Books › A treatise on the structure and preservation of the violin and all other bow-instruments; together with an account of the most celebrated makers, and of the genuine characteristics of their instruments;, 1860 › scan 37
Scan 37
A treatise on the structure and preservation of the violin and all other bow-instruments; together with an account of the most celebrated makers, and of the genuine characteristics of their instruments;, 1860
8 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 15. See the scan on archive.org.
1Steiner violins have been brought to me which were ruined in this manner.
3It must excite feelings of the deepest regret in all who entertain a high regard for such perfect master-pieces of art, constructed strictly according to the rules of mathematics, to witness the irreparable loss arising from such mutilation.
5That the foregoing statement is not in the least exaggerated, many will have proved by their own experience; and it is further certain, that there are few towns without either a hautboy-player, fiddler, or town-musician, who meddles with the repair and improvement of instruments, without possessing any accurate knowledge of their construction. What such men can do, may be judged of from their work! The great loss, however, which the musical public suffers through these fellows, consists in the few good instruments which exist, compared with the number which are spoiled.
7One would suppose that, as the world grows wiser, such mechanics would no longer meet with encouragement; yet, even in the present day, there are people to be found who still look upon them as great artists.
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