Scan 89
Cremona: an account of the Italian violin-makers and their instruments, 1894
8 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 67. See the scan on archive.org.
1he had himself made, and, on the other hand, caused those to be distinguished with the latter mark which were made by his assistants or under his superintendence.
3His few violas (e) do not show as many variations as do his violins; they are of a large pattern, and are in every respect not to be surpassed. The violoncellos are made in two sizes. The virtuoso Servais possessed one (f) of the
5(e) Vidal mentions a magnificent viola by Stradivari in the collection of the Duc de Camposelice, who died in Paris on the 1st September, 1887; in this collection were two violas by Stradivari, a rare possession, and one by Gaspard da Salo, and one by Nicolo Gagliano. The Camposelice collection is worthy of enumeration: it comprised, besides the above, five violins by Giuseppe Guarnieri del Gesù, eight violins and two violoncellos by Antonio Stradivari, one violin by Pietro Guarnieri of Venice, one violin by Santo Seraphin, and a quartet by Nicolas Lupot. A very fine viola of 1690 is in the Istituto Musicale of Florence, where there is also a fine Stradivari violoncello of 1790. The Adam Collection may be fitly compared with the Camposelice cabinet, mentioned above; it contained, inter alia, nine Stradivari violins, all of the first rank; one Stradivari viola; one Stradivari violoncello, and four violins by the great Guarnieri. It may be mentioned that the viola of Mr. Charles Reade, which was subsequently in the collection of Mr. George Hart, has recently, happily, been acquired by Mr. A. Gibson; it is an instrument of the year 1728.
7(f) This violoncello of 1701 is one of the longer pattern, and belonged to M. G. Raoul; it was presented by Princess Youssoupow to Servais. It descended to Madame Servais, the widow of Servais fils, who sold it about 1887 to Monsieur Coutaut, the banker, for 50,000 lire. Another grand specimen, of the smaller pattern, belonged to Jean-Louis Duport. His son sold it to Franchomme, the violoncellist, for 25,000 francs. On Franchomme's death, in 1884, it was sold to a collector. Among other fine instruments may be mentioned (1) that of Signor Piatti of 1728, which is believed to have formed part of the collection of the Court of Madrid, (as did also the instrument belonging to Signor Batta, which had been in the possession of M. Place and of Thiboust of Paris, and has recently been in the hands of Messrs. W. E. Hill & Sons). This belonged to Mr. S. J. Pigott, of Dublin, who sold it to C. Maucotel for £200, who sold it for £300 to General Oliver, who presented it to Signor Piatti. (2) That of the late King of Portugal, which came from the late Monsieur Chevillard, of the Paris Conservatoire. (3) The Mara violoncello, of the large pattern, which was brought into England by Johann Baptist Mara, the violoncellist. It passed from him to Mr. Crossdill, thence to Lord Macdonald, thence to Mr. Lucas, who used it regularly in opera. It then passed into the hands of the late Mr. John Whitmore Isaac, of Boughton Park, and the Old Bank, Worcester, whose representatives sold it after his death, in 1884, to Messrs. W. E. Hill & Sons. It is now in the possession of an English collector. (4) The well-known violoncello of 1717, formerly belonging to Mr. Bonamy Dobree, and now to Mr. E. C. Holden. (5) The Pawle violoncello of 1730. (6) The famous instrument which belonged to Tarisio, of 1725: it was obtained from Spain in pieces by Chanot
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