Scan 351
Grove's dictionary of music and musicians: ed. by J. A. Fuller …, Volume 5, 1910
134 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 309. See the scan on archive.org.
1VIOLIN FAMILY
3It was hoped that the Merchandise Marks Amendment Act would protect the English purchaser against this kind of fraud, but these fiddles come over in sealed paper envelopes, upon which the words 'Made in Germany' (or as the case may be) is printed in large letters. It need hardly be said that this envelope disappears before the fiddle acquires its new name and basks in the sunshine of the shop window. Those makers who carry on their trade in England are chiefly employed in rehabilitating and selling old instruments, and their own productions, few in number though they be, find but a very limited market indeed. At present, therefore, an intending purchaser will not find a stock of new instruments by the best English makers; but it is to be hoped that, if the demand increases, they will find means to increase the supply. We believe that the only actual manufactory in England to-day is that of Messrs. W. E. Hill & Sons, who are compelled to charge £30 to £35 for the first-quality fiddles, and £20 for their second-quality instruments as they leave their works at Hanwell. The only other makers we know of in England devoting themselves to the art are Joseph Anthony Chanot who charges £10 to £21 for a new violin, and Sze-pessy Bela who charges £20. There are a great many secondary makers whose names it would be invidious to mention, who if the truth be told hardly rank above amateurs, and there are several dealers who could make fiddles but who do not find it worth while. The most prominent among these are Frederick and George Chanot and Dykes of Leeds. All the makers, professional and amateur, are recorded, with little sense of proportion, in the Rev. Meredith Morris's work, British Violin-Makers (London, 1904).
5Those who wish to purchase a new violin of the best quality, ready made, cannot do better than resort to the French makers. Vuillaume, now deceased, was a few years ago at the head of the list, and sold his violins for £12; they are now worth from £40 to £50. The sale prices of instruments by some living French makers were recorded by Mr. E. J. Payne in 1885 as follows:—
7<table>
8 <tr>
9 <th></th>
10 <th>Violins.</th>
11 <th>Tenors.</th>
12 <th>Violoncellos.</th>
13 </tr>
14 <tr>
15 <td>Gand & Bernardel, Paris</td>
16 <td>16 0 0</td>
17 <td>18 13 4</td>
18 <td>26 13 4</td>
19 </tr>
20 <tr>
21 <td>Miremont, Paris</td>
22 <td>13 6 8</td>
23 <td>16 0 0</td>
24 <td>24 0 0</td>
25 </tr>
26 <tr>
27 <td>Cherpitel, Paris</td>
28 <td>10 13 4</td>
29 <td>13 6 8</td>
30 <td>24 0 0</td>
31 </tr>
32 <tr>
33 <td>Thibouville-Lamy, Paris and London</td>
34 <td>8 0 0</td>
35 <td>8 0 0</td>
36 <td>16 0 0</td>
37 </tr>
38 <tr>
39 <td>Geronimo Grandini, sen., Mirecourt</td>
40 <td>4 6 8</td>
41 <td>4 6 8</td>
42 <td>8 13 4</td>
43 </tr>
44</table>
46To-day this list should be revised as follows:—
48<table>
49 <tr>
50 <th></th>
51 <th>Violins and Violas.</th>
52 <th>Violoncellos.</th>
53 </tr>
54 <tr>
55 <td>Gand & Bernardel</td>
56 <td>£20 to £24</td>
57 <td>£32 to £40</td>
58 </tr>
59 <tr>
60 <td>Thibouville-Lamy</td>
61 <td>£10 to £12</td>
62 <td>£16 to £20</td>
63 </tr>
64</table>
66Miremont is dead, but his prices remain the same. Cherpitel is also dead, but his violins do not command a market. 'Geronimo Grandini' was a name invented, we believe, by Thibouville-Lamy under circumstances to which we have referred above.
68It would be at the same time an invidious and an impossible task to give a list of modern makers of superior merit, but the following may be named as coming readily to mind with apologies for any omissions:—
70PARIS: Gand & Bernardel, Thibouville-Lamy, Silvestre & Maucotel, Emile Germain, Cuniot. VIENNA: Zach (dec.), Bittner (dec.), Voigt. MUNICH: Rampfliet (retired), Fiorini. STUTTGART: Sprenger. LEIPZIG: Hammig. FRANKFURT: Link (dec.), Edler. BERLIN: Kessler. BRESLAU: Leibich. BRUSSELS: Mougenot. LILLE: Hel (dec.), his son Pierre Hel is living. MILAN: Marchetti (dec.), Bimachi. (The Guadagnini Bros. were not makers.) TURIN: Oddone. LYONS: P. Blanchard.
72The prices of the new instruments of all these makers are about £20.
74Old instruments, however, are generally preferred by purchasers, especially those by the old Italian makers. Since the first edition of this Dictionary was published the prices of old Italian instruments have enormously increased, and the following table may be taken as representing, with fair accuracy, their market values at the present day:—
76<table>
77 <tr>
78 <th></th>
79 <th>Average Instruments.</th>
80 <th>Good Instruments.</th>
81 <th>Exceptional Specimens.</th>
82 </tr>
83 <tr>
84 <td>Stradivarius</td>
85 <td>600–1000</td>
86 <td>1200–1600</td>
87 <td>2000 and above</td>
88 </tr>
89 <tr>
90 <td>Amati and their school (Cappa, Ruggieri, etc.)</td>
91 <td>50</td>
92 <td>500</td>
93 <td>1000</td>
94 </tr>
95 <tr>
96 <td>Guarnerius del Gesù</td>
97 <td>450</td>
98 <td>1200</td>
99 <td>2000</td>
100 </tr>
101 <tr>
102 <td>Guarnerius (Andreas, etc.)</td>
103 <td>100</td>
104 <td>250</td>
105 <td>500</td>
106 </tr>
107 <tr>
108 <td>Serafino</td>
109 <td>100</td>
110 <td>200</td>
111 <td>350</td>
112 </tr>
113 <tr>
114 <td>Magrini, G. da Salo (Brescian school)</td>
115 <td>100</td>
116 <td>300</td>
117 <td>500</td>
118 </tr>
119 <tr>
120 <td>Guadagnini</td>
121 <td>150</td>
122 <td>250</td>
123 <td>400</td>
124 </tr>
125 <tr>
126 <td>The later makers: Grancino, Testore, Landolfi, etc.</td>
127 <td>100</td>
128 <td>150</td>
129 <td>200</td>
130 </tr>
131</table>
133Old Italian fiddles of the commonest description are considered to be worth from £30 to £60. Fair instruments by old French, German, and English makers can be bought at still lower prices, ranging from £10 to £20. Red instruments, other things being equal, will generally fetch somewhat more than yellow or brown ones. The principal English dealers in old violins are Hill & Sons, G. Hart, Joseph George, and Frederick Chanot, Beare & Goodwin, Dykes, George and Edward Withers, and there are several firms and limited companies
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