Books › the history of the violin, 1864 › scan 255
Scan 255
the history of the violin, 1864
2 lines. Read by computer on 28 September 2026. Printed page 233. See the scan on archive.org.
1showed no particular marks of skill, and there was even an appearance of negligence in his work; but after a few years he paid great attention to it, and was very particular in the choice of his wood. The model was carefully worked out, generally of the smaller pattern, and the arching not much raised, gradually decreasing towards the sides in a gentle curve, and the S S holes finely cut: the thickness, perhaps, towards the centre of the lower plate sometimes too strong, so as to interfere with the vibration and power. His varnish remarkably fine, and of a brownish red, or sometimes of a deep yellowish tint. He occasionally made some admirable instruments of a larger pattern. "Luthomonographie" describes one of these, dated 1723, having the lower plate in two parts, the wood veined, and the varnish brownish red. The tone of his instruments is brilliant, and some of them are scarcely inferior to those of Stradivarius, bearing a high price. The extraordinary performer, Paganini, played on one. At the sale of Mr. Crossdill's instruments, in May 1826, a very fine violoncello, by this maker, was bought by Mr. Kramer for George IV. for 125 guineas, Mr. Cervetto, jun., having offered as much as 110l. for it. Hill mentions a tenor of his make, of beautiful workmanship, formerly the property of Dragonetti, and afterwards in the possession of the lamented Prince Consort. Mr. Willett L. Adye, of Merly House, Dorsetshire, a well-known amateur, has a remarkably fine violin by this maker, of which the history is somewhat interesting:—It belonged to Mr. Mawkes, formerly distinguished as an excellent performer, who left the profession to enter the Church, and was ordained many years since. He bought it in 1831, at Spohr's recommendation, from Professor Hoffmann, of Frankfort, when he was studying under the
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