Rovati Violoncello
date: label: date made
content: 1915
name: label: performer
content: Bolognini, Ennio
label: maker
content: Rovatti, Luigi
notes: label: Description
content: <p>This violoncello was made Luigi Rovatti in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1915. It is made of a two-piece table of spruce, two-piece back of maple with even fine descending figure, ribs of similar maple, mildly figured maple neck, pegbox and scroll; golden orange-brown varnish. The instrument has an original printed and handwritten label:</p>
label: Description
content: <p>Luigi Rovattia<br>Ennio Bolognini<br>fece in Buenos-Ayres anno 1915<br>Calle Amambar. p. 232</p>
label: Description
content: <p>(and a handwritten inscription):</p>
label: Description
content: <p><i>Te Niglior<br>Violoncello del<br>mondo. Il mio<br>padrone e<br>Ennio Bolognini.<br>Cuando Studia<br>e mi suona bene</i></p>
label: Description
content: <p>[”Best Violoncello of the world for my friend Ennio Bolognini.
label: Description
content: When (one) studies, I sound good.”]</p>
label: Description
content: <p>This instrument was made expressly for the cellist Ennio Bolognini (b. November 7, 1893, Buenos Aires; d. July 31, 1979, Las Vegas). Bolognini was raised in a musical family and subsequently received his early training under José García, teacher of Pablo Casals, at the St. Cecilia Conservatory in Buenos Aires. His talent attracted the attention and friendship of highly regarded musicians such as Jasha Heifetz, Valdimir Horowitz, Victor Herbert and Maurice Ravel. During his years in Buenos Aires he shared an apartment with Arthur Rubenstein and Andrés Segovia. Ennio's father was a close friend of Arturo Toscanini, who became Ennio's godfather.</p>
label: Description
content: <p>Ennio Bolognini became an American citizen in 1929 and pursued a career with symphony orchestras in Philadelphia, Chicago, Hollywood and Las Vegas. In addition to his remarkable talent as a cellist, he was a conductor and composer, writing six pieces in the style of flamenco guitar for the exclusive performance use of the American cellist, Christine Walewska. Beyond his musical accomplishments Bolognini was a South American boxing champion and licensed airplane pilot, and he is remembered by many colleagues for his unpredictable behavior both inside and outside the concert hall.</p>
label: Description
content: <p>Ennio Bolognini collected autographs of prominent 20th century musicians, composers, conductors, actors and sports figures. They are written in ink on the table and ribs of this cello.</p>
label: Description
content: <p>Among the most easily legible signatures are on the left (bass) side of the instrument. Signatures on the upper bass side of the cello include:</p>
label: Description
content: <p>Remo Bolognini (1929-1973), violinist, brother of Ennio Bolognini</p>
label: Description
content: <p>Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962), Austrian-American violinist and composer</p>
label: Description
content: <p>Dmitri Mitropoulos (1896-1960), Greek-American pianist and conductor who led the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra (1937-1949) and the New York Philharmonic (1951-7)</p>
label: Description
content: <p>Andrés Segovia (1893-1987), father of the modern classical guitar movement</p>
label: Description
content: <p>Joseph Szigeti (1892-1973), Hungarian-American violinist</p>
label: Description
content: <p>José Ferrer (1912-1992), the first Latino (Puerto Rican) actor to win an Academy Award</p>
label: Description
content: <p>Bruno Walter (1876-1962), German-born conductor of many famous American orchestras, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the NBC Symphony Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Columbia Symphony Orchestra</p>
label: Description
content: <p>Richard Crooks (1900-1972) American tenor, a leading singer at the New York Metropolitan Opera<br>G[iovanni] Martinelli, (1885-1969), Italian-American tenor, also a leading singer at the New York Metropolitan Opera</p>
label: Description
content: <p>János Starker (b. 1924), Hungarian-American cellist and teacher</p>
label: Description
content: <p>Eugene Ormandy (1899-1985), Hungarian-American violinist and conductor who led the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra (1931-1936), and the Philadelphia Orchestra (1936-1980)</p>
label: Description
content: <p>Richard Tucker (1913-1975), a leading American operatic tenor of the post-war era</p>
label: Description
content: <p>Stephen Kates (1944-2003), American cellist, and the last person to sign Bolognini’s cello</p>
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: Argentina: Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires
setName: label: See more items in
content: Culture and the Arts: Musical Instruments
label: See more items in
content: Music & Musical Instruments
label: See more items in
content: Cellos
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Dorothy B. Bolognini in memory of Maestro Ennio Bolognini
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1980.0909.01
label: catalog number
content: 1980.0909.01
label: accession number
content: 1980.0909
objectType: label: Object Name
content: cello
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: spruce (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: maple (overall material)