Scan 225
Catalogue of the Stearns collection of musical instruments, 1918
23 lines. Read by computer on 17 September 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
11273. Tromba Marina. Seventeenth century ……………….. Italy
2Body with rounded back, elaborately inlaid. The peg-box terminates in a carving of a satyr's head.
3Length, 124 cm. Width of base, 15.5 cm.; depth, 9 cm.
51274. Trumscheit. Seventeenth century ……………….. Germany
6Peg-box terminates in a carving of a lion's head. On front of neck the following notes are marked in ink on a small piece of paper; G-F-G-C-D-E-F-G-H-(The German B natural) and C.
7Length, 206 cm. Width of base, 41 cm.; depth, 20 cm.
9The Violin (Fr. Violon; It. Violino; Ger. Violine), the most important of the bowed instruments, was evolved from an early type. The word "Fiddle" is derived from the Low Latin Fidula, a contraction of Fidicula. The Geige was an instrument with a penetrating, raucous tone. The Viol, which it superseded, had a very sweet and mellow quality of tone, but lacked resonance. So, following the principle of survival in musical instruments, i. e., "The Survival of the Loudest," it disappeared. Its only representative in the modern orchestra is the Contrabass. The structure of the Violin seemingly violates all scientific principles, but through the work of generations of inspired makers it has reached perfection. It consists of a back and belly, one of maple, the other of pine, connected structurally by a rim with incurving sides, and brought into sympathetic vibration with each other by the sound-post, which is so adjusted as to properly relate the vibrating parts. It has a bridge over which run four strings tuned to g-d'-a'-e''. The "fourth" string (g) is overspun. It has a neck with a "true" finger-board. The bow is a very important factor and the celebrated bow makers, like Tourte, have brought it to the same state of perfection as the instrument itself.
111275. Fiddle ……………………………………………. Chile
12Body of stained wood. Three gut strings.
13Length, 27 cm.; of body, 27.; width, 16 cm.; depth, 5 cm.
14This rude specimen, with but three strings (gut), came into Mr. Stearns' possession with the name robel, or rovel indicated. No data can be found to show whether either is correct. In Brazil there is a dancing-master's fiddle called rabeljo,² evidently a name derived from the Spanish rabel (rebec), or rather its diminutive rabelillo.³
161276. Violino ……………………………………………. Italy
17Typical structure. Back inlaid with a representation of a mediaeval chateau.
18Length, 63 cm. Width, 21.3 cm. Depth, 6 cm.
19Signed—"Paolo Maggini, fecit in Brescia, 1608."
21² Morris, p. 244.
22³ Sachs, p. 313.
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.