What is Guarneri?
'''Guarneri''' is the name of a family of famous [[violin]] makers from [[Cremona]] in [[Italy]] in the 17th and 18th centuries. Together with the families [[Amati]] and [[Stradivari]] they made some of the best violins the world has known. '''Andrea Guarneri''' ({{circa|1626}} - 7 December 1698) was a pupil in the workshop of Nicolo Amati from 1641 to 1646 and returned to make violins for Amati from 1650 to 1654. He married a rich lady and they were able to buy a large house which became known as the “Casa Guarneri”. They had seven children. Two of his sons: Pietro Giovanni and Giuseppe Giovanni, became violin makers. Andrea Guarneri produced some fine violas, one of which was played by [[William Primrose]] in the early 20th century. '''Pietro Giovanni Guarneri''' (18 February 1655 - 26 March 1720), known as '''Peter of Mantua''' (''Pietro da Mantova'') to distinguish him from his nephew Pietro Guarneri. He worked in his father's workshop from around 1670 until his marriage in 1677. He had settled in [[Mantua]] by 1683, where he worked both as a musician and a violin maker. His instruments are generally better than his father's. However, he did not make so many instruments because he spent a lot of his time playing them. None of his children became violin makers. [[Joseph Szigeti]] played one of his instruments. Andrea's younger son, '''Giuseppe Giovanni Battista Guarneri''' (25 November 1666 - 1739 or 1740), known as ''filius Andreae'', joined his father's business in Cremona. He inherited it in 1698. He is one of the great violin makers. Giuseppe Giovanni Battista was father to two other instrument makers: Pietro Guerneri who settled in [[Venice]] and Bartolomeo. '''Pietro Guarneri''' (Peter of Venice or ''Pietro da Venezia'') (14 April 1695 - 7 April 1762) made some instruments that are as great as those of his father. One of his cellos was played by [[Beatrice Harrison]]. Bartolomeo '''Giuseppe Guarneri''' (''del Gesù''), also known as Joseph (21 August 1698 - 17 October 1744), has been cal