Ginislao Paris (1852 – after 1917) was an Italian composer and musician in the Russian Empire who played trombone with the Russian Imperial Opera Orchestra in St. Petersburg.[ That orchestra was important because it inspired Vasily Andreyev, to form the first orchestra based on Russian instruments.][
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Paris invented a specialized mandolin which was named for him ( Sistema Ginislao Paris) and built by the workshops of Luigi Embergher.[ The Paris Ginislao mandolins feature a double top (a second hollow space within the instrument, created by a false back between the soundboard and the instrument's back).][ The double top is a feature that mandolin makers are now experimenting with in the 21st century, to get better sound.][
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In 1905, Roman luthier Luigi Embergher made several mandolin family instruments based on Ginislao Paris' own design, featuring double top and special bracing system. Only four instruments of “Sistema Ginislao Paris” forming the mandolin family quartet are known presently. One is an Embergher Artistico mandolin model No. 8, held in the Theatre Museum of St Petersburg.[G.I. Blagodatov, K.A. Vertkov (1972) Catalogue of Musical Instruments of The Leningrad Institute of Theatre, Music and Cinematography, Izdatelstvo Muzyka (105)][V.V. Koshelev (2014), Plucked Chordophones, Vol. 1. From the Collection of St. Petersburg State Museum of Theatre and Musical Art, ] Another is a Liuto cantabile (known as the Russian Embergher) of model 5 bis, another mandolin No.5 bis and a mandola model 5 bis, held in private collections.[
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Ginislao Paris' history
Ginislao Paris was born Ginislao Cesare Antonio Paris in Naples, 15 March 1852.
From 1868 to 1872 Paris served as a volunteer in Italian military forces.[RGIA (Russian State Historical Archive) Service Movements File of Ginislao Paris Fund 497, descr. 5, file 2388] He began his career as a trombonist in the orchestra of the Russian Imperial Opera in St. Petersburg at the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra on 1 January 1876.[S.P. Dyagilev (Editor) (1898) Imperial Theatres Yearbook, Season 1898-1899 Directorate of Imperial Theatres, St Petersburg (90)] He married Maria Alexandrovna Strasser in St. Petersburg in 1879. They had daughters: Violetta-Tamara (b.1882) and Margherita (b.1893).[RGIA (Russian State Historical Archive) Service Movements File of Ginislao Paris Fund 497, descr. 5, file 2388] In the 1880s Ginislao Paris led the Society of Amateur Mandolinists and Guitarists of St. Petersburg (Circolo),[RGALI (Russian State Archive of Literature and Art) Ginislao Paris. Programme of the Concert in the Petrovskiy College Hall Fund 2980 File No.1374] which eventually became the first mandolin orchestra in Russia. According to Flaviy Sokolov's book, Vasily Andreyev was inspired by the Ginislao Paris orchestra to turn from his solo balalaika performances to creation of a full orchestra of Russian folk instruments.[Flaviy Sokolov (1962) Vasily Andreyev and his Orchestra, Muzgiz, Leningrad]
Carlo Graziani-Walter, noted Italian mandolinist and composer of his time dedicated his rendition of Rimembranze from Gounod’s Faust for mandolin to Ginislao Paris. The dedication says "All’ Egregio Signor Ginislao Paris, Professore nei Teatri Imperiali, Maestro Direttore del Circolo Mandolinisti di Benificenza a Pietroburgo" ( To Mr. Ginislao Paris, Professor at the Imperial Theaters, Master Director of the Benedictine Mandolinist Circle in Petersburg).[Rimembranze dell' Opera Faust di Ch. Gounod per mandolino di C. Graziani-Walter, gia Maestro Direttore del R. Circolo Mandolinisti Margherita, G. Ricordi & C., Milano] Along with violin maker Pietro Bozzolo (1840-1907), Paris was a member of the Revisionary Commission of the Italian Charitable Society of St. Petersburg.[1] Proceeds from the concerts were given to that charity.[2] Russian (and later American) ballet dancer Michel Fokine, Anna Pavlova's friend and colleague, in his memoirs recalls playing mandolin in Ginislao Paris' ensemble and later joining Andreyev's Russian orchestra on domra before giving up playing on stage in favour of his ballet career.[Fokine, Michel (Author), Anatole Chujoy (Editor)(1961) Fokine: Memoirs of a Ballet Master, Little, Brown & Co]
Ginislao Paris played in the same orchestra with another Italian, flautist Ernesto Köhler, who also played mandolin and wrote the first mandolin method book in Russia, (First edition published by J.H. Zimmermannin 1887).[Теляковский В. А. Дневники Директора Императорских театров. 1898—1901 / Под общ. ред. М.Г. Светаевой; подгот. текста С.я. Шихман и М.г. Светаевой; вст. ст. О.М. Фельдмана; коммент. О.М. Фельдмана, М.Г. Светаевой и Н.Э. Звенигородской. Москва. М.: “АРТ”, 1998.]
Ginislao Paris became a Russian citizen in 1899.[RGIA (Russian State Historical Archive) Service Movements File of Ginislao Paris Fund 497, descr. 5, file 2388] He retired from the Orchestra in 1900 for health reasons and was granted special merits pension by imperial decree.[RGIA (Russian State Historical Archive) Service Movements File of Ginislao Paris Fund 497, descr. 5, file 2388] All Petersburg reference book continued to list Ginislao Paris details until 1917. His further whereabouts and death details are unknown.[ Ves Peterburg Reference Book, 1917]
In 2023 a small garden in Montecalvario, Naples has been named after Ginislao Paris.
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