Gaetano Pasta

PASTA, Gaetano Born circa. 1679 Milan, Worked from 1694 Brescia Italy. Son of Bartolomeo Pasta. Active in Brescia from c.1694. Exuberant classical form along Amati and Rogeri lines, of impetuous workmanship. Very fine and pure example held at the Royal College of Music, London: cello of small form (back length 703mm/275/8 ”), long elegant corners, full broad arch, well balanced and proportioned outline, well-positioned Amati-like soundholes, scratched and painted purfling on the back, and conventional purfling on front. Head rather crude, volutes not well defined by the shallow undercuts, and quite narrow across the eyes. Thin pale yellow varnish. Gaetano Pasta Milanese allievo / dell Amati di Cremona, alla / Pallada in Brescia. A. 1706

Der Bedeutendsie aus seiner Familie. Bei ihm macht sich bereits der Einfluss
der Cremoneser Schule bemerkbar, die selbst in Brescia die herkömmliche
Art von G. da Salò und P. Maggini schon damals zu verdrängen begann. Seine
Geigen haben ein flaches Modell und edlen Ton und erinnern in den Umrissen
etwa an G. B. Rogeri.