Amati (ämä´tē), Italian family of violinmakers of Cremona. The founder of the Cremona school was Andrea Amati (c.1520–c.1578), whose earliest violins date from c.1564. His labels bore the name Amadus, and he is credited with the basic design of the modern violin. His sons were Antonio Amati and Girolamo or Geronimo Amati, who worked together and followed closely their father's patterns in making violins of graceful shape and sweet tone. The Amati instruments had a characteristic amber-colored varnish. Niccolò Amati (1596–1684), son of Girolamo, brought the Amati violin to its height after c.1645. Antonio Stradivari and Andrea Guarneri were pupils of Niccolò. Niccolò's son, Girolamo (1649–1740), was the last of his line to achieve distinction. The Latin forms of the first names, Andreas, Antonius, Hieronymus, and Nicolaus, were generally used on the violin labels, and the family name was sometimes Latinized as Amatus.

Amati Family of Italian violinmakers in Cremona in the 16th and 17th centuries. They included Andrea (c.1520–78), the founder of the Cremona school of violinmaking; his two sons Antonio (c.1550–1638) and Girolamo (1551–1635); and Girolamo's son Nicolò (1596–1684) and grandson Girolamo (1649–1740). The Amati family are credited with establishing the design of the modern violin.

Amati. It. family of vn.-makers (also vas., vcs., and dbs.) at Cremona. Comprised Andrea (c.1505–c.1580) whose sons Antonio (c.1538–c.1595) and Girolamo (Geronimus) (1561–1630) made many changes. Nicola (1596–1684), son of Girolamo, is reckoned the greatest of the Amatis. Among his pupils were Stradivari and Guarneri. The last of the line was Nicola's son Girolamo (1649–1740).

Amati a family of Italian violin-makers from Cremona. In the 16th and 17th centuries three generations of the Amatis (Andrea, c.1520–c.80 and his sons and grandson Nicolò, 1596–1684) developed the basic proportions of the violin, viola, and cello, refining the body outlines, soundholes, purfling, and scroll. Antonio Stradivari worked in Nicolò's workshop.

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