Scan 280
Antonio Stradivari, his life and work (1644-1737), 1909
4 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 252. See the scan on archive.org.
1of the many admirable examples of our art still existing, is that the present generation has profited but little by the knowledge of the miserable misdeeds of the past. True, violoncellos and tenors requiring to be thus drastically operated upon no longer exist; but in other directions plenty of scope is left for the present-day vandal. The matter is now perhaps more subtle, and the injuries inflicted less apparent; but under the cloak of restoring and improving, vandalism goes on as actively as ever. Will it be believed that within recent years, notwithstanding the boasted enlightenment of so many of those who aspire and claim to be considered worthy followers of the great traditions of violin-making, things have been done which call for the sternest condemnation! What have we to say to the complete revarnishing of Stradivari and Guarneri violins in order to renovate the old varnish? to the cutting down of a Gasparo tenor to the proportions of an oversized violin? to the replacing of the back of a fine violoncello by a new one in order to remedy a wolf-note? to the cutting down of a Guadagnini violoncello—already of small size—to satisfy the caprice of its owner, who, still dissatisfied, had it enlarged again? These instances are but a few of those that from time to time come under our notice.
3Would that we could succeed in impressing on all owners of fine instruments, more especially on professional players, the paramount necessity of giving more thought to the care and preservation of these valuable possessions! Under mistaken ideas of "improvement," consent is continually given with fatal light-heartedness to all kinds of pernicious changes, which we do not hesitate to affirm are in the majority of cases unnecessary, and therefore uncalled for. The poor instruments are ripped open without further ado: we know only too well how many show
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