Books › A special loan exhibition of musical instruments, manuscripts, books, portraits, and other mementoes of music and musicians, formed to commemorate the tercentenary of the granting by King James I of a charter of incorporation to the Worshipful company of musicians in 1604 .., 1904 › scan 128
Scan 128
A special loan exhibition of musical instruments, manuscripts, books, portraits, and other mementoes of music and musicians, formed to commemorate the tercentenary of the granting by King James I of a charter of incorporation to the Worshipful company of musicians in 1604 .., 1904
6 lines. Read by computer on 1 October 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1maker's real name was Gaspar Bertolettis, a fact recently discovered in the course of researches directed by Messrs. Hill. Lady Huggins, the accomplished wife of the present President of the Royal Society, is shortly bringing out a book on the "ancestors of the Violin," which will be welcomed by all interested in the subject. Salo is merely the name of a town in the province of Brescia, in which Gasparo was born. It is proved by the Corporation records that music, especially sacred music, was much cultivated there in the sixteenth century. The work of the great luthiers of Italy was the outcome of the interest taken in music by the people and by Holy Church, and the influence of the superb instruments made, opening up as they did new possibilities, reacted in turn upon the music composed. We see of Gaspar's make in this Exhibition a Viol da gamba, originally brought from the Cathedral at Burgos, two of the Violas for which he was so famous, and a Violin. He made few Violins, and of those known to exist some are of doubtful authenticity. In the latter category must be included the instrument which formerly belonged to Ole Bull, the Norwegian Virtuoso. This specimen bears no date; and has varnish on the back, which recalls that of Stradivarius at the period when he was momentarily influenced by Gasparo's pupil, Gio. Paolo Maggini.
3Made at the same period is a small Violin, 13 1/2 inches long, signed by Andreas Amati, 1564, also noteworthy for the excellence of its varnish. It is probably one of the Violini piccoli for which a part written for a violin, strung a third higher, is so often found in the scores of Bach, and it is now of interest as being one of the ancestors of the Amati violins which subsequently made the reputation of the Cremona school.
5Several Viole da Gamba of English make are exhibited, made at a time when England had considerable musical reputation abroad. The names Henry Jay, Baruk Norman, Kaye, and John Pitts are of strongly British flavour, but their instruments were much sought after at one time on the Continent.
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