Scan 164
The violin, its famous makers and their imitators, 1887
15 lines. Read by computer on 28 September 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1we may be sure that they had no idea of attempting to improve upon Stradivari in his own field of work, for they must have well known the Herculean character of such a task. On the other hand, had these remarkable makers been mere copyists, they would certainly have handed down to us more instruments moulded in exact accord with the style of their great teacher; while, at the same time, we should have lost many variations, which are at present not only an evidence of their fertility of resource, but also in themselves most pleasing objects. If, in the sister art, Tintoretto had made it his sole business to copy Titian, the world would have been rich in copies of Titian, but poor in Tintorettos.
3The varnish of Montagnana has long excited the admiration of connoisseurs throughout Europe. The extreme richness and velvet-like softness which are its characteristics, constitute it a fitting countersign of the workmanship of this great maker, an artist of the first magnitude. He made Violins, Tenors, and Violoncellos. His Violins are of two sizes.
5MONTALDI, Gregorio, Cremona, 1730. Copied Stradivari.
6MORELLA, ——, Mantua, about 1550. M. Fétis, in his, "Biographie Universelle des Musiciens," states that he was famous for his Viols and Lutes. S. Ang. Maffei, in his, "Annali di Mantova" (fol. 147), highly praises the instruments made by Morella.
8NADOTTI, Giuseppe, Piacenza. A Violin by this maker was recently exhibited at the Milan Exhibition, dated 1767.
10NELLA, Raffaele, Brescia, copied Maggini.
12ORTEGA, —— Madrid, about 1840. Maker and restorer of instruments.
14PANDOLFI, Antonio, Venice. A Violin of this make,
Makers on this page
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