Newspaper Page Text
TRUTH. . 5 I
VIOLINS AND THEIR MAKERS.
There is an absolutely human fas
cination about the violin, particular
ly In an ancient instrument that has
passed through troublous centuries of
existence and whoso sensitive strings
have responded to the touch of gen
erations dead and gone. One need
not play it well to love It fondly to
love It personally. It Is not so strange
then, after, all that ho famous col
lectors of violins have not been exe
cutants from a professional stand
point, with the single exception ot
Itemenyi, who had one of the finest ot
private collections, and slept, so 'tis
I said, with a Stradlvarlus on ono sldo
of him nnd a Joseph Guarnerlus on
the other. No. Tho man with the
fad for fiddles may have como to his
-understanding of them through lovo
of color, of form, of their peculiar and
i romantic history, or of their potency
w to stir the hearts of men beneath
other fingers than his own.
This accounts in some measure for
tho fact that a violin always attracts
attention. Artists and connoisseurs
regard it with a feeling akin to affec
tion. Still, these questions are never
asked by those who understand the
i Instrument. Tho multitude who ad-
1 mire the violin aro found among tho
musicians, painters and llterateurs. It
i demands unusual attention in this ago
of progress, from the fact that it has
hitherto proved Incapable of Improve
ment in Its material form and fea
tures. The only changes made in It
' since .the sixteenth century aro con
fined to the arrangement of the sound
post tho soul of tho violin and a
slight lengthening of the neck. It is
the ono perfect Instrument in tho
world, for the Cremonese makers left
no chance for further improvement.
The one thing about the violin that
dcfles the science of the ago is the
varnish. Tho making of this, which
is now called Cremonese, Is num
bered among the lost arts. Tho var
nish of an instrument, as all experts
know, Is as vital to its excellence as
any other of Its many wonderful yet
simple parts, and pages of opinions
tho result of years, yes, centuries of
investigation and analysis have not
1 disclosed the secret of tho early
masters.
Twelve of the finest violins In the
world formed the private collection
of tho lato Itoyal Do Forest Hawloy.
It was considered the most celebrated
private collection tho world has over
seen.
Mr. Hawley was occupied for a pe
riod of thirty years in making his col
lection. His chief aim was to have
tho very best, and ho spared neither
'timo nor money to obtain tho most
perfect specimens extant. Ho assem
bled a collection which It will be im
possible to ngaln equal, for tho timo
to obtain such a choico Is past, and it
becomes moro difficult each year to
procure samples made by tho master
makers. Tho collection was ilnally
bought outright by a well-known firm
In Chicago, which has since resold tho
instruments separately.
Each is a mastorpieco of workman
ship in its own school, and tho Jewel
of tho twelve Is tho famous "King
Joseph" Guarnerlus, 1737, tho crown
ing achievement of that master's lifo
work, whoso history reaches back for
moro than ono hundred and sixty
years, and which in all that time has
stood without a rival a very wizard's
talisman of melody. Every ono of tho
twelvo instruments has its document
ary history Jealously preserved. Many
of tho most Interesting names in tho
history of violin making were found
in this small but rare collection. Thero
wero two great Stradlvarlus models,
tho work of Antonio Stradivari in his
prime; and two of Joseph Guarnarlus
del Gesu, tho greater of which ono is
tho matchless "King Joseph" in as
perfect condition as when it left tho
maker's bench, besides specimens of
tho great Amati, Gergonzi, Guadagninl
and Joseph Guarnerlus, son of Andrea.
It was such a collection as would
mako a musician hold his breath for
Joy, and such as could bo appreciated
to the full only by ono in touch with
all tho mysteries of tho craft tho
color values of tho rich old varnishes,
tho curious turns of each magic scroll,
tho swell of body4 and tho mysterious
fashionings of rare, selected woods,
into which, as somo of tho old Italian
legends run, wero breather tho very
life and soul of tho master workman.
Tho name of Stradivari, In tho pub
lic mind, is linked with that which Is
superlatively beautiful, and in tho vio
Hn world It Is svnonvmous with
achievements excelling anything in
the history of tho instrument. It is
fitting, therefore, that his "unrivaled
namo" should be placed first in tho
list of violin makers. As a master' of
his art ho stands on a level with Ra
phael and Michael Angelo in paint
ing and sculpture; Bach and Beetho
ven in music, and Shakcspearo and
Balzac in literature. Ho is tho King
of Luthlers, whoso fnmo Is as wldo
as the civilized world, whose namo is
known wherever the violin has a placo
and who, In his art, has for two hun
dred years stood peerless and alone.
Ho was a law unto hlmsolf and ho as
cended to heights whoro nono may
follow. Ho worked to tho very end
of his life. His hand never lost its
cunning; tho last violin mado by him
bears tho dnto 1737, tho year of his
death.
It is this fact which gained for him
tho admiration of all Interested In his
art to tho extent that his namo has
become a household word, and his
praises have been sung wherever and
whenever tho violin has been tho sub
ject. Henry W. Longfellow was en
tranced with tho mnrvelous work ol
Stradlvarlus and wrote concerning It:
"Tho instrument on which ho played
Was in Cremona's workshop mado,
By a great master of tho past
Ero yet was lost tho art divine;
Fashioned of maplo and of pine
That In Tyrolean forests vast
Had rocked and wrestled with tho
blast;
Exquisito was It in design,
A marvel of tho lutist's art,
Perfect in each minutest part;
And in its hollow chamber, thus
The maker from whoso hands it camo
Had written his unrivaled namo,
Antonlus Stradlvarlus."
Ono of tho illustrations shown is
an Antonlus Stradlvarlus, mado in
Cremona in 1711. This grand violin
Is known as "Tho Earl," having been
for many years In tho possession of
tho Earl of Westmqreland, who so
cured It when ambassador to Vienna
and brought it back with him to Eng
land. It was ono of tho gems of tho
Hawloy collection, is In tho highest
state of preservation, and occupies thq
unlquo distinction of being ono of tho
very few Stradlvarlus violins which
comes down to us in a perfect state.
It belongs to tho best period of Strad
lvarlus' work. Tho wood Is of tho
utmost beauty, and tho varnish a rich
peach-red color. Tho tone Is of tho
finest Stradlvarlus quality tho es
sonco of purity and sweetness, and
has great breadth of volume. Mr. Ar
chibald Mitchell, of Hartford, Conn.,'
bought tho Instrument for ten thou
sand dollars.
Tho magnificent speciment of Strad
lvarlus' work labeled 1722 Is ono of tho
largest that ho made, and in form, I
wood and varnish resembles tho Span- jfl
Ish Stradlvarlus, 1720, and tho "Nico- ll
Hnl" Stradlvarlus, 1728. All of these I
violins aro strikingly different from I
ills earliest instruments; nlso those Lm
mado In tho years Just prior to his I
death. I
They have an air of masslvcness I
and strength which predominates ovor I
all ether qualities. Tho wood is very I
handsome and tho varnish a rich ruby ' .
color. Mr. Archibald Mitchell also fl
owns this wonderfully lino instrument, l
for which lie paid nine thousand dol- I
lars. H
Josoph Guarnerlus del Gesu rnn.es I
next to Stradlvarlus, and Is therefore- I
the second greatest maker of violins H
tho world has ever known. Tho term H
"del Gesu" has nlways been applied to H
this maker on account of tho charac- H
tors "I. II. S." (Iosus Homlnuin Sal-
valor), and a llomau cross, which al-
most Invariably appear on his labels, It
also serves to distinguish' him from H
his cousin, Joseph, son of Andrea. H
Vlullaumo, an eminent authority on H
matters rotating to tho ilddlo world, H
has divided tho work of Guarnerlus, H
very properly, into four periods, which H
differ frcm each other and aro marked H
by tho finish of his instruments and H
the modeling and wood employed in H
their construction. Tho Instruments H
of his earlier years havo much of tho H
character of thoso of tho great njos-
tcrs immediately preceding him. The H
violins of tho second period aro of M
small pattern, very elegant in design M
slightly higher in tho arching, and M
beautifully developed from tho edges M
upward. In tho third division nre in- M
eluded his instruments of largo form H
grand and noblo specimens of tho M
luthler's art aro thoy superior In var- M
nish, wood and general artistic quail- M
ties to his Instruments of every other M
period, and equaling tho greatest M
works of Stradlvarlus. Tho las epoch M
from 1735 to 17-15 finds a departure fl
in ono or two rcspocts from tho lines M
followed In tho preceding period, but M
in these last years lot it bo rempm- H
bored ho fashioned somo of his most H
famous instruments, notably tho Paga- B
nlnl "Canon," now preserved nnd ox- H
(Continued on page 12) H
yfS I
I fe IGNORANCE I I
S JM iMfem j
ft ITrSMpMfc as t0 Placing his life Insurance in the "BEST COMPANY" is now H
HiTm ' t&fffissr' causing many a man to feel downcast. That "BEST COMPANY" for & M
IfSaBil National Life Insurance Co., iMi.ta. .J I
T :BiS I'w 56 Years of Honest, Careful and Prudent Administration. H
S 204-205 McCornlok Building, Salt Lake City. H
It Geo. D. Alder, Gen'l Manager. Z. Henry Jacobs, Cashier, ff M
j Talk Up Salt Lake and Utah, - Boost. I
jL - . . ... .jB
