Books › A descriptive catalogue of the musical instruments in the South Kensington museum, preceded by an essay on the history of musical instruments, 1874 › scan 116
Scan 116
A descriptive catalogue of the musical instruments in the South Kensington museum, preceded by an essay on the history of musical instruments, 1874
6 lines. Read by computer on 14 September 2026. Printed page 102. See the scan on archive.org.
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3Among the oldest representations of performers on instruments of the violin kind found in England those deserve to be noticed which are painted on the interior of the roof of Peterborough Cathedral. They are said to date from the twelfth century. One of these figures is particularly interesting on account of the surprising resemblance which his instrument bears to our present violin. Not only the incurvations on the sides of the body, but also the two sound-holes are nearly identical in shape with those made at the present day. Respecting the reliance to be placed on such evidence, it is necessary to state that the roof of Peterborough Cathedral is recorded to have been constructed between the years 1177 and 1194, during the presidency of the Abbot Benedict, and that the ceiling, having been retouched about the year 1788, was thoroughly repaired in the year 1835. Although we find it asserted that "the greatest care was taken to retain every part, or to restore it to its original state, so that the figures, even where retouched, are in effect the same as when first painted," it, nevertheless, remains a debatable question whether the restorers have not admitted, perhaps unintentionally, some slight alterations, and have thereby somewhat modernised the original appearance of the instruments. A slight touch with the brush at the sound-holes, the screws, or the curvatures, would suffice to produce modifications which might to the artist appear as being only a renovation of the original representation, but which to the musical investigator greatly impair the value of the evidence. At any rate, in renovating effaced or indistinct portions of the original delineations, the restorers might easily be too much influenced by such notions as they acquired from a reference to instruments of their own time. Sculptures are, therefore, perhaps generally more reliable in evidence than frescoes.
5The construction of the organistrum (Fig. 86), requires but little explanation. A glance at the finger-board reveals at once that the different tones were obtained by raising the keys placed on the neck under the strings, and that the keys were raised by means of the handles at the side of the neck. Of the two bridges shown on the body, the one situated nearest the middle was formed by a wheel in the inside, which projected through the sound-board. The wheel, which slightly touched the strings vibrated them by friction when turned by the handle at the end. The order of intervals was c, d, e, f, g, a, b-flat, b-natural, c. These were obtainable on the highest string. The other two strings,
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