Books › Famous violinists and fine violins : historical notes, anecdotes, and reminiscences, 1896 › scan 122
Scan 122
Famous violinists and fine violins : historical notes, anecdotes, and reminiscences, 1896
6 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 102. See the scan on archive.org.
1quite devoid of the nasal or hurdy-gurdy quality, and possessing such equality that the four strings are as one—that is, there is no perceptible difference in quality when the bow of the player passes from one string to the other.
3When it became widely known that the celebrated Paganini usually played upon a Guarnerius violin, the instruments of that maker came rapidly into vogue. They were not only very much sought after by amateurs, but have been extensively imitated by many modern makers, especially since 1840 or thereabouts. It would seem that many performers fancied that everything depended on the maker of the violin whether they could hope to play like Paganini or not! This maker died in Cremona, in 1745, at the age of sixty-two. He made many violins of a small pattern. Those of the larger pattern, which are the most esteemed, are extremely rare; but they have been much imitated by later makers. This was not a difficult thing to do, as the workmanship is rather rough and careless, and the sound-holes of a peculiar, ugly shape. Violinists, both amateur and professional, were all anxious to possess a real "Joseph Guarnerius," and the singular craze continues to this day.
5But there was another Joseph Guarnerius at Cremona, a cousin or an uncle of the one first alluded to, dating much further back. Some say he lived
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