Books › The reminiscences of a fiddle dealer, 1925 › scan 32
Scan 32
The reminiscences of a fiddle dealer, 1925
6 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 8. See the scan on archive.org.
1The Fiddle Dealer
3two hours and he would take no payment for the extra time. I never, during all the time I went to him, heard him utter a rude or angry word, though I am sure I must often have tried his patience sorely.
5My next move was to Glasgow and here a new era opened for me in the pursuit of my favourite hobby. I, along with another devoted companion, attended all the concerts in the City hall whenever any great violinist was to play; and the first I heard was Vieuxtemps. He played a Joseph Guarnerius del Jesu and the tone he produced did not appear to me to resemble that of any other violin I had heard, the only similarity being that it was a violin and not any other instrument. Vieuxtemps was broad-chested though low of stature and was gifted with powerful muscles. His fingers were short, and thick, and long practice had so developed their power, that their plump on the strings was audible at a considerable distance. But the tone of the violin was what appealed to me, and that tone I set myself to find, thinking, in my ignorance, that if I only searched long enough I would be sure to find it in some good fiddle, quite regardless of the maker. Indeed at that time, like many other ignorant amateurs, I thought that a maker's name on a fiddle was only used to get a higher price for it than would be obtained without one. This delusion, which arose out of my ignorance, was a serious stumbling block to me at first,
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.