Michael Strati

History

Michael STRATI (c.1792) is widely considered to be a fictitious name associated with violin labels, as no historical record of a luthier by this name has been found in Verona, Italy. According to Willibald Leo Lütgendorff in Die Geigen- und Lautenmacher vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart, extensive searches of birth and death registers in Verona throughout the entire 18th century yielded no mention of the name 'Strati', leading to the conclusion that a violin maker of this name likely never existed. Lütgendorff suggests that the name might have originated from a misinterpretation of an inscription on a label. John Dilworth, in The Brompton's Book of Violin & Bow Makers, corroborates this, stating that 'Michael Strati' is 'probably a fictitious label' and that 'no trace of the maker has been found in archives'.

Craft

• Workmanship: Instruments bearing the 'Michael Strati' label often exhibit clean, careful workmanship, though sometimes with slight asymmetry between the halves. Karel Jalovec notes in Italian violin makers that the workmanship was careful.
• Design: The outlines of these instruments are often described as being based on Guarneri models. The edges are sharply cut or bevelled, and the F-holes are slanted inwards or gracefully cut. John Dilworth describes an instrument with such a label as having a 'decidedly commercial French appearance'.
• Materials: The wood used is generally considered to be good quality.
• Varnish: The varnish is typically yellow.
• Scroll: Lütgendorff observed that the scroll on one instrument did not appear to be from the same hand as the rest of the work.
• Tone: The tone is described as soft, though not particularly powerful.

Influence

• Models: Instruments attributed to 'Michael Strati' show influences from prominent Italian masters such as Guarneri and Stradivari.
• School: The overall work and appearance often suggest a connection to the French school of violin making.

Further Information

• Labels: Labels found in instruments typically read 'Michael Strati / Verona 1792'.
• Known Instruments: Willibald Leo Lütgendorff mentions that Kammermusiker Salzwedel possessed a good violin with such a label.

Summary

Michael STRATI, purportedly active around 1792 in Verona, Italy, is widely regarded by historians such as Willibald Leo Lütgendorff and John Dilworth as a fictitious name used on violin labels. Despite the lack of a historical maker, instruments bearing this label are noted for their careful workmanship, often imitating the outlines of Guarneri and Stradivari, with sharply cut edges, slanted F-holes, good wood, and yellow varnish, frequently exhibiting characteristics of the French school of violin making.