Scan 82
Cremona: an account of the Italian violin-makers and their instruments, 1894
12 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 60. See the scan on archive.org.
1raised to the rank of Archducal Retainer by the Archduke Leopold, and on the 9th January, 1669, he received the distinction of "Court Violin-maker" from the Emperor. After these honours he was accused by the Jesuits of the crime of heresy, and lay in prison for six months in consequence. After this he got deeper into trouble, went out of his mind, and died insane in 1683. His wife and eight daughters survived him. In his house is still shown a stone bench to which he was chained when he was insane.
3Whatever may be attributed to the work of Stainer, it furnishes evidence of the master's great genius. The technical work has never been excelled, and if Stainer had not been obstinately and firmly attached to the high-arched model created by him, he would have followed the old Brescian pattern more, and the question is whether he could not then have excelled every one in power of tone, as he certainly did in beauty.
5The hills near Absom were covered with the finest pine-trees. There Stainer chose the planks for the bellies of his instruments, and as much as possible a round-veined maple for the backs and sides.
7That Stainer at one time lived in Cremona we see from a certain number of his violins, which are dated from that place; they are for the most part small instruments, with the bellies of rather broad-grained wood. The labels in them are in his handwriting. (u)
9When he returned to Absom he enlarged his model, without otherwise altering its character. His violins are rather broader and shorter than those of the Italian makers. The belly is made higher than the back; the F holes are short, and spread out into circular holes; the corners project widely. The neck has often, instead of a scroll, a well-carved lion's head. Where Stainer has put a scroll, it is more curved, but is otherwise commonplace. The yellow-red
11(u) Otto says he made his violins in three sizes, a large size, medium, and small. Tartini used a fine Stainer violin, with a bright yellow varnish; it was shown in the Exhibition at Milan in 1881. Mr. A. E. Donkin now possesses the well-known viola by him formerly belonging to Count Castelbarco.
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