Books › Chats on violins, 1905 › scan 131
Scan 131
Chats on violins, 1905
8 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1it has also been acknowledged that he could, and did, make fiddles which for their graceful boldness, handsome wood and superb varnish are unrivalled.
3Among his "Violins de Luxe," which are brilliant rivals of Strad's "Messie," "Alard," or "Pucelle". are: the "Violin de Diable," (1734) deriving its name from an opera of that title in which it was played upon by its owner Saint Leoni; Monsieur Alard's superb fiddle, now in the Museum of the Paris Conservatorie; Vieuxtemp's (now Mons. Maurice Sons') fine fiddle; Emile Saurets', and last, but by far the greatest, Paganini's treasured Guarnerius, which he left to his native town of Genoa.
5Paganini and Guarnerius! mighty "Gog and Magog"! The Fates for once were kind, and smilingly made the one for the other. Guarnerius built his great fiddles unnoticed and unacknowledged during his lifetime. Paganini took the neglected work, and through his genius raised it to such a pinnacle of fame that the rage for Guarnerius' fiddles continues to this day, their value varying from £200 to £400, according to condition.
7The manner of Paganini's becoming
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