The Violin | Page 3

the Violin, and its exquisite power of expression--Its acoustical properties--Varieties of woods used in its construction--Methods adopted, and choice of material, by the great Brescian and Cremonese makers--The "whole-back" and "slab-back"--The constituent parts of the Violin--System of placing the sound-bar--Properties and position of the sound-post, and of the bridge; the neck; the finger-board; purfling, &c., &c.--The sound-holes of different makers--Needed cautions as to repairing good instruments . . . . . . . . . . . 27-42
SECTION III.--ITALIAN AND OTHER STRINGS.
Importance of the Strings in the economy of the Violin--Adrien Le Roy's instructions "How to know Strings"--Thomas Mace and "Venetian Catlins"--Character of the different manufactures of Strings--Superiority of the Italian--The raw material not supplied by the feline race--Rules to be observed in choosing Strings--Modern improvements in Stringing--The Strings of Lindley and Dragonetti--Covered Strings--Experiments on the strain and pressure of Strings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43-56
SECTION IV.--THE ITALIAN SCHOOL.
A glance at the rise, culmination, and decadence of Art in Italy, and the Violin as connected therewith--The Italians far in advance of other nations in the manufacture--The five Schools of Italian makers--Roger North on the demand for Italian Violins--Brescia the cradle of the manufacture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57-69
SECTION V.--THE ITALIAN VARNISH.
The formation of the Italian Varnish a secret lost to the world--Lustrous character of that of Cremona--Characteristics of the four classes of Italian Varnish--Conjecture as to the loss of the secret--Influence of the different Varnishes on the tone of the Violin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70-76
SECTION VI.--ITALIAN MAKERS.
Acevo--Albanesi--Albani--Aletzie--Alvani--AMATI, ANDREA; evidence as to date of birth; his Violins small; founded the School of Cremona; probably a pupil of Gasparo da Salo; his model high, and sound-hole inelegant; his varnish deep golden; his "Charles IX. Set" of twenty-four Violins, six Tenors and eight Basses--Amati, Niccolo--AMATI, the Brothers ANTONIO and GIROLAMO; probable date of birth; comparison of the respective work, material, and tone of the two brothers--AMATI, NICCOLO, son of Girolamo; date of birth and death; the greatest of his illustrious family; gradual change in style; the "Grand Amati," followed by his great pupil, Stradivari; its exquisite proportions and character; singular beauty of his material, and elegance of design; differences between Niccolo Amati and his several copyists, Italian, German, and English--AMATI, GIROLAMO; date of birth; his work ascribed to other makers; character of his instruments and his varnish; the last of the Amatis--Ambrosi, Pietro--Anselmo, Pietro--Antoniazzi, Gaetano--Antonio of Bologna--Antonio, Ciciliano--Assalone, Gasparo . . . . . . . . . 77-94
Bagatella, Antonio--Bagatella, Pietro--BALESTRIERI, TOMMASO; probably a pupil of Stradivari; his work rough, but vigorous, tone and varnish good; his instruments rising in value--Bassiano, Lute-maker, Rome--Bellosio, Anselmo--Bente, Matteo--BERGONZI, CARLO; pupil of Antonio Stradivari; his work closely resembling that of his great master, and of the highest class; increasing appreciation; comparison of his instruments with those of Stradivari and Giuseppe Guarneri; character of his varnish, &c.; Violoncellos and Double-Basses of this maker--Bergonzi, Michel Angelo--BERGONZI, NICCOLO; character of his work--Bergonzi, Zosimo--Bergonzi, Carlo--Bergonzi, Benedetto--Bertassi, Ambrogio--Bertolotti (see Salo)--Bimbi, B.--Borelli, Andrea--Brensio, Girolamo--Brescia, da, Battista--Broschi, Carlo--Busseto, Giovanni . . . . . . . . . . 95-104
Calcagni, Bernardo--Calvarola, Bartolommeo--Camilli, Camillo--CAPPA, GIOFFREDO; pupil of the Brothers Amati; character of his work, in Violins and Violoncellos--Casini, Antonio--Castro--Catenar, Enrico--Celioniati, Gian Francesco--Cerin, Marco Antonio--Ceruti, Giovanni Battista; a prolific workman--Ceruti, Giuseppe--Ceruti, Enrico, son of Giuseppe; his work much valued by Italian players; exhibited in London and Milan Exhibitions--Cristofori, Bartolommeo--Circapa, Tommaso--Cocco, Cristoforo--Contreras, Joseph--Cordano, Jacopo Filippo--Costa, Pietro Antonio dalla; skilful copier of Amati . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104-110
Dardelli, Pietro; a Franciscan Monk; his Viols and Lutes--Despine, A.--Dieffoprugcar, Magno (Magnus Tieffenbrucker)--Dominicelli, Ferrara--DUIFFOPRUGCAR, GASPAR; high character of his Viols . 110-112
Farinato, Paolo--Ficker, Johann Christian--Ficker, Johann Gottlieb--Fiorillo, Giovanni--Frei, Hans; Lute and Viol-maker 112-113
GABRIELLI, GIOVANNI BATTISTA; his Violoncellos and Violins of high character--Gaffino, Giuseppe--GAGLIANO, ALESSANDRO; pupil of Antonio Stradivari; character of his work--Gagliano, Gennaro--Gagliano, Niccolo--Gagliano, Ferdinando--Gagliano, Giuseppe--Gagliano, Giovanni, Antonio, and Raffaele--Galbusera, C. A.--Garani, Michel Angelo--Garani, Niccolo--Gaspara da Salo (see Salo)--Gatinari, Francesco--Geroni, Domenico Ostiano--Gibertini, Antonio--GOBETTI (Gobit) FRANCESCO; comparisons of his work with those of Montagnana, Santo Serafino, and Ruggeri--Gofriller, Matteo--Gofriller, Francesco--Gragnani, Antonio--GRANCINO, PAOLO; pupil of Niccolo Amati; a true artist; classed with Stradivari, Bergonzi, Amati, and Guarneri; his Violas and Violoncellos--Grancino, Giovanni--Grancino, Giovanni Battista--Grancino, Francesco--Grulli, Pietro--GUADAGNINI, LORENZO, and Giovanni Battista; high character of their work--Guadagnini, Gaetano--Guadagnini, Giuseppe--Guadagnini, Carlo--Guadagnini, Antonio--GUARNERI, ANDREA; the pioneer of his family; worked with Stradivari and Niccolo Amati--GUARNERI, GIUSEPPE, son of Andrea; his Violins, Violas, and