John Dilworth
GRANCINO, Paolo Worked circa. 1640-1690 Milan Italy. According to the Hills in their book on the Guarneri family he was a pupil of Nicolò Amati, but no evidence has so far been discovered to confirm this, or even the existence of Paolo Grancino. Instruments are found with his label, but authenticity is hard to determine.
George Hart
Pupil of Niccolo Amati. The Grancino family, as makers of Violins, commence with this maker, and occupy a similar position, as followers of the Amati pattern, to that of the Gagliani as imitators of Stradivari. Paolo Grancino was pupil of Niccolo Amati. There is noticeable in his instruments that gradual development of ideas which is always associated with the true artist. His early works bear the stamp of the mere copyist; later on the borrowed plumes are less apparent, the dictates of his own fancy are discoverable, but never to such an extent as to permit him to be classed with Stradivari, Bergonzi, and Guarneri, as striking out into entirely untrodden paths. His Violoncellos are particularly fine instruments; his Violas also are worthy of notice. The wood he used was varied, but is, for the most part, plain. It is curious to observe how various centres of Violinmaking ran upon different qualities of wood. In Venice the handsomest wood was used, in Milan and Naples the plainest. The commercial importance of Venice would, of course, draw to it the largest selection of wood, and thus permit the second and third-rate makers to use it, and at the same rate, probably, that a less handsome material would cost the makers of cities further off. The scroll of Paolo Grancino has a very decisive character; it is quite distinct from that of the Amatis. From the ear of the scroll the turn is rapidly made, and has an elongated appearance. His best Violoncellos surpass those of Amati in volume of tone, and the quality is often very rich.
Cecie Stainer
Worked at Milan, 1665-90. Pupil of Nicola Amati at Cremona. He made a large number of instruments; the altos and the violoncellos are generally liked. He used poor material, often making the back and sides of poplar tree wood ; followed a large pattern, slightly arched, with large sound-holes widely opened, and a dry varnish of an effective golden-yellow colour. The scroll was often roughly cut, and the purfling and corners carelessly worked. His work on the whole was but moderately good. His son, Giovanni, was also a maker.
Willibald Leo Lütgendorff
Aus Nicola Amati’s Schule hervorgegangen, die er sein Leben lang nicht
verleugnete. Von der sklavischen Nachahmung seines Meisters befreite er sich
erst sehr spät, wesshalb sicher eine grosse Zahl seiner besten Arbeiten von
Händlern mit Amatizetteln versehen worden ist. An der originellen längeren
Schnecke kann seine Arbeit übrigens leicht erkannt werden. Sein Holz ist nicht
immer schön, manchmal nimmt er zu Boden und Zargen nur Pappelholz, dagegen
ist sein gelber Lack recht gut. In seinen Bratschen übertrifft er Amati fast
immer. Arbeiten von ihm besitzt das Museum Kraus in Florenz.
