04/02/2026
Another beautiful young Italian violin we have in our shop is by Gaetano Gadda, Mantova 1940.
Gaetano Gadda trained under Stefano Scarampella from 1919, working closely with him and contributing significantly to his later instruments. After Scarampella’s death in 1925, Gadda continued in his mentor’s style before developing his own more precise approach. From the 1940s, he used Guarneri-inspired violin models and Balestrieri models for cellos. His work is known for blackened chamfers on the scroll, reddish- to orange-brown varnish, and instruments often branded “G.G.”
In 1940 when this violin was made, Scarampella still exerted a huge influence on Gadda’s work, despite his death 15 years before. This can be seen in the full but elegant arching, the beautifully cut ‘f’ holes with their tapering wings, the roundness and warmth of the edges and corners, and the vigour of the scroll. The tone is brilliant and projecting, with a silvery sheen and a resonant richness on the E string. It is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity by Jacques Français.
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