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Scan 99
A dictionary of violin makers
2 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 89. See the scan on archive.org.
1for £3,200! This same firm of violin makers also had one dated 1711, which they priced at £2,800. A violoncello in most perfect preservation, dated 1689, was bought by Professor Delsart, of the Paris Conservatoire, on Feb. 3, 1887, at a sale for £800; it is especially remarkable for the beauty of its wood; its equal is perhaps only to be found in the violoncello, dated 1691, which is in the Istituto Musicale of Florence; it is of very large size, and the workmanship is absolutely perfect. A great many of the violoncellos dated between 1698 and 1709 have the backs made of poplar-wood. A very beautiful violoncello which was in Madrid, dated 1725, was more arched than that of Franchomme; the wood was pine of excellent quality, the sides of finely figured wood; the brilliant red varnish, on an amber golden ground, was very delicate and transparent; the whole instrument was in perfect preservation. Stradivari's double-basses are rare; Dragonetti had one; Count Ludovico Melzi had another, a very fine specimen; it was on a broad pattern, very much arched; the lower corners of the middle bouts are rounded off, apparently to avoid injury. Two things strike one about the work of Stradivari—the extraordinary number of instruments that he made and their great excellence; it is said that there are no less than a thousand of his violins, violas, and violoncellos; he lived to a great age, and worked incessantly all his life. In his time, viols were still being used in orchestras; he made many with six strings and with seven strings, also five-stringed viols with flat back, high sides, and arched bellies. Viols, bass-viols, violas da gamba are known with the backs made of poplar-wood. A viola d'amore, with the usual six gut strings and six wire strings, is dated 1716. A mandoline, dated 1700, which formerly belonged to J. B. Vuillaume, was remarkable for the finish of the workmanship and the beauty of the varnish; the head was most delicately carved. A harp is also known made by him. A guitar inscribed on the back of the peg-box, "Ants Stradivarius Cremonens F. 1680," was supposed to be the only one made by him; but the Paris Conservatoire claims to have another in the Collection there. In the same Collection is a beautiful fragment of the head of a viola da gamba and also a kit of large size, dated 1717, signed by Stradivari, which has a graceful scroll, the sound-holes excellently cut and varnish of wonderfully delicate and brilliant quality. A viola da gamba, "alla gobba" (i.e., hunchbacked), made in 1684 for Countess Cristina Visconti, had the violoncello scroll and sound-holes; double-basses had long been made with violoncello sound-holes, but Stradivari was probably the first maker to effect this improvement in the viola da gamba. It is interesting to notice how, even in his lifetime, Stradivari's instruments travelled all over the world, his reputation was so great. On Sept. 8, 1682, Michele Monzi, a banker in Venice, sent him an order for a set of violins, tenors, and violoncellos; these instruments were afterwards sent as a present to James II. of England. In 1687 he made a set of instruments for the Spanish Court, inlaid with ivory purfling, and with beautiful scroll-work running round the sides and head. Some of these fine instruments, richly ornamented with small figures, flowers, fruit, arabesques, inlaid in ebony or ivory, executed with the greatest skill, are still in existence, as well as the tools which he used and the original tracings of his designs. In 1690 he finished making a "concerto"—viz., two violins, one small and one large tenor, and one violoncello, for the Grand Duke of Tuscany. One of the tenors is in Florence and is inscribed on the interior of the upper plate, "Prima 20 ottobre 1690 per S. A. da Fiorenza." In 1707 he made six violins, two tenors, and one violoncello for the private orchestra of Archduke Charles of Austria. In 1715 he made twelve violins for the private orchestra of the King of Poland (Elector of Saxony). The instruments, relatively few in number, made by Stradivari between 1730-37 vary a good deal in character; some are very fine and of beautifully finished work, but others do not attain the same perfection; they are more arched, resulting in a less brilliant tone, the delicacy and finish of the work has changed, the scroll is heavier, the varnish is sometimes a brown colour, like that used by his sons for their instruments; there is no doubt that, after his death, much of his unfinished work was completed by his sons or by his pupil, Carlo Bergonzi, labels being used with Stradivari's name on them. Instruments that were made simply under his direction are inscribed "sub
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