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Scan 98
Old Violins And Their Makers, 1883
4 lines. Read by computer on 30 September 2026. Printed page 84. See the scan on archive.org.
1although, in the latest edition of Otto's work, further flattering reference is made to them, and a minute description of their peculiarities given. They are covered with spirit varnish; Schmidt was in Cassel in 1817.
3Carlo Bergonzi, who was the best pupil that Stradivari trained, worked in Cremona from about 1720 to 1747 or 1750. He is a great favourite with amateurs, and may be said to complete the quartet of Cremonese makers. Nicolas Amati, Antonio Stradivari, Joseph Guarnerius, and Carlo Bergonzi, all lived, one may say, in the embrace of an ordinary generation, for the first died in 1684, and the last laid down his tools somewhere about sixty years afterwards. Carlo Bergonzi's violins are not quite so plentiful as one would suppose from the frequency with which his name appears. I do not think there are fifty genuine instruments by him known to be in existence. In 1746 he occupied Stradivari's house and shop, and had his own son with him. It is said he died in 1747. The business was then removed from that memorable spot and carried on somewhere else by this son. Carlo's violins are, as I said, scarce. One could find more violoncellos than violins by this maker. The finest violin by Bergonzi that I have ever seen, and which came to this country about three years ago, has a somewhat amusing history. It was discovered in a religious establishment of some sort in Italy by a friend of mine. He had been in Cremona, and was informed by one of the present generation of Stradivaris that they knew of only one instrument in the neighbourhood which could claim to come from the hands of their great namesake. It was a joint-stock concern, and in the
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