Gioffredo Benedetto Rinaldi

History

Gioffredo Benedetto RINALDI (1822-1888) was born in Alba in 1822 and died in Turin, Italy, in 1888. He initially established himself in Turin as a dealer and trader of musical instruments, working with his father-in-law, Teobaldo Rinaldi. According to John Dilworth, Rinaldi worked for Bianchi in Paris from approximately 1859 to 1868, after which he returned to Turin to work as a violin maker under the name Gioffredo-Rinaldi. He was a biographer of Pressenda, and his pamphlet, Classica Fabbricazione di Violini in Piemonte (Turin, 1873), provides the basis for most research into Pressenda's life, serving practically as a short biography of the maker. George Hart notes that Rinaldi was chiefly known as a dealer in violins and exhibited several violins by Giovanni F. Pressenda at the Vienna Exhibition in 1873, also publishing a brief notice about Pressenda that he inscribed to Archduke Rannieri. Willibald Leo Lütgendorff states that Rinaldi was also known as a connoisseur of old violins and a dealer, having been connected with Tarisio and, after Tarisio's death, becoming one of the most skilled discoverers of old instruments in Italy. Cecie Stainer indicates that he was still working in Turin in 1886.

Craft

• Style: His own work is rarely encountered, but it is very much in the Pressenda style, according to John Dilworth. Karel Jalovec notes that he worked well on the model of his teacher, though he finished the edges of his instruments less delicately than his master.
• Varnish: Instruments generally feature a thin orange to dark red varnish.
• Signature: Some instruments are signed internally with 'Gioffredo Brenadetto detto Rinaldi Torino, 18..'.
• Instrument Quality: His violins are considered good orchestral instruments, and his 'celli are even better and highly esteemed, as noted by Karel Jalovec and Willibald Leo Lütgendorff.
• Repair Work: He was skilled at repairing instruments.

Influence

• Mentorship: He was a pupil of Pressenda, described by Willibald Leo Lütgendorff as Pressenda's 'Lieblingsschüler' (favorite pupil). Cecie Stainer also identifies him as a pupil and fellow-worker of Pressenda.

Legacy

• Workshop Succession: His shop included, at various times, E. Marchetti, C. Oddone, and R. Marengo. R. Marengo eventually succeeded to the shop, which then became known as 'Marengo-Rinaldi'.

Further Information

• Valuation: Karel Jalovec listed a price of 12,000 Kc for his instruments.

Summary

Gioffredo Benedetto RINALDI (1822-1888) was an Italian violin maker, dealer, and biographer, primarily active in Turin. He was a pupil and fellow-worker of Pressenda, whose style he emulated in his own instruments, though his work is rarely encountered. Rinaldi was also a significant dealer and connoisseur of old instruments, and his 1873 pamphlet, Classica Fabbricazione di Violini in Piemonte, is a crucial source for research into Pressenda's life. His workshop later transitioned to 'Marengo-Rinaldi' under R. Marengo.