New York, January 19, 1984
There is no doubt that Simone Fernando Sacconi
was a very great instrument maker, and any restoration performed by him was in
itself a masterpiece. His sensitivity and admiration for the magnificent
instruments which passed through his hands was marked by such reverence. How he
studied and measured the great Strads, Amatis, and Guarneris! It became a «love
affair».
«Fernando», as a few privileged friends were allowed the liberty, was a legend
in his time. Every string player knew that Sacconi was THE master. I first
learned his name and reputation as a young student in the mid-1930's, from my
teacher, Felix Salmond.
I shall never forget our first meeting in the
beautiful shop of Emil Herrmann, on West 57th Street in New York City. The year
must have been around 1940. I was 22 years old, and solo cellist of The Cleveland
Orchestra. My cello in those years, was a rather early David Tecchler, which in
the dry, cold winter of Cleveland, developed a chronic buzz. I consulted a
violinmaker in Cleveland, who promptly diagnosed a loose patch under the top.
In desperation, I permitted the top to be removed. The Tecchler top was no
sooner closed when the buzz returned with a vengeance. As soon as I had a few free
days, I drove my Tecchler to New York, some 535 miles, to consult Mr. Sacconi
the master. I no sooner related my story and woes to Mr. Sacconi, and after a
rather quick inspection by the master, he said in his most charming Italian
accented English, “Datsa no loose patch, datsa loose purfling.” Whereupon he
worked a little warmed glue into a particular area of purfling, and the buzz simply
disappeared, never to return. It took him about five minutes to repair my buzz –
and this was after the luthier in Cleveland removed the top. When I inquired as
to his fee, Sacconi said, “Oh datsa nothing.” Needless to say, I was taken with
his warmth, charm, knowledge, and humanity. It was the beginning of a lovely and
valued friendship.
As I recall, in those years his two assistants
were Erwin Hertel, (soon to become one of my closest friends), and Hans Weisshaar.
Both Hertel and Weisshaar have gone on to great careers.
In 1943, I became solo cellist of the New York
Philharmonic, and living in the New York area, I availed myself of the mastery
of Sacconi and Hertel. In 1945, I bought a 1711 Gofriller and in 1952 acquired
my beloved 1662 Niccolò Amati. The Amati was bought from Emil Herrmann and
Rembert Wurlitzer, who had brought the cello to this country jointly. Fernando
made a new magnificent neck, which he had advised, and it became a provision of
the sale. The bridges he fashioned seemed to be as beautiful as those great instruments
deserved. They fit so well and sounded (and still sound) so magnificently! He
was very sensitive to sound and it was uncanny how he managed by the smallest
manipulation of the sound post, to get the ultimate out of each individual
instrument.
Fernando, Erwin and I spent some very happy
hours together. Sacconi loved the sea, and boats, and lived very near Long Island
Sound. We had some joyful times fishing from his boat, and of course, the
marvelous food and drink we shared. I learned so much about the great art of
these gentlemen. I believe it was Sacconi who devised and innovated so many
restoring principals. The use of heated sand bags to gradually restore the
original arching of tops that had sunken over the years, really ingenious and
relatively simple in concept. His feeling for wood was incredible. How he was
able to match new wood to fit uneven and sometimes S shaped cracks, so the
final repair was almost impossible to detect. He was a great artist.
Without doubt, Simone Fernando Sacconi left the
world a legacy of great violin making and instrument restoration. His former
assistants and students are today some of the finest luthiers in the world: René
Morel, Erwin Hertel, Hans Weisshaar, and Dario D'Attili, and I'm certain there
are others, but these four gentlemen have become the Sacconis of today, and
carry on his great art and the care of most of the great instruments in the
world. The string players of today owe Simone F. Sacconi an enormous debt of
gratitude.
New York, January 19,
1984
Taken from the book: «From Violinmaking to Music: The Life and Works of Simone Fernando Sacconi», presented on December 17, 1985 at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. (Cremona, ACLAP, first edition 1985, second edition 1986, pages 239-240 - Italian / English).
© 2023 - In memory of Simone Fernando Sacconi in the 50th Anniversary of his death