Violins and Violin Makers / Biographical Dictionary of the Great Italian Artistes, their Followers and Imitators, to the present time. With Essays on Important Subjects Connected with the Violin.

by Joseph Pearce

Pietro, another son of Andreas, dates from 1690 to 1720. In the latter part of his life, he appears to have removed from Cremona to Mantua, his labels bearing date from thence. He was a pupil of his father, but is said not to have equalled him in careful finish. His instruments, however, command considerable respect and fetch a good price, a violoncello of his being recorded to have sold a few years ago for £120.

Joseph, nephew of Andreas, born in 1683, and died in 1745, is the last and best of the race of violin makers of this name. He was distinguished by the title of Joseph del Gesu, through his using on his labels, the monogram I.H.S., with a cross over or through the H. His career appears to have been of a very chequered complexion. From all the accounts that have come down to us, he seems to have been a man of irregular habits and eccentric genius. In consequence of these peculiarities, his instruments differ greatly in their characteristics. Neither the model, the wood, nor the varnish possesses much verisimilitude at different periods of his career. They are all, however, marked by the stamp of genius, and give but little trouble to a well informed connoisseur. Even under the most distressing circumstances, when on some account, he was confined in prison, and was obliged to be indebted to his gaoler's daughter for the materials with which he worked, they still bear the characteristics and originality of a great master. The finish, however, of those which he made at this period was inferior to the others, being rather coarse and slovenly, and the work altogether little indicating externally the signs of that real excellence which they possess. At his best period, however, his instruments are of rare beauty and merit, and equal or perhaps excel those of Stradiuarius. The wood he then used was of fine quality, and the varnish rich and lustrous and very often of similar lovely tints as those of that master. Many of his instruments are of rather small pattern, but in his best period, he produced some of large size and of extraordinary power and grandeur of tone. Among them was the famous favourite violin of Paganini, the renown of which, says M. Vuillaume, "was equal to that of its master." This was the instrument on which, the most celebrated of all violin players the world ever saw, produced those extraordinary effects which astonished the whole musical world, and which will never be forgotten by those who heard them, nor perhaps excelled by any other. These instruments are however unfortunately very rare, and as rich connoisseurs will have them if possible, the value of them has come to be very great. We have elsewhere mentioned the magnificent violin known by the name of the King Joseph Guarnerius, for which Mr. Hart received the enormous sum of £700, which is the largest amount ever obtained for a violin on record. This splendid violin is of large pattern, with beautiful rich orange yellow varnish and splendid wood. It was imported into this country by Mr. Hart, and has been in the hands of those enthusiastic and judicious collectors, Mr. James Goding and Mr. Stewart. Joseph Guarnerius appears to have endeavoured to produce the grandest tone, combining majesty and refinement. Many people think he did so without thought or design, but we think otherwise. In the first place he seems to have fixed on Gaspar di Salo and Magini as his models, for if a comparison be made we shall find there are many points which resemble these instruments, for example, the peculiar shaped sound holes, the manner in which they are placed and the flat model, all of which tend to produce power, while he obtained the quality from the wonderful ingenuity he exercised in leaving the thicknesses of the wood in evidently the correct places, which was the necessary step in advance. He certainly made many rough instruments which are ascribed to his imprisonment, and which are now called the Prison Guarnerii, but the varnish on these even is not surpassed. He made many of a rich yellow colour, and others of red, the latter of which are matchless instruments. His heads are not finely cut, but the character he gave them has never been excelled.

In the first rank of Joseph Guarnerius instruments we must no doubt place that belonging to Paganini, which would, if it could be obtained, command an extraordinary price, and there are also many other noble productions of his skill extant. The King Joseph Guarnerius we have before mentioned. Mr. Plowden has four very valuable violins by this master. One was formerly the property of Mr. Goding, and was esteemed by him the finest in his collection. Another is quite equal, more highly finished and has his splendid red varnish. The third was formerly the property of Ole Bull, and is considered of the finest model of the master in his more unfinished and larger sized instruments, dated 1714. The fourth, less well known, but perhaps more perfect, certainly in tone, 1742. These four instruments are considered by most of the virtuosi, to be probably the finest examples extant of this great master. Certainly there are few collectors who can boast of having so many fine violins as these four by Guarnerius, and the four by Stradiuarius previously described. Mr. Plowden has always gone on the principle of getting the very best instruments of each master, and his taste and judgment are well evidenced in his collection. The late Earl of Falmouth possessed some very valuable instruments such as the Kiesewetter Guarnerius and the Jarnovick Guarnerius, so named after their owners, and also a fine Magini Tenor, all of which were purchased by Mr. Hart. The late lamented Prince Consort had a very fine tenor by Joseph Guarnerius, which was highly finished and had belonged to Dragonetti. There are many other fine specimens of Guarnerius in this country. English collectors, with that splendid contempt for cost which distinguishes them, allow no fine instruments to leave the country if they know it, and the consequence is that in the present day, and for some time back, England ranks first in the number and value of the Cremona Violins she possesses. Next comes France, who has some able connoisseurs; then Russia and Germany. Italy, strange to say, has suffered them all to leave her, and though the native country of Stradiuarius and Guarnerius, it is doubtful whether other nations have not attracted all the finest instruments out of her own possession. The great rise in the value of these extraordinary instruments is no doubt due to the fact that they were built very strong in wood, the effect of which would be to depreciate the tone when they were built, but which, now time has ameliorated them and the wood has become capable of free vibration, has refined the quality and increased the tone. Fifty years ago, a Guarnerius of the best time might have been bought for £50 that will now command £500. Neither does it appear that they have yet reached their climax, for they are yearly increasing in value as the examples we have mentioned clearly show.

THE GREAT TYROLESE MAKER.

JACOB STEINER.

The time has been when the instruments of this master, whose name is perhaps yet as widely known as the Cremonese, were very highly esteemed in England. In Germany it is so yet, and many of the amateurs of that country flatter themselves that Steiner ranks first in the roll of famous violin makers. Their celebrated violinist, Spohr, however, in his remarks on the subject inserted in his Violin School does not coincide with the opinion of his fellow countrymen to this effect, for he puts Steiner in the second rank, reserving to the first Nicholas Amati, Antonius Stradiuarius, and Joseph Guarnerius. In this decision he also generally expresses the opinion of the travelled professional violinists of his own country as well as all Europe. But it is well known that in Germany a well preserved instrument of Steiner's best period will sell for much more money than any where else. In England more especially we adopt exactly the reverse valuation. Steiner will not now command a greater price than many of the pupils of the great masters, and perhaps to some extent this may arise from the immense number of spurious instruments bearing his name, which the inferior Tyrolese makers put forth to the world and palmed on a credulous public as his genuine instruments. Perhaps no master has been more copied and imitated, both in Germany and elsewhere. In England the violin makers in the beginning of the eighteenth century, mostly copied the pattern and model of Steiner. There must, therefore, be some good and powerful reason for this general depreciation in value and reputation which Steiner has suffered. This the candid inquirer readily finds in the fact that the instruments of Steiner, which were generally constructed on a high and peculiar model were only calculated for the production of a thin though sparkling tone, while the Italians aimed, particularly in the flatter instruments, to obtain a full rich and round tone. This distinction is apparent even in the older Cremona makers, but if we compare those of Steiner with those of Nicholas Amati, of Stradiuarius, or Guarnerius, the thin tone of the former and the rich round tone of the latter become instantly most striking. The consequence is that the rich amateurs who form collections, and the great performers whose interest it is to please by the quality of tone as well as the grace and finish of their execution, no longer purchase the Steiner violins except as matters of curiosity in the case of a very fine example. We do not know any great player who uses a Steiner instrument, as we shall show in another article. We therefore only now class Steiner among the great masters, from his past reputation, and for certain special instruments.

Jacob Steiner was a native of the Tyrol, and was born at Absom, near Inspruck, about 1620. It is said that an old instrument by Kerlino, which he found in the house, gave him his first tendencies towards the art of violin making. Certain it is however that while yet a youth he obtained employment in the workshop of Nicholas Amati. This was an excellent school for the young aspirant, and after some years he made some instruments which, with the exception of sixteen which will be mentioned later, are considered to be the finest specimens of his talent. These fine violins are the product of his Cremonese inspiration, and bear a written label signed by himself and dated from Cremona about 1644. These instruments are modelled higher than those of his master, thus showing a singular divergence from the principle of gradual decrease in the height of the model of the Amatis, from Andrew to Nicholas. This divergence from that principle, which ended in the flat model of Stradiuarius, must be considered to be the real cause of the loss of favour which the Steiner violins, though beautiful in other respects, have undergone. Steiner exaggerated the old practice instead of following the new lights of science, and while the latter have yielded the brightest results, the former has tarnished the real talent of this otherwise excellent artiste. Probably another reason for the defective tone of Steiner's instruments in comparison with the Cremonese and Brescian, is the practice of modelling his violins with an extraordinary and peculiar rise to about the foot of the bridge, and then keeping it nearly flat. Otto describes it thus, "the breadth of this raised part is about the same as the bridge itself, and then it falls off towards the edges. The model is precisely similar towards the neck and on the broad part (beneath the finger board.)" This description is only imperfect in this point that sufficient stress is not laid on the words fall off. It is literally a falling off, and on the principles of acoustics must of necessity make the tone thin. Andrew Amati, on the contrary, built nearly as high, but beautifully and gradually sloped them down to the purfling, and his instruments, though small in tone, are yet full, round and sweet. In other respects Steiner at this period was a most careful maker, and his instruments show very fine finish and workmanship. They are of the small pattern, with the S holes rather shorter than the Cremonas, somewhat narrow and beautifully formed; the head also smaller and particularly round and smooth. The varnish is similar to that of the Amatis, and the wood of the belly has a fine open grain.

After the production of these instruments at Cremona, Steiner removed to his native place and having married the daughter of Antonius Amati appears to have lost his ambition, and made many very inferior instruments. His history at this period is somewhat melancholy. Pressed by the necessities of a family and the want of active patronage, his genius languished and he became negligent and careless in his work. This continued for some time till fortune again smiled upon him, when not being compelled to sell for immediate wants he again resumed his careful finish and began to be distinguished as a good maker. At about this period Klotz and Albani became his pupils, and he produced some excellent instruments, which are often distinguished by the scrolls being ornamented with lions heads which are beautifully carved. These and the heads of other animals are supposed to denote the crests of his patrons at this period. They are dated from about 1650 to 1667 at Absom. Fetis says the French violinist, Alard, has a violin of this period of the greatest beauty, and that there is in Paris a genuine Steiner, which he has heard Sivori play upon, which although of a very small pattern has an unusually brilliant tone.

Now comes the most brilliant period of this artiste's history in a musical sense, though somewhat romantic and mysterious otherwise.