Scan 196
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.
1sound-hole—a repetition of his early work, but more massive treatment. To say that Omobono Stradiuarius, Franciscus Stradiuarius, or Carlo Bergonzi had any share in these notable works, evidences a very ill-formed judgment, and, indeed, total ignorance of the style of those to whom these instruments are attributed. The work of Carlo Bergonzi is now pretty well understood; in England, particularly, we have some glorious specimens. I need only ask the unbiassed connoisseur if he can reconcile one of these instruments with those of Stradiuarius of the period named. I have no hesitation in saying that there is not a single feature in common. The work of the sons of Stradiuarius is less known, but it is as characteristic as that of Bergonzi, and quite as distinct from that of their father as his, if not more so. The outline is rugged, the modelling distinct, the scroll a ponderous piece of carving, quite foreign to Stradiuarius the elder, and the varnish, though good, is totally different from the superb coats found on the father's works of late date.
3Having now exhausted the subject of the various styles of "Stradiuarius," I close this notice with a few interesting items relating to the famous maker, extracted from manuscripts written by Desderio Arisi in the year 1720. These MSS. are preserved in the Town Museum at Cremona, and I am indebted to Signor Sacchi for extracting and translating them. The MSS. of Arisi comprises a series of short bio-
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.