Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XVI.djvu/386

 366 VIOLIN is no evidence whatever that he worked with either of the Amatis, and his violins do not show any of the elements of their style. His model was very high, the arching very sadden at the sides and ends, the middle line of the belly being almost straight for two thirds of the length of the instrument. His /holes and scroll are peculiar, and are inferior in grace to those of the Cremonese makers, of whose models they show no influence. His instru- ments have a pure, sweet tone, but are inferior in power to those of the best Cremona make. The^- are gradually losing the high estimation in which they were once held ; but fine speci- mens are worth from $500 to $1,000. The name " violin," used generically, includes all the instruments of the violin family, of which, however, all have passed out of use except the violin proper, the viola or tenor violin, and the violoncello. The same principles apply to the modelling and to the manufacture of all these instruments, and the great makers pro- duced specimens of all, the violius being great- ly in excess. The violoncello, however, is not an enlargement of the violin, nor a modifica- tion of the bass viol which it has displaced, but a reduction of the violone, a largo bass in- strument, like the double bass or contra-basso, if indeed not identical with that instrument. This fact is recorded in the name, which is the Italian diminutive of tiolone. (See VIOLA, and VIOLONCELLO.) The principal makers of the violin, those whose reputations are sufficient- ly high to make their instruments sought for their names' sake, are, in addition to those already mentioned : Italian Cremona: Gio- freda Cappa, 1590-1640; Lorenzo Guadagnini, 1695-1785 ; Johannes Baptista Guadagnini, 1710-'50 ; Francesco Ruggieri, detto il per, 1668-1728 ; Johannes Baptista Rugerius, 1725 ; Carlo Bergonzi, 1718-'55; Thomas Balestri- eri, 1750; Carlo Giuseppe Testore, 1690-1720; Lorenzo Storioni, 1762-'98, the last of the great school of Cremona. Naples : Alessan- dro Gagliano, 1695-1730. Venice: Franciscus Gobetti, 1690-1715; Domenicus Montagnana, 1700-'40; Sanctus Seraphino, l7lO-'48. Mi- lan: Paolo Grancino, 1665-'92 (a family of this name wore makers of repute for some generations at Milan); Carolus Ferdinandus Landolphi, 1750. Rome : David Techier, 1680- 1743. Florence: Giovanni Baptista Gabriel- li, 1750. Monaco : Paolo Aletzie or Allechi, who was celebrated for his bass instruments. German Jacobs, 1690-1740, who made imi- tations of Nicholas Amati so e'xcellent that they are often mistaken for originals; a fam- ily named Kloz in Tyrol, of whom the great- est was Egidius; Joachim Tielke, about the end of the 17th century. French Nicolas Lu- pot, 1785-1817; Pique, about 1790, a very suc- cessful imitator of Stradivarius ; Vuillaume, 1790-1875. English Barak Norman, 1688- 1740, the first English maker of violoncellos; William Forster, about 1760 to 1808, celebrated for his violoncellos; Richard Duke, about 1765 ; Benjamin Banks, died 1795 ; Edward Betts, a pupil of Duke. The dates given with these names are generally those of the years during which the makers worked, the dates of their birth and death being rarely known. Imita- tions of the works of the great violin makers are produced in great quantities at Mirecourt in France and at Mitten walder in Tyrol. Some of the more carefully made of these, being ar- tificially disguised with the marks of age, will deceive any but a practised eye. A ticket with the name of a great maker is absolutely worth- less as a testimonial of authenticity. These tickets are imitated, as well as the instruments, dark paper and antique type being used. Gen- uine tickets from disabled instruments are also affixed to other violins, new or old. An old violin is not necessarily a good one ; but age and careful use add largely to the excellence of an instrument well designed and well made. The origin of the bow is even more obscure than that of the violin, as might reasonably be expected ; but there is pretence, with some lit- tle ground, that it came first into use in Eng- land. In its earliest form it was nothing more than a segment of a hoop of elastic wood, with a rude handle, and with a few hairs stretched from heel to point. This form and structure it retained with little essential improvement for centuries. So late as the beginning of the 18th century it was short, curved, and heavy, and without any means of adjustment. About 1780-'40 Tartini doubled its length, lightened it, and gave it a movable nut at the hand end. By this improvement he made the modern style of playing possible. But still the bow was curved, and its elasticity was comparatively little. David Tourte of Paris, a bow maker and the son of a bow maker, who at first made bows after the Tartini pattern, conceived the idea of making this implement of very tough, elastic wood, with a curve downward toward the hair, so that when the hair was drawn tight the bow became straight. He also added the screw and button. This is the modern vio- lin bow, which according to the judgment of all violin players leaves nothing to be desired. As sometimes happens, the inventor carried his invention at once to perfection. Tourte's bows are the best that are known, and so im- portant is it to a violin player to have the best bow he can obtain, that good Tourte bows command from $75 to $150, entirely irrespec- tive of the manner in which they are mounted ; and even at those prices are very rarely to be bought. Tourte died at a great age in 1835. Other bow makers of high repute are Dodd, Panormo, Bausch, and Vuillaume. Other in- struments of the violin family than those al- ready named are, or were, the rebec, the ribible, the gigue or geig, the chelys (a kind of bass viol), the lyra da gamba, .the viol bastarda, the posche (which was a small pocket instrument), the barbiton minor and barbiton major, the viol d'amour (which had six strings of gut with strings of wire beneath tuned in unison and