Scan 128
The violin, its famous makers and their imitators, 1887
14 lines. Read by computer on 28 September 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1France. The name of Duiffoprugcar has been made familiar to us, not so much on account of his merits as a Viol-maker, but almost wholly on account of his having been represented as the first maker of the Violin tuned in fifths, and the representation having been supported by the production of three Violins signed and dated 1511, 1517, 1519. I saw, about the year 1877, one of these, and was informed by the owner that the others were almost identical. The instrument bore distinct evidence of its being a modern French imitation, or rather an ingenious creation evolved from a myth, which in all probability had its origin in France. Duiffoprugcar was unquestionably an artist of a high order, but his abilities appear to have been chiefly directed to the art of wood-inlaying, rather than to the making of stringed instruments. He made Viols da Gamba and he may have made smaller Viols, though I am not aware of any being in existence; but there is no evidence whatever to show that he made Violins.
3FARINATO, Paolo, Venice, 1695—1725.
5FICKER, Johann Christian, Cremona, middle of the 18th century. Although dating from Cremona, has nothing in common with Cremonese work.
7FICKER, Johann Gottlieb, Cremona, 1788.
9FIORILLO, Giovanni, Ferrara, 1780. The style is a mixture of German and Italian, the former preponderating. The sound-hole is an imitation of that of Stainer. His Violoncellos are among his best instruments.
11FIORINO, Fiorenzi, Bologna, about 1685.
13FREI, Hans, Bologna, 1597. Lute and Viol-maker. There is an instrument of this make at the Bologna Academy of Music. It is probable there was a family connexion between Hans Frey, of Nuremberg, and this maker.
Makers on this page
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