Scan 315
The violin: its famous makers and their imitators, 1875
2 lines. Read by computer on 1 October 2026. Printed page 253. See the scan on archive.org.
1by the connoisseur. After thus wading through those resting on the table, I discovered some shelves upon which were a number of cases, which I opened. Here were fine Cremonese instruments in company with raw copies—as curious a mixture of good and indifferent as could be well conceived. Not observing any Violoncellos, when my attendant presented himself, I enquired if there were not some in the collection. I was unable to make him understand to what I referred for some little time, but when I called them big Fiddles, he readily understood. He had some faint idea of having seen something of the kind on the premises, and started off to make enquiry. Upon his return, I was conducted to an under warehouse, the contents of which were of a very varied character. Here were stored unused lathes, statuary, antique pianos, parts of machinery, pictures and picture-frames. At the end of this long room stood, in stately form, the "big Fiddles," about fifty in number—five rows, consequently ten deep. They looked in their cases like a detachment of infantry awaiting the word of command! Years had passed by since they had been called upon to take active service of a pacific and humanising nature in the ranks of the orchestra. Had they the power of speech what tales of heroism might they have furnished of the part they played at the "Fall of Babylon," and the "Siege of Corinth," eh! and the "Battle of Waterloo," (Beethoven, Op. 91). A more curious mixture of art and mechanism could not
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