It was June 2015 when Maestro Giobatta Morassi was awarded an Honorary Master’s Degree. The mention has been purposely delayed: only the online magazine Il Suono e l’Arte could give the appropriate reach to the text of the inaugural lecture delivered then by Doctor‑Candidate Maestro Morassi.

The recognition of a luthier, who once again made Cremona great by his art, must be duly acknowledged. The luthier tradition should not be confined merely to the past, but is a living craft that still today reaches the highest pinnacles of art. In Morassi’s case, violin making is art.

Lutherie according to Giobatta Morassi

The musical instrument enables music to be experienced. The instrument is not a mere tool; the timbre gives identity to the musical piece. In the hands of the composer the sound supports inspiration; in those of the performer it guides the execution; for the listener it creates the conditions for active engagement. Music is not only listened to, but the time in which it is perceived is existential time: lived time in which the art of sound implies participation. Attention is drawn by arousing the imagination and, at the same time, aesthetic feeling. In this lies the strength of art.

In this light I have learned from Morassi to open myself to lutherie. To define it merely as a form of artistic craftsmanship, when it achieves such results, is reductionist.

The Forest

Giving a lot of praise might just seem like flattery. It is therefore appropriate to follow the text of Dr. Giobatta Morassi’s lecture. In his exposition he begins with the knowledge of wood, the wood from the forests of Tarvisio and Paneveggio:
“Wood possesses characteristics which the hands of the luthier reveal. In revealing them, wood takes on a new form. What Michelangelo said about marble and the statue, one can equally say about the relationship between wood and the violin. Only one clarification is due. The statue, if it truly already lies within the stone, takes shape only because the sculptor knows what to remove from the block of marble. The relationship between material and artist or craftsman requires that the former be suited to the purpose. Then the artifex must have an idea and adequate skills to realize it. Thus, matter assumes a new identity: that of the work. It is unthinkable a luthier without a block of spruce. In wood there is the potential for sound; in the work of the luthier there is the enactment of a design. Wood does not have the instrument’s sonority, but if in the wood there were no potential for voice, the luthier’s skill would be worthless. That is why it is necessary to start with wood, even better from the tree.”

For Dr. Morassi it is not a matter of showing off his knowledge, but he starts from his experience, which intertwines with his art. The first thing to have stirred his interest in lutherie was the forest. Thus, he observes how it is the material (wood) that gives primary identity to an instrument.
“It is that imprinting which comes even before its working.”

Emerges the awareness that matter has its own identity; it is not shapeless material, but contains potentials that must be revealed by the artist.

Wood

The words so far, while heavy with important considerations, remain vague, and Morassi senses the need to delve deeper, to make a concrete contribution.
“There is then an argument that is often revisited. It is the theme of “indentations.” Many believe that these indentations or knurled markings give wood superior acoustic qualities. Trees that show such characteristics are called “male spruce.” Actually, personally, I have been able to observe that the spruces from the forests of Tarvisio and Paneveggio possess their own acoustic qualities. Little importance should be attributed to the indentations; rather, one must note that if one moves, for example, toward the countries of northeastern Europe, the acoustic qualities of spruces gradually diminish.”

But there is a second observation that the Master takes up: that of the “medullary rays.”
“The split following the medullary ray is clean: sharp. It is nature suggesting how to proceed. It is about following its suggestions, it is about having respect to discover its secrets. An old adage says ‘follow the pattern of the wood’; indeed, it is the wood itself that indicates the methods of working. The eye learns to see and to recognize. Precise rules must be respected. For example, the period of felling of the tree must follow lunar phases, a guideline known and used even by the ancients, although science, to this day, does not attribute significant value to it.”

With the modesty that only great men possess, Giobatta refers to the institutions that study the characteristics of trees. He never withdraws from scientific research. His curiosity allows him always to be open to discoveries in order to use them, comparing them with his own direct experiences.

Tradition

It falls to me to observe how the theme of “tradition” in him takes on a deeper meaning than is common. It is not only a matter of repeating craftsman‑skills in a pedestrian manner, but to this must be added all the knowledge, competence, and ability that allow one to face one’s aesthetic imagination with greater awareness. The know‑how avails itself of every deepening and manages to combine together “knowing” and “doing” to reach that unity which allows one to move “from theory to practice.”

Beyond Knowledge of Wood

The lecture, always attentive to combining luthier expertise with those matured during his experience, goes on to deal with his approach to lutherie, through Friuli and Venice, and with his maturity, which in Cremona found completion.

After retracing the fundamental stages, Dr. Master Giobatta Morassi turns to reflect on the art of violin making.

The following observations: his personal approach to lutherie, his considerations on violin making as art.

The writer deemed it appropriate to present only the first topic: wood. She reserved proceeding later to address the two paths that follow in his writing: his personal approach to lutherie, and his considerations on lutherie as art.

It is believed that Morassi’s lesson cannot be limited to a simplified synthesis when, on the contrary, it should be approached as “complex thought,” a thought which even today provides grounds for comparison among master luthiers and among anyone who wishes to deepen the art of lutherie. Morassi still today makes alive the know‑how through his teaching and the legacy he has left to A.L.I. [Associazione Liutaria Italiana] and to everyone who draws near to him to know his art.

Therefore, let us strive to follow the development of his thought. Indeed, a fruitful dialogue is to be established which in his lecture Morassi wished to leave us as a trace. Many are his disciples; to them I ask to reflect on the lecture following its development, but above all offering further indications that enrich the knowledge and memory of the Master.

The theme of wood is the primary issue that must be faced, and only those who have been at his school can testify. Personally, I am available to receive indications, memories, and arguments. I remain, trusting, in waiting.