The Violin and Old Violin Makers / Being a Historical & Biographical Account of the Violin, with Facsimiles of Labels of the Old Makers

by A. Mason Clarke

For those who desire a more extended knowledge of the rise and progress of the violin family a large field of literature is open. As a preparatory the author recommends Otto’s “Treatise on the Structure and Preservation of the Violin” (W. Reeves, London), which contains much valuable and interesting information on the subject.

Now, there can be little doubt but that the simplest form of stringed instrument (played with a bow) was conceived from the idea of a stretched string fixed at two points, vibration being excited by means of a jagged stick. The earliest known instrument of this species, according to M. Fétis (a great historical writer on the subject) is the ravanastron, stated to have been invented by an ancient King of Ceylon, called Ravana, some five or six thousand years ago. It consisted of a cylinder of sycamore wood, hollowed out from one end to the other. “This cylinder is about 4⅜ inches long, and has a diameter of 2 inches. Over one end is stretched a piece of boa skin, with large scales, which forms the belly or sound-board. The cylinder is crossed from side to side—at one-third of its length, next the sound-board—by a rod or shank of deal, which serves as a neck, of the length of 22 inches, rounded on its under part, but flat on the top, and slightly inclined backwards. The head of this neck is pierced with two holes for the pegs, half an inch in diameter; not in the side, but in the plane of the sound-board. Two large pegs, 4 inches in length, shaped hexagonally at the top, and rounded at the ends which go into the holes, serve to tighten two strings made of the intestines of the gazelle, which are fixed to a strap of serpent skin attached to the lower extremity of the rod or shank. A little bridge ¾ of an inch long, cut sloping on the top, but flat on the part which rests on the sound-board, and worked out rectangularly in this part, so as to form two separate feet, supports the strings. As to the bow, it is formed of a small bamboo, of which the upper portion is slightly curved, and the lower (nearly) straight. A hole is made in the head of the bow, at the first knot, for fixing a hank of hair, which is strained and fixed at the other end, by binding a very flexible rush string twenty times round it.”

Such is this most primitive bow instrument, slight modifications of which still exist in Eastern countries. The Chinese and Japanese fiddles one often sees now in music-shops are not at all unlike the ancient ravanastron. That India appears to have given birth to bow instruments, and to have made them known to other parts of Asia, Egypt and afterwards to Europe, no conjecture is needed, for the instruments themselves exist, and still preserve the characteristics of their native originality.

We will now pass over a few thousand years during which time stringed instruments of great variety and of every conceivable shape had been invented and improved upon in different countries of the world, their gradual development (brought about, no doubt, more by circumstances existing at various periods than by any real aim towards artistic achievement) giving birth to the various families of stringed instruments in use at the present day, e.g., the violin family, the harp, guitar, mandoline and pianoforte.

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In tracing the progress of the violin (which the author will endeavour to do in connection with its music and performers) it is necessary to content ourselves with a more definite standpoint, therefore, we will commence with a period when the viol or fiddle family came upon the scene, the immediate precursor of the violin; the viol, in fact, is not inaptly termed the grandfather of the violin.

The great distinctive feature between a viol and the present violin family, is that instead of F sound-holes, viols had C holes. Some had sound-holes in the shape of what are known as “flaming sword” holes. They carried five or six strings, sometimes more, and the finger-board was mounted with frets, for (as was then thought) the more certain means of stopping the notes in perfect tune, an idea which, to modern violinists, involves an absurdity.

Viols are known to have been in use as early as the fifteenth century (some writers go back to the thirteenth, but these early ones partook more of the nature and shape of the guitar than of the subsequent viol). The viol continued in use up to the beginning of the reign of Charles I, and was one of the most popular instruments in its time. There were generally four in use, viz., treble, alto, tenor and bass, and occupied in some respects the position now held by our violin, tenor, ’cello and double bass. To an ordinary observer there is little difference in appearance between the shape of a treble viol and the earliest violin, so that a considerable latitude of doubt may be allowed to exist as to the finality of the former and the adoption of the latter; but certain it is that the violin of the time became to be appreciated to such an extraordinary degree, that the principal viol and lute makers towards the end of the sixteenth century set about making violins in the place of viols. Whether the idea of this change was dictated by the caprice of novelty, or whether any special demand arose for an instrument of more extended compass by reason of the advancement made in the musical compositions of the time, it is difficult to determine with certainty. It is significant, however, that at this period of the advancement of the violin, the musical influence of Tallis (the founder of English church music), and of Bird, his illustrious pupil, was manifesting itself throughout this country, and in Italy the music of Palestrina exercised a similar influence.

In the year 1662 appeared the first work printed in England containing any reference to the violin. It was written by one John Playford, and is entitled “A Brief Introduction to the Skill of Musick,” wherein is the following relating to the violin:

“The treble violin is a cheerful and sprightly instrument, and much practised of late, some by book, and some without; which of these two is the best way, may easily be resolved. First, to learn to play by rote or ear, without book, is the way never to play more than what he can guess by seeing and hearing another play, which may soon be forgotten, but, on the contrary, he which learns and practices by book, according to the rules of musick, fails not after he comes to be perfect under these rules, which guide him to play more than ever he was taught or heard, and also to play his part in concert, the which the other will never be capable of, unless he hath this usual guide.