Books › British violin-makers classical and modern; being a biographical and critical dictionary of British makers of the violin from the foundation of the classical school to the end of the nineteenth century, 1904 › scan 153
Scan 153
British violin-makers classical and modern; being a biographical and critical dictionary of British makers of the violin from the foundation of the classical school to the end of the nineteenth century, 1904
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1FORSTER, WILLIAM, London: 1764–1824. "Young Forster," as he has been called, was the son of the great Forster. He was born Jan. 7, 1764, and died July 24, 1824. He maintained to some extent the traditions and reputation of his father, but he failed (or did not try) to maintain the same standard of excellence throughout. His work varies a great deal; some of it is no better than the cheapest of the modern factory noise boxes, and some is fully as good as the best of his father's.
3Haweis says there was an erratic vein in the Forster family, which in "old" Forster took the shape of "amazing versatility," but in the younger members degenerated into "speculative eccentricity." I prefer to think of "old" Forster as a genius, and of the sons and grandsons as the offspring thereof. And it is a well-nigh universal rule that the offspring of genius are the shipwreck of genius. Genius, as I conceive it, is the abnormal development of some particular gift or faculty, with the other faculties also sufficiently strong to give it support. The offspring of a genius often show the same gift developed in the same abnormal degree, but they have not the other powers of the mind in the necessary state of health and strength to give it equilibrium; i.e. in other words, they have not sufficient ballast. Genius without the accompanying staying powers of the mind is like a vessel without a helm. We have the children of a dozen geniuses living amongst us to-day, nearly all of whom may be recognised as the sons of their fathers, but they are more or less rudderless sails in a stormy sea. It has been often said that the sons of great men elect to walk the quieter paths of mediocre distinction out of consideration for their fathers, but this is said more in charity than in sincerity. No man puts his candle under a bushel without at the same time extinguishing it, and suicide is not sacrifice. I have seen one or two violins by "young" Forster, which were excellent as regards finish and tone, and they had his father's amber oil varnish, thinly laid on and well polished. He made a number of inferior instruments, some unpurfled, and with
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