Ettore Soffritti
(Ferrara 3/6/1877 - Ferrara 3/1/1928)
BIOGRAPHY
Ettore Soffritti was born on June 3rd, 1877 to Margherita Roversi and Luigi Soffritti, a carpenter and a violin maker. Having lost his mother at the age of 3, he often spent his days in his father's workshop, where he showed a natural aptitude for hand labour. At the age of 6, he was enrolled in the violin class of the Conservatory. He built his first ½ violin when he was just 8, probably because it suited his age. At 12 he switched between learning to play the violin and working in the shop, where he built and restored stringed instruments until he reached 15 in 1892 and started to work on his own as a violin maker and carpenter (at that time one earned more as a carpenter than as a violin maker). In a short time, he became well-known and highly esteemed by musicians of the time. At 20, in 1897, he married Gulia Siglieri (Ferrara 20/12 /1877 - 16/6/1929); his son Silvio was born after a year. When his father died in 1903, he was the only maker in Ferrara, who works for musicians, Conservatory students, collectors and amateurs. Most of them supported the young maker with their orders. Precisely at that time, he engaged to focus on the esthetic aspect of his work, analysing thoroughly and studying lovingly the instruments of the great makers from Cremona, (Amati, Stradivari, Guarneri) that he was given to restore. He won prizes in 1910 (Ferrara) and 1911 (Torino): they were all gold medals. Besides, he received praise from Italian and foreign press.
World-renowned performers, when passing by Ferrara, seized the opportunity to be introduced to him, place an order, or leave letters expressing gratitude (pictures below).
He made 12 violins and a quartet dedicated to professor Giuseppe Pareschi, collector and amateur, who commissioned them. These instruments had been exposed in several exhibitions.
Comm. Emilio Arlotti, thoughtful friend and selfless customer, entrusted Ettore with the maintenance of his eminent collection of bow instruments and placed an order for a quartet marked by an inlaid ivory coat of arms.
By royal decree, he was conferred the Gran Croce for his merits on June 21st 1913 (pictures below).
In the early twenties, he has made his most exquisite works inspired by the Stradivarian model. His varnish, which goes from warm yellow to brownish red, is substantial and pasty; the scrolls are soft with the inner spiral that grows gracefully.
After the sad period of World War II, during which we find very few of his instruments, Soffritti resumed his work with the help of his pupil Enrico Orselli (see picture left below), gaining acclamations that peaked in Rome with a gold medal at the National makers' contest: he was appointed with the first prize and his winning cello was bought in that occasion.
From that moment orders exceeded his capability notwithstanding the help of his pupil Anselmo Gotti (see picture right above) and of his son Silvio (see picture below), whom he would have liked to have as a maker partner. His son built just one violin and, on that occasion, he got his labels printed (picture below).
Nevertheless, having brilliantly graduated in cello, Silvio preferred to be a musician (in the picture right below he is on a ship commuting to America).
In the years between 1923 and 1927 production increased by quantity (about 70 instruments) made after his almost unmistakable personal model. Just a few of these are still covered and protected by their beautiful old varnish based on essential oils and rare raisins as it was too slow to dry (Ferrara is a very humid town.) Acoustic quality was lowered but Ettore, as a great master would do, succeded in gaining an even better aesthetic effect, knowing by instinct what preparation should be given to the word before applying the new varnish and always choosing beautiful materials of the best quality.
During 35 years of equal and passionate work, Ettore made a little more than two hundred instruments: 20 years after Gotti maintained that, on the market, there were at least twice as many (who knows today?). Ettore frequently interrupted his building activity to restore instruments coming from every part of Italy: they sometimes were returned with much delay due to the great amount of work. His instruments bear his signature, in pen (picture left below) or pencil (picture center below) and, inside the soundboard, the inscription of the year and, rarely, the firebrand (picture right below).
He always put his signature inside the instruments he restored:
In 1927 he sold his violins for 5,000 liras (like Augusto Pollastri), very high price for the period.
He often issued the sales certificates on letterhead (pictures below).
