Riccardo Genovese

Born in 1883 in Montiglio, a town north of Asti.

In his younger years, he played in church and ballroom orchestras as an organist, pianist, and violinist.

Around 1920, he began to receive instruction in violin making from Annibale Fagnola (1865-1939), who was also born in Montiglio.

Genovese and Fagnola had a very close friendship, and he was best man at Fagnola's second wedding.

From 1922 onwards, Genovese began working as a professional violin maker.

The early instruments were made using the Pressenda model moulds borrowed from Fagnola. Although there were still some immature parts at first, the quality improved significantly after 1925.

By 1926, having completed his apprenticeship, he officially began collaborating with Fagnola, who frequently visited Montiglio to commission work from Genovese.

Genovese carried out work commissioned by Fagnola, who in turn helped Genovese sell the instruments he himself made.

Genovese's violins were almost entirely based on Fagnola's Pressenda model, but although he used the same model as his teacher, there were some aspects that set him apart from Fagnola, such as the scroll and the cutting of the F-holes.

Varnish is generally reddish in color and varies in transparency and thickness, but is often somewhat hard and has fine cracks.

Some instruments even have a handwritten signature inside.

Of course, there are also Genovese instruments with Fagnola labels, which can be very difficult to identify.

Although Genovese's short life did not allow him to reach the level of his teacher Fagnola's technique, the Piedmontese-style instruments he made are highly regarded today.

In 1935 (aged 52), he died of tuberculosis in a hospital in Asti.

Citation《Liuteria Italiana IV》《The Brompton's Book of Violin and Bow Makers》