Books › Old Violins And Their Makers, 1883 › scan 107
Scan 107
Old Violins And Their Makers, 1883
8 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 93. See the scan on archive.org.
1reasonable to suppose that others exist elsewhere. Thus, Gasparo da Salò and Andreas Amati, the reputed founders of the violin manufacture in Italy, had precursors in that art by a period of half-a-century, and they were of German origin."
3Dr. Schebek then sums up in the following terms:
5"The most ancient and most renowned manufacturers of lutes in Italy were Germans. This industry is of close affinity to that of violin-making, and is often not distinguished from it. The first known maker of violas was of German origin, and equally so was the first violin maker. From such premisses is not one forced to conclude that the foundation of the so much vaunted Italian violin manufacture was laid by Germans?" After the Doctor's departure from Eisenberg a fourth lute was discovered, bearing the following ticket: "Magno Duiffoprukhar a Venetia, 1607." This is the same maker as the Magnus Tieffenbrucker mentioned in the South Kensington Catalogue. In concluding this article Dr. Schebek cautiously adds, "Of course, a more profound investigation may yet turn the page in favour of the Italians." In a sketch of the subject which he afterwards published, he amplifies the above statements without importing into the discussion new facts of any significance.
7It will be seen that Dr. Schebek's arguments—rational enough in appearance—are founded upon what may now be termed ancient history, so far as concerns violin making, for the Kerlino instrument is really one of the most unsatisfactory pieces of evidence that could well be conceived. The earliest mention of it is made by Laborde, whose book was published in 1780.
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