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Scan 123
Old Violins And Their Makers, 1883
4 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 109. See the scan on archive.org.
1of these qualities having been given when, by the Treaty of Presburg, the whole of their beautiful country was somewhat unceremoniously handed over to the Bavarians at a time when the destinies of Austria fell into the hands of France. Their fidelity to the house of Hapsburgh on that occasion has been made memorable, and their splendid fighting qualities under Andrew Hofer, Joseph Speckbacher, and Joseph Haspinger, were well displayed in that revolt which, with all its attendant sacrifices, availed them so little. But musical art of any kind, except vocal, has never been one of their distinguishing traits. So true is this that, even as late as the beginning of the present century, not a single town in the whole district could be said to have a decent orchestra, or could even give a decent concert; and, as for the violin, it appears to have have been all along an entirely unnational instrument. I remember reading, in accounts of festivals and balls which were held once or twice a year in some of the Tyrolese towns, that the chief instruments in use were fifes, and pipes, and drums, with, now and again, a fiddle, which was generally played by an itinerant Italian musician. Such towns as Botzen and Innsbruck would be, no doubt, to some extent, exceptions to this rule, the latter being the capital and the former more Italian in character.
3I have already referred to Albani, a supposed pupil of Stainer, as located in Botzen, and Duiffoprugcar as coming from the Italian Tyrol, where he followed a class of industry common enough even in the northern portion of the district — viz., that of a carver and inlayer; but the character and ways of the people are
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