Scan 263
The Violin: Its Famous Makers and their Imitators, 1875
2 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 205. See the scan on archive.org.
1The earliest maker of the true Violin in Germany was, perhaps, Fichold; and next came Matthias Albani, the father of the celebrated maker of that name. If we look at the instruments of this Albani, we at once observe that there is a conspicuous incompleteness in outline and model. We are reminded of the Pamphilons of our own country; not that there is any resemblance in either form or outline in the productions of these several makers, but there is the same undeveloped character in their works, which is a gauge of the imperfect state of the manufacture at the time. The followers of Albani were very numerous, all adopting the exaggerated height of belly and deep modelling of that maker. Among these may be mentioned Johann Schorn, of Inspruck (whose Violins, by the way, are mostly attributed to the elder Albani), Schonger, Scheinlein, Hassert, and others of less repute. When Jacobus Stainer returned from Italy, whither he had travelled to receive instruction, he to a great extent changed the system of modelling so long in vogue in Germany. Although so great a maker, he was seemingly unable to free himself entirely from the proclivities common to his countrymen who were Violin makers. There remained, after all Stainer's changes, the German sound-hole and extra arching, &c. Yet it must be readily admitted that the example which Stainer put before his countrymen was of great value, and served to set a new fashion for the whole cause of Violin
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