Giovanni Battista Rogeri

Giovanni Battista Rogeri (c.1642—c.1710) was an Italian luthier, one of Brescian school's leading violin-makers in the generation that followed Gasparo Da Salò and Giovanni Paolo Maggini. Born in Bologna, G.B. Rogeri relocated to Cremona in the early 1660s to apprentice with Nicolò Amati. (Some experts believe Rogeri might've studied alongside Antonio Stradivari and Francesco Ruggeri—all assumed to be "part-time" Casa Amati disciples as neither of them permanently resided under Nicolo's roof. Subsequently—starting from the pioneering violin collector Ignazio A. Cozio di Salabue—Ruggeri and Rogeri families were occasionally mistaken as the same dynasty.) Around 1664, Rogeri moved to Brescia, which once had an illustrious luthiery tradition, but drastically lacked craftsmen and artisans—ever since the 1629–'31 plague in northern Italy took the life of the leading Brescian violin-maker G.P. Maggini, among others. Without much competition, Rogeri gained a solid reputation by the 1670s. He was a prolific builder, generally making instruments after "Stradivarius" and "small/grand Amati" outlines, but subsequently also inspired by Maggini style (with fuller archings). Around 1690, Giuseppe's eldest son, Pietro Giacomo (1665–1724) began to assist in the family workshop. G.B. Rogeri excelled in producing violoncellos, renowned for their robust and "penetrating" tone. (He sometimes utilized poplar wood for their backs—whether picking it for stiffness and rigidity or simply compromising on the price, this remains unclear). Some of Rogeri's builds had such an outstanding sound and impeccable craftsmanship they ended up sold as Stradivarius. (I.e., the 1695 cello, nicknamed 'the Lancashire Strad' in the XIX-century England). Today, there are around 85 instruments by Rogeri: at least 54 violins and seven cellos. They command high prices on current auctions, with the most expensive violin sold for $519,000 in Oct 2011 and one of the cellos priced at $115,000 in 1982. One of the most curious features is the consistency of his luthier's labels (without numerous variations or spelling mistakes): 'Jo. Bap. Rogerius Bon. Nicolai Amati de Cremona alumnus Brixiae fecit, anno Domini 16##' (Bon. is abbreviated "Bononiensis," or "from Bologna"). It would sometimes appear in red.