Cesare Candi

Candi, Cesare - (b Minerbio, near Bologna, 5 March 1869; d Genoa, 29 Sept 1947). Italian maker of violins, mandolins, guitars and other string instruments. In 1884, after his father's death, he went to work with his brother Oreste Candi (1865–1938) at the workshop of Raffaele Fiorini in Bologna. Around 1888 he again joined his brother, who now worked for the Fratelli Barberis, a mandolin and guitar making firm, in Genoa. Cesare set up on his own around 1892 and later began to make violins, probably having learned from Eugenio Praga (1847–1901) and Enrico Rocca (1847–1915), who were also working in Genoa.

Candi's style, which underwent slight but significant changes in the course of his long career, is easily recognizable. His work is clean, if at times a little ‘cold’. He used a very personal building technique which he later passed on to his many students. An unusual aspect of his violin making technique was his use of linings cut from one piece of wood (like a guitar) that passed over the blocks. The channelling is always very deep and marked (at times even exaggerated). The varnish is generally yellow gold or red-orange in colour, and of variable consistency. He used two different labels during his career, and a brand, c. candi genova, which is usually inside the instrument. He made many elaborately inlaid instruments (violins, guitars, violas d'amore, etc.) with great technical skill and taste; these have been rather more appreciated by collectors than players. He received prizes at the exhibitions in Milan (1906), Bologna (1907) and Cremona (1937). In occasion of Stradivari's celebrations in 1937 he restored the 'Il Cannone' of Paganini.