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Scan 265
the history of the violin, 1864
4 lines. Read by computer on 28 September 2026. Printed page 243. See the scan on archive.org.
1repute. Zacharie Fischer, born at Wurtzburg in 1730, and who was living there in 1808, announced, in 1786, that he had a plan by which his instruments should equal those of Steiner and Stradiuarius. This was by drying the wood in an oven. Other makers also have tried this plan; but it did not succeed, as it dried the wood too rapidly, and weakened it, thus injuring the effect of the vibrations. Johann George Vogler was also of Wurtzburg, about 1749. "Luthomonographie" mentions Bauch, of Breslau, as one of the best makers of his time, giving a peculiar form to his instruments; but he may be the same as Rauch. Leopold Widhalm, at Nurenburg, from 1765 to 1788, was a skilful maker, his instruments closely resembling those of Steiner, and scarcely to be distinguished from them; his harps were also in repute at one time. Leonhard Mansiell was of the same place, about 1724. Jaug, or Jauch, of Dresden, made some good instruments on the Cremona model, with amber varnish, and made of fine wood, but the tone is occasionally weak and shrill; he was living in 1774. He was the master of Christophe Frederic Hunger, born at Dresden in 1718, who established himself in Leipsic, where he died in 1787, and was esteemed for his violas and violoncellos, which were made after the Italian model, with amber varnish. Samuel Fritzche, of Leipsic, his pupil, also imitated the Cremona models; and a Barthold Fritz of the same place, in 1757, is named.
3Jean Ulric Eberle, living at Prague in 1749, was an excellent maker, and one of the best of the German school, some of his instruments being scarcely inferior to those of Cremona, for which they have been mistaken; but the tone is not so round and full. Charles Helmer, born in Prague, 1740, was a good pupil of his; but his fourth string frequently of an inferior quality.
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