Bartolomeo Giuseppe "del Gesù" Guarneri (21 August 1698, Cremona — 17 October 1744, Cremona), or
Joseph Guarnerius del Gesu, was a renowned Italian luthier, arguably one of the greatest makers of violins in history alongside [url=https://discogs.com/artist/7534119]Nicolò Amati[/url] (1596—1684) and
Antonio Stradivari (1644—1737). Due to the scarcity and outstanding tonal characteristics of Del Gesu violins, they are among the most expensive and sought-after today. His 1741 'ex-[url=https://discogs.com/artist/954795]Vieuxtemps[/url]' violin holds the world record for any musical instrument, sold in 2012–13 for over £10.5 mln ($16.4 mln).
Giuseppe originated from a distinguished dynasty of luthiers, grandson of
Andrea Guarneri (1626—1698) and son of
[url=https://discogs.com/artist/7215308]Giuseppe Filius Andreæ[/url] (1666—ca. 1740). He apprenticed at the family's workshop with his elder brother,
Pietro Guarneri II (1695—1762). Guarneri's earliest extant violins, dated circa 1715–22, "mimicked" the
Stradivari pattern with slight modifications — a bold and controversial choice in his family's historical context. (Casa Guarneri suffered a catastrophic decline since
Antonio Stradivari opened his Cremonese workshop around 1680. Even though Giuseppe's grandfather, Andrea Guarneri, also studied at
Nicolo Amati's bench, he adhered to the "Grand Amati" canon almost religiously and wouldn't dare to change anything — unlike Stradivari, who favored a trial-and-error method and gradually evolved his instruments to unprecedented levels of precision and finesse.) In pursuit of more creative freedom, both brothers subsequently left
Casa Guarneri. Pietro followed the path of their uncle, [url=https://discogs.com/artist/7238307]Pietro 'di Mantova'[/url], and relocated to Venice around 1717. Giuseppe, however, stayed in Cremona and opened his independent workshop circa 1726, competing against "casa familia" on the home turf for at least another decade — an even more audacious and brazen move in the conservative world of Italian luthiers. (According to most sources, they remained close as caring relatives; for instance, Giuseppe moved back to failing Casa Guarneri circa 1731 as his father's health deteriorated).
The nickname
del Gesù, both for Guarneri and his violins, originated from
il bollo del Gesù addendum ("the Jesus stamp") adopted in the mid-1720s by Cremonese scribes to easier discern between father and son's nearly identical Latin signatures. The "Jesus stamp" refers to the luthier's distinct label, which has a cross of Jerusalem and IHS abbreviation for "Iesus Hominem Salvator," or "Jesus the Savior" in Greek:
Jo∫eph Guarnerius fecit Cremonȩ anno 17## ☩IHS.
Del Gesu's open-minded and experimental approach grew more drastic and riotous throughout his career. Violins dated between 1737 and 1742 moved past the Stradivari's pattern and have a distinct outline with a flatter back and table, likely inspired by Brescian luthiers [url=https://discogs.com/artist/7774384]Da Salò[/url] and
Giovanni Paolo Maggini. He blatantly disregarded visual aesthetics and craftsmanship to achieve warmer, more vibrant sound (in stark contrast to most Cremonese luthiers, obsessed over flawless woodgrains and purfling techniques). Some of the latest
del Gesùs would even have asymmetric F-holes, carved intuitively per the specific deck's vibration points. Over his relatively short career, Guarneri produced around 200 violins, two small violins (the 1740 '
Fountaine' and 1735 '
Chardon' violino piccolo), and the 1731 '
Messeas' cello (with erroneous Giuseppe Filius Andreæ's label).
Del Gesu died at 46 and had no children. Unlike Stradivari, who was revered and distinguished in his lifetime, Guarneri only gained deserved recognition posthumously. His violins have notably darker, "robust" and sonorous midrange, particularly 315 Hz—1.25 kHz (where Strads are typically most dispensable, thriving in 200–250 Hz band or above 1.6 kHz). The earliest admirer of
del Gesùs magnificent sound was an Italian virtuoso
Gaetano Pugnani (1731—1798), who praised the instruments in the mid-1750s (almost three decades before Pugnani's former student,
Giovanni Battista Viotti (1755—1824), began campaigning for Stradivarius.) The great
Niccolò Paganini (1782—1840) cherished his 1743 '
il Cannone' as the most valuable violin, solidifying Guarneri's contemporary fame.
Notable 'del Gesù' players☞
Ole Bull, played the "last" 1744 del Gesu
☞
Jascha Heifetz, praised his c.1740 violin as superior to several Strads
☞
Yehudi Menuhin, played the 1742 '
Lord Wilton' and 1741 ex-[url=https://discogs.com/artist/954795]Vieuxtemps[/url], which he favored over the 1714 'Soil' Stradivarius
☞
Anne Akiko Meyers, life-long loan of 1741 'Vieuxtemps' from the current anonymous owner
☞
Midori Goto, plays 1731 'ex-[url=https://discogs.com/artist/2956332]Huberman[/url]'
☞
Rachel Barton Pine, plays the 1742 'ex-[url=https://discogs.com/artist/944042]Bazzini[/url], ex-Soldat' since 2002, on a lifetime loan by the anonymous owner
☞
Joseph Joachim,
Eugène Ysaÿe,
Maud Powell,
Ruggiero Ricci,
Zvi Zeitlin,
Leonid Kogan,
Isaac Stern,
Pinchas Zukerman,
Itzhak Perlman,
Henryk Szeryng,
Eugene Fodor,
Nigel Kennedy,
Henning Kraggerud,
Gidon Kremer,
Arve Tellefsen,
Salvatore Accardo,
Augustin Hadelich,
Philip Newman,
Arthur Grumiaux,
Kyung-Wha Chung,
Michael Rabin,
Joseph Silverstein,
Robert McDuffie,
Rachel Barton Pine,
Sarah Chang,
Leila Josefowicz,
Maureen Smith (1716 violin),
Liu Yang,
Elmar Oliveira,
Ruth Palmer,
Charlie Siem,
Richard Tognetti,
Uto Ughi,
Aaron Rosand,
Yi-Jia Susanne Hou 
