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 348
Scan 348
A descriptive catalogue of the musical instruments in the South Kensington museum, preceded by an essay on the history of musical instruments, 1874
10 lines. Read by computer on 14 September 2026. Printed page 322. See the scan on archive.org.
1LUTE. Italian. About 1580. From an old inscription inside, now greatly obliterated, it would appear that this lute was made by Magnus Tieffenbrucker in Venice.
3In some old German books we find it mentioned that this species of lute,—with the body inlaid with ivory and various woods, with a thick and heavy head for the tuning-peggs, and three sound-holes placed behind the strings,—was chiefly made in Rome, and was therefore called the "Roman Lute." In the present specimen some of the ivory work has been restored; in all other respects it is in its original condition.
5It may not be out of place here to say a few words respecting the family of Tieffenbrucker, which may perhaps afford a hint to musicians interested in the history of the violin.
7There lived in Venice in the latter half of the sixteenth, and beginning of the seventeenth century, three celebrated lute makers of this family, viz., Magnus, Vendelino, and Leonardo Tieffenbrucker. The name is evidently German, and it appears very probable that they came to Italy from the Tyrol, like Jacob Stainer and some other celebrated instrument makers. Now, we find that the name of the earliest violin maker in Italy, whose instruments are still highly appreciated, was Gaspard Duiffoprugcar. Scarcely more is known of this celebrated maker than that he was born in the Tyrol, and lived in Bologna about the year 1510. Further inquiries may perhaps elicit that his name, properly spelt, was Tieffenbrucker, and that he belonged to the above family. About three centuries ago, as is well-known, orthography was rather unsettled, and even the names of persons were not unfrequently written in different ways. Indeed this was still the case in the last century. Handel wrote his name in Italy Hendel, in Germany Händel, and in England Handel. Gluck wrote himself in Germany Glück. Furthermore, it may be surmised that all the Tieffenbruckers were makers of violins as well as of lutes. It evidently was in their time usual for men following their occupation to combine the making of instruments of the violin class with that of lutes. In France, at the present day, the violin makers are called luthiers.
9In support of the above supposition may be cited the inscription Magno Dieffopruchar a Venetia 1612, in a lute deposited in the Liceo Comunale di Musica at Bologna, and another inscription with the name of the same maker spelt slightly differently, viz., Magno Dieffoprukhar
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