Books › The Hawley Collection of violins, 1904 › scan 21
Scan 21
The Hawley Collection of violins, 1904
7 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1Chapter I
3Antonio Stradivari, 1644-1737
4The Healy Strad and the Earl Strad
6HE name of Stradivari, in the public mind, is linked with that which is superlatively good and beautiful, and in the violin world it is synonymous with achievements excelling anything in the history of the instrument. It is fitting, therefore, that his "unrivaled name" should be placed first in the list of violin-makers. As a master of his art, he stands on a level with Titian and Michael Angelo in painting and sculpture, Bach and Beethoven in music, and Shakespeare and Balzac in literature. History furnishes few characters who, in their respective spheres, stand so high in the uniform superiority of their work, whether individually or collectively considered. The fame of most men rests upon a certain few products of their skill which far excel their other efforts. In fact, in other examples of their work, characteristic points of weakness exist in style or execution, which serve to bring into bold relief their chef-d'œuvre. Stradivari, however, is unique in that during the long span of years beginning in 1666 when the first products of his skill appear, until a period of four or five years prior to 1737, the year of his death, he had but one standard, a standard from which he did not in a single instance depart. His unfailing zeal as an artist is ever in evidence, and it is the high average he maintained throughout his life in artistic workmanship together with superiority of tone, that has established his name so high in the temple of fame. Violin-making is an art which appeals through both the eye and the ear. The violin, with its evanescent curves and swells, brings out all the artist in the maker. As his sense of beauty of form is developed, so are the lines in his work pleasing to the eye, as are also the arching and modeling of the instrument as a whole. Then the violin cannot rest with pleasing the eye alone, like the work of sculptor or painter; its chief charm must be in its voice, in the expression, if you will, of a lovely soul within. The pure violin tone is a result which can be obtained only by a thorough knowledge of the acoustical qualities of the wood used. The combination of the hard wood of the back and the soft pine of the top, so that they may form an harmonious union, is work calling for rare delicacy. To bring forth from a few commonplace materials a new creation, capable of the lightest fairy whisper, yet at the same time holding sufficient power for the rendition of the grandest concerted composition, is a task calling for heaven-born genius. Stradivari stands pre-eminent, because through his skill in arranging his arching and thicknesses he produced a tonal quality of surpassing richness, possessing every degree of light and shade, and at the same time he evolved those inimitable productions which in every feature delight the eye. These diverse qualities could not be arrived at by rule. An intimate knowledge of the selection and treatment of different materials is neces-
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