Books › Grove's dictionary of music and musicians;, 1904 › scan 413
Scan 413
Grove's dictionary of music and musicians;, 1904
5 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1Mlle. Adèle Guesnet, of Clermont. The frequent intercourse which Vuillaume had with such men as Pique and Savart, during his partnership with Lété, familiarised him with the methods and styles of the old Italian luthiers to an extent that eventually made him one of the most expert connoisseurs of his time. As soon as he left Lété, Vuillaume attempted to put his acquired knowledge and technical skill to practical use. He constructed some instruments with infinite care, turning out exquisite work to which he affixed his name. But the world about him was just then filled with amateurs who sought for old Italian instruments, and consequently his own original work was at a discount. Fortunately, Vuillaume was remarkably shrewd, and instead of fighting against the prevailing demands, he turned them to good account by placing on the market a Stradivarius-model violin of extraordinary merit, bearing the master's label within, in facsimile. For this instrument he charged 300 frs. This speculation proved a complete success. Orders for similar fiddles poured in, and there is little doubt that in the desire to meet his clients' demands he adopted the practice of baking the wood from which he made some of his fiddles, a process that improved their immediate appearance, but proved fatal to them as time went on. So brilliant was the success of Vuillaume's venture that he was soon able to put a 500 frs. violoncello on the market, which found equal favour with amateurs. This was the foundation of Vuillaume's fortunes. Year by year the fidelity of his copies increased, so that at times even experts were deceived, finding it momentarily difficult to distinguish between the copy and the original when they were placed side by side. An instance of this which has become historic was that of his copy of Paganini's Guarnerius (see SIVORI), which Vuillaume made during a short period in which he was allowed to handle the great violinist's cherished instrument for purposes of repair. Another is to be found in his well-known and faithful imitations of Duiffoprougcar's inlaid viola da gamba. Vuillaume was an inventor as well as a dealer and maker. He constructed a ponderous and eccentric steel bow, of which apparently but a solitary specimen survives, which is to be seen at the Victoria and Albert Museum. In 1885 he introduced a new model for the tenor, constructed on the scientific principles of Dr. Felix Savart. This was so built that the mass of air contained within gave the note F 341.33 vibrations to the second. But the instruments hardly recommended themselves to players on account of their bulk. Vuillaume also invented a mute which he patented under the name of the Sourdine Pédale. This was an ingenious combination of mute and tailpiece, which allowed the player to mute the instrument by a push with the chin, without ceasing from playing. This was first shown at the Paris Exhibition in 1867. Besides these Vuillaume constructed a huge double-bass, known as the Octobasse. The large proportions of this instrument necessitated a complicated but ingenious invention of machinery for tuning. There is a specimen of this mighty bass preserved in the Musée of the Paris Conservatoire. Vuillaume also invented a machine for regulating the manufacture of gut strings in such a manner that false strings should be entirely done away with. In 1827 Vuillaume was awarded a silver medal at the Paris Exhibition; he obtained another in 1834; also in 1839, and in 1844 he carried off two gold medals. All these were awarded him in Paris, and in 1851 the jury of the Great Exhibition in London gave him the 'Council medal,' for his perfected Octobasse, and a magnificent Quartet of stringed instruments. In the same year the French Government decorated Vuillaume with the cross of the Legion of Honour. Finally in 1855 at the Exposition Universelle in Paris, Vuillaume carried off the grand médaille d'honneur, and from that moment he was pronounced hors concours. During the latter part of his career Vuillaume established himself in the Rue Demours No. 3, aux Thermes. Here many violins were made by his workmen which passed through his hands for supervision only. These bear the label 'St. Cécile des Thermes,' with the date and number. Vuillaume was an industrious workman, having, we are told, issued from his workshops no less than 3000 instruments before his death, which took place at Rue Demours, on Feb. 19,1 1875. One of his daughters married Delphin Alard. Vuillaume's brothers, Nicolas, Nicolas François, and Claude François, all became luthiers. The first of these three—NICOLAS, was born at Mirecourt in 1800. He worked with Jean Baptiste for ten years, but returned to Mirecourt in 1824, establishing a successful business there in cheap violins. He died in 1871. NICOLAS FRANÇOS (born May 13, 1812) likewise served an apprenticeship in his celebrated brother's workshop, and, becoming excessively skilful, eventually settled in Brussels at No. 30 Rue de l'Evecque. He was appointed luthier to the Conservatoire, and several medals were awarded him. He was made Chevalier of the Order of Leopold, and died in Brussels, Jan. 14, 1876. CLAUDE FRANÇOS VUILLAUME (born Mirecourt, 1807, died 1862) was a pupil of his father. He made fiddles for some years but finally gave himself up entirely to organ-making. His son, SEBASTIAN (born Paris, 1835, died Nov. 17, 1875) was an excellent violin-maker, who had a workshop for many years at No. 27 Boulevard Bonne Nouvelle in Paris. He also gained several medals, and he was the possessor of the unique machine for bending bows invented one of two readings
2Mlle. Adèle Guesnet, of Clermont. The frequent intercourse which Vuillaume had with such men as Pique and Savart, during his partnership with Lété, familiarised him with the methods and styles of the old Italian luthiers to an extent that eventually made him one of the most expert connoisseurs of his time. As soon as he left Lété, Vuillaume attempted to put his acquired knowledge and technical skill to practical use. He constructed some instruments with infinite care, turning out exquisite work to which he affixed his name. But the world about him was just then filled with amateurs who sought for old Italian instruments, and consequently his own original work was at a discount. Fortunately, Vuillaume was remarkably shrewd, and instead of fighting against the prevailing demands, he turned them to good account by placing on the market a Stradivarius-model violin of extraordinary merit, bearing the master's label within, in facsimile. For this instrument he charged 300 frs. This speculation proved a complete success. Orders for similar fiddles poured in, and there is little doubt that in the desire to meet his clients' demands he adopted the practice of baking the wood from which he made some of his fiddles, a process that improved their immediate appearance, but proved fatal to them as time went on. So brilliant was the success of Vuillaume's venture that he was soon able to put a 500 frs. violoncello on the market, which found equal favour with amateurs. This was the foundation of Vuillaume's fortunes. Year by year the fidelity of his copies increased, so that at times even experts were deceived, finding it momentarily difficult to distinguish between the copy and the original when they were placed side by side. An instance of this which has become historic was that of his copy of Paganini's Guarnerius (see SIVORI), which Vuillaume made during a short period in which he was allowed to handle the great violinist's cherished instrument for purposes of repair. Another is to be found in his well-known and faithful imitations of Duiffoprougcar's inlaid viola da gamba. Vuillaume was an inventor as well as a dealer and maker. He constructed a ponderous and eccentric steel bow, of which apparently but a solitary specimen survives, which is to be seen at the Victoria and Albert Museum. In 1885 he introduced a new model for the tenor, constructed on the scientific principles of Dr. Felix Savart. This was so built that the mass of air contained within gave the note F 341.33 vibrations to the second. But the instruments hardly recommended themselves to players on account of their bulk. Vuillaume also invented a mute which he patented under the name of the Sourdine Pédale. This was an ingenious combination of mute and tailpiece, which allowed the player to mute the instrument by a push with the chin, without ceasing from playing. This was first shown at the Paris Exhibition in 1867. Besides these Vuillaume constructed a huge double-bass, known as the Octobasse. The large proportions of this instrument necessitated a complicated but ingenious invention of machinery for tuning. There is a specimen of this mighty bass preserved in the Musée of the Paris Conservatoire. Vuillaume also invented a machine for regulating the manufacture of gut strings in such a manner that false strings should be entirely done away with. In 1827 Vuillaume was awarded a silver medal at the Paris Exhibition; he obtained another in 1834; also in 1839, and in 1844 he carried off two gold medals. All these were awarded him in Paris, and in 1851 the jury of the Great Exhibition in London gave him the 'Council medal,' for his perfected Octobasse, and a magnificent Quartet of stringed instruments. In the same year the French Government decorated Vuillaume with the cross of the Legion of Honour. Finally in 1855 at the Exposition Universelle in Paris, Vuillaume carried off the grand médaille d'honneur, and from that moment he was pronounced hors concours. During the latter part of his career Vuillaume established himself in the Rue Demours No. 3, aux Thermes. Here many violins were made by his workmen which passed through his hands for supervision only. These bear the label 'St. Cécile des Thermes,' with the date and number. Vuillaume was an industrious workman, having, we are told, issued from his workshops no less than 3000 instruments before his death, which took place at Rue Demours, on Feb. 19,1 1875. One of his daughters married Delphin Alard. Vuillaume's brothers, Nicolas, Nicolas François, and Claude François, all became luthiers. The first of these three—NICOLAS, was born at Mirecourt in 1800. He worked with Jean Baptiste for ten years, but returned to Mirecourt in 1824, establishing a successful business there in cheap violins. He died in 1871. NICOLAS FRANÇOIS (born May 13, 1812) likewise served an apprenticeship in his celebrated brother's workshop, and, becoming excessively skilful, eventually settled in Brussels at No. 30 Rue de l'Evecque. He was appointed luthier to the Conservatoire, and several medals were awarded him. He was made Chevalier of the Order of Leopold, and died in Brussels, Jan. 14, 1876. CLAUDE FRANÇOIS VUILLAUME (born Mirecourt, 1807, died 1862) was a pupil of his father. He made fiddles for some years but finally gave himself up entirely to organ-making. His son, SEBASTIAN (born Paris, 1835, died Nov. 17, 1875) was an excellent violin-maker, who had a workshop for many years at No. 27 Boulevard Bonne Nouvelle in Paris. He also gained several medals, and he was the possessor of the unique machine for bending bows invented one of two readings
41 The date, March 19, given by Vidal, Pougin, and others, is incorrect.
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