[1]. This account coincides almost word for word with a notice of the instrument by F. J. Fetis quoted in part on p. 30 of this work.
[2]. The article on Stradivari in Grove’s Dictionary of Music assigns eighty-eight as the maker’s age at his death, but the evidence of Count Salabue, quoted at p. 12, confirmed by further evidence lately obtained from authentic instruments of this maker, point to the conclusion that he lived certainly to 1737, when he had entered his ninety-fourth year. This conclusion refers his birth to the year 1644, which would accord more naturally with the events of his life than the later date suggested in Grove. This question will be treated more fully in a future publication.
[3]. The information here given concerning Tarisio has been obtained by Signor Sacchi, chiefly from the late Enrico Ceruti, the last descendant of an old family of violin makers in Cremona.
[4]. There is a curious mistake in M. Vidal’s valuable recent work “La Lutherie,” in which the transcript of the label accompanying the illustration of “le Messie” bears the date 1715.
Transcriber's Notes
- All spelling and hyphenation has been retained from the original text.
- Pg. [12]: Note 1: This transcription of the handwritten Italian is as close to the original as could be determined, but complete accuracy isn't guaranteed.
- Pg. [27]: Note 2: Bold f is here substituted for a small inline figure of a violin f-hole in the original text.