THE VIOLIN (continued 8)
Reading edition
The letter here presented to my readers was translated and published by Dr. Burney, in 1779, under the following title: "A Letter from the late Signor Tartini to Signora Maddalena Lombardini (afterwards Signora Sirmen). Published as an important lesson to performers on the Violin.
"PADUA, March 5, 1760.
"'MY VERY MUCH ESTEEMED SIGNORA MADDALENA,
"'Finding myself at length disengaged from the weighty business which has so long prevented me from performing my promise to you, a promise which was made with too much sincerity for my want of punctuality not to afflict me, I shall begin the instructions you wish from me by letter; and if I should not explain myself with sufficient clearness, I entreat you to tell me your doubts and difficulties, in writing, which I shall not fail to remove in a future letter.
"'Your principal practice and study should, at present be confined to the use and power of the bow, in order to make yourself entirely mistress in the execution and expression of whatever can be played or sung, within the compass and ability of your instrument. Your first study, therefore, should be the true manner of holding, balancing, and pressing the bow lightly but steadily upon the strings; in such a manner as it shall seem to breathe the first tone it gives, which must proceed from the friction of the string, and not from percussion, as by a blow given with a hammer upon it. This depends on laying the bow lightly upon the strings at the first contact, and on gently pressing it afterwards, which, if done gradually, can scarcely have too much force given to it, because, if the tone is begun with delicacy, there is little danger of rendering it afterwards either coarse or harsh.
"'Of this first contact and delicate manner of beginning a tone you should make yourself a perfect mistress in every situation and part of the bow, as well in the middle as at the extremities; and in moving it up as well as in drawing it down. To unite all these laborious particulars into one lesson, my advice is, that you first exercise yourself in a swell upon an open string—for example, upon the second string; that you begin pianissimo, and increase the tone by slow degrees to its fortissimo; and this study should be equally made with the motion of the bow up and down, in which exercise you should spend at least an hour every day, though at different times, a little in the morning and a little in the evening; having constantly in mind, that this is, of all others, the most difficult and the most essential to playing on the Violin. When you are a perfect mistress of this part of a good performer, a swell will be very easy to you; beginning with the most minute softness, increasing the tone to its loudest degree, and diminishing it to the same point of softness with which you began, and all this in the same stroke of the bow. Every degree of pressure upon the string which the expression of a note or passage shall require will by this means be easy and certain; and you will be able to execute with your bow whatever you please. After this, in order to acquire that light pulsation and play of the wrist, from whence velocity in bowing arises, it will be best for you to practise every day one of the Allegros, of which there are three in Corelli's Solos, which entirely move in semiquavers. The first is in D, in playing which you should accelerate the motion a little each time, till you arrive at the quickest degree of swiftness possible; but two precautions are necessary in this exercise—the first is, that you play the notes staccato, that is, separate and detached, with a little space between every two, for though they are written thus—
they should be played as if there was a rest after every note, in this manner—
The second precaution is, that you first play with the point of the bow; and when that becomes easy to you, that you use that part of it which is between that part and the middle; and when you are likewise mistress of this part of the bow, that you practise in the same manner with the middle of the bow; and, above all, you must remember in these studies to begin the Allegros or flights sometimes with an up-bow; and sometimes with a down-bow, carefully avoiding the habit of constantly practising one way. In order to acquire a greater facility of executing swift passages in a light and neat manner, it will be of great use to you if you accustom yourself to skip over a string between two quick notes in divisions, like these—
Of such divisions you may play extempore as many as possible, and in every key, which will be both useful and necessary.
"'With regard to the finger-board, or carriage of the left hand, I have one thing strongly to recommend to you, which will suffice for all; and that is, the taking a Violin part, either the first or second of a concerto, sonata, or song—anything will serve the purpose—and playing it upon the half-shift, that is, with the first finger upon G on the first string, and constantly keeping upon this shift, playing the whole piece without moving the hand from this situation, unless A on the fourth string be wanted, or D upon the first; but in that case, you should afterwards return again to the half-shift, without ever moving the hand down to the natural position. This practice should be continued till you can execute with facility upon the half-shift any Violin part not intended as a solo, at sight. After this, advance the hand on the finger-board to the whole-shift, with the first finger upon A on the first string, and accustom yourself to this position till you can execute everything upon the whole-shift with as much ease as when the hand is in its natural situation; and when certain of this, advance to the double-shift, with the first finger upon B, on the first string; and when sure of that likewise, pass to the fourth position of the hand, making C with the first finger upon the first string; and indeed this is a scale in which, when you are firm, you may be said to be mistress of the finger-board. This study is so necessary, that I most earnestly recommend it to your attention.
"'I now pass to the third essential part of a good performer on the Violin, which is the making of a good shake, and I would have you practise it slow, moderately fast, and quick; that is, with the two notes succeeding each other in these three degrees of adagio, andante, and, presto; and in practice you have great occasion for these different kinds of shakes; for the same shake will not serve with equal propriety for a slow movement as for a quick one; but to acquire both at once with the same trouble, begin with an open string, either the first or second, it will be equally useful; sustain the note in a swell, and begin the shake very slow, increasing in quickness, by insensible degrees, till it becomes rapid, in the manner following:—
But you must not vigorously move immediately from semiquavers to demisemiquavers, as in this example, or from these to the next in degree—that would be doubling the velocity of the shake all at once, which would be a skip, not a graduation; but you can imagine between a semiquaver and a demisemiquaver intermediate degrees of rapidity, quicker than the one, and slower than the other of these characters; you are therefore to increase in velocity by the same degrees in practising the shake, as in loudness when you make a swell. You must attentively and assiduously persevere in the practice of this embellishment, and begin at first with an open string, upon which if you are once able to make a good shake with the first finger, you will with the greater facility acquire one with the second, the third, and the fourth, or little finger, with which you must practise in a particular manner, as more feeble than the rest of its brethren. I shall, at present, propose no other studies to your application: what I have already said is more than sufficient, if your zeal is equal to my wishes for your improvement. I hope you will sincerely inform me whether I have explained myself clearly thus far; that you will accept of my respects, which I likewise beg of you to present to the Prioress, to Signora Teresa, and to Signora Chiara, for all whom I have a sincere regard; and believe me to be with great affection,
"'Your obedient and most humble servant, "'GIUSEPPE TARTINI.'"
INDEX
A
PAGE
Absam, Thomas 293
Acevo 77
Adam, as a Violist 3
Adams 293
Addison, William 293
Aireton, Edmund, good work, Amatese model 293
Alard, M., composer and Professor at the Conservatoire 395
Albanesi, Sebastiano 77
Albani 259
Albani, Mathias (2); Italian style, good model and workmanship 259
Albani, Paolo 260
Albani, Mathias, Stainer form, good varnish 259
Aldred 293
Aldric, copier of Stradivari; dealings with Luigi Tarisio 231
Aletzie, Paolo 260
Allar 231
Alvani 78
Amati, Andrea, his Violins mostly "Three-quarter"; founder of the School of Cremona; character of his Varnish; his method of cutting; his "Charles IX. Set," in the Chapel Royal, Versailles 78-81
Amati, the Brothers Antonio and Girolamo, character of their work 81
Amati, Girolamo, son of Niccolò, his instruments described; character of his varnish 92
Amati, Niccolò, the greatest of his family; special characteristics of his work 84-92
Amelot 231
Anecdotes and Miscellanea connected with the Violin 410
Apollo and Orpheus, in Fiddle History 3
Appleby, Mr. Samuel, letter from, on the Gasparo da Salò Double-Bass of Signor Dragonetti 465
Arabian Origin of the Ribeca, alleged 7
Arabians, Inventors of the Monochord 7
Ariberti, Bartolommeo, Marquis, his letter to Stradivari 193
Arisi, Desiderio on Stradivari 185
Artmann, copier of Amati 260
Asiatic Origin of the Violin, alleged 4
Askey, Samuel 293
Aubry 231
Augière 231
Augustus, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland, his patronage of Stradivari 207
B
Bachelier 231
Bach, John Sebastian, influence of his great compositions on the development of Violin-playing 404
Bachmann, Carl Ludwig, Court Musician to Frederick the Great; founder of concerts for amateurs at Berlin 260
Bachmann, O., author of a book on Bow Instruments 260
Bagatella, Antonio 95
Bagatella, Pietro 95
Baillot, Pierre, Violinist 394
Baines 293
Baker 293
Balestrieri, character of his Instruments 95
Ballantine 293
Baltzar, Thomas, Violinist 382
Banks, Benjamin; high character of his work 294
Banks, Benjamin (2) 296
Banks, James and Henry 296
Bannister, John, Violinist 383
Barnes, Robert 297
Barrett, John, follower of Stainer, good quality 297
Barton, George 297
Bassiano 96
Bassot 231
Bausch, Ludwig C. A. 261
Bausch, L. B. 261
Bausch, Otto B. 261
Bazzini, Antonio, Violinist 392
Beckmann 261
Bedler 261
Beethoven, and his works for the Violin 407
Bellosio, Anselmo 96
Benda, Francis, Violinist and composer 403
Bente, Matteo 96
Bergonzi, Benedetto 103
Bergonzi, Carlo (1), pupil of Antonio Stradivari; characteristics of his work; comparison with Giuseppe Guarneri and Stradivari; his resplendent varnish; his Violins and Violoncellos 96
Bergonzi, Carlo (2) 103
Bergonzi, Michel Angelo, pattern of his instruments 102
Bergonzi, Niccolò, his work 102
Bergonzi, Zosimo 103
Bertolotti (Gaspar da Salò) 168
Bériot, Charles de, Belgian composer and Violinist 395
Bernardel, Sébastien Philippe, worked with Lupot; excellent work 231
Bertassi, Ambrogio 103
Bertrand, Nicolas, Viol-maker 232
Betts, Edward, copyist of Amati, high finish 298
Betts, John, pupil of Duke 297
Betts Stradivari, The, and Mr. Charles Reade's letter thereon 467
"Betts Strad," The 466
Bimbi, B. 103
Bindernagel, good copyist of Amati 261
Blagrove, Henry, his "Concerti da Camera" 401
Blasius, St., MS. destroyed by fire 14
Boccherini, his Quintettes 390
Boivin, Claude, Guitar-maker 232
Bolles 299
Booth 299
Booth, William 299
Boquay, Jacques; old French School; good character of work 232
Borelli, Andrea 103
Borlon, Artus, or Arnould 233
Borlon, François, Viol-maker 233
Borlon, Joannes, Viol-maker 233
Borlon (or Porlon), Pierre, Double-Bass maker 233
Boucher 299
Boullangier, C. 233
Boumeester 233
Bourdet, Jacques 234
Bourdet, Sébastien 234
Boussu, Eterbeck 234
Bowed Instruments, Early references to 5
Braccia, Viola da, The 13
Brensio, Girolamo (Brensius) 103
Brescia, Da, Battista 104
Brescia, the cradle of Violin making 65
Breton Le 234
Bridge, The, its position, form, and selection 38
Britton, Tom, The "Small-coal Man" 384
Broschi, Carlo 104
Browne, John 299
Brown, James 299
Buchstadter 261
Budiani, Giovita (see Rodiani) 164
Bull, Ole B., his great artistic skill 393
Busseto, Giovanni M. 104
C
Cahusac 299
Calcagni, Bernardo 104
Calot 234
Calvarola, Bartolommeo 104
Camilli, Camillo 104
Campagnoli, his "Studies" and "Violin School" 391
Cappa, Gioffredo, high character of his work 105
Carcassi 106
Carrodus, John, Violinist 402
Carter, John 299
Casini, Antonio 106
Castagneri, Andrea 107
Castagnery, Jean Paul 234
Castellani 107
Castro 107
Catenar, Enrico 107
"Catgut," a misnomer 48
Catlins, Venetian 46
Celioniati, Gian Francesco 107
Cerin, Marco Antonio 107
Ceruti, Enrico, exhibitioner in London and Milan Exhibition 108
Ceruti, Giovanni Battista, follower of Amati pattern 108
Ceruti, Giuseppe 108
Cervetto and Garrick 442
Chaconne, of Moorish origin 10
Challoner, Thomas 299
Champion René 234
Chanot, François 234
Chanot, F. 235
Chanot, G. A. 235
Chanot, Georges, an indefatigable and excellent workman; copyist of Stradivari and Guarneri; known also as a dealer 235
Chanot, Georges (fils) 235
Chappell, Arthur, his "Monday Popular Concerts" 402
Chappuy, Nicolas-Augustin 235
Chardon, Joseph 236
Charles II. as a Musician 384
Charotte 236
Cheli, or Chelys, The, description and alleged origin of 15
Chesterfield, Lord, his estimate of Fiddles and Fiddling 397
"Chest of Viols" 194
Chevrier, André-Augustin 236
Christa, Joseph Paul 261
Cinderella Violoncello, A 448
Circapa, Tommaso 109
Claudot, Augustin 236
Claudot, Charles 236
Clement 236
Cliquot, Henri 236
Cliquot, Louis Alexandre 236
Cocco, Cristoforo 109
Cole, James 299
Cole, Thomas 299
Collectors of Italian and other Violins 365
Collier, Samuel 299
Collier, Thomas 299
Collingwood, Joseph 299
Composers for the Violin, early English 381
"Concerto of Violins" 194
Construction of the Violin 27
Contreras, Joseph 109
Conway, William 299
Cooper, Henry C., Violinist, and the Quartette Association 402
Copyists, three kinds of, and their methods 144
Corbett, William, an early collector of Italian Violins; his Gallery of Cremonys and Stainers 365
Cordano, Jacopo Filippo 110
Corelli, his Sonatas, or "Balletti da Camera" 379
Corsby 299
Corsby, George 300
Costa, Pietro Antonio dalla 110
Covered Strings 52
Cozio, Count, patron of Mantegazza, 152; purchaser of Stradivari's tools and models 361
Cramer, William and François, Violinists, and the "Ancient Concerts" in London 401
Cramond, Charles 300
Crask, George 300
Credulous Dabblers and Fiddle Marks 457
Cremonese apathy as to Stradivari 215
Cremonese Varnish, a "lost art" 71
Crescent-formed Sound-hole 22
Cristofori, Bartolommeo 109
Cross Nathaniel 300
Crowdero, The Champion, and Hudibras 410
Crowther, John 300
Cunault 236
Cuny 236
Cuthbert 300
"Cutting" and maiming, Charles Reade on 248
Cuypers 236
D
Dalla Valle, Marquis, possessor of Stradivari's tools and models 189
Dando, Violinist, and the "Concerti da Camera" in London 401
Daniel 237
Darche 237
Dardelli, Pietro, his Lutes and Viols 110
David 237
Davidson 300
Davis, Richard 300
Davis, William 300
Dearlove, Mark 300
De Bériot and Maggini's Violins 150
Decadence of the Violin-maker's art, general causes of 286
De Comble, Ambroise, probably a pupil of Stradivari; good character of work, varnish, and tone 237
Dehommais 238
Delanoix 238
Delany, John 300
Delaunay 238
Deleplanque, Gérard 238
Del Gesù (see Guarneri) 132
Dennis, Jesse 301
Derazey 238
Despine, A. 111
Despons, Antoine 238
Devereux, John 301
Dibdin, Charles, his early musical experiences 319
Dichord of the Egyptians and Arabians 8
Dickeson, John 301
Dickinson, Edward 301
Dieffopruchar, Magno (Magnus Tieffenbrucker) 111
Diehl, Friedrich 262
Diehl, Heinrich 262
Diehl, Johann 262
Diehl, Nicolaus 262
Diel, Johann 262
Diel, Jacob 262
Diel (or Diehl), Martin 261
Diel, Nicolaus 262
Dieulafait, Viol-maker 238
Ditton 301
Dodd, Thomas, a dealer and employer of makers of high merit, and famous for his varnish 301
Dodd, Thomas (fils) 303
"Dolphin Strad," The 200
Dominicelli 111
Döpfer, Nicolaus 262
Dorant, William 304
Double-Basses and Violas the stepping-stones to Violin-making 25
Dragonetti, his heavy strings 51
Dragonetti's Gasparo da Salò 463
Droulot 238
Ducheron, Mathurin 238
Duiffoprugcar, Gaspar, comparison of his claims with those of Gaspar da Salò; description of his work 111
Duke, Richard, one of the most distinguished of English makers, but often counterfeited 304
Duke, Richard (fils) 305
Du Mesnil, Jacques 238
Duncan 305
Durfel 262
E
Earliest representation of stringed instruments 6
Early history of Violin involved in obscurity 1
Early makers, their great care in selection of wood for the Violins 33
Eastern origin of the Bow, alleged 4
Eberle, J. Ulric, good copyist of Italian masters 262
Eccles, John Henry, musician to Louis XIV.; his solos for the Violin 385
Eccles, Thomas, an itinerant Violinist 385
Edlinger, Joseph Joachim 262
Edlinger, T. 262
Eesbroeck, Jean Van 238
Eglington 305
Egyptian Obelisk, stringed instruments on 6
"Elector Stainers," The Twelve 275
Elliston and George III. 444
Elsler, Joseph 263
Engel's "Researches into Early History of the Violin" 4
English Makers, List of 293
English makers, no mention of by continental writers on the Violin 284
English School, The, 284; causes of its decadence 285
Ernst, Franz Anton; an eminent Violinist and pupil of Lolli; also a maker 263
Ernst, Herr, his exquisite style as a Violinist 409
Ettrick Shepherd, The, and the Violin 482
Eugene, Prince, and Stradivari 203
European origin of the Violin 11
Evans, Richard 305
Evelyn, John, on celebrity of old Lutinists 263
Experiments as to tension of Violin strings 54
F
Falaise, copied Amati and Stradivari; good work 239
Farinato, Paolo 112
Felden, M. 263
Fendt (or Fent) 239
Fendt, Bernard, an admirable workman, employed by Dodd and John Betts 305
Fendt, Bernard Simon, a high-class maker of Italian models 307
Fendt, Francis 309
Fendt, Jacob, clever copyist of Stradivari 308
Fendt, Martin 308
Fendt, William 309
Ferguson, Donald 309
Fesca, Violinist, and his quartettes 408
Festing, Michael Christian, and the Philharmonic Society and Royal Society of Musicians 398
Fétis, M., his Eastern theory of the Bow, 14; his notice of Stradivari 177
f-holes, or Sound-holes, their importance 40
Fichtold, Hans 263
Fichtl, Martin 263
Ficker, Johann Christian 263
Ficker, Johann Gotlieb 263
Fiddle Marks and the Credulous Dabblers 457
Fiddle Trade, The 483
Finger-board, The 39
Fiorillo, Giovanni 112
Firth 309
Fischer, Zacharie 263
Flanders, early musical culture in 21
Fleury, Benoist 239
Forster, Simon Andrew 312
Forster, William (i.), spinning-wheel and Violin-maker 309
Forster, William (ii.), spinning-wheel and Violin-maker, and village Violinist; copyist of Stainer, and of the Amatis; excellent character of his work; his instruments prized by Lindley 310
Forster, William (iii.), excellent work and model 312
Forster, William (iv.), good work 312
Fountaine, Mr., his collection of instruments 366
"Four Corners" of the Violono 25
Fourrier, Nicolas 239
Francis I. of Austria, an amateur musician 498
Frankland 313
Frei, Hans 113
French Makers, List of 231
French School, The; sketch of its Rise and Progress 224
Fretted Viols 24
Frey, Hans, Lute-maker, related to Albert Durer; his work praised by John Evelyn 263
Fritzche 264
"Fugal Vortex," The Prince and the 491
Furber, copier of the "Betts" Stradivari 313
Furber, Henry John 313
G
Gabrielli, Giovanni Battista 113
Gaffino, Giuseppe 114
Gagliano, Alessandro, pupil of A. Stradivari; description of his work 114
Gagliano, Antonio, Giovanni, Giuseppe, and Raffaele 116
Gagliano, Ferdinando 116
Gagliano, Gennaro 115
Gagliano, Niccolò 115
Gaillard, Charles 239
Gaillard, J. B. 239
Gainsborough as a Musician 438
Galbusera, C. A. 116
Ganassi, Silvestro, his work on the Viol 23
Gand, Adolphe 241
Gand, Eugène, partner with Bernadel Brothers 241
Gand, François, pupil and son-in-law of Nicolas Lupot; excellent work, especially as a repairer 240
Garani, Michel Angelo 117
Garani, Niccolò 117
Garrick and Cervetto 442
Gasparo da Salò, reputed inventor of the four-stringed Violin, 26; the first great artistic maker, characteristics of his work 168-172
Gatinari, Francesco 117
Gaviniès, François, old French School; good quality 241
Gaviniès, Pierre, his Concertos and Sonatas 393
Gedler, Johann A. 264
Gedler, Johann B. 264
Geissenhof, Franz 264
Geige, The, derivation of 19
Geminiani, Francesco, his Sonatas and other works 387
Gennaro, G. 117
George III. and Elliston 444
Gerbertus, Martinus, De Cantu et Musica Sacra 10
Gerle, Johann, Lutes and Viols 264
Germain, Emile 242
Germain, Joseph Louis 241
German Makers, List of 259
German origin of the Violin, early indications of 17-18
German School, The, its poverty as to makers of originality 258
German Violins, no trace of in the time of Gasparo da Salò 25
Geroni, Domenico 117
Ghidini, C. 117
Giardini, Felice, composer and Violinist 389
Gibbs, James 313
Gibertini, Antonio 117
Gigeours, The, of Germany 20
Gilkes, William, Double-Bass maker 314
Gilkes, Samuel, pupil of Forster; an excellent workman 313
Gillott Collection, The, its origin, character, and dispersion 367-374
Giorgi, N. 117
Giustiniani, Lorenzo, his letter to Stradivari 206
Gobetti (Gobit), Francesco, high character of his work 118
Goding Collection, The 366
Goding, Mr. James, his Stradivari with an alien scroll; a curious coincidence 455
Gofriller, Francesco 119
Gofriller, Matteo 119
Gosselin 242
Gough, Walter 314
Gragnani, Antonio 120
Grancino, Francesco 121
Grancino, Giovanni 121
Grancino, Giovanni Battista 121
Grancino, Paolo, pupil of Niccolò Amati; description of his work 120
"Grand Amati" pattern, The 86
Grand-Gerard 242
Grandson, Fils 242
Graun, Violinist to the King of Prussia 403
Griesser, Matthias 264
Grimm, Carl 264
Grobitz, A. 264
Grosset, Paul François 242
Gross-Geige, The 20
Grulli, Pietro 121
Guadagnini, Antonio 126
Guadagnini, Carlo 126
Guadagnini, Francesco and Giuseppe, now living at Turin 126
Guadagnini, Gaetano 125
Guadagnini, Giovanni Battista, pupil of Stradivari; description of his work 123
Guadagnini, Giuseppe 125
Guadagnini, Lorenzo, the first of his family; high character of his work 121
Guarneri, Andrea, the pioneer of his family; pupil of Amati; his Violins and Violoncellos 126
Guarneri, at a discount 458
Guarneri, Giuseppe (son of Andrea); originality of his style, and peculiarity of his sound-holes; character of his varnish; high value of his Violins, Violas, and Violoncellos 129
Guarneri, Giuseppe (del Gesù); his peculiar cypher; probably a pupil of his cousin Giuseppe; his fertility of design; traditions as to his "prison Fiddles;" three orders of copyists; Paganini's Guarneri 132-147
Guarneri, Pietro (brother of Giuseppe filius Andræ), description of his work 131
Guarneri, Pietro (son of Giuseppe filius Andræ) 132
Guersan, Louis 242
Gugemmos 264
Guidanti, Giovanni (Joannes Guidantus), specimen at exhibition of Milan, 1881; character of his work 147
Guillami 147
Gunn, John, his essay on stringed instruments 7
H
Habeneck, François Antoine, composer 395
Haensel, Johann A. 264
Hamberger, Joseph 264
Hamm, Johann Gottfried 264
Hammig, W. H. 264
Handel, George Frederick, and the Royal Society of Musicians, 399; influence of his works on Violin-playing 405
Harbour 314
Hardie, Matthew 314
Hardie, Thomas 314
Hare, John 314
Hare, Joseph 314
Harris Charles, an excellent copyist, Italian mode 315
Harris, Charles (2), good character of work 316
Hart, John Thomas, pupil of Samuel Gilkes; distinguished as a connoisseur, dealer and collector 316
Harton, Michael, Lute-maker 147
Hassert 264
Hawkins, Sir John, his "History of Music," 7; his opinion of Stainer's merits 271
Haydn, Joseph, his quartettes, and a Lady's humorous comparison, 405-406; Haydn in London; Letters from Rev. T. Twining 435
Haynes, J. 317
Heesom, Edward 317
Hel 242
Helmer, Carl 265
Henry, Charles 242
Henry, Eugène 242
Henry, Jean Baptiste 242
Henry, Jean Baptiste Felix 242
Henry, Octave 242
Herbert, George, his references to music 420
Hildebrandt, Michael C. 265
Hill, Joseph 317
Hill, Lockey 317
Hill, William 317
Hill, William Ebsworth 318
Hiltz, Paul 265
Hobby-horses, Laurence Sterne on 331
Hoffmann, Johann Christian, Lutes and Viols 265
Hoffman, Martin, Lutes and Viols 265
Hofmans, Mathias 242
Hogarth's "Line of Beauty" and the Violin 28
Holloway, J. 318
Holmes, Henry and Alfred, Violinists 403
Holmes, Oliver Wendell, on the Violin 332
Horil, Jacob 265
Hornstainer 265
Hornstainer, Joseph 265
Hudibras and the Champion Crowdero 410
Huller, August 265
Humel, Christian 265
Hume, Richard 318
Hunger, Christoph Friedrich 265
I
Illuminated MSS. of the Middle Ages, and other early evidence 12
"II Per" (see Ruggeri, Francesco) 165
Indefatigable Violinist, An 495
Individuality and affinity both evident in the work of the several Italian Schools 67
Influence of different varnishes on the tone of the Violin 75
Instruction in Violin-playing, by Tartini 501
Italian Makers, List of 77
Italian School of Violin-playing 388
Italian Varnishes, the different varieties described 70
Italian Violins, five distinct Schools: the Brescian; the Cremonese; the Neapolitan; Florence, Bologna and Rome; the Venetian 63
Itinerant Musicians and the Violin 20, 386
J
"Jack of All Trades," Charles Reade's 322
Jacobs 243
Jacobs, Hendrik, a close imitator of Nicolas Amati 242
Jacquot, Charles 243
Jacquot, Charles (fils) 243
Jais, Johann 265
Jauch, Johann 265
Jay, Henry 318
Jay, Henry, maker of Kits and Violoncellos 318
Jay, Thomas 318
Jeandel, P. N. 243
Jenkins, John, his twelve Sonatas 381
Joachim, Herr, and Bach's Sonatas, 404; his high rank as a performer 409
Johnson, Dr., on Collecting as a Hobby, 374; on the Violin 429
Johnson, John, Violin and music-seller; his relations with Charles Dibdin 319
Jongleurs, The 11
K
Kambl, Johann A. 265
Karb 265
Kembter 265
Kennedy, Alexander 320
Kennedy, John 320
Kennedy, Thomas 320
Kerlino, Joan, Viol-maker 147
Kiaposse, Sawes 266
Kirchschlag 266
Klein-Geige, The 18
Kloz, Egidius 266
Kloz, George 266
Kloz, Joseph 266
Kloz, J. Karl 266
Kloz, Matthias, pupil of Stainer 266
Kloz, Sebastian, his work much esteemed 266
Knitting 266
Knittle, Joseph 266
Kohl, Johann 266
Kolditz, J. 266
Kolditz, Mathias Johann 267
Koliker 243
Kramer, H. 267
Kriner, Joseph 267
L
Labels as Trade-marks sometimes transferred 118, 357
Lafont, Violinist 394
Lagetto, Luigi 147
Lamb, Charles, and his "ragged veterans" 358
Lambert, Jean Nicolas 243
Lancetti, Vincenzo, extract from his MS. on Italian Violin-making, 68; on Stradivari 188
Landolfi, Carlo Ferdinando; high character of his work 147
Lane's "Modern Egypt," and the Rebab 8
Lanza, Antonio Maria 148
Lapaix 244
Laprevotte, Etienne 244
Laska, Joseph 267
Lavazza, Antonio 148
Lavazza, Santino 148
Leclair, Jean Marie, Violinist 393
Leclerc 244
Lecomte 244
Leduc, Pierre 244
Lefebvre 244
Leigh Hunt on Paganini 469
Le Jeune, François 244
Lentz, Johann Nicolaus 320
Leonardo da Vinci as a Violist 375
Le Pileur, Pierre 244
Lesclop, François Henry 244
Lewis, Edward 321
Linarolli, Venturo 148
Lindley, Robert, character of his stringing 51
Lipinski, composer 396
Lister 321
Living Stradivaris 495
Locatelli as a composer 389
Lolli, his "feats on one string" 389
Loly, Jacopo 148
Lombardini, Paolo, his pamphlet on Stradivari, 178; his pedigree of Stradivari's family 179
Lombardini, Signora Maddalena, letter from Tartini to, on the art of Playing the Violin 501
Longman and Broderip, music-sellers 321
"Long Strad," The 195
Lott, George Frederick, a clever workman 322
Lott, John Frederick, employed by Dodd, and a first-class workman; high character of his Double-Basses 321
Lott, John Frederick (2), a clever copyist, and the original of Charles Reade's "Jack of all Trades" 322
Louis 244
Louvet 244
Lulli, Jean Baptiste, Violinist to Louis XIV.; his influence as a composer 381
Lupot, François 244
Lupot, Jean 244
Lupot, Laurent 244
Lupot, Nicolas; famous as a copier of Stradivari; maker to the Conservatoire; genuine character of his work, as to form, varnish, and telling quality of tone 244
M
Mace, Thomas, on the prices and choice of Lutes and Viols 334
Macintosh 322
Madrigal, The, sixteenth century 21
Maggini, Giovanni Paolo, pupil of Gasparo da Salò; other makers' work frequently attributed to him; comparison of his instruments with those of Gasparo; De Bériot's use of his instruments 149
Maler, Laux, Lute-maker (the "Stradivari of Lutes"); Thomas Mace on the prices of these instruments 150
Mann, Hans 267
Mantegazza, Pietro Giovanni, maker and repairer of Violins and Tenors; good work; patronised by Count Cozio 151
Manuscripts, Illuminated, of the Middle Ages 12
Maratti 152
Marchetti 152
Mariani, Antonio 152
Marquis de Lair 247
Marshall 323
Martin 323
Mast, Jean Laurent 247
Mast 247
Maucotel, Charles 247
Maucotel, Charles Adolphe 248
Maussiell, Leonard 267
Maher (Maier), Andreas 267
Mayseder, Joseph, Violinist 408
Mayson, W. H. 323
Meares, Richard 323
Médard, François 248
Médard, Jean 248
Médard, Nicolas 248
Meiberi, Francesco 152
"Memoirs of Music," Roger North's 13
Mendelssohn and Haydn as performers on the Violin 407
Mennégand, Charles, distinguished as a maker, and also as a repairer and "cutter" 248
Messeguer 152
Meusidler, Johann 267
Mezadri, Alessandro 152
Mezadri, Francesco 152
"Michael Schnapps," the Fiddle Ogre 487
Mier 323
Miremont, Claude Augustin, excellent work as a copyist 249
Missing Scroll, A 452
Modena, Duke of, and Stradivari 191
Modessier 249
Mohr, Philip 267
Moldonner 267
Molique, Bernard, Violinist, and composer 408
Monochord, Arabian invention of 7
Montagnana, Domenico, pupil of Antonio Stradivari; termed "the Mighty Venetian;" his work frequently attributed to other great makers; comparison of work with that of his fellow-maker, Carlo Bergonzi; increasing popularity of his instruments; high character of his varnish 152-157
Montagnana instrument shot through the body, A 456
Montaldi, Gregorio 157
Monteverde, Claudio, his opera "Orfeo" 378
Morella, famous for Viols and Lutes 157
Moorish influence on music in Spain 10
Mori, Nicholas, Violinist, and the Royal Academy of Music 401
Morisca, or Morris Dance, The 10
Mornington, Earl of, his early development of musical taste 399
Morris Dance, The 10
Morrison, John 323
Mougenot, G. 250
Mozart, Leopold, and his "Method" for the Violin; his early musical genius 407
Musical strings, materials used and places of manufacture 46
Musicians, Royal Society of, its origin 398
"Musick's Monument" of Thomas Mace 150
N
Nadotti, Giuseppe 158
Namy 250
Naylor, Isaac 323
Neck of the Violin, Form and material of 39
Nella, Raffaele 158
Netherlands, love of music in the 21
Nezot 250
Nichols, E. 323
Nicolas, Didier, Stradivari copyist; good tone 250
Nicolas, François (Nicolas Fourrier) 250
Nicolas, Joseph 250
Niggel, Simpertus 267
Norborn, John 323
Norman, Barak, his instruments best of old English character; worked with Nathaniel Cross; follower of Maggini model 323
Norris John 325
North, Hon. Roger, his "Memoirs of Music" 13
Number of constituent parts of the Violin 35
O
Obelisk, Egyptian, stringed instruments on 6
Ohberg, Johann 267
"Old Borax," and the Fiddle Trade 483
Old Masters, their great care in selection of material 33
Ole Bull and Fiddle varnish 500
"Orfeo," The, of Monteverde 378
Orpheus and Apollo 3
Orsini, Cardinal, and Stradivari 190
Ortega 158
Ott, Johann 268
Otto, C. U. F. 268
Otto, Carl 268
Otto, Christian 268
Otto, Georg August 268
Otto, Heinrich 268
Otto, Jacob August 268
Otto, Ludwig 268
Ouvrard, Jean 250
P
Pacherel 250
Pacherele, Michel 250
Paganini's Guarneri Violin, where now deposited, and anecdote of, 340; extraordinary character of his work and career 392
Paganini, Leigh Hunt on 469
Pamphilon, Edward 325
Pandolfi, Antonio 158
Panormo, George Lewis 325
Panormo, Joseph, excellent work 325
Panormo, Louis 325
Panormo, Vincenzo; follower of Antonio Stradivari, and famous as a genuine copyist; his struggles with adversity; comparison of his work with that of Lupot 158
Pansani, Antonio 160
Paolo Veronese, his picture of "The Marriage of Cana" 376
Parker, Daniel, a good Old English maker 325
Parth, Andreas Nicholas 268
Pasta, Antonio 160
Pasta, Domenico 160
Paul, Saint 250
Pazzini, G. 160
Pearce, James 326
Pedigree of the family of Antonio Stradivari 179
Pemberton, Edward 326
Perry and Wilkinson, good quality and finish 326
Pfretzschner, Carl Friedrich 269
Pfretzschner, Gottlob 268
Philharmonic Society, and Michael C. Festing 398
Philip V. of Spain, his visit to Cremona 204
Phillips, a Welsh Violinist, Dr. Johnson's Epitaph on 431
Picino, G. 160
Pierray, Claude, excellent work, Italian character, good varnish; an example possessed by Tom Britton 250
Piète, N. 251
Pique, F. L., copyist of Stradivari, school of Lupot; good material and workmanship 251
Pirot, Claude 252
Plack, F. 269
Platner, Michel, resemblance of his work to that of Tecchler 160
Pleasures of Imagination 497
Plectrum, Reference to 5
Plowden Collection, The 367
Pollitzer, Adolphe 396
Pollusca, Antonio 161
Pons, César 252
Pons, Guitar-maker 252
Pope Pius IX. and the musician 499
Porlon, Peeter (or Borlon) 233
Possen, L. 269
Postiglione, V. 161
Powell 326
Pressenda, Giovanni Francesco, high character of his work, and especially of his varnish; his instruments of Amatese and Stradivarian models 161
Preston, John 327
Prices of Violins, &c., at various periods 334-338
"Prison Fiddles," of Guarneri del Gesù 140
Progress of the Violin 375
Provence and the origin of the Geige 18
Ptolemeus, Claudius, on Harmonic Sounds 6
Puppo, Violinist, Anecdote of 495
Purcell, Henry, his Sonatas 383
Purfling of the Violin, 40; of the Brothers Amati 84
Q
Quack Violin-Doctors 41
Quantz, Johann, Flautist, and Frederick the Great 269
Quartette Association, The 402
R
Rabenalt, Theodore, his drama, "Jacob Stainer" 277
Racceris 163
Rambaux, Claude Victor, a clever repairer 252
Rance, T. 252
Rauch 269
Rauch, Jacob 269
Rauch, Sebastian 269
Raut, Jean 252
Ravanon, King of Ceylon, and his instrument called the "Ravanastron" 4
Rawlins, Henry, patronised by Giardini 327
Rayman, Jacob, founder of English Violin-making; good character of work and varnish 327
Reade, Charles, on the "Four Corners" of the Violono, 25; on the Violins of Stradivari, 201; on the art of "cutting," 249; his letter on the Betts Stradivari 467
Rebab, taken to Spain by the Moors, 7; in Egypt 8
Rebec, Origin of 7
Reichel, Johann Conrad 269
Reichel, Johann Gottfried 269
Reichers, August 269
Remy 252
Remy, Jean Mathurin 252
Remy, Jules 252
Renaudin, Léopold 252
Renault, Nicolas 252
Ribeca, alleged Arabian origin 7
Richards, Edwin 328
Riess 269
Rinaldi, Gioffredo 163
Rivolta, G. 164
Rocca, J. A. 164
Rode, Violinist and composer, his Caprices and Concertos, and his Instruction Book 394
Rodiani, G. 164
Rogeri, Giovanni Battista, pupil of Niccolò Amati; his work highly valued 164
Rogeri, Pietro Giacomo, pupil of N. Amati; good work; excellent varnish 165
Rogers, Dr. Benjamin, his four-part Airs for Violins 381
Rombouts, Peeter 252
Rook, Joseph 328
Röscher, C. 269
Ross, John 328
Rosse (or Ross) 328
Rota, Giovanni 164
Roth, Christian 269
Rousseau, Jean, his Treatise on the Viol 3
Rovetta 164
Royal Amateur, A. 498
Royal Band of Charles II., its poverty 382
Royal Society of Musicians, Origin of 398
Roze 253
Ruf, Herr S., his History of Jacob Stainer 275
Ruggeri, Francesco ("Il Per"); excellent character of workmanship, design, and varnish; pupil of Niccolò Amati 165
Ruggeri, Giacinto 167
Ruggeri, Giambattista, high-class work in Violins, Violas, and Violoncellos 167
Ruggeri, Vincenzo 167
Ruppert, Franz 269
Ruppert, J. N. 269
S
Sacchini, S. 168
Sacquin 253
Sainprae, Jacques 269
Sainton, M., Violinist 395
Salabue, Count Cozio di, his passion for and collection of Violins, 359; his correspondence relative to his purchase of the reliques of Antonio Stradivari 360
Sale of Cremonese Instruments in 1790 493
Salle, a clever restorer 253
Salò, Gasparo da 168-170
Salomon, Jean Baptiste, maker 253
Salomon, Violinist, his concerts in London; his negotiations with Haydn 400
San Domenico, Cremona, burial-place of Stradivari 212
Sanoni, Giovanni Battista 172
Sanscrit Literature, References to the Violin in 5
Santo, Giovanni 172
Sanzo, Milan 172
Saraband, Moorish 10
Sardagna, Counsellor Von, his contribution to Jacob Stainer's history 276
Sardi 172
Saunier 253
Savart, his paper on the construction of bow instruments 234
Sawicki 270
Saxon Fiddle, in the Cottonian MSS. 16
Scandinavian origin of the Violin, alleged 13
Scheinlein, Johann Michael 270
Scheinlein, Mathias F. 270
Schell, Sebastian 270
Schlick 270
Schmidt 270
Schnoeck, Egidius 253
Schonfelder, Johann A. 270
Schonger, Georg 270
Schonger, Franz 270
Schorn, Johann, an excellent maker 271
Schorn, Johann Paul 271
Schott, Martin, Lute-maker 271
Schuler, Dr. Johann, his novel, "Jacob Stainer" 276
Schwartz 271
Schweitzer 271
Scott, Sir Walter, on Music and Fiddles 446
Scroll, A Wandering 455
Sellas, Matteo, Lute-maker 172
Serafino, Santo (Sanctus Seraphin), famed for exquisite finish; German and Italian models; excellent varnish and handsome wood, but style inferior, and lacking originality 172
Shaw, Dr., his "Travels in the East" 7
Shaw 328
Silvestre, Hippolyte 254
Silvestre, Hippolyte Chrétien 254
Silvestre, Pierre, copyist of Stradivari, of high order and exquisite finish; fellow worker with Lupot and Gand 253
Simon 254
Simonin 254
Simpson 328
Simpson, Dr. Christopher, Anecdote of 423
Sivori, Camillo, his high artistic career 392
"Skit," A musical 425
"Slab-back" and "Whole-back," The 32
Smith, Henry 328
Smith, Thomas 328
Smith, William 328
Sneider, Josefo; many of Girolamo Amati's instruments attributed to this maker 174
Socchi, Vincenzo 174
Socquet, Louis 254
"Sonata del Diavolo," Tartini's 427
Sonatas, Earliest appearance of 379
Sorsana 174
Sound-bar, oblique position of, 35; its purpose and character 36
Sound-holes, crescent-shaped, 22; of Gasparo and Amati, 80; shape and importance of 40
Sound-post, its purpose and service, 36; its position, 37; methods of fixing 38
Spohr, Louis, Violinist and composer; his Quartettes and Duets 408
Spohr and his Guarneri 478
Spohr and the Collector 480
"Sports and Pastimes," Strutt's 16
Stadelmann, Daniel 271
Stadelmann, Johann Joseph 271
Stainer, Andreas 280
Stainer, Jacob, the greatest of German artists; his popularity; Sir John Hawkins' estimate of his work; originality and peculiarity of his model; variation in style; his "Elector Stainers;" his personal history, by Herr S. Ruf and Counsellor Von Sardagna; Dr. Johann Schuler's novel, "Jacob Stainer;" his marriage; his imprisonment for heresy; his poverty and sad death; his numerous followers and libellists 271-280
Stainer, Markus 280
Statlee 174
Staugtinger, Mathias 280
Steininger, Franz 281
Steininger, Jacob 281
Sterne, Laurence, on Hobby-horses 331
Stolen "Strad," A 449
Storioni, Lorenzo, follower of Guarneri del Gesù; his freak as to placing the sound-holes; his Violins roughly finished, but valued for acoustical properties 174
Stoss 281
Stoss, Martin 281
Stradivari, Antonio, date of birth, 178; Paolo Lombardini's pamphlet on his life, 185; his marriage, and pedigree of his family, 178-179; affinity of his work with that of his master, Niccolò Amati, 182; second epoch, and change of style, 189-190; possessor of the tools and models of N. Amati, 184; his house at Cremona, 187; extracts from Desiderio Arisi, 185; Vincenzo Lancetti on the purchase of Stradivari's models and tools by Count Cozio di Salabue; the letters of Paolo and Antonio Stradivari, junior, in reference thereto, 188; splendid character of his varnish, 198; Cardinal Orsini's and the Duke of Modena's patronage, 190-191; the "Long Strad," 195; his work for the Spanish Court and for the Grand Duke of Tuscany, 193; letter of Marquis Ariberti, 193; a "Concerto of Violins," 194; the "golden period," 197; the "Betts Strad," 466; variations in qualities of wood, 200; the "Dolphin Strad," 200; Prince Eugene and war in Cremona, 203; visit of Philip V. of Spain to Italy, and entry into Cremona, 204; Stradivari's instruments for presentation to Philip 204, and to the Archduke Charles of Austria, 206; letter of Lorenzo Giustiniani to Stradivari, 206; characteristics of the instruments of his later period, 209-211; place of his burial, 212-214; indifference of Stradivari's own townsmen as to his remains, 215; further notice of Count Cozio di Salabue relative to the Stradivari reliques 359
Stradivari, Francesco, son and successor of Antonio; excellent character of work, age, and date of death 217
Stradivari, Omobono, successor to the business of his father Antonio 218
Stradivari, Paolo, cloth merchant; his correspondence with Count Cozio di Salabue relative to the Stradivari reliques 219, 360-364
Straube 281
Strauss, Joseph 281
Stregner, Magno, Lute-maker 174
Strings, Italian and other, causes of variation in the quality of; how to choose them; material used in their manufacture; experiments on the tension of 43-56
Sursano, Spirito 219
T
Tanegia, Carlo Antonio 219
Taningard, Giorgio 219
Tarisio, Luigi, and his collection of Violins; his singular career and character, and painful end 344-356
Tarr, W. 328
Tartini, Giuseppe; his musical compositions; high opinion of Dr. Burney on 388
Tartini, Signor, on the treatment of the Violin 501
Taylor, meritorious work 329
Tecchler 219
Tedesco 220
Tension and pressure of Violin Strings 54
Testore, Carlo Antonio, excellent work 220
Testore, Carlo Giuseppe 220
Testore, Giovanni 220
Testore, Paolo Antonio 220
Teutonic origin of the Violin 17
Thackeray on Orchestral Music 471
Theress, Charles 254
Thibout, Jacques Pierre, a well-known dealer, and excellent workman; his relations with Luigi Tarisio 254
Thomassin 254
Thompson 329
Thorowgood, Henry 329
Three-stringed Violins 25
Tieffenbrucker, Leonardo 220
Tieffenbrucker 281
Tielke, Joachim, Lute and Guitar-maker; magnificent ornamentation of his work 281
Tielke, Joachim, Viol and Violin-maker, examples in the Kensington collection 282
Tilley, Thomas 329
Tobin 329
Tobin, Richard 329
Todini, Michele, his musical clock-work, and new mode of stringing the Violono 220
Tononi, Carlo Antonio 221
Tononi, Carlo, excellent work and varnish 221
Tononi, Felice 222
Tononi, Giovanni, high-class work 222
Tononi, Guido 222
Traditional History of Cremonese makers (see Ceruti, Enrico) 108
Trapani, Raffaele 222
Trinity in Unity, Musical illustration of 423
Troubadours and Trouvères 10
Tywersus 254
U
Urquhart, Thomas, high-class work and excellent varnish 329
V
Vaillant, François 254
Valentine William 329
Valenzano, G. M. 222
"Varnish, Dodd's" 302
Varnish, Italian, that of the several Schools compared 70
Venetian Catlins 46
Veracini, Solo Violinist, 208, 379; J. B. Volumier, and Stradivari 207
Veronese, Paolo, his "Marriage at Cana" 375
Véron, Pierre 255
Vetrini, Battista 222
Vibrecht, Gysbert 255
Vieuxtemps, Henri, his Concertos 396
Vimercati, Paolo 222
Viola da Braccia, The 13
Viola di Bordone, The 270
Violin, construction of the, 27; three-stringed, 25; four-stringed, 26; acoustical properties of the 30
Violin, Tartini on the art of Playing 501
Violins, from a medical point of view 424
Violin, The, and its Votaries 331
Violinist, An indefatigable 495
Violono, or Bass-Viol, of Gasparo da Salò 24
Viols, Ancient, by Hieronymus Brensius 103
Viols in connection with Madrigal and with Church Service 21, 377
Viotti, Giovanni Battista, high character of his compositions 390
Voel, E., excellent character of work 282
Vogel 282
Vogler, Johann Georg 283
Voigt, Martin 283
Volème (Volumier), G. B., musical director to the King of Poland, and Stradivari's set of twelve Violins 207
Vuillaume, Claude François 255
Vuillaume, Jean 255
Vuillaume, J. B., a prolific maker and excellent workman, 255; his association with Tarisio, and purchase of his collection 356
Vuillaume, N. F., maker and connoisseur 255
Vuillaume, Sébastien 255
W
Wagner, Joseph 283
Wamsley, Peter, high-class English maker 329
Wandering Scroll, A 455
Waterloo Purse, and Stradivarius 217
Weickert 283
Weigert 283
Weiss, Jacob 283
Wenger, G. F. 283
Wenger, Lute-maker 222
Widhalm (or Withalm), Leopold, a high-class imitator of Stainer 283
Wieniawski, Henri 396
Willaert, Adrian, the "Father of the Madrigal" 21
Wise, Christopher 329
Wish, A. 495
Withers, Edward 329
Withers, Edward (2) 330
Witting, J. G. 283
"Wolf-notes" 36
Woods, various, used in the manufacture of the Violin 31
Wyemann, Cornelius 283
Y
Young, father and son, and Purcell's catch 330
Z
Zannetto, Viol-maker 222
Zanola 222
Zanoli 223
Zanotti, A. 223
Zanti, Alessandro 223
Zanure, Viol-maker 223
Zenatto 223
Zwerger, Antoni 283
The Gresham Press, UNWIN BROTHERS, LIMITED, WOKING AND LONDON.
The Violin and its Music
BY
GEORGE HART
Illustrated with several Steel Engravings of Eminent Violinists.
FORMING THE COMPANION VOLUME
TO
THE VIOLIN AND ITS FAMOUS MAKERS.
"The broad range of interest in the book which appears at the very beginning, and the evident appreciation of the romantic, as well as the practical side of the question, shows that the man is not merged in the specialist, and that outsiders, as well as experts, may look to find amusement as well as instruction therein. The range of the book is of the widest."—Saturday Review.
"A sufficient account is given of the various schools of composers and virtuosi in the musical countries of Europe, from Corelli down to Vieuxtemps and Joachim. The author's judgment is in most cases fair and unbiassed, and his diction agreeably free from the current jargon of musical criticism.... The value of Mr. Hart's volume is increased by carefully engraved portraits of Corelli, Viotti, Paganini, and other masters."—Times.
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L'Edition in Octavo 12 francs.
La nouvelle Edition soigneusement revue et augmentée de cet important ouvrage contient la liste descriptive de Luthiers la plus complète qui ait paru jusqu' ici: elle offre de plus au lecteur une notice circonstanciée sur ANTOINE STRADIVARIUS.
L'auteur a éclaire cette notice d'un jour nouveau et y a jeté un vif éclat par les détails pleins d'intérêt qu'il a puisés dans les manuscrits authentiques de Crémone et par les nombreux extraits qu'il a tirés des pièces originales de la correspondance du grand artiste.
Extrait du "Ménestrel."
"L'ouvrage très important que voici est une traduction faite sur la cinquième edition publiée en Angleterre. Je crois avoir rendu compte, quelques années. Depuis lors, l'auteur a amélioré, agrandi, complété son oeuvre, et le volume superbe qu'il nous offre aujourd'hui parait devoir être un texte définitif.
"L'ouvrage, fort intéressant, de M. Hart, le plus complet en son genre que nous connaissions en France, est divisé en quinze sections ou chapitres. Dans la première section, l'auteur a essayé de tracer une histoire hypothétique du violon, histoire malheureusement impossible à faire à cause de son obscurité. Le chapitre consacré à la construction est plus solide. Puis viennent l'examen des procédés des luthiers des différentes écoles: italienne, française, allemande et anglaise, et les biographies de ces luthiers (203 notices de luthiers Italiens, 160 pour les Français, 158 pour les Allemands, 152 pour les Anglais). Enfin, la treizième section a pour titre: le Violon et ses admirateurs, la quatorzième présente une Equisse du progrès et du développement de l'art du Violon, et la quinzième, dont l'utilité est moindre, est consacrée à une série d'anecdotes.
"En résumé, le livre de M. Hart est très curieux, très utile et fort intéressant. Il ne me reste plus qu'a souhaiter que l'auteur nous donne maintenant une traduction d'un autre ouvrage, très précieux, qu'il a publié récemment sous ce titre: The Violin and its Music (Londres, Dulau, 1881, in 4o). Il nous aura rendu alors un double et signale service."—ARTHUR POUGIN.
HART & SON, 28, WARDOUR STREET, LONDON, W.