Violin tone and violin makers

by Hidalgo Moya; Towry Piper

GLÄZEL.—Markneukirchen. For over a century a large number of makers of this name have worked in Markneukirchen and elsewhere in Germany.

GLASS.—Klingenthal. Another German family of whom much the same may be said as of the Gläzels.

GLIER.—Markneukirchen. Another large family of makers. Eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

GOBETTI, Francesco.—Venice; circa 1700-30. One of the finest makers of the Venetian school. There is nothing beyond tradition of a most unsatisfactory kind to prove that he was a pupil of Stradivari. His work in some cases suggests late Amati influence, both in form and style; it is frequently very beautiful in every respect, save the cutting of the scrolls. Handsome wood, beautiful red varnish, and tone of excellent quality. His genuine labels are by no means plentiful, the tickets of Francesco Ruger, Amati, and Stradivari, having been inserted in his instruments. The writer has met with two or three violins having a decidedly German outline which were assigned to this maker by judges of repute.

GOFRILLER.—Venice; to about 1740. A family, possibly of Tyrolese origin, whose work was until recent years little known in this country. The best maker was Matteo, much of whose work has been masquerading under the names of other makers, such as Joseph Guarneri, son of Andrea, Carlo Bergonzi, and Montagnana. The workmanship and style are good, wood sometimes, but not frequently, handsome, and the varnish, generally dark red, is of good quality. He seems to have made a good many violoncellos. The scrolls are well cut, but can hardly be described as of Italian type. Labels vary, and in some the name is spelt with a double “f.” Two other Gofrillers, Francesco and Antonio, are mentioned, but their work is almost unknown.

GOSSELIN, Jean.—Paris; circa 1820-30. An amateur. There are some fine violins of Stradivari pattern bearing his label. In some cases instruments made by another hand were varnished by him.

GOULDING.—London; about 1800. There are a good many violoncellos and violins bearing the stamp “Goulding,” some of English work, and others of obviously foreign make. Some of these are useful instruments, but there seems to be some doubt whether he was actually a maker.

GRAGNANI, Antonio.—Leghorn; circa 1740-1800. The best of the few makers dating from Leghorn. The violins bear some little likeness to the work of the Gagliano family, have a very good quality of tone, and the varnish is not unfrequently of good texture and appearance, though the colour is apt to fade. The scrolls are very poor. Instruments branded on the button, and sometimes in other places. Of late they have commanded some attention amongst players, and their value has increased considerably. There were two other makers of the name, but of no particular account.

GRANCINO.—Milan; late seventeenth and earlier eighteenth centuries. An important family of makers of whom there seem to have been upwards of half a dozen members. The earliest appears to have been Paolo, who was at work until near the end of the seventeenth century. The few of his instruments met with by the writer have been of Amati pattern, with yellow varnish, and wood exhibiting little or no figure. It is said that he was a pupil in Amati’s workshop. He certainly does not seem to have used varnish which can be compared with that of his master. His son Giovanni worked from about the end of the seventeenth century until 1730 or a little later, and has left a good many instruments of considerable value. The violoncellos perhaps take higher rank than the violins, but the finer specimens of the latter are not unfrequently handsome, both as to wood and varnish, and the tone is of full and telling quality. In some of his later work Giovanni discarded some of the Amati features seen in earlier examples. The arching is flatter, and the sound-hole assumes a somewhat pointed form, and is set more obliquely in the instrument. It has been said by writers that he imitated Guarneri del Gesù, a statement which is manifestly absurd having regard to dates. Instruments by him with the pointed sound-hole exist, which were made long before del Gesù’s admitted period of activity, i.e. 1725-45. Of the other makers of the name very little seems to be certainly known.

GRAND-GÉRARD.—Mirecourt; early nineteenth century. Branded instruments of rather large flat pattern and commonplace character. The tone is not unfrequently passable.