. Gaeatano was a most prolific and eclectic maker, and created instruments drawing inspiration from many different authors. Among this great variety of styles it is interesting to note his preference for the Amatis' models, as well as the rather frequent use of Guadagnini forms. After the closure of the School Gaetano lived in Parma for long periods, from 1942 'till 1948 and again from 1957 until his death in 1959." - Liuteria Parmense
La scuola civica di musica “Sesto Rocchi”, offre lezioni gratuite di strumenti musicali per dare la possibilità a chi lo ha sempre desiderato (ma non ne ha mai avuto la possibilità) di imparare come si fa a suonare. La scuola comunale di musica “Sesto Rocchi” di San Polo, gestita in collaborazione con l’associazione Lo Schiaccianoci di Novellara e diretta dalla pianista Francesca Canova, organizza da otto anni corsi musicali per bambini e adulti con una grande varietà di strumenti.
INFO: 339/3259710 oppure 339/1345839, e-mail, scuolarocchi@libero.it.
[edit] References
- Italian & French Makers - Jost Thoene vol. 3
- Dictionary of 20th Century Italian Violin Makers - Marlin Brinser 1978
- Dictionnaire Universel del Luthiers - Rene Vannes 1951,1972, 1985 (vol.3)
- STRINGS' August/September 1999
- Liuteria Italiana vol. 1 - Eric Blot 1994
- Universal Dictionary of Violin & Bow Makers - Walter Henley 1970
[edit] Bibliography
- Boretti, Gianfranco (1994). A Life for Violin Making / Una Vita Per La Liuteria (in Italian & English). Italy: TURRIS - CREMONA, 159. ISBN 88-7929-058-4.
[edit] Instruments
"His work is very precise and the varnish varies from a warm orange to brownish red. He was constantly occupied with varnish experiments and research. He used Stradivarian "Amatise" and Guarneri models. The sonority is always excellent". - 'Liuteria Italiana' vol. 1 - Eric Blot 1994
Rocchi is considered one of the finest modern Italian makers and many of his instruments are now being copied by shops and makers. - Life for Violin Making by Gianfranco Boretti
Viewed to your right, is a very fine example of this master's work. Sesto Rocchi violin 1975 made for his daughter.
 Sesto Rocchi violin scroll 1975 |
 Sesto Rocchi violin 1975 |
[edit] External sources
[edit] Bisiach Family Heritage
Please see the full article at http://www.maestronet.com/m_library/world_strings/fall83.pdf (Selected World of Strings Newsletters Provided courtesy William Moening & Sons, Ltd, used by permission on Maestronet.com) http://www.maestronet.com/m_library/world_strings/index.cfm
[edit] Rocchi Honored
Rocchi Honored
To mark the 50th anniversary of the foundation of their club, the members of the Rotary of Reggio Emilia in Italy organized a tribute (in the spring of 1999) to noteworthy personalities of their town, including violin maker Sesto Rocchi (1909–1991). Rocchi’s work contributed to the rebirth of violin making in the region after the difficult times of World War II.
A panel was organized with violin makers Roland Baumgartner, an expert from Basel; Giancarlo Guicciardi, a close friend of Rocchi’s; Gualtiero Nicolini, president of ALI (Associazione Liutaria Italiana), a teacher at the Cremona School of Violin Making, and an author of books on lutherie; and Gianfranco Boretti, author of a book on Rocchi, A Life for Violin Making.
"Sesto Rocchi’s inborn capacities, his personal involvement, the passion that inhabited him, but mostly the teachings that he received from Sgarabotto in Parma and Leandro Bisiach in Milan helped him become one of the best Italian contemporary makers," recalled Nicolini. "His curious mind was always on alert, and his receptive attitude toward young people interested in violin making was remarkable."
Baumgartner was also impressed by Rocchi’s passion for violin making. "I feel proud to have had him as a colleague and then as a friend. The legacy left by Rocchi demonstrates that even in the 20th century, it is possible to conduct the activities of a violin maker with nobility."
After the talks, a concert took place in the beautiful Romolo Valli Theater in Reggio Emilia. Violinist Giovanni Angeleri of Padua, the 26-year-old winner of the Paganini Competition in Genoa, played on a Rocchi instrument made in 1945. Accompanied by his father at the piano, Angeleri performed works by Veracini, Beethoven, Paganini, Martucci, and Saint-Saens. "I found the instrument easy to play, with a well-defined personality in the tone like that of antique instruments," declared Angeleri. "Playing it in this beautiful setting has been really rewarding." To open the concert, actor Raul Grassilli read excerpts of Rocchi’s diary from the period in the early 1930s when Rocchi was accepted to work with Leandro Bisiach in Milan.
Two quartets of instruments made by Rocchi were on display in the theater foyer, loaned by members of the Rocchi family: they are known as the "Canto del Cigno" (which won third prize in the Liege competition for instrument making in 1965) and "Mon Amour."
Information on Rocchi’s life can be found in Boretti’s Life for Violin Making and in 1860–1960, A Century of Italian Violin Making: Emilia Romagna Region, by Eric Blot (both available from Turris Editrice in Cremona; fax [39] 0372 41 30 84).
—Patricia Kaden http://www.stringsmagazine.com/issues/strings80/MarketReport.shtml
