Tommaso Balestrieri

Tommaso Balestrieri (c.1713/35—c.1788/90) was an Italian luthier, one of the best-known masters from Mantua, alongside Camillo Camilli and Antonio Zanotti. Balestrieri's label, Thomas Balestrieri Cremonenſis fecit Mantuæ, suggests he was born in Cremona and worked in Mantua, but some researchers argue 'Cremonensis' could indicate that Tommaso merely studied his oeuvre under one of Cremonese masters. (Perhaps, it was even just an hommage to Petrus Guarnerius, "godfather" of all XVIII-century Mantuan luthiers, and his iconic [I]...Cremonenſis fecit Mantuæ label.) The luthier's earlier instruments, completed around 1760 and '67, more evidently follow the "Grand Amati" tradition. Over the years, Thomas Balestrieri explicitly emphasized performance over aesthetics—opposed to his main competitor in Mantua, Camillo Camilli, who gained more prominence for exquisite finishes and sophisticated craftsmanship. Balestrieri embraced robust, "muscular" outlines and flattened his arching to achieve stronger and deeper tones; some of his 1780's violins more reminiscent of Stradivarius than Guarnerius. Only about fifty Balestrieri's violins and two violas are known today, dated between c.1750–'60 and 1792. They became highly sought-after due to the remarkable, livid musical character. The costliest Balestrieri's violin, for instance, went for $621,000 in Mar 2015—almost threefold the highest-ever Camilli's sale, $258,000 in Oct 2016.