Scan 206
The violin, its famous makers and their imitators, 1887
11 lines. Read by computer on 28 September 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1Baptiste Volumier, who was musical director to Augustus, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland, famous as a patron of music and the arts. It was Augustus who appointed Francesco Maria Veracini as his solo Violinist in 1720, and on the title-page of the charming Sonatas of Veracini we read—
3"Dedicata
4a sua Altezza Reale,
5il Serenissimo Principe Reale di Pollonia
6et Elettoreale di Sassonia.
7Francesco Maria Veracini Fiorentino
8Compositore di Camera di sua Maestà."
10The blending of the names of Stradivari, Augustus, and Veracini, serves to carry our thoughts into channels overflowing with interesting musical records. Volème (Volumier) is said to have taken the instruments from Cremona to Poland. It would therefore appear that the Royal Orchestra was then stationed at Warsaw, the Court Musicians having to divide their time between that city and Dresden. In these capitals Jean Baptiste Volumier directed the music of the Elector Augustus from the year 1706 to 1728. Veracini was appointed solo Violinist in 1720 to Augustus, and the instruments which Stradivari made for the King were, therefore, only five years old. Though new, their tones were doubtless rich and beautiful. Veracini, it may be assumed, saw, heard, and played upon these comparatively new Stradivari Violins. He, however, whilst fully alive to their sterling merits, played, in all probability, upon his Stainers, which he named "St. Peter" and "St. Paul," with more pleasure from their being thoroughly matured. The order given by Augustus to Stradivari, and
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