VIOLIN
By Antonius and Hieronymus Amati
An authority tells us that: “After 1690 his individuality began to assert itself, his model became more graceful and flatter, the f-holes elegant and reclining, the centre bouts gracefully drawn out, as also the corners; the scroll is bold and striking; the purfling rather narrow; and the varnish beautiful golden, or light red. It was at the end of this period that he made the violins known as the ‘Long Strads,’ so called from their narrowness between the f-holes, giving them a lanky appearance, the size varying, and the varnish amber, or light red. The year 1700 brings us to his best period, the model flattish, the wood cut on the quarter and thickest in the centre under the bridge, the curves gentle and harmonious, the wood of the blocks very light, often formed of willow, the scroll perfect in its symmetry. The graceful f-holes, the transcendently glorious amber-colored, or ruby, varnish are all characteristics of this epoch of the greatest master’s greatest power. His last instruments have the purfling pointed across the corner instead of following it round; and it is not uncommon to find it running completely through the corner. His ticket runs ‘Antonio Stradivarius Cremonensis faciebat Anno 17—’. His years of experiment resulted in a neatly compacted instrument with light edges, accurate corners, round arching, broadly treated but exquisitely graceful sound-holes and scroll and a varnish soft in texture which shades deliciously from orange to red. From 1703 until about 1709, the year of those famous violins, the ‘Pucelle’ and the ‘Viotti,’ Stradivari seems to have settled upon certain points of construction from which he rarely afterwards departed. In 1711 he made the fine violin known as the ‘Parke;’ in 1713, the ‘Boissier,’ which belonged to Sarasate; in 1714, the ‘Dolphin;’ and in 1715, the ‘Gillot’ and the ‘Alard,’ which experts look upon as the master’s finest creations; and in 1716, came the ‘Messiah.’ No detail of his work was too unimportant for the master’s vigilant observation. That he personally designed the pegs, finger-boards, tail-pieces, inlaid patterns, bridges and even the minutest details of his violin cases, is attested by the numerous drawings of these in the Della Valle collection while the several sketches for bow tips and nuts reveal the interesting fact that he also made bows. Generally speaking, the so-called Lost Cremona Varnish was in the writer’s opinion no secret in Stradivari’s lifetime, but the common property of the lute-makers of the day, who compounded it from the materials used by the great painters of the epoch. Stradivari’s own recipe was inscribed on the fly-leaf of a family Bible, but his descendant, Giacomo Stradivari, destroyed this.”[6]
Two sons carried on their father’s work, but they produced nothing remarkable.
There were five of the Guarneri who were distinguished violin-makers. The first was Andreas, who worked with Stradivari in the workshop of Nicolò Amati. He afterwards developed an original style. The important member was Joseph del Gesù, so called from the “I. H. S.” he added to his name on the labels of his violins. Just why he did this nobody seems to know. As he was the son of Gian Battista, he may have humorously wanted to say he was greater than his father. Joseph, or Giuseppe, Guarneri was born in 1687 and died in 1745. His latest productions, from 1740 till his death, are his best. Whether he was a pupil of Stradivari, or not, matters little. His real master was old Gasparo di Salò; for he revived the bold, rugged outline and the powerful tone of the early Brescian maker, as you will see if you compare the violins facing pages [22] and [38]. Joseph del Gesù was searching after tone; and he got it. He seems to have led a wild life; and there is a story that once he got into trouble and was locked up in prison and that the jailer’s daughter brought him wood and tools so that he could make violins. These violins are called “Prison Josephs”; and, judging from the number of them in the world, Joseph del Gesù must have stayed a long time in prison and have been very industrious while there.
Paganini had a Joseph del Gesù and preferred it to his Stradivari. He always played upon it; and when he died, he left it to the Town Hall in Genoa, where it is still to be seen. It is represented facing page [38].
One more and we shall have finished with the Cremonese makers. This is Carlo Bergonzi, Stradivari’s favorite pupil. Carlo lived next door to Stradivari; and when the latter died, he moved into Stradivari’s house and lived with the latter’s son. First Bergonzi copied the Stradivari model and then he tried for power; so he endeavored to combine the model of Stradivari and that of Joseph Guarneri. The model that he produced is bold, broad and massive and gives a strong, rich, full tone. Bergonzi worked twenty-five years; but only about sixty authentic instruments of his are known. Bergonzi was born in 1712 and died in 1750.
We must not imagine that these makers of whom we have been talking were the only ones at work in Lombardy during these two hundred years. If we take the pains to look at any books on violin-making we will be amazed at the long, long list of Italian makers of lutes and violins. There were about as many of them as there are makers of pianos in the United States to-day.
There were also many German instrument-makers at work, particularly in the Tyrol, where the pines were so plentiful; but the only one of any great reputation is Jacob Stainer, who was born in the little town of Absam near Innsbrück in 1621. He may have gone to Cremona, which was not far away from his home, and have worked there, or he may have just had some models. At any rate, his violins are more like those of Cremona than are those of any other German maker.