Scan 130
Grove's dictionary of music and musicians: ed. by J. A. Fuller …, Volume 5, 1910
4 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 102. See the scan on archive.org.
1Lyons. Building operations began in 1564, on a site situated 'à coté Saint Sebastien,' in the vicinity of Duiffoproucart's premises. To acquire the necessary space many buildings were pulled down; and certain documents, preserved among the archives of Lyons, show that in 1566 Duiffoproucart's house was demolished, and all the wood, stone, etc., appropriated to the construction of the fortress. For this complete spoliation of his property and possessions there seems to have been a reprehensible lack of recompense on the part of the Government. According to a statement made by two of the King's engineers of the period Duiffoproucart's property was estimated at '9245 livres, 14 sols, 4 deniers.' This loss was a blow from which the Lyons lute-maker was unable to recover, and until his death he seems to have subsisted on charity. The energy and talent which had elevated him to the position of foremost luthier in Lyons was entirely crushed. From certain lists of assessments — also preserved among the archives of Lyons — he seems to have retired after the demolition of his house and ended his days in the 'pennonage' of Henry Touchard. From the situation of these premises Dr. Coutagne had concluded that Duiffoproucart was buried in the church of Saint Vincent, though, as in the matter of the date of his death, this statement can only be accepted as a deduction. Certain documents referring to some judicial actions taken by Duiffoproucart's inheritors and dated Dec. 16, 1571, suggest that Gaspard died some months previously, after having lived in Lyons for seventeen or eighteen years. By the aid of various other documents in the Lyons archives we know that the maiden name of Duiffoproucart's wife was Barbe Homeau, that he had four children, that his son Jehan followed his father's profession, and that, according to Jehan's signature, the family name was spelt thus: Duiffoproucart. With Dr. Coutagne we have adopted the latter spelling in this article, feeling it the more fitting to rely on the documentary evidence of a member of Gaspard's family, rather than on the version found on Woeiriot's engraving of the maker. Any accurate decision is, however, rendered impossible, for Duiffoproucart himself was most uncertain in his orthography as we have seen, and there are no labels of his from which conclusions might be drawn. Apparently he never labelled his instruments. In every case where an instrument has been found bearing his name on a label the authenticity of both have proved doubtful, and, where dates have been inserted, impossible. Relying on the biography of Duiffoproucart written by 'Roquefort' in the Biographie universelle at the beginning of the 19th century, all the dated instruments known — with one exception — tally perfectly with his assertion that Duiffoproucart was born at the end of the 15th century, and settled in Bologna in 1515. Apart from these evident forgeries there are four perfectly authentic viols by Duiffoproucart extant. First in order of merit comes the viola da gamba known as the Basse de la Ville de Paris, so named from the plan of that city which is inlaid on the back. This instrument is in the Musée Instrumental of the Brussels Conservatoire, and is rich in inlaying, carving, and ornamentation. It bears Duiffoproucart's distinctive trademark, and the Latin inscription Viva fui, etc. The marked difference of workmanship and colour observable in the front table of this viol has raised much doubt as to the authenticity of this part. In the South Kensington Museum there is another beautiful little viola da gamba of Duiffoproucart's, identically marked. This viol belongs to Sir George Donaldson. A third example of Duiffoproucart's work is known as the Basse de viole au vieillard dans la chaise d'enfant. According to M. Vidal, who gives an etching of the gamba in his Instruments à Archet, this instrument belonged to M. de Vaziers in 1876. In form and size it resembles the two gambas already mentioned. M. Chardon, the Parisian luthier, knows of a fourth gamba by Duiffoproucart in Switzerland. The Musée of the Paris Conservatoire owns a violin said to be the work of Duiffoproucart. Besides the usual trademark and Latin distich, Gaspard Duiffoproucart's name and 'Lyon 15 . . . ' is inscribed on the lower part of the upper table. Within there is to be seen the following label — printed in the manner of the ancient Italian makers — 'Gaspard Duiffopruccar à la coté Saint Sebastien à Lyon.' Like all the so-called violins by Duiffoproucart this instrument is merely an altered viol. Without attempting to solve such a controversial point as that dealing with the question 'Did Duiffoproucart make violins?' we may say that there is every reason to doubt that he did. His elegant style of work and inlaying was one which would recommend itself largely to his successors, and as the viol became gradually superseded by the violin, it was only a natural impulse with the luthier to go with the times and introduce the popular custom of inlaying into the scheme of the newer form of instrument. The deleterious effects of inlaying and ornamentation were realised among makers before the time of Stradivarius, yet it is well known that J. B. Vuillaume made a quantity of violins at the beginning of the 19th century which were carved and inlaid after the manner of Duiffoproucart, which might pass among amateurs as the work of the Lyons lute-maker.
3Coutagne, Gaspard Duiffoproucart; Volckmann, Was G.D. the first Violin maker? (New York, 1891); Kann, Caspar Duiffopruccar als erster Erbauer von Violinen gelten? vide Zeitschrift für Instrumentenbau, No. 24, May 1891, pp. 340-341; Payne, Gaspard Duiffopruccar und die Entstehung der Geige, vide Zeitschrift für
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