Books › The Story of the Violin, 1914 › scan 118
Scan 118
The Story of the Violin, 1914
8 lines. Read by computer on 18 September 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1Two Gasparos
3hands of Providence or destiny to give to the world the violin. He did not invent it—no, of course not; but under his hands, as it were, the scattered legacy of former centuries—nay, of thousands of years—crystallised into the form which has been one of the glories of our age.
5And now of Gasparo da Salo, who is generally considered to have been the first maker of violins. His name was Gasparo Bertolotti, and he was born in 1542, in a little place situated on the picturesque Lago di Garda, after which he was called Da Salo. We know no more of his youth and apprenticeship than of Duiffoprugcar's. Perhaps he learned the art of viol and lute-making from some Brescian maker unknown to us. When we hear of him he is established in the famous old place (Brescia) as viol and violin-maker. Doubtless his claim for having made excellent violins earlier than any other maker (except Duiffoprugcar) is irrefutable; but, even admitted that he went yet one step farther than that other Gasparo, is it proved—nay, is it probable—that he did so without having had cognisance of his celebrated predecessor's work? Was he a man likely to find out for himself everything which makes his instruments so remarkable for us?
7Is it proved that he went the long road which lay between these instruments and the viols of preceding centuries—alone and unassisted? Coming from a small Italian village, he was surely only a humble, illiterate,
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