Gioffredo Cappa

History

Gioffredo Cappa (1644-1717) was an early maker of the Turin school, working in an Amati-influenced style. According to John Dilworth, he was born in 1644 and died in 1717 in Saluzzo, Turin, Italy. However, sources contain conflicting information regarding his origins and working dates. George Hart notes that according to Lancetti—who received his information from Count Cozio di Salabue—Gioffredo Cappa was always regarded in Piedmont as a pupil of Antonio and Girolamo Amati, and therefore worked in Cremona during his early years. Hart further states that Count Cozio failed to discover information relative to the name of Cappa in connection with the records of Saluzzo, leading him to conclude that Cappa was Cremonese, given the existence of families with that name in Cremona. Cecie Stainer also suggests he was probably born at Cremona and was working there under the Amatis about 1590, and later, about 1640, in Saluzzo (Piedmont), dates which significantly predate those provided by Dilworth. Hart clarifies that confusion has arisen from dates on Cappa labels extending from 1590 to 1712, some from Saluzzo and others from Turin, and that Count Cozio informed Lancetti, "I cannot ascertain the real Christian name of the first nor of the other Cappa, because two at least worked in succession in Piedmont, judging from the difference of style and make." John Dilworth, however, asserts that Cappa's workmanship is "quite alien to all known Cremonese techniques," despite Count Cozio's conviction that Cappa was a significant maker with connections to Amati. A fake Cappa label was extensively used in the past, leading to the misconception that he was far more prolific than he actually was. With more accurate appraisal, his instruments are ranked among the best provincial work of the late 17th century in Italy.

Craft

• Style: Gioffredo Cappa's work is described as Amati-influenced, featuring distinctive sloping soundholes and a deeply colored but softly textured varnish.
• Construction Technique: His teachers initially utilized the technique peculiar to northern European makers of setting the ribs into a channel cut into the inner edge of the back. Cappa soon revised this, making instruments in a more conventional way.
• Sound-holes: The sound-hole is sometimes large and quite out of keeping with the elegant outline of Amati, often larger and more obliquely set in the instrument, and sometimes described as "hässlich und zu weit offen" (ugly and too wide open) by Willibald Leo Lütgendorff, or "badly cut" by Cecie Stainer.
• Materials: Cappa was not greatly consistent in his choice of materials; backs can be of various cuts and species, while tops are not always of the finest straight Alpine growth. Lancetti remarks upon the difference in wood between instruments made in Cremona (foreign growth) and those made in Piedmont (local, coarse, and plain wood). Backs are either whole or in two parts, seldom cut on the cross.
• Varnish: The varnish is frequently of very rich quality, its color resembling that of Amati in many instances, generally golden or yellow, but varying a good deal.
• Purfling: The purfling is sometimes carelessly done.
• Pattern: The pattern was often too large and had later to be cut down. Instruments are of two patterns, one larger than the other, with the large one being flatter and altogether better finished.
• Instrument Quality: His violas are considered better than his violins, and his violoncellos are among his best work, though sometimes too much arched.

Influence

• Teachers: His teachers were almost certainly of Tyrolean origin, notably Enricus Catenar and Andrea Gatto.
• Alleged Mentorship: According to Lancetti, who received his information from Count Cozio di Salabue, Gioffredo Cappa was always regarded in Piedmont as a pupil of Antonio and Girolamo Amati.
• School Perpetuation: Cappa's style was perpetuated in Turin by Spiritus Sorsana and Joannes Franciscus Celoniatus.

Legacy

• Reputation: Many of Count Cozio di Salabue's early acquisitions were credited to Cappa in his accounts, an assessment that Cozio believed made Cappa a very significant maker.
• Notable Users: Both Pugnani and Viotti were said to have been familiar with his violins.
• Value: His instruments are fine and highly desirable concert instruments. Cellos are somewhat rare. George Hart noted that Cappa's instruments, though not prized at the time, "must ultimately command prices proportionate to their real value."
• Historical Confusion: The extensive use of fake Cappa labels and the wide range of dates attributed to him (from 1590 to 1712) led to considerable confusion regarding his parentage and prolificacy.

Further Information

• Label Inscriptions: Examples of his labels include "Jofredvs Cappa / fecit Salutiisanno 1680", "Joffridus Cappa / fecit Salutiis anno 1692", and "Jofredus Cappa / in Saluzzo, fecit anno 1698".
• Instrument Types: He made both large and small violins, with the large instruments being preferable. His violoncellos are among the best of the second-class Italian instruments.

Summary

Gioffredo Cappa (1644-1717) was a significant early luthier of the Turin school, known for instruments crafted in an Amati-influenced style. While John Dilworth places his life between 1644 and 1717 in Saluzzo, Turin, historical accounts, particularly from Lancetti and Count Cozio di Salabue, suggest a possible earlier period of work in Cremona as a pupil of the Amatis, though this is contested by Dilworth. Cappa's craftsmanship is characterized by distinctive sloping soundholes, a rich, soft varnish, and an evolution from Tyrolean rib-setting techniques to more conventional methods. Despite inconsistencies in material choice and some criticisms of his purfling and sound-hole execution, his instruments, particularly his cellos, are highly regarded and considered desirable concert instruments. The historical record is complicated by the widespread use of fake labels and conflicting dates, leading to a misperception of his output and origins.