WIXLIB

THE INSTRUMENT.7substance, made, with the aid of Herr Hammig in Leipsictrials with this impregnation, from which a remarkable result was to be got, but which was not of longmanyHerr Schradieck, who went later to America,balsam pine still grew there, did notrest until he found this tree, believing that instrumentsmade from it would again approach the old Italians.Several violins were found already made with balsam pinewood, but the brilliant expectations that were cherishedwere not fulfilled.duration.knowingthat thePoints of note in the old Italian violins.Theseinstruments are of largehighly arched and the archingThe wood ofrises somewhat suddenly from the edges.The back,the upper table is thick and very good.compared to the upper table is less thick. The wood ofthe back is taken slab-wise (the trunk of the tree beingcut in layers across the whole breadth).*The sides areshallow.The varnish is thin, transparent, and of a clearMagginibrownviolins.The upperoutline.tableisThepurfling is frequently doubled; andin arabesques.The tone of theMaggini violins is full and heavy, resembling the violaThe ticket is as follows:quality.colour.backspread over theGio. Paolo Ma ini, Bresci*.Andreas AmatLThese are mostly of small model.of good, fairly thick wood, and veryhighly arched towards the middle. The back is cut onThe uppertableTheisis brown andThetransparent.and not powerful.Antonius and Hieronymus Amati. The violins issuedas the work of the two brothers in partnership are muchthe slab.toneisvarnishdelicateesteemed. More instruments of small than of large sizewere, however, produced by them. The upper table ishighly curved, and has towards the edges a groove or*Regarding these two figures as sectionsof a trunk of maple the first shows how theslab back is obtained,(sur couche) and thesecond the other method. Tr.

FIRST PART.8furrow.wise.violins.The wood of the back and of the ribs cut slabThe varnish resembles that of Andreas Amati'sThe tone is also small. The label runs:Antonius&Hieronhmis AmatiCremonen. Andrafilii16Nicolas Amati. These instruments are distinguishedfrom those of the other Amati violins by a grander appearance, better and thicker varnish, and a more brilliantand penetrating tone. The scroll is somewhat small inproportion to the body.Label:Nicolaus Amati Cremoncn. HieronimLfiliiAntoriiincposfecitAnno 16In the career of Stradivarius threeStradivarius.periods may be traced, and the violins proceeding fromeach of these distinct periods themselves vary more orThe instruments of the first period differ but littleless.from Amati violins, and are classified as being of theschool of Nicolas Amati. The instruments of the secondperiod are already quite different from the first. Thewhole model is larger, the arching finer, the wood of theupper table and also of the back is stronger, and thevarnish redder in colour. From the third period proceededThe model isthe finest violins that are in existence.again somewhat larger, the upper table is flatter, the woodof the back and of the ribs instead of being cut on thelayers in slab form (sur couche), is taken on the quarterThe varnish is still more brilliant, yet soft(sur maille).looking, and so transparent that the beauty of the woodunderneath it is fully brought out. The f holes arewonderfully cut, and the entire work is finely finished inevery detail. The tone fulfils every possible requirement,it is of great power and body, sparkling, noble, and yetThe violins made in the lastsympathetic and sweet.

THE INSTRUMENT.the weakness pertaining toyears of Stradivarius revealold age. The tone is still fine, but the workmanship isFrom this time forward, when thealtogether inferior.varnish darker, thearching is more prominent, and theLabel:isdiminished.tonetheofbeautyAntonius Straduarius CremonensisTadebat A? 17.Labels of various other Italian makers:Francescus Ruggeri dettoin Cremona dell' Anno 16ilperHieronymus Amalus Cremonen.Nicoiai Figlius FecitI]Joannes Baptista Guada nini Piecentiaus fecit Mediolani I/lofephns Matlli AlbannfecitBiilgani in I' or ole Anno 17lanuarius Ca lianus AHimnns Aiitoniifecit Ncapoli Amu) i

FIRST PART.10Joseph Guarnerius, Andrsenepos.Cremouse 17IHSImitations of old Italian violins.The old Italian violins have been so closely copiedby many makers, with regard to model, wood, varnishand appearance of age, that it is difficult to discriminatebetween the genuine and the spurious. It is still moredifficult when the copy possesses a fine quality of tone.It needs a practised, keen eye to determine the genuineness or spuriousness of an instrument, and it may wellbe that many, believing themselves to have bought a realold Italian instrument, have only obtained an imitationThe inside ticket has of itself been closelythereof.copied, and may be purchased in sheets.Constituent parts of the violin.The most importantpartisthe upper table or bellyExterior.(a).

IITHE INSTRUMENT.Thethe back (c),other parts are the ribs or sides (b),the scroll and pegheadthecomprising(d),the pegs (f) the finger board (g), the bridge (n),theneckbox(e),Interior.the tailpiece (i), the button* (k), the nut (1), and the for sound holes (m). The interior of the violin containsthe soundpost and the bass-bar.*Thesemi-circular projectiontermed the button.Tr.at thetop of the backisalso

FIRST PART.12Function of the Soundpost and the bass-bar.The soundpost, placed underneath the right foot ofthe bridge (a little way behind it) supports the uppertable against the pressure of the strings upon the bridge,and the bass-bar serves a similar purpose under the leftThe sound post, by connectingfoot of the bridge.the upper table with the back, sets the entire instrumentinto vibration, and by its help the sound waves radiate toall parts.Position of the Bridge.The bridge must stand on the middle of the uppertable so that both feet are in line with the nicks of theinf holes.Through the forward pull of the strings,the bridge has a tendency tocreased during playing,bend forward. To avoid this one must frequently watch,and pull it backward, yet keeping the feet in the sameThe bridge may be fixed sloping somewhat backplace.ward rather than forward.*soft,affect* Thewhether hard orquality of the wood in a bridge,and its thickness (according to Otto, its weight), materiallythe tone of a violin.Bridges as supplied by dealers areusuallyalmost twicetheproperthickness,toallow for rubbingdown with sandpaper.The best bridges arethe genuine "Aubert"(with the name stam-ped inside anoval);those with large auddecided reddish markhardings showingness of grain and the,less distinctmarkingsa softer quality. Whenfitting a violin, a fewof each should be tried,cutting the feet tothe approximate slopefirstwith a sharp penknife,then with a small piece of fine (No. o.) glass paper held steadilybetween the ff holes, rub the bridge to and fro over the glasspaper between the notches of the ff holes, until, on removing theglass paper it is seen to fit perfectly, standing upright when the

THE INSTRUMENT.Amountof pressurej*upon the uppertable.Through the combined influence of the strain andpressure of the strings upon the upper table, it supportsa weight of about 100 Ibs. Against this burden, this, infragile instrument, opposes a wonderfulresistance, an example of its ingenious yet simpleother respects,power ofconstruction.Size of the violin.Theviolinmeasures in the length of its body 14 in.,39upper part 6 / 10 in., in the lower S / in.in breadth in the8top height of sides i / 16 in.; bottom height of sidesaresizesThree"full", "threedistinguished,/ These last serve for children.quarter", and "half" size.Thei1in.The woodof the violin.madeof pine. This must beThe uppervery old, dry, compact, straight in grain, whereby theFor thechoice of suitable wood is rendered difficult.tableisback, ribs, neck and bridge, maple is used. The soundpost and bass-bar consist usually of pine. For the fingerboard and pegs*, ebony is the most serviceable.The old Italian violin makers procured their pinewood from Italian Switzerland, and from the South Tyrol;maple from Croatia, Dalmatia, and Turkey.The sketch shows the amount of slope to beinstrument is level.made on the E side; the distances for the notches to receive thethe feet must be thinned in anstrings, and the amount to whichThe height of the bridge is depenordinary full sized instrument.dent, (for convenience of stopping), upon the height of the fingerboard.high bridge gives more power, but often the quality oftone is not so good. The E string being harder to press down (byreason of its greater tension) is kept a little nearer the fingerboardthan the others. From the end of the fingerboard, the E stringAshould be about this distancetheGOn */ 2 size and 8/ 4 size instruments for children thesemust be reduced about one-third. Tr.distances* Boxwood and rosewood are also frequently used for theThe former gives a firm hold, but makes a creaking noisewhen tuning. Rosewood answers its purpose well, though it is notpegs.so strong as ebony, which howeverismore aptto slip.Tr.

FIRST PART.Thevarnish.Thisis of great importance for the instrument.Inplace it preserves it from the influence of theweather, and then it also has its influence upon the tone.fine varnish must be transparent, so that the woodthefirstAunderneath may be fully shown up, and it must also beof a fine, but not glaring or staring, colour. The finestvarnish is found on the violins of Stradivarius. Two kindsa gum dissolvedof varnish are used,spirit varnish,a gum dissolved in oil ofin alcohol; and oil varnish,turpentine.Thestrings.Violin strings are made from the intestines of sheep.lowest string has fine wire spun round it, silver wirebeing the best Copper wire is greatly used, it beingmuch cheaper. The best strings are obtained from Italy,Thefrom Rome, Padua, and Naples, although very goodstrings are also manufactured in Germany, at Markneu-The value of a string consists principally in itsperfect equality of thickness throughout; above all, theremust not be knots in itstring spun quite evenlyyields accurate vibrations, and is on this account purein tone.In order to test the purity of tone of each string, itmay be held as shown at both ends, pulling it rathertight, and then setting it into vibration with one of thekirchen.Afingers.itIfitappears double, thus:possesses a pure tone; if, however, it appears threeif only at oneit will be false.part of it,fold,

THE INSTRUMENT.Strings pure infifths.obtain absolutely pure intonation, the strings mustin fifths, i, e., the notes in those higher positionswhich are pressed by one finger acrossTobe puretwostrings,must sound perfectlytrue.strings are rather thicker at onethan at the other; if this is not alsoManyendthe case with the adjacent string, or if thethicker end of it be not stretched inthe same direction as the other string,then the two are not true in fifths witheach other. Both strings must thereforebe from one end to the other regularin thickness, or else their thin ends mustbe laid in one direction.* In the lattercase, however, all the harmonic notesare not true, and one also notices thatthe intervals in double stopping generally,as well as in fifths, are not regular upontreatment is in vogueall the strings.by makers of strings and instruments bymeans of which the strings are renderedAfifths. These prepared stringshowever, not so durable, nor so goodin tone, as the unprepared. But it is ofservice to have always a few of these in readiness, as the violinist has not always timeenough to select those strings whichquite pure inare,are true.stringsWeichhold, Dresden, suppliespure in fifths, which may be re-commended.The string guage.In order always to have strings ofthe same thickness, a string guage isused, which may be procured at anyinstrument maker.**String guage.* It is best tocompare the ends before putting the stringThe lasttying the knot at the end which appears thinnest.inch or so at each end of even the best string is often rough, andnot so durable as the rest of it.7 .** To ensureequality of tone it is very important that thestrings should be correctly guaged with regard to their relativeon,

FIRST PART.i6Care of thestrings.That the strings may be kept fresh, it is advisable towrap them in oil paper and then preserve them in aIn this way they may be preservclose, air-tight tin box.ed in fit condition for a year or more.This receivedhas undergonewas arrivedthicknesses.itsmanyThe bow.name from itsalterationsancient form, whichbefore the present format.If allthe strings are too thick,theinstrument willspeak with difficulty in delicate passages, demanding a heavierpressure of the bow; if too thin, loss of power will be the result,though with a corresponding gain in sweetness and clearness, andif one string be much out of proportion to the others, the firstfinger when placed properly on that string and the adjacent onewill not yield a perfect fifth, besides the inequality in power.Thefollowing diagram shows a set of strings of medium thickness,together with the distances apartDnear the bridge on a full sizedviolin, as suitable for ordinaryhands.For fingers that tapermuch towardsthe tips, or forthose that are very broad, thedistances may be made a littlenarrower or wider accordingly.First strings of silk, known as"Acribelles" are in great deplayers with perspiringhands, as they are less affectedby moisture than gut, but themand byBRIDGE.toneisnotsogood.Theybutpossess certain advantages in durability, and standing well in tune,are more difficult to tune, as a very slight movement of the peg willsend them up half a tone. When frayed, they should be removed, theotherquality of tone they then yield being very bad, affecting theIf gut strings of good quality are bought, and the stringsmomentscarefully looked at before playing, breakages at awkwardstrings.willseldom occur, as the strands generally give warning before breakingby showing symptoms of unravelling, especially at the knot end,when they should at once be replaced. Tr.under the bow,or

THE INSTRUMENT.The greatest improvement in the bow was attainedby the Frenchman, Tourte, at the end of the i8th cenHis bows possess the greatest elasticity and firmtury.ness, and are, in consequence, the most successful. AfterTourte, Vuillaume in Paris, John Dodd in England, andL. Bausch in Leipsic, have made the best bows.Atpresent the most celebrated bow makers* are Tubbs inLondon, Knopf in Dresden, and Voirin in Paris. Frenchbows are most in request, although many of them aremade in Germany, sent en gros to Paris, stamped thereas French, and issued to the world as of Parisian make.Constituent parts of the bow.These are(a)the stick, (b) the hair, (c) the nut,head or point, (f) the lapping.(d) the screw, (e) the . SS*SS'\e.IJLj J 1 '-Fm*r*gf*I*\cT Thethe hairmade of Pernambuco or Brazil wood;white horse hair, that taken from living horsesstick isisSchroeder,Catechism of Violin playing.2

FIRST PART.jgless often obtained.The screwto give the stick its proper curve.The lappinghelps to give the fingers a firmer hold, avoiding contactwith the smooth stick. Silk, silver wire, or leather is usedfor the lapping.*being the best, thoughservesResin.Toset thestrings in vibration,the hair of thebowmust be rubbed with resin. Its German name "Kolophonium" is derived from the Grecian town Kolophon, fromwhence it was first procured. The unprepared hair of anew bow requires a small quantity of powdered resinrubbed into it. Before the bow is used, the hair shouldbe tried upon some instrument not in use, or upon astretched string. During the ordinary rubbing upon the hair,care must be taken that the resin is not rubbed hard, butallowed to glide lightly over the hair.It is very usual to hold the resin with the left andthe bow with the right hand. In this way the fingers ofhand becomesticky with resindetrimental to the stopping,and also soils the strings and fingerboard.It is better, therefore, to reverse thistheleftdust,whichisGood resin is supplied byGand and Bernadel in Paris, HammigPfab and Diel in Hamburg, and others. Theprocedure.in Leipsic,most ouicable holders are thoseand arewhich open on twosides,also provided with a cover.**Violin cases.Agood violin is worthy of a good case, to protectIt should be so filled that theagainst dust and damp.violin lies in it securely, and yet may be easily taken out.leather covering for the case is also convenient, byitA* Kid ot reasonable substancegives a pleasant hold for thealthough wire is in greater favour with bow makers forfingers,appearance sake. But it is apt to tarnish and unravel, especiallyTr.where the thumb comes in contact with it.** A convenient form is thatprovided by many English dealers,with apreferably of tin,consisting simply of a round box,hole in the bottom for the finger to push the resin up, preserving7 .the upper surface level.

THE INSTRUMENT.means of which theeffectsof anyTsudden shockgareThe best cases are mostly obtained fromthough some very good ones are made in Mark-minimised.Paris,neukirchen.Prices of violins.It is not easy to state the exact price of a violin,especially of an old one, and here particular fancy andhabit come also into the question.The best old Italianviolins, such as those by Stradivarius and Guarnerius, arein our own time excessively dear, often 300 to 1000,and even more. Stradivarius received for his violins about4 Louis d'or. Amati violins are considerably less, costingfrom 150 to 5 300.Other old Italian violins, if infine condition, cost 30 and upwards.New violins bycelebrated makers may cost from 15 to 30, yet onecan often get a very useful instrument for from 5o/-upwards.Prices of Violin cases.Cases cost froma leather covering.5/- to 5 3,the latter priceincludin

CONTENTS. PART I. Theinstrument. page Originoftheviolin I Theoldestviolins I Developmentandperfecting oftheviolin 2 Prominentmakersofthe presentday 3 Attemptsatimprovingthe violin 4 Searchforthediscoveryofthe oldItalianmakers'secrets6 Distinguishingfeaturesofthe oldI