Books › The Hawley Collection of violins, 1904 › scan 108
Scan 108
The Hawley Collection of violins, 1904
8 lines. Read by computer on 28 September 2026. Printed page 62. See the scan on archive.org.
1was in his prime, and the recipient of discriminating patronage at Brescia, the cradle of the violin-making art. He occupied a unique position in that city. The exponents of the Brescian school then living were at best but ordinary artisans. Their work was inferior and their wood plain, and the general character of their production shows that their trade was but local, and confined to the cheaper grades. Rogeri, inspired with artistic zeal by his master and the traditions of Cremona, and gifted with lofty ideals, must have won for himself immediate recognition. The beautiful wood he used, the exquisite varnish, and the thoughtful care he gave to his violins in point of workmanship and varnish, indicate that he was well remunerated for his instruments. Otherwise he could not have given such marked attention to details. While in a general way his outline clearly resembles that of Amati, he cannot with justice be termed a copyist of that master's style. To the practiced eye, the entire ensemble is different, and it is impossible to confound the two. He was an originator of style. His edges and corners are wider and flatter, and the purfling heavier and set in farther from the edge, and his corners have an inward and downward droop peculiarly his own. His arching is more abrupt, especially in the middle bouts, so that it has not the gradual sweep of Amati, and the breast is wider and flatter. In the fashioning of his sound hole, he was especially successful, but in the carving of the scroll, where Amati was truly great, he shows a lack of skill in handling the knife. The style of the scroll is heavier, larger, and the volute is not turned with the admirable precision of his master, but, nevertheless, it is charmingly full of character. He very often wrote his labels in red ink.
3The aim of Rogeri seems to have been to produce a tone which, while retaining the beauty and brightness of Amati, should yet contain a shade of the somber quality so dear to the Brescian heart. That he succeeded cannot be disputed, and the result is a tone timbre unique in character. It is unfortunate that there are so few of these beautiful instruments, for their tone is especially adapted to many artists, and seems to be a rare source of inspiration for public performance. Rogeri exhibited great judgment in the arrangement of thicknesses, and built his violins to withstand hard wear and usage successfully. Pietro, according to Mr. Fleming, was his son, but by other writers is spoken of as a son of Francesco Ruggeri. This must ever remain a mooted point, but from the character of Pietro's work and varnish, we incline to Mr. Fleming's belief. Pietro Rogeri also signed himself a pupil of N. Amati, and must therefore have spent some time in the shop of that master. He made many 'cellos and violas, and some double basses, and he is known chiefly through them. We remember a violin with ash back and sides signed by him. It was well arched and the model was quite slender. The top was of pine of the choicest description, the varnish all that could be desired. In color it was a shade lighter than the Brescian brown; in texture it was very soft, and wore extremely well. The back was left excessively heavy in wood. The tone was of charming quality, though not so sonorous as it probably would have been had he used maple instead of ash for the back. Giovanni worked until about 1720. The precise date of his death is not known, but it probably occurred about that time.
5The Hawley Rogeri* reached England through the medium of Sig. Tarisio and
7* The measurements of the Hawley Rogeri are given in the Table of Measurements.
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