Violin tone and violin makers

by Hidalgo Moya; Towry Piper

ALDRIC.—Paris. Eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Was living in 1843. One of the best of the French makers of the Lupot School. He was also well-known as a dealer. Excellent work and material. Stradivari model, and usually rather dark red varnish. Instruments frequently rather heavy looking in build. He used chiefly printed, but also written labels, and worked in Paris at various addresses. His violins and other instruments have sometimes been relabelled and sold as the work of Nicholas Lupot.

AMATI.—The family name of the founders of the celebrated school of Cremona. Their record as makers begins about the middle of the sixteenth century, or perhaps a little later, and ends in 1740. The pioneer of the family was Andrea, the date of whose birth is unknown, but there is evidence in the Archives of Cremona showing that he was alive in 1611, and buried his second wife in that year. The appearance and general character of his works point to Brescia as the school from which he derived his inspiration, but beyond tradition there is no evidence to prove that Bertolotti (known as Caspar da Salò) was his actual master. Very little of his authentic work is now in existence. A few violoncellos, and some bass and double bass viols survive, and a very few violins of small or three-quarter pattern. A wellknown example of these last was put up to auction in London recently. The arching of the instruments is high, the sound-holes, of Brescian type, are rather wide open, the wood and workmanship good, the backs of the violins generally in one piece cut slab wise. The labels seem to be dated in Roman numerals. It was this maker’s sons, Antonius and Hieronymus, more especially the latter, who produced the type of violin which will ever be associated with the name of Amati. They worked in partnership during their joint lives, but their individual workmanship is distinct; Antonius, the elder brother’s instruments retaining certain Brescian characteristics which were wisely discarded by Hieronymus, who produced examples of great elegance of form, and possessing a tone which for beautiful quality has never since been surpassed. The date of Antonius’s birth has not been discovered, nor that of his death, but it is generally believed that the latter occurred after the year 1640. Hieronymus’s birth-year is also undiscovered, but there is an entry in Cremonese registers, proving that he died of the plague in November, 1630. The violins bearing the label of the firm vary in size, and a considerable number still survive, the larger and rarer specimens, measuring about 14 inches in length of body, being of more value than the smaller patterns. The usual label of the firm is “Antonius & Hieronymus Fr. Amati Cremonen Andreae fil. F. 16....” The brothers are credited by Messrs. Hill, of Bond Street, with having been the earliest makers known to have produced violas of the smaller dimensions, measuring about 16¼ inches long, which is now accepted as the standard length for the viola. Their violoncellos were of large size—well over 30 inches long—but appear to have been all, or almost all, reduced, to fit them for modern playing. In the violins slab backs in one piece are frequently seen, but many of them, especially those of later date, have jointed backs, the wood of which is cut “on the quarter.” Numbers of labels exist or are cited in books, bearing dates long after the deaths of both brothers must have occurred. No very satisfactory explanation of this seems to be forthcoming unless we assume that Niccolò Amati, the son of Hieronymus, and the most celebrated maker, continued to use the style and tickets of the firm for a long period before finally adopting his own label. We may now turn to Niccolo Amati, who was born in Cremona on December 3, 1596, and died there on April 12, 1684. An earlier Niccolò is mentioned as having been a brother of Andrea, and the name has been copied time and again by successive compilers of lists of makers. Nothing whatever appears to be known of such a person, and there is no good reason for supposing that he ever existed. Niccolò, son of Hieronymus, closely followed his father’s pattern and teachings for a considerable time, and does not seem to have begun to use the ticket with his own name until about 1640, by which time he would be forty-four years of age. He made violins of varying sizes, the ordinary type being about 13⁷/₈ inches long. His sound-holes are generally similar in design to those of his father, but in later work the opening is frequently rather wider, and the angle at which it is set in the instrument a trifle more slanting. He also extended the arching in some of his work, carrying it nearer the sides, and somewhat diminishing the grooves running around these. The term “Grand Amati” which is associated with his name was at one time well understood to apply to a type of violin 14 inches long, with rather produced corners, and a somewhat sudden dip beginning not far from the centre of the back and belly, forming in fact a distinct ridge in the long axis of the instrument. But the term “grand” appears nowadays to be loosely applied to almost any Niccolò Amati violin of somewhat larger size than the ordinary pattern above mentioned. In addition to greater length measurement, the Grand Amati exhibits considerably greater width, which is especially noticeable in the upper portion of the body. On these large violins the enhanced fame of this great maker chiefly rests, and their money value is much greater than that of the smaller forms. They are very scarce, and there is strong reason to suppose that some of the few which exist were largely, if not altogether, the handiwork of pupils, amongst whom may be mentioned Andrea Guarneri, although that maker in his own signed work does not very often follow that pattern. It has been adopted with success by several other makers of high repute, e.g. Francesco Ruger, Sanctus Seraphin of Venice, Jacobs of Amsterdam, Banks of Salisbury, Vincenzo Panormo (rarely), and hosts of other copyists. Stradivari does not seem to have been attracted by it, and only in one or two minor features do any of his known works exhibit any resemblance to it. Niccolò Amati’s varnish is generally of the yellow type associated with the works of earlier members of his family, and the wood used for the backs and sides is of native growth and small, though often very handsome, figure. In some later work wood with a broader curl may be seen, but examples are rare. The violoncellos were originally of large size, but are seldom or never seen uncut. Niccolò Amati had numerous notable pupils and followers, the most important being, of course, Antonio Stradivari. Of these there is not space to append a list, but their names and work will be found noted in the following pages. There is good reason to believe that for at least ten years prior to his death he did not take much active part in the business of his workshop. Hieronymus Amati II., born 1649, died February 21, 1740, was the third son of Niccolò, and apparently the only one who was a violin-maker. It is now well recognised that he was a workman of much ability, and there is no room for doubt that numbers of the instruments made in the latter part of his father’s lifetime were either wholly or partially his handiwork. Many violins dating from about 1670, and bearing genuine Niccolò Amati labels exist, which exhibit a very high degree of finish, great neatness of workmanship, and other characteristics which do not appear in examples by other workmen employed by Niccolò, but which, when compared with instruments admittedly made by Hieronymus II. after his father’s death, are sufficient to proclaim their authorship. In these the cutting of the scrolls and sound-holes is clearly the work of a maker in the full maturity of his powers. The varnish on some, at least, is of a somewhat redder hue than the typical Amati yellow, and the rise of the arching more gradual. The instruments are not after the grand pattern in their design and proportions. Messrs. Hill suggest that Stradivari may have been concerned in the making of some of them, as probabilities point to that maker having continued to work for Niccolò (besides working on his own account) down to the time of his death. Hieronymus II. continued to produce and repair instruments after his father’s death, and his label, stating that he executed repairs, may still be seen in a few old instruments. The writer has seen more than one such. When he first began to insert his own labels in his work does not seem to be clear, but most of those cited in books, and all seen by the writer, have been dated after 1700. In most of his tickets he states that he was Niccolò’s son. For some reason—possibly because his father’s death left him in easy circumstances—specimens made by him after that event are by no means plentiful, and the information about them contained in most of the books on the violin is meagre, unreliable, and quite fails to do justice to his undoubted abilities. A fine violin of his make, dated 1710, is figured in the last edition of the work on “Violin Makers” by the German writer, von Lütgendorff.

AMATI, Nicolaus.—Bologna; about 1720 to 1740; commonly called “Dom Nicolaus Amati;” was a priest who made violins and other instruments of moderately good workmanship and fair tone. The writer has met with two or three violins and a viola of his make. It is not known if he was related to the Cremonese family.

AMBROSI, Petrus.—Rome and Brescia; first half of eighteenth century. According to labels the maker was a Cremonese, and in some the name is spelt “Ambrogi.” Moderate workmanship and varnish. Rough Stradivari pattern. The name may not unfrequently be seen in common fiddles, such as are sold in pawnshops.

ANDERSON.—At least three makers of the name worked in Scotland during the nineteenth century; one named John was a pupil of Matthew Hardie and a prolific workman. He lived chiefly in Aberdeen, and died there in 1883.

ANTONIAZZI.—The name of several makers in Italy in the last century. Gaetano (died 1897 in Milan) was a good workman, and obtained medals for his productions; another, Romeo, was working in Cremona recently, and makes instruments in various styles, but has a model of his own.

AUDINOT.—A Mirecourt family of the nineteenth century who have made many useful instruments. The best known is Nestor Dominique, born in 1842, who is in good repute both as a maker and repairer in Paris.

BAADER, J. A. AND Co.—Mittenwald; contemporary. A well-known firm who manufacture instruments of various classes on an extensive scale.

BACHMANN.—The name of several German makers; the two best known, Anton and Karl Ludwig, worked in Berlin in the eighteenth century.

BAGATELLA, Antonio.—Paduna. Died in 1829. Instruments scarce. Writer has seen one or two double-basses of some merit which were assigned to him. Best known as the writer of a pamphlet, published in 1782, on scientific violin making.