Anton Sitt

History

Anton SITT (1819-1878) was born in 1819 in Vál, Hungary, and died in 1878 in Prague, Czech Republic.

He was a pupil of J. B. Schweitzer in Budapest from 1834 to 1843, and later worked for A. Hofmann in Vienna, L. Bausch in Leipzig, and M. Weber before joining J. Kulík in Prague. Anton Sitt established his independent workshop in Prague around 1847. He married Kulík's daughter, Sophie, in 1848 and gained citizenship in 1851. Their son, Hans Sitt, born in 1850, became a celebrated violinist, composer, and Kapellmeister.

Craft

• Models: Anton Sitt worked after Stradivari and Guarneri models, and also made copies of a 1727 Pietro Guarneri violin, which he had restored.
• Workmanship: He was considered a highly regarded maker, producing more sophisticated work than Kulík himself. His violins exhibited fine work, excellent execution, and unsurpassed manual dexterity, marking him as an accomplished artist.
• Materials: His violins were noted for being thick in the wood.
• Tone: While an exhibition violin in Münich in 1854 showed fine work, its tone was initially described as slightly rough and dull, though these defects were expected to diminish with time. Willibald Leo Lütgendorff noted that due to the strong tension of the bass bar, the tone of his violins was not always very noble or equally appealing in all registers. However, his cellos were praised for having a large and full tone.
• Repairs: He was also recognized as one of the most ingenious repairers, though even in this capacity, he did not always achieve the highest tonal results.
• Labels: His labels included inscriptions such as "Antonius Sitt ad forman G. / Guarneri fecit Pragae 18.." with variations like "ad forman Petrus Guarneri" or "ad forman Antonio Stradivari" as appropriate to the instrument's model.

Influence

• Training: Anton Sitt was a pupil of Joh. Schweitzer in Budapest from 1834 to 1840, and subsequently his assistant until 1843.
• Employment: He was later employed by A. Hoffmann in Vienna, L. Bausch in Leipzig, and Mich. Weber, before joining Kulík in Prague in 1848.
• Family Connections: He married Kulík's daughter, Sophie, in 1848.

Legacy

• Family: His son, Hans Sitt, born in 1850, became a celebrated composer and Kapellmeister.
• Recognition: Anton Sitt received much recognition during his lifetime, with Schebek and Hajdecky expressing high praise for his work.
• Exhibitions: A violin made on the Stradivari pattern was exhibited at Münich in 1854.

Further Information

• Workshop Locations: In 1848, his workshop was located at Vel. Karl. ul. No. 184 and 185. From 1857 to 1859, it was on the Altstädter Kleinen Ring No. 144, and from 1860 onwards, at Anenská ul. No. 8.

Summary

Anton Sitt was a highly regarded violin and cello maker born in Hungary in 1819, who established his independent workshop in Prague around 1847 after training with J. B. Schweitzer and working for several prominent makers. He was known for his sophisticated craftsmanship, working on Stradivari and Guarneri models, and his cellos were particularly praised for their large and full tone. His son, Hans Sitt, became a celebrated musician.