Books › The fiddle fancier's guide; a manual of information regarding violins, violas, basses and bows of classical and modern times, together with biographical notices and portraits of the most famous performers on these instruments, 1892 › scan 53
Scan 53
The fiddle fancier's guide; a manual of information regarding violins, violas, basses and bows of classical and modern times, together with biographical notices and portraits of the most famous performers on these instruments, 1892
4 lines. Read by computer on 29 August 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1In some instruments it has crackled all over, not unlike the manner of the famous Vernis Martin on some old French pieces of furniture. His scroll is very fine. There is a marked peculiarity about the ear, or eye, as it is sometimes called. More properly it would be the boss of the volute, or terminal stem, which shows itself on each side sticking out at the last turn. This last turn comes suddenly out, although the immediately previous turn is almost parallel to the vertical axis of the volute, viewed from the back. The tone of his instruments is generally splendidly full, broad, smooth, and magnificently equal.
3Bergonzi, M. A., Cremona, 1720—1760. This maker was a son of Carlo. His work is not equal, by many degrees, to that of his father, but that is not saying a very great deal against him, for his father, as has been said, was one of the greatest of the Cremonese. Michael Angelo Bergonzi's style is, however, heavy, and perhaps many fastidious judges would not appreciate him on that account, but he employed good wood, both in back and front, and plenty of it. His work is solid and massive, and not so artistically finished, but there is no doubt about the quality of his tone being of a high character. His sound holes are after his father's style, but longer—of very fair design, but slightly unequal. Purfling not particularly good, but his varnish is of good quality. His outline is not so good as his father's, and his middle bouts are set in much deeper, but with all that there is a sense of strength and individuality about his work which, when combined with the quality of his tone, makes a fine specimen of his something to be cherished.
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