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Scan 155
The Hawley Collection of violins, 1904
12 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 81. See the scan on archive.org.
1ANALYSIS OF WORK OF THE FOLLOWERS OF GREAT MASTERS
3using good wood, though at times of a toughish nature. He finished his work with care, and employed a varnish of a rich orange color. The work of Michael Angelo Bergonzi and that of his son Nicola has been reviewed under the chapter on Carlo Bergonzi.
5Gioffredo Cappa
7An early maker of Cremona, supposed to have been born there, and one whose work has always been held in high esteem, was Gioffredo Cappa. He has been regarded as a pupil of the brothers Amati and may have been associated with Nicola in his early days. Some of his work bears striking resemblance to that of the great Nestor of the craft. He worked chiefly in Piedmont and many of his instruments are dated from Saluzzo. Inasmuch as his style differs materially from Cremonese work, he cannot be considered a Cremonese maker. His form is a rounded one after the style of the Amatis, and he used a dark yellowish brown varnish of very soft texture. His wood is invariably of choice quality, and together with his varnish and method of construction, is productive of a beautiful mellow tone. Like Amati he made both large and small patterned instruments. His 'cellos are among the best of the period and his violas are highly prized. He worked until the middle of the seventeenth century. Another Cappa, supposedly his son, worked later at Piedmont after a similar style, according to evidence of the celebrated Italian connoisseur, Count Cozio di Salabue.
9Francesco Ruggeri
11Famous in his day, as now, for the beauty of his work, his varnish and wood, was Francesco Ruggeri, who occupied in Cremona a place hardly second to that of Nicola Amati. He flourished at a time when violin-making was approaching its highest point in Cremona, 1660-1720. Stradivari in this period accomplished those remarkable feats of workmanship which established his reputation. Francesco Ruggeri was no doubt a pupil of Nicola Amati at an early period in his career. In his work there is much to remind one of the brothers Amati. Many of his beautiful conceptions would lead one to suppose that it was to them rather than to Nicola that the credit must be given. But the fact that Francesco worked well into the eighteenth century goes to show that he could hardly have been their pupil, unless he be credited with great age at his death. Up to about the year 1700 he followed the small graceful model of the early Amati differing in respect to the arching. Instead of developing it gradually from the purfling he ridged in the center, so that the breasts of his small pattern violin are usually of marked narrowness between the sound holes. About 1700 he broadened his model, possibly following the lead of Nicola Amati in his grand pattern, and the large instruments which had emanated from Stradivari's hands for some years prior. His varnish is unsurpassed for richness of color. He cut his backs as a general thing, sur maille, or on the slab, showing to the best advantage the beautiful figure of the wood. As a rule, we believe his most beautiful wood is found in his violins of small model. It is not too much to say that had Francisco been less given to his habit of arching his violins, their tonal value would have been far greater, and the world would be to-day richer in Cremonas of the first class. It is in this particular that he is considered inferior as a maker to G. B. Rogeri of Brescia, with whose work it is only natural to make comparison. While Francesco, in the beauty of his work is perhaps superior to G. B. Rogeri, in point of tone the contrary
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