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Scan 52
A dictionary of violin makers
6 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 42. See the scan on archive.org.
1early imitations, which are well made, are numerous. Giuseppe del Jesù was the greatest maker of this family, his violins are especially celebrated for their powerful tone. Paganini played on a particularly fine one, of grand tone, dated 1743; he bequeathed it to the City of Genoa, where it is now kept in the Palazzo Municipale. Another very fine one, dated 1714, belonged to Ole Bull, the great violinist. Another magnificent one, dated 1734, was nicknamed "Le violon du diable," because it was the instrument played on in an opera of that name. A most beautiful one, which belonged to the violinist Alard, was labelled "Joseph Guarnerius fecit
3Cremonæ, anno 1742, I.H.S." A violin, dated 1741, which formerly belonged to Vieuxtemps, has not a single crack; the wood is very thick, it is not arched, with high sides; the varnish, thickly put on, is a splendid brownish-red tinged golden colour; the work is carelessly finished, but the tone is splendid. The "King Joseph" violin was on a large pattern, made of splendid wood, not arched, with peculiarly shaped sound-holes, and rich amber-coloured varnish; it was sold for 700 guineas. A violin, made with the back in two parts, with brownish-red varnish, was dated 1723. A beautifully made viola was labelled: "Joseph Guarnerius Cremonensis faciebat, 1724." His work is generally divided into three periods: the first shows no originality, for he either imitated Nicola Amati or G. P. Maggini, reviving the pattern of the latter, which is arched from the purfling, with semi-circular middle bouts, pointed sound-holes, and short corners; the tone is good. In the second period, the pattern is small and slightly arched in a gradual rise from the purfling, the thicknesses vary, but especially increase at the centre of the back—a defect, in so far as it prevents free vibration; the proportions are accurate, the sound-holes well cut (often sharply pointed top and bottom), the tone is full of brilliancy, the rich golden or brownish-red varnish is of fine elastic quality, very transparent, and rivals that of Stradivari. The work is most carefully finished; the wood, generally sycamore, varies both in quality and appearance; it is thought that he used the same large piece of pine for nearly all the bellies—a stain or sap mark runs through it, which, though sometimes faint, can always be seen. For this reason three violins of Carlo Bergonzi, with bellies evidently cut from the same piece of pine, were for a long time thought to be Giuseppe's work. In the third period, dating from about 1735, to which Paganini's and Alard's violins belong, the instruments vary greatly in pattern and appearance, but show his originality and ability; they are equal to the most beautiful work of Stradivari. Made on a large pattern, of excellent wood, with accurate proportions and thicknesses, and beautiful varnish, as remarkable for its fine and elastic quality as for its colour, either rich amber or rose-red, slightly darker and thicker than that of Stradivari; the quaint head, very characteristic, is entirely different from Stradivari's; the purfling is embedded, the sound-hole, losing its pointed form, is rather open; the edges are heavy, the tone is powerful, mellow, and rich. It was at this time that the so-called "prison" violins, already mentioned, suddenly appeared. All his variety of work—the different sized patterns, sometimes arched, sometimes flat; the sound-holes, long, perpendicular, or short and slanting—was a continuous effort to increase the tone of his instruments, and he finally succeeded in obtaining a notably pure and powerful volume of tone. He made more violins than violas. About fifty genuine violins and ten violas are known; no violoncello is known. His instruments have steadily increased in price, no doubt owing to the strong wood he used; it depreciates the tone at first, but with time vibrates more freely, the quality of tone becoming stronger and more refined. In 1876 a violin was sold for 600 guineas in a sale-room; another was recently sold for £500.
5Guarneri, Giuseppe Giovan Battista, second son of Andrea, b. Nov. 25, 1666, Cremona; d. soon after 1738. Said to have been a pupil of his father, but showed much originality; some of his instruments are very similar to those of his cousin, Giuseppe del Jesù, but the tone is not so powerful and round; others follow the pattern of Stradivari: His violins are numerous and show good work. They are generally made on a small pattern, the waist of the instrument narrow and rapidly widening from the centre; the sound-holes, placed lower than usual, are widely opened about the middle; the
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