Rocca Giuseppe, *26 April 1807 Barbaresco (near Alba in Piedmont), †17 January 1865 San Francesco d’Albaro (near Genoa), Italian luthier. The beginnings of his career are unknown. After arriving in Turin in 1834, he opened his own workshop, but financial difficulties forced him to work for other luthiers. From around 1828 to 1839, he was a student of G.F. Pressenda in Turin, where he worked until 1853; later, he moved his workshop to Genoa. At the end of 1857, he returned to Turin and took part, with varying success, in violin-making competitions in London, Genoa, Paris, Turin, and Florence; he won his highest distinction (a silver medal) in 1846. In 1863, he left again for Genoa, where he died in tragic circumstances three years later (he drowned in a well). Studying under Pressenda, whom he quickly proved to be the most talented pupil, played a key role in his development. He was friends with the collector and instrument dealer Luigi Tarisio, which enabled him to become acquainted with the legendary “Messiah” violin by A. Stradivari from 1716 and the “Alard” by G. Guarneri del Gesù from 1742. Until the end of his life, he remained under the influence of the Cremonese school, building on the basis of two basic violin models: A. Stradivari and G. Guarneri. His best instruments, dating from 1845–50, are characterised by careful selection of wood, perfection in the finishing of all details and a resonant, full sound. He used transparent varnish, often in shades ranging from golden yellow to light orange-red or red-brown. The quality of his later work is less consistent, as he used inferior wood and varnish. He also built a small number of violas and cellos. Despite his talent and fame, his life was marked by tragedy (the death of four successive wives) and financial difficulties; in 2022, it became the basis for a fictional novel by Flavia Vighini (Morte di un liutaio. Le vicende di Giuseppe Rocca). Rocca is considered the most outstanding Italian luthier of the 19th century alongside G.F. Pressenda; together with him, he established the tradition of violin making in Turin. After his death, his luthier’s labels were often affixed to the best French instruments. His son and pupil, Enrico (*22 April 1847 Turin, †7 June 1915 Turin), at the beginning worked in a shipyard in Genoa as a carpenter and only began working as a luthier in 1878. He modelled his work on his father’s designs, but did not match his productivity or masterful craftsmanship; he also built highly regarded mandolins. In the last years of his life, he took part in numerous exhibitions and competitions, receiving several awards.
Literature: U. Azzolina Liuteria italiana dell’ottocento e del novecento, Milan 1964; W. Hamma Meister italienischer Geigenbaukunst, Stuttgart 1965; Alte Meistergeigen, ed. H.K. Herzog, vol. 7, Frankfurt am Main 1981; E. Blot, G. Accornero Liutai Piemontesi fra XIX e XX Secolo: da Pressenda a Fagnola, Turin 1997; E. Blot, A. Giordano Un secolo di Liuteria Italiana 1860-1960. A century of Italian violin making. vol.8: Liguria, Cremona 1997; E. Blot Liuteria Italiana, vol.4: 1800-1950. 150 Years of Violin Making in Piedmont, Cremona 2001; Giuseppe Rocca 1807-1865 – Bicentenario della nascita, Cuneo 2007; A. Giordano In focus: Giuseppe Rocca, “The Strad” CXXIV, 2014; N. Sackman The Messiah Violin: A Reliable History? Nottingham 2015; J. Price Giuseppe Rocca, the “ex-Maud Powell,” “The Strad” CXXX, 2019.
