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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Amati

Amati, renowned family of Italian violin makers working at Cremona. Andrea Amati (b. between 1500 and 1505; d. before 1580) was the first violin maker of the family. He established the prototype of Italian instruments, with characteristics found in modern violins. His sons were Antonio Amati (b. c. 1538; d. c. 1595), who built violins of varying sizes, and Girolamo Amati (b. c. 1561; d. Nov. 2, 1630), who continued the tradition established by his father, and worked together with his brother, Antonio. Nicola, or Niccolo Amati (b. Dec. 3, 1596; d. April 12, 1684), was the most illustrious of the Amati family. He was the son of Girolamo Amati, and signed his labels “Nicolaus Amati Cremonens, Hieronimi filius Antonü nepos.” He built some of the “grand Amatis,” large violins of powerful tone surpassing in clarity and purity those made by his father and his grandfather, Andrea. In Nicola’s workshop both Andrea Guarneri and Antonio Stradivari received their training. Girolamo Amati (b. Feb. 26, 1649; d. Feb. 21, 1740), son of Nicola and the last of the family, produced violins inferior to those of his father, his grandfather, and his great-grandfather. In his work, he departed from the family tradition in many respects and seemed to be influenced by Stradivari’s method without equaling his superb workmanship.

Bibliography

C. Bonetti, La genealogia degli A., luitai, e il primato della scuola liutistica cremonese (Cremona, 1938; Eng. tr., 1989, as A Genealogy of the A. Family Violin Makers, 1500-1740)

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire