Morglato Morella

History

Morglato Morella (circa 1510-1602) was a notable maker of lutes, rebecs, and viols, whose career spanned from approximately 1510 to 1602, though sources contain conflicting information regarding his precise working dates. Cecie Stainer, in A Dictionary of Violin Makers, places his activity around 1510-1550, while John Dilworth, in The Brompton's Book of Violin & Bow Makers, suggests circa 1545-1602. He worked first in Mantua and later in Venice. George Hart, in The Violin, notes that M. Fetis, in his Biographie Universelle des Musiciens, stated Morella was famous for his viols and lutes, and S. Ang. Maffei, in his Annali di Mantova, highly praised Morella's instruments. Very few of his original instruments remain intact, as his viols were often repurposed for making smaller altos or violoncellos, according to Cecie Stainer. John Dilworth mentions two labels attributed to Morella, one from Mantua and another from Venice, found in the Brussels Musical Instruments Museum (ex Snoeck) and P. De Wit's collection, but he considers both to be dubious. Dilworth also points out that Henley provides a detailed but unreliable description of Morella's work, including red-brown varnish, occasional double-purfling, and carved anthropomorphic heads. Willibald Leo Lütgendorff, in Die Geigen- und Lautenmacher vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart, confirms that Morella was in Mantua around 1540 and in Venice by 1550, and notes that many works attributed to him in the trade are likely forgeries.

Craft

• Instrument Types: Morglato Morella was known for crafting lutes, rebecs, and viols.
• Construction Details: According to Henley's description, which John Dilworth deems unreliable, Morella's instruments sometimes featured double-purfling and were inlaid with carved anthropomorphic heads. Willibald Leo Lütgendorff also mentions a re-worked violin from the Snoeck collection (No. 507) that had double purfling and a jester's head on the pegbox.
• Varnish: Henley described the varnish as red-brown, a detail also noted by Lütgendorff.
• Labels: Two labels are quoted: "Morglato Morella / Mantuae 15.." and "Morglato Morella / fece in Venecia 1594", though John Dilworth considers their authenticity dubious.

Influence

• Mentorship: There is speculation, cited by John Dilworth and Willibald Leo Lütgendorff, that Morglato Morella may have been a pupil of the lute maker Pietro Dardelli.

Legacy

• Reputation: Morglato Morella's viols were highly renowned, a fame justified by the quality of the few surviving examples, as stated by Willibald Leo Lütgendorff.
• Praise: S. Ang. Maffei, in his Annali di Mantova, offered high praise for the instruments made by Morella.
• Preservation Challenges: Many of his viols were later adapted into smaller altos or violoncellos, contributing to the scarcity of his original intact instruments.
• Forgeries: Willibald Leo Lütgendorff warns that many works attributed to Morella currently appearing in the trade are almost certainly forgeries.

Further Information

• Working Locations: Morglato Morella worked in Mantua and later in Venice, Italy.
• Museum Collections: Labels attributed to Morella have been cited from the Brussels Musical Instruments Museum (formerly the Snoeck collection) and P. De Wit's collection.
• Specific Instruments: A re-worked violin from the Snoeck collection (No. 507) is mentioned by Willibald Leo Lütgendorff.

Summary

Morglato Morella was an influential maker of lutes, rebecs, and viols, active from approximately 1510 to 1602, working in Mantua and Venice. His viols were particularly famous and highly praised by contemporaries like S. Ang. Maffei. While few of his original instruments remain intact due to later modifications, his craftsmanship is noted for features such as double purfling and carved details, though some historical descriptions are considered unreliable. There is speculation that he may have been a pupil of Pietro Dardelli. Modern scholarship, particularly by Willibald Leo Lütgendorff, cautions that many instruments attributed to Morella in the current market are likely forgeries.