Books › The story of the violin, 1904 › scan 312
Scan 312
The story of the violin, 1904
8 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 258. See the scan on archive.org.
1CHAPTER XII.
3THE LADY VIOLINIST.
5Lovely flower in fiddle-land! She was born in the South with the first Amatis, Ruggieris, and Seraphins which left their makers' shops in new glossy coats, bursting as it were with melodious life—waiting only for just such soft white hands to be handled and fondled, for exactly such little delicate, shell-shaped ears to pour their caressing voices into, and to rest on just such soft bosoms. She was quickly responsive. Yet—observe: she was a child of the South, with an impulsive artistic nature. It was just such an Amati, Ruggieri, and Seraphin she had longed for; they were the realised ideal of her bosom: so graceful, so light, as easy to the touch as her own heart to the touch of Cupid. Hence it came to pass that we got in all her charms the lady violinist. She flourished in fair Italy¹ while
7¹ According to Lord Edgecumbe's reminiscences there existed in Venice at the time of Vivaldi (1660-1743) four large musical conservatories. They were orphanages, supported by rich Venetian citizens, where orphan girls received a musical education. One of these, the Ospitale della Pietà (of which Vivaldi was musical director), was particularly noted for its orchestra, which numbered at one time 140 girls
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