Matteo Goffriller

History

Matteo Goffriller (1659-1742) was born circa 1659 in Bressanone and died in 1742 in Venice, Italy. According to John Dilworth's The Brompton's Book of Violin & Bow Makers, Goffriller arrived in Venice in 1685 to work for Martin Kaiser, whose son-in-law he subsequently became. He succeeded to the workshop in 1690, establishing himself as the premier violin maker in the city. Dilworth identifies him as the first specialist violin maker there, as far as can be presently determined, and credits him as the founder of the remarkable 18th-century Venetian school.

Craft

• Style & Influence: Goffriller's work covers a variety of styles, clearly showing a strong influence of Cremona in his rather impressionistic copies of Stradivari and Amati, as noted by John Dilworth.
• Workmanship: His workmanship is consistently described as accurate and skillful by Cecie Stainer in A Dictionary of Violin Makers, of a good kind by George Hart in The Violin, and exemplary by Willibald Leo Lütgendorff in Die Geigen- und Lautenmacher vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart.
• Wood Selection: Sources contain conflicting information regarding Goffriller's choice of wood. While George Hart states that the wood was usually of good quality, Cecie Stainer and Willibald Leo Lütgendorff note that he was often careless about his material, with several violoncellos having backs made of poplar wood.
• Arch & Proportions: Sources also present varying descriptions of his arching. Cecie Stainer describes his pattern as slightly arched, while John Dilworth notes that his celebrated cellos typically feature a low and powerful arch and broad breast. Willibald Leo Lütgendorff suggests his violins' arching is more reminiscent of the Tyrolean school than the Italian.
• Scroll: A consistent feature of his work is a small, quickly cut scroll with a slight upright ovality, according to John Dilworth. Willibald Leo Lütgendorff describes the scroll as deep and sweeping.
• Sound-holes: The sound-holes are described as well cut by Cecie Stainer and the F-holes as good by Willibald Leo Lütgendorff.
• Varnish: John Dilworth describes his varnish as a deep red-brown, sometimes applied thin with great intensity, and at other times built up to a thick, crackled texture. Cecie Stainer mentions a golden-yellow, very transparent varnish. Willibald Leo Lütgendorff notes his particularly beautiful red, red-brown, or yellow-brown lacquer.
• Tone: His instruments are known for their powerful and even tone quality, as stated by Cecie Stainer, and a very noble tone, according to Willibald Leo Lütgendorff.
• Models: Goffriller produced several violas of contralto size, characterized by a distinct and original narrow model with a long stop. His cellos are most celebrated, establishing the particular reputation for Venetian cellos in general. These are usually of large size, though several smaller cellos with a back length around 70 cm (27½") also exist.

Influence

• Mentorship: Matteo Goffriller is presumed to have been the teacher of Domenico Montagnana, Francesco Gobetti, and his son Francesco, as stated by John Dilworth.

Legacy

• Reputation: His cellos are particularly celebrated and established the reputation for Venetian cellos in general.
• Notable Instruments: A particularly fine example of his cellos, used by Pablo Casals, was previously attributed to Bergonzi.
• Label Inscriptions: Examples of his labels include "Mattio Goffriller / Fece in Venezia. Anno 1709" and "Matteo Goffriller / fecit Venetijis. anno 1724".

Further Information

• Attribution Issues: Cecie Stainer notes the absurdity of inserting Stradivari labels into Goffriller's instruments due to the striking differences in their models. Willibald Leo Lütgendorff also finds it difficult to understand why some dealers would attribute his violins to Stradivari given the noticeable differences in model.

Summary

Matteo Goffriller (1659-1742) was a pivotal figure in Venetian violin making, recognized as the founder of the 18th-century Venetian school. Arriving in Venice in 1685, he became the city's premier violin maker, known for his distinctive instruments, particularly his celebrated cellos. His work, while showing Cremonese influence, developed a unique style characterized by a deep red-brown varnish and powerful tone. He is presumed to have taught several notable makers, including Domenico Montagnana.