Books › Violin tone and violin makers, 1916 › scan 22
Scan 22
Violin tone and violin makers, 1916
8 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 2. See the scan on archive.org.
1VIOLIN TONE
3position come to be extraordinary and without counterpart in the world of art.
5This dual interest is, of course, well known. When associated with certain special instruments it is harmless enough. But what is not fully appreciated by players is the pernicious influence this world-wide curio interest exercises over all violins when the attempt is made to value them from a purely tonal point of view.
7Mr. Hart says in his book, "The Violin, Famous Makers and their Imitators:" "In those days when the old Brescian and Cremonese makers flourished, the only consideration was the tone-producing qualities of their instruments; the violin had not then taken its place among curiosities." So, then, tone was once the only value considered, presumably because the instrument was originally made to satisfy the requirements of players, and not the curiosity-hunting instinct of collectors. And the player's interest in tone has never wavered. It still overshadows every other consideration, and is the object of constant search. Tone being the player's elementary necessity, the desire for tone has always eclipsed interest in the merely curious. But being a curiosity, the old violin with the finest tone is placed practically beyond the player's reach, and this has made the pursuit of even good tone, in all old violins, an uncertain and financially hazardous enterprise.
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