Scan 190
The violin: its famous makers and their imitators, 1875
4 lines. Read by computer on 28 September 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1afford, the reader may gain, by careful study, much valuable insight into the beauties and genius of this famous artist, together with much useful information.
3But during this period of his maturity, even, we find that Stradiuarius did not absolutely confine himself to making instruments exactly alike; on the contrary, it is easy to point out certain variations, the meaning of which he certainly well understood. We find him guided throughout this period by his usual ideas as regards grandeur of outline and degrees of thickness; but the rotundity of the model, the shape that he gave to the sound-hole, the method of setting the sound-hole in the instrument, although, as before remarked, all executed with a breadth of purpose which his earlier efforts fail to show, may be cited as instances of variations. I have no hesitation in hazarding an explanation of the reasons that prompted him to these differences of construction. It is my firm conviction that these great makers had certain guiding principles as regards the nature and qualities of the wood they used, and that Stradiuarius, in particular, made the subject a special study. If this be granted, I do not think there is any great difficulty in understanding the meaning of the differences pointed out. If we admit that Stradiuarius constructed his instruments upon philosophical principles, it will be clearly recognised that the chief element of variation in the treatment of any particular instrument must be the difference of quality in the material employed; and that a
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