,illustration3 ,geo4 ,gemuender ,,george ,g,e,m,ue,n,d,e,r',s ,,progress ,,in ,,violin ,,making1 ,,with ,,interesting ,,facts ,,concerning ,,the ,,art ,,and ,,its ,,critics ,,in ,,general4 ,,by ,,george ,g,e,m,ue,n,d,e,r4 ,,published ,,by ,,the ,,author3 ,,astoria1 ,n4 ,y41 #ahha4 ,entered ,according to ,act of ,congress1 in the ,year #ahha4 ,,george ,g,e,m,ue,n,d,e,r1 ,in the ,office of the ,librarian of ,congress4 ,,biography ,,of ,,george ,g,e,m,ue,n,d,e,r4 ,george ,gemuender was born at ,ingelfingen1 in the kingdom of ,wurtemburg1 on the #acth of ,april1 #ahaf4 ,his father was a maker of bow instruments1 and it was1 therefore1 from ,gemuender's earliest youth that he devoted himself to the same art and the studies connected with it4 ,when he left school1 it was suggested to his father that ,george should become a school-master1 as he at the time wrote the finest hand and executed the best designs of any among his classmates4 ,his father was not averse to this proposal and decided to carry it out4 ,george was1 accordingly1 directed to prepare for the seminary4 ,the plan was not1 however1 in accordance with his own tastes or inclinations1 and he followed it for a period of but three weeks1 only to abandon it finally and forever1 to take up that employment which accorded with his natural gift and gave scope for the development of his genius4 ,after his father's death1 which occurred when ,george was in his nineteenth year1 he went abroad1 and worked variously at ,pesth1 ,presburg1 ,vienna and ,munich4 ,fortune smiled upon him1 and more than once an opportunity was presented of establishing a business2 but nothing that promised simply commonplace results and a commonplace life could attract his eye1 since his mind1 aspiring to improvement in his art1 was constantly impelling him toward that celebrated manufacturer of violins1 ,vuillaume1 at ,paris4 ,he plainly saw that in ,germany he could not reach in the art that degree of accomplishment for which he strove1 and1 therefore1 he resolved to find1 if possible1 at ,strasburg1 such a position as he had had at ,munich4 ,through the mediation of a friend he obtained a call to go to a manufacturer of musical instruments at ,strasburg2 but upon his arrival he was astonished to learn that the man was a maker of brass instruments6 ,here was a dilemma4 ,disappointed in his effort to find employment1 winter at the door and far away from home1 what could he do8 ,the manufacturer1 whose name was ,roth1 perceiving his perturbation1 was kind enough to ask ,gemuender to remain in his house until he should have succeeded in finding such a position as he desired4 ,gemuender accepted the profered kindness1 and after the lapse of six weeks he formed the acquaintance of a gentleman with whom he afterward became intimate1 and who promised to write for ,gemuender a letter of recommendation and send it to ,vuillaume at ,paris4 ,meanwhile ,gemuender remained in ,strasburg4 ,one day1 while taking a walk in the park called ,die ,englishen ,anlagen1 he seated himself on a bench and shortly fell asleep4 ,in his sleep he heard a voice which seemed to say3 ,don't give way2 within three days your situation will change6 ,the voice proved prophetic1 for on the third day after the dream his friend came to him with a letter from ,vuillaume1 which contained the agreeable intelligence that ,gemuender should go to ,paris4 ,the invitation was promptly accepted and ,gemuender immediately started on his journey4 ,when he arrived at ,vuillaume's another difficulty was encountered1 for ,vuillaume had mistakenly supposed that ,gemuender spoke ,french4 ,by mere good fortune it happened at the time of ,gemuender's arrival that a ,german professor was giving music lessons to ,vuillaume's twin daughters1 who in the capacity of interpreter informed ,gemuender that ,m4 ,vuillaume was sorry to have induced him to come to ,paris1 because it would be impossible to get along in his house without ,french4 ,vuillaume kindly offered to pay ,gemuender's traveling expenses from ,paris back to ,strasburg1 but said1 however1 that should the latter be satisfied with nominal wages at first1 he would give him thirty sous a day until he should have learned enough of the language to be able to get along4 ,gemuender accepted the proposition1 which greatly astonished ,vuillaume because he had not supposed that ,gemuender would be contented with such small wages6 ,then he showed him a violin and violoncello as models of his manufacture1 and asked him if he could make instruments like those4 ,the answer being in the affirmative1 ,vuillaume smiled1 for he was sure it could not be done4 ,on the following day he provided ,gemuender with materials for making a new violin1 in order to see what he could do4 ,he soon perceived that ,gemuender possessed more theoretical than practical knowledge4 ,when the violin was finished1 he made him understand that their way of working was different1 and he desired to have his own methods adopted4 ,gemuender did his best1 and being a good designer1 he soon acquired a knowledge of the different characters of the propagated ,italian school in regard to the construction of violins4 ,after the lapse of three months ,gemuender's wages were increased ten sous a day1 and although he now saw his most heartfelt desire fulfilled1 namely1 to work in ,vuillaume's manufactory1 yet he did not find it possible to stay there permanently1 because his fellow-workmen1 who had observed the kindness with which their employer had treated his new workman1 became filled with feelings of jealousy1 and resolved to harrass him and compel him if possible to leave4 ,so thoroughly did they succeed in embittering his life1 that ,gemuender finally resolved to leave ,vuillaume and go to ,america1 and with this firmly fixed in his mind he began his preparations secretly to carry out his plan4 ,when everything was ready1 he went to ,vuillaume to make known his intention and to explain to him the cause of his leaving4 ,the latter1 astonished at this intelligence1 declared that ,gemuender should not leave his house at all1 and assured him that he would not meet with further unkindness from his fellow-workmen1 even if all should be dismissed1 although some of them had already been in his manufactory for many years4 ,he further assured ,gemuender that should he not desire to remain in ,paris1 he would establish him in a business similar to his own1 either in ,germany or elsewhere1 but he dissuaded him from going to ,america1 for the reason that the art of violin making was not sufficiently understood there at that time4 ,this kindness and benevolence upon the part of his employer so touched his heart that he was constrained to remain1 and he began to construct new violins1 in some of which he imitated the ,italian character thoroughly1 and also to repair injured violins4 ,one day ,vuillaume handed ,gemuender a violin1 with the remark that he wished him to do his best work in repairing it1 for a gentleman from ,russia had sent it4 ,vuillaume especially called ,gemuender's attention to a certain place in the back which was to be repaired1 which was almost invisible1 and he gave ,gemuender a magnifying glass for his assistance1 but ,gemuender returned it1 saying that he could do better with his naked eyes1 and when finished ,vuillaume might examine it with the glass4 ,when completed1 the work proved to be all that ,vuillaume had wished1 and satisfied the owner of the instrument so thoroughly that in his ecstasy of delight he presented ,vuillaume1 in addition to the payment for his work1 with a costly ,russian morning gown4 ,on the return of ,ole ,bull from ,america1 in #ahde1 that distinguished performer brought his wonderful ,caspar da ,salo violin to ,vuillaume to be repaired1 and requested the latter to do the work himself1 as it was something about which he was very particular2 but ,vuillaume answered that he had a ,german in his workshop who could do it better than he4 ,impelled by curiosity to become acquainted with this ,german1 he asked to be shown to the place4 ,after some conversation1 ,gemuender undertook the repairing of the violin and completed it in as masterly a manner as he did in the case of the ,russian gentleman4 ,after an interval of three years1 while ,gemuender was still working at ,vuillaume's1 the latter showed him a violin and asked his opinion about it4 ,gemuender1 having examined it1 replied that it was made by some one who had no school6 ,i expected to hear this1 returned ,vuillaume1 and now let me tell you1 that this violin is the very same that ,i engaged you to make when you came to me4 ,i show it only that you may recognize what you are now and what you were then6 ,gemuender was not only surprised1 but amazed1 and would hardly have believed it possible4 ,this incident is only mentioned to show that as long as the eye has not been fully cultivated1 those who fancy themselves to be artists are not such1 and in reality they cannot distinguish right from wrong4 ,gemuender has often experienced this in ,america4 ,he knows no other violin maker who deserves to be compared with ,vuillaume in this respect1 for he correctly understood the character of the outline and form as well as the interior structure of the different ,italian instruments4 ,towards the end of #ahdg1 when ,gemuender had been four years at ,vuillaume's1 his two brothers1 who were in ,america1 invited him to go there1 as the interest in and taste for music was improving and they intended to give concerts4 ,gemuender therefore determined to accept this invitation and left ,paris4 ,he arrived in ,november1 at ,springfield1 ,mass41 and1 meeting his brothers1 arrangements for concerts were made with an agent1 who engaged several other artists to make up the company4 ,the instrumental quartet consisted of a clarinet1 violin1 flute and bass guitar4 ,this music made quite a sensation1 and the houses were always crowded1 yet the ,gemuender brothers did not receive anything from the proceeds4 ,they soon comprehended that they had had too much confidence in their agent1 and after the lapse of a week they gave up the speculation4 ,for ,george ,gemuender1 who had then very little knowledge of the ,english language1 which fact increased the difficulty of his position1 there remained no other choice but to settle as a violin maker4 ,he borrowed from a friend twenty-five dollars1 and with this money he set out for ,boston1 ,mass41 and established himself there4 ,the violins which he made he sold at fifty dollars each1 and made repairs at low prices4 ,in #ahea1 when the first exhibition of ,london took place1 ,gemuender sent a quartet of bow instruments1 in imitation of ,stradivarius1 and one violin according to ,joseph ,guarnerius1 and another according to ,nicholas ,amati4 ,as his business in ,boston did not prove sufficiently lucrative1 ,gemuender left the city after eighteen months1 without waiting for news of the result of the exhibition1 and established business in ,new ,york4 ,later he learned that his instruments had received the first premium at the exhibition4 ,when1 in the following year1 #aheb1 ,gemuender received his instruments back from the exhibition1 he learned that ,ole ,bull was in ,new ,york again1 and1 as he had formed his acquaintance in ,paris1 he paid him a visit and gave information that he had established himself in ,new ,york1 and also that he had obtained the first premium at the ,london exhibition4 ,ole ,bull was highly astonished at this news1 as he said ,vuillaume is the best violin maker1 and ,i have on one of my violins the best specimen of his workmanship as a repairer4 ,he thereupon showed ,gemuender his ,caspar da ,salo4 ,here1 he said1 look at it1 find the place where the repair was made4 ,but ,gemuender replied3 ,sir1 have you entirely forgotten that when you went with your violin to ,vuillaume1 he made you acquainted with a ,german in his studio1 whom he directed to repair this ',caspar da ,salo' violin1 and that this ,german was myself8 ,upon hearing this a light seemed to break upon his mind1 and he exclaimed1 ,yes1 yes1 ,i do remember4 ,now you shall become in ,america what ,vuillaume is in ,europe4 ,meanwhile the advantages which might have been derived from the ,london exhibition were lost1 in consequence of ,gemuender's removal from ,boston and establishing business at ,new ,york4 ,spohr1 ,thalberg1 ,vieuxtemps and many more of such authorities1 examined his violins in the exhibition and were much surprised at the excellent qualities of the instruments4 ,spohr observed3 ,these are the first new violins that ,i ever saw1 tried and liked6 ,when they were played upon by him and others1 they attracted hundreds of admirers and would have been sold at high prices had ,gemuender not failed to make arrangements to dispose of them4 ,the results obtained at ,paris and ,vienna were similar1 his instruments attracting much attention in each exhibition4 ,in the ,vienna ,exposition1 held in #ahgc1 ,gemuender gained the greatest triumph that was ever obtained by any violin maker4 ,the ,kaiser violin sent by ,gemuender in response to an offer of a prize for the best imitation1 was declared by the professional judges to be a renewed original2 a genuine ,guarnerius not only in regard to its outer appearance and character1 but also as to its wonderful quality of tone and ease with which the tones come4 ,to find these qualities in a new violin was beyond all expectation1 since it had hitherto been taken for granted that such a result could not be obtained1 because that object had been the unsuccessful study of different makers for hundreds of years4 ,this proves1 therefore1 to the musical world1 that ,gemuender has solved that problem which has generally been considered impossible4 ,in spite of all this1 however1 ,gemuender had learned by painful experience that the prejudice existing among most of the violinists was not to be wiped out4 ,these people are incapable of judging reasonably1 and it is easier for them to say that ,gemuender makes his new violins of wood prepared by a chemical process1 or that it has not yet been proven that his violins have kept their good quality for an extended period of time1 notwithstanding that ,gemuender has been constructing violins in ,america since #ahdg1 and that nobody can prove that any violin of his making has lost its quality of tone4 ,on the contrary1 they have invariably proved good4 ,gemuender1 however1 confesses that a few of his first made violins in ,america do not equal those of his present construction in regard to tone and varnish4 ,the cause of it was that ,gemuender being unacquainted with the woods of the new country1 was not so successful at first in the choice of wood for his violins1 and naturally would not be until his experience had improved4 ,the prejudice above referred to would1 however1 be likely to exist for another century1 could ,gemuender live for that length of time among those people1 the most of whom would persevere in their opinions4 ,the impracticability of the theory of using chemically prepared wood for violins is sufficiently understood at the present time to render it useless to pursue the discussion in these pages4 ,gemuender has informed himself as to the degree of success attained in the use of the different chemical preparations of wood1 as well as those prepared with borax1 by which1 the inventor asserts1 the wood becomes richer in tone and lasts longer than that which is left in its natural state4 ,yet1 without opposing the inventor1 ,gemuender follows the principle of the old ,italian violin makers1 because their productions have been in use to this day2 therefore the material left in its natural state has proved good and has satisfied the musical world for these three hundred years4 ,he has indeed succeeded in constructing new violins of material in its natural state1 which produce not only an extraordinary power of tone1 but also a strikingly equal quality of tone1 and the quality of easy speaking1 and the outward appearance of the old violins has been so faithfully imitated that he who has not been told the fact1 will take them for genuine instruments made by ,stradivarius1 ,guarnerius1 ,maggini1 ,amati1 and others4 ,it is therefore assuming not too much to say that ,george ,gemuender has surpassed in this art all the violin makers of the present and past times2 for where the ,italian masters ended with their knowledge1 ,george ,gemuender commenced and improved1 which fact can be proved to the satisfaction of every critic2 for ,george ,gemuender has not only gained the same results as those achieved by ,stradivarius and others1 but he has sketched a better acoustic principle for producing tone4 ,it is for this reason that ,august ,wilhelmj1 the great violinist1 calls ,george ,gemuender the greatest violin maker of all times1 for ,wilhelmj had learned by ample trial of the instruments made by ,george ,gemuender that they were incontestably all that the latter claimed for them4 ,wilhelmj admired ,gemuender's ,kaiser violin at the ,vienna ,exhibition1 as it was the only violin of importance which attracted his attention1 and this aroused within him the desire to become personally acquainted with its maker4 ,by means of his renown as the great violin virtuoso1 an engagement was offered him to go to ,america1 which he accepted1 and thus his wish was fulfilled4 ,on the day after his arrival in ,new ,york1 ,wilhelmj went to see ,gemuender at ,astoria1 and from that time has been ,gemuender's friend and admirer4 ,wilhelmj and other artists have expressed astonishment that a man of ,george ,gemuender's capabilities in this art was to be found in ,america4 ,although he enjoys the highest renown in his art1 yet he lives in a country in which the appreciation of that art is still in its development2 for the number of amateurs such as are found in ,europe1 who spend enormous sums in instruments1 is very small here4 ,the fact is that ,george ,gemuender lives here at too early a period1 for his productions are a continuation of those which the great ,italian masters brought forth4 ,taking into consideration all the foregoing circumstances it is fair to suppose that ,george ,gemuender has had to contend with extraordinary difficulties during this long time4 ,for ignorance and arrogance can do much damage1 in this respect1 not only to the artist1 but also to the amateur1 as these often times place their confidence in those musicians who have no knowledge of violins1 and who can only mislead them4 ,,appendix4 ,,george ,,gemunder',s ,,observations ,,in ,,regard ,,to ,,views ,,which ,,the ,,most ,,of ,,violinists ,,and ,,amateurs ,,had ,,of ,,the ,,tone ,,of ,,old ,,and ,,new ,,violins--,,how ,,they ,,ignored ,,the ,,new ,,instruments1 ,,and ,,how ,,they ,,were ,,deceived ,,and ,,surprised ,,in ,,their ,,prejudice ,,concerning ,,them4 ,gemuender had learned that the knowledge of arrogant violinists and amateurs in regard to tone did not rest on any correct basis1 and that their prejudice rested on a tradition arising from the decline of the manufacture of violins since the death of the celebrated ,italian makers4 ,all attempts of late years to make good violins having failed1 an aversion to new violins has been gradually spreading1 so that the most of people at the present time do not believe it possible for violins to be both new and good4 ,firstly1 because it has been found that new violins have not been constructed so as to possess the tone of old ,italian instruments2 and secondly1 that those made of chemically prepared wood did not stand proof for a great length of time4 ,many musicians and amateurs have in consequence of this prevailing prejudice gone to an extreme and disregarded new violins1 no matter what tone they might have4 ,to this class of people belonged especially the violinist ,wieniawski1 who had an opportunity to play on one of the best violins made by ,gemuender1 which opportunity he ignored1 because the violin looked new4 ,instruments imitated by ,gemuender were placed before him as genuine violins1 and he admired them4 ,ole ,bull was equally surprised when an imitation according to ,stradivarius was handed to him in ,columbus1 ,ohio1 and he declared it to be a genuine original4 ,when ,vieuxtemps gave concerts in ,america for the first time1 and went to see his friend ,vieweg1 ,professor of music in ,savannah1 ,ga41 the ,professor showed him his ,stradivarius violin4 ,vieuxtemps1 catching sight of it1 said3 ,if he had not been quite sure that his violin was at home1 he would think it was his own4 ,but when his friend told him it was a ,gemuender violin1 he was astonished and observed3 ,the d999999l knows how ,gemuender can bring such a tone in new violins6 ,at about the same time a violinist came from ,germany and visited ,gemuender to hear his violins1 because ,spohr had praised him so much2 but at the same time he doubted that new violins could sound like those of the old ,italian masters4 ,gemuender first showed him some having the appearance of being new2 the violinist played upon them and then uttered3 ,they are as ,i thought2 they have not that sweet1 melting tone of the ,italian instruments4 ,hereupon he asked ,gemuender if he had no ,italian violins1 in order to show the difference4 ,gemuender then opened another box1 and showed him an imitation of ,amati for a genuine one4 ,no sooner did the instrument strike his sight than his face brightened up and he said3 ,everybody can see at once that there must be tone in this1 and after playing upon it he was so pleased that he said to ,gemuender3 ,yes1 there are none of the present violin makers who have brought it so far6 ,hereupon ,gemuender informed him that this was also a new violin of his making4 ,scarcely had the visitor heard this1 when1 ashamed of his prejudice1 he took his hat and went away4 ,similar incidents often occur4 ,in #ahei ,gemuender sent violins to the ,exhibition of ,baltimore1 after which1 on one occasion1 he was invited to a soiree at which his violins were played4 ,he also had a genuine ,guarnerius among his own instruments4 ,an amateur1 ,mr4 ,gibson1 a very good player1 was present and anxious to hear the ,italian violin4 ,during the performance of a quartet on the violins made by ,gemuender1 this amateur1 who was possessed of the popular prejudice against new instruments1 and who fancied he heard the ,italian violin1 was so exceedingly delighted with it that he observed1 ,to hear such violins is sufficient to keep any one from ever touching new ones4 ,but when ,gemuender told him they were new ones made by him1 the amateur stared at him as much as to say1 ,do you make fun of me8 ,these violins do not look new at all6 ,gemuender1 however1 convinced him of the truth of his assertion4 ,this fact surprised the amateur to such a degree that he was at loss what to say1 and later1 upon learning the price of one of the instruments1 bought it4 ,sometime after this he valued it at two thousand dollars in gold4 ,since then the violin has been sent several times to ,gemuender1 either for a new bridge or other slight repairs1 and each time new anecdotes have been related of it4 ,of especial interest is that one of ,father ,urso1 who was looking for a genuine ,guarnerius to give to his daughter ,camilla1 the celebrated violinist4 ,he took ,professor ,simon with him to see the instrument4 ,both were very much surprised at it1 not only on account of its undoubted genuineness1 but also that it was kept so well4 ,gemuender then let them know that he had perpetrated a joke1 and that the instrument was made by himself4 ,one day ,mr4 ,poznanski1 from ,charleston1 ,s4 ,c41 in company with his son1 who was already an artist on the violin1 visited ,gemuender4 ,although still young1 his father intended to send him to ,vieuxtemps for his further artistic accomplishment1 and with this purpose in view he was willing to buy an ,italian violin4 ,as ,gemuender had none on hand1 he showed him a new violin1 but ,poznanski declared that he would not buy a new one4 ,gemuender then showed him an imitation1 as if it were a genuine original4 ,the son played on it1 and both father and son were highly satisfied with it2 they expressed their wish to buy it and asked the price1 which was given as five hundred dollars4 ,when ,poznanski was about to pay down the money1 ,gemuender told him that this instrument was also new4 ,whereupon ,poznanski replied in an excited tone1 ,have you not heard that we do not want a new violin8 and they left the ,atelier6 ,when ,vieuxtemps left ,america1 in #aheh1 ,poznanski's son went with him to finish his studies under his direction4 ,after the lapse of eight years he returned an accomplished artist1 and visited ,gemuender again4 ,he then remarked that he wished to find an ,italian violin of first class1 and asked ,gemuender if he had something of that kind in his possession8 ,here he took the opportunity to remind ,gemuender of the time when he had deceived both him and his father1 observing at the same time very naively3 ,but now1 ,gemuender1 you cannot deceive me4 ,i obtained thorough knowledge of imitations at ,paris1 and also a knowledge of the genuine ,italian violins1 for ,i had an opportunity to see many of those made by the masters4 ,gemuender told him that he had two ,joseph ,guarnerius violins of first class in his possession1 and laid them before him4 ,poznanski expressed his astonishment to find such rarities4 ,after a thorough examination ,poznanski declared there was no doubt in regard to their genuineness6 ,he tried both violins1 and soon evinced his predilection for one of them1 which he wished to buy1 and inquired the price4 ,gemuender offered each of them at one thousand dollars1 but at the same time told him that he had deceived him for a second time1 for the instrument which he had picked out was new and made by himself1 whilst the other was genuine4 ,poznanski1 however1 told ,gemuender that he could not deceive him1 that it was not possible to produce an instrument like that4 ,at this moment two friends of ,gemuender1 who were acquainted with his instruments1 entered the shop1 and ,gemuender asked them in the presence of the young artist1 at the same time pointing to the instrument selected by ,poznanski1 who made this violin8 ,they replied that the maker of it was ,gemuender4 ,this appeared to him impossible1 but1 after deliberating on the subject1 he said1 ,i must believe it now1 and yet ,i don't believe it6 ,a few days later1 becoming fully assured that the instrument to which he had taken a fancy was not an ,italian violin1 he bought the genuine one1 which1 however1 was an excellent instrument1 thus giving up the one to which he had first given preference4 ,this is another striking proof of prejudice4 ,after a time1 however1 when ,poznanski felt more at home at ,gemuender's1 he found out that the instruments made by ,gemuender were the only true concert violins1 and disposing of his ,guarnerius1 he bought a ,maggini made by ,gemuender2 he now saw the full extent of his prejudice1 and was most severe in his denunciation of all who thought that there were no other violins but the ,italian to be played upon4 ,if ,wieniawski had not been seized with such a strange fancy1 and had had more confidence in other artists1 he would not have been compelled to change violins every now and then1 for he was constantly buying one ,italian violin after another and finding none to suit him1 merely because none would do but an ,italian instrument4 ,thus he came to ,america and played on his ,stradivarius violin1 which had a splendid tone in a room1 but when played upon in a concert hall proved a great deal too weak1 especially on the ,g string1 when it was overstrained4 ,he then bought one of the finest ,guarnerius violins in ,brooklyn1 but as it did not prove any better than the other1 he returned it4 ,to find ,italian violins fit to produce a sufficient effect in large concert halls is a great rarity1 since they have been mostly spoiled by fiddle-patchers1 or had not from the very beginning the proper construction for the giving out of tone sufficient to fill such halls4 ,on just such powerless violins ,vieuxtemps performed at his concerts on his last tour through ,america4 ,one day ,gemuender made the acquaintance of ,mario1 the greatest ,italian connoisseur of violins1 who was decorated for this knowledge when he was at ,new ,york4 ,gemuender asked him to come to his shop1 as he had several violins which he would like to show him1 in order to have him judge if they were really genuine instruments4 ,mario came and viewed the violins shown to him by ,gemuender minutely1 nay1 even took a magnifying glass to examine the varnish1 whereupon he declared to ,gemuender that they were genuine instruments4 ,but the fact is they were violins made by ,gemuender6 ,in the beginning of #ahfj ,gemuender was often visited by an amateur named ,messing1 who wished to find a good ,italian violin1 for he manifested an aversion toward ,gemuender's productions1 owing to his prejudice against new violins4 ,at the same time ,gemuender had as an apprentice a nephew1 who1 when he had not yet been fully three years with him1 was engaged to make his first violin1 according to form of ,stradivarius4 ,when it was finished ,gemuender made him a present of it1 and said he would varnish it so as to look old4 ,afterward his apprentice gave it to a friend in ,new ,york to sell it for him4 ,this friend published in the newspapers that he had a ,stradivarius to sell4 ,mr4 ,messing was the first to make inquiries about it1 and bought it1 highly rejoiced at having a ,stradivarius at last4 ,he then had it examined by the violin maker ,mercier1 in ,new ,york1 who confirmed the claim of originality4 ,mr4 ,messing then went to ,europe1 and at ,paris he wished to hear what the violin maker ,gand would say1 and the latter also declared it was an old instrument1 adding1 however1 that in order to be quite sure whether it was a genuine instrument or not it would require more time than he could apply to it just then4 ,when he went to ,berlin1 he showed his instrument to the violin maker ,grimm1 that he might hear from him his opinion as to its genuineness4 ,grimm refrained from uttering his opinion1 yet he offered him a high price for the instrument1 which the owner considered to be sufficient evidence that he possessed something extraordinary1 and to warrant him in keeping his violin4 ,after the lapse of four years1 when ,messing had returned to ,new ,york1 he came to see ,gemuender1 full of joyous anxiety to show him his violin1 saying1 ,here1 ,mr4 ,gemuender1 ,i have something to show you2 ,i have found what ,i have been so long looking for6 ,mr4 ,messing then opened his box1 and ,gemuender1 catching a glimpse of the violin1 exclaimed1 ,that is my apprentice's first production2 how did you come by it8 ,at these words ,mr4 ,messing stood as if thunderstruck1 and in his bewilderment he tried in every way to convince ,gemuender that he was mistaken1 but failing in this attempt1 his discomfiture was complete4 ,when he had somewhat recovered from his dismay1 he felt heartily ashamed1 because he had disregarded the work of the master only to take up with the apprentice's first production1 and this1 too1 under the delusion that that work was a genuine ,stradivarius violin4 ,mr4 ,messing is now cured of his prejudice1 and is no longer looking for a ,stradivarius violin4 ,at the time when ,gemuender had his violin in the ,exhibition of ,vienna1 ,baron ,leonard1 from ,hungary1 who was a great violinist1 brought him his ,italian violin to have it repaired4 ,during their discourse about violins the ,baron conveyed to ,gemuender the impression that he had already seen many ,italian violins1 and he seemed to have a great knowledge of them4 ,thereupon ,gemuender showed him a violin that seemed to be a genuine ,guarnerius1 which he had determined to send to the exhibition of ,vienna4 ,the ,baron was quite astonished at seeing such a wonderful and splendid instrument1 and did not know which to admire more1 whether the varnish of the violin or its tone2 in short1 he looked at it with reverence1 as if it were a shrine4 ,gemuender then showed him a ,stradivarius1 and when the ,baron's gaze fell upon this instrument1 he seemed to be enraptured1 and he exclaimed1 in a tone of question3 ,mr4 ,gemuender1 how do you come by such treasures8 ,in truth you have a treasure of the greatest rarity1 for ,i never saw a violin so beautiful and of such tone6 ,when1 however1 ,gemuender declared to him that these were the sisters of the ,kaiser violin1 which was in the ,vienna ,exhibition1 and were made by him1 the ,baron conducted himself as if he had awakened from a sweet dream1 and found it difficult to realize his true condition4 ,,preface4 ,it is not my intention to unfold in this work my knowledge of the structure of violins2 for the present generation would not thank me for doing so4 ,in the treatise itself will be found the reasons why ,i have not set forth that knowledge4 ,since the death of the celebrated old ,italian violin makers1 many works have been put forth1 in which we find not only in what manner those famous masters varnished their violins1 but also prescriptions even1 of theorists who usually know nothing about the practice1 or mathematical principles thereof4 ,abundant theories are to be found in all such works1 but they are good only for those who have little or no knowledge of violin making4 ,if the science of the celebrated ,italian masters could really have been found in these works1 the experiments made by ,european investigators would not have been entirely unsuccessful4 ,in ,george ,hart's interesting book1 ,the ,violin1 a comparative illustration may be found of the workmanship of all violin makers with whom he became acquainted1 either personally or by history1 and by whose productions he obtained his practical knowledge1 which comparisons are generally good1 but not entirely free from error4 ,this compilation of experiences is highly interesting for all those who take an interest in violins4 ,the treatises which will be found below have reference simply to the art of making violins1 to violin players and their critics1 the information contained in which has for the most part never hitherto been made public4 ,through these scientific explanations a better judgment will be awakened1 which will tend to show how1 in consequence of mistakes and ignorance in regard to violins and violin makers1 false ideas arise4 ,,progress ,,of ,,the ,,structure ,,of ,,violins--,,their ,,critics4 ,in #ahde ,i became personally acquainted with ,ole ,bull1 at ,vuillaume's1 in ,paris1 where ,i then had my first opportunity of hearing and admiring an artist on the violin4 ,i learned then to appreciate the beauty of both arts1 and the sublimity of attainment in either to be a violin virtuoso or a perfect violin maker4 ,the latter art engaged my whole attention1 and it was my greatest aim to reach to the highest point of perfection therein4 ,i also found that ,ole ,bull took special interest in the different forms of violins1 and ,i remember that as early as #ahda1 at which time ,i worked at ,pesth1 my employer made the so-called ,ole ,bull's bass-bars in violins1 the ideas of ,ole ,bull concerning violins then being accepted as authority4 ,ole ,bull subsequently made many experiments regarding tone1 especially upon new violins1 in order to reproduce the same character of tone1 then considered lost1 peculiar to the ,italian instruments4 ,knowing that all experiments made since the death of the celebrated ,italian masters had proven unsuccessful1 he undertook to construct a violin of very old wood1 but was soon convinced that he had not obtained better results than others2 he therefore decided the project to be an impossibility1 and having arrived at this decision1 his opinion was generally conceded to4 ,since then1 doubtless1 he found out that to make a violin was a more difficult task1 for him1 than to play on one4 ,as a virtuoso1 however1 he obtained a celebrity which will make his name immortal1 and as he was an artist in his own peculiar way1 his name will live forever in the memory of men4 ,nature has endowed many men with rare gifts1 each one possessing a talent peculiar to himself3 but we know how long it requires to perfect one's self in any given art1 and it therefore cannot be expected that a great violin virtuoso should at the same time be proficient in the art of violin making1 the two arts being totally different4 ,it is1 however1 generally believed that the assertion of ,ole ,bull had more weight with many violin players and amateurs than the most adequate knowledge of a violin maker4 ,i admit that ,ole ,bull had some experience with violins1 but had he obtained sufficient knowledge he would have easily understood that many of his ideas were not based upon principles which he thought had remained secret to all investigators on the subject1 as the greatest authorities have acknowledged the tone in ,george ,gemuender's violins to be of the same quality as that characteristic of the best ,italian instruments4 ,this proves that violins are judged the best when they are mistaken for ,italian instruments and prejudice only is the actuating motive when the declaration follows that the instrument is a new violin4 ,if1 therefore1 the knowledge of tone could have proved more reliable1 prejudice would not1 in many cases1 have appeared so severe1 and embodied itself so as to degenerate into fanaticism4 ,violins made of healthy wood and according to the rule can never lose their tone4 ,it is1 however1 something different if they are carelessly treated4 ,when an ,italian violin1 which lay untouched in concealment for fifty years1 was shown to ,wieniawski at the ,russian court1 and he was asked what he thought of it1 he said1 after trying it3 ,the violin has a bad tone4 ,well1 said the ,emperor1 let us put it back in its old place4 ,if it had been good ,i should have presented you with it4 ,wieniawski1 greatly surprised1 replied3 ,oh1 when ,i play upon it it will regain its tone4 ,here vanity and ignorance are shown at once2 for if that artist had had any knowledge of violins1 he must have known that the violin was not in good order1 and that it was first necessary to have it put in a good condition by a professional repairer2 but instead of making such a proposal1 he thought to make an impression by his renown1 and that he would improve it by playing upon it4 ,i mention this because it contains two points3 firstly1 because1 especially here in ,america1 great stress is laid upon the opinions of such artists1 but it proves that artists do not always have a knowledge sufficient to enable them to give a correct judgment of violins2 secondly1 if this violin had been new1 many would have thought that it was made of chemically prepared wood4 ,a violin1 however1 of such defective wood1 can never give a good tone2 because the life is taken out of it when it is made4 ,if such artists would make themselves acquainted with a professional violin maker1 many of them would get more light on this matter1 but since they consider themselves to be authorities on the subject1 there is very little prospect of visible progress4 ,it is1 therefore1 a rarity when an artist is found who is able to judge of the quality of tone1 whether the wood is chemically prepared or not1 and although this is easily to be distinguished by the practiced ear1 a peculiar experience is required for it nevertheless4 ,many1 however1 believe that he who plays the violin to perfection1 and especially the player of renown1 must be acknowledged as a judge of tone4 ,i admit that many violin players are judges of tone1 but not beyond a certain degree1 as the greater number of them hear their own instruments only and are taken with them2 but he who possesses a feeling of tone1 and into whose hands violins of all shapes and qualities are falling1 whereby he learns to distinguish the different characters of tone1 is to be considered a connoisseur of tone2 he must1 however1 possess some knowledge of playing1 although it is not necessary for him to be a solo player1 for with how many solo players have ,i become acquainted who have no more judgment of tone than children4 ,for musicians and solo players it is very difficult to find out how far the tone of a violin reaches4 ,many a player1 having no experience in this regard1 plays in concerts on a violin which sounds like an echo1 but if the instrument is called ,stradivarius or ,guarnerius and #c1jjj has been paid for it1 and besides it has a history attached to it1 then1 verily1 it must sound4 ,the critic1 however1 does not blame the violin1 but the player1 for weakness of tone1 and in that respect he is right4 ,for solo players who still use such echoing violins in concerts1 it would be of the greatest importance to make themselves acquainted with the quality of tone which is fit for concerts1 for most ,italian violins which are used in concerts prove either too old or of too thin wood2 but most players are accustomed to the fine1 tender1 echoing tone to a degree that the true concert tone appears quite strange to them4 ,thus1 violins of chemically prepared wood will never do for concerts1 and it is a great mistake to believe that such violins have ever produced as good a tone as good ,italian violins do4 ,ignorance and self interest have launched this untruth into the world4 ,for violins made of such wood produce short vibrations--a muffled color of tone similar to that of impaired ,italian instruments4 ,vuillaume put all the world in commotion with his violins of chemically prepared wood1 and all the world sang hosannas4 ,but when it was found that such instruments kept this tone only a short time1 there arose a general prejudice against new violins and no one would play on them4 ,in order to remove all such ideas and prejudices ,i can safely assert that violins of a free1 high1 clear and powerful character of tone1 with a quality which thrills the heart--such tone as my instruments produce1 and which qualities are now seldom found in the best ,italian violins--can never be obtained by any artificial preparation of the wood1 but only by way of science according to acoustic principles4 ,of course it is the wood more than anything else which is to be taken into consideration2 for without the right sort of wood all science will be unavailing1 and vice versa4 ,many violin makers can get the best wood1 but where there is no talent applied in the construction1 nothing very good can come forth4 ,of all productions of art1 the violin is the most difficult to judge1 and ,i have nearer illustrated the different characters of tone which violins produce1 and tried to make these things more comprehensible1 in order that this medley of opinions and judgments which have been given may be put in a clearer light4 ,i was highly astonished at the manner in which my ,emperor violin 7,kaiser violin7 was judged1 which was sent to the ,exhibition of ,vienna three weeks after it had been finished4 ,the violin had attracted not only many admirers1 but also a great number of gazers who have no idea of a violin1 and who stared at it only on account of its price4 ,thus1 the ,new ,york ,staats ,zeitung had a correspondent in ,vienna1 who also stared at the violin from the same reason4 ,his ignorance1 which he exposed in his correspondence to the newspaper which he represented1 led him to make the following remark1 which was published on the #bgth of ,june1 #ahgc1 and runs as follows3 ,from ,salzburg several violins1 mostly the former property of ,mozart and ,beethoven1 were sent1 and the one which ,beethoven owned was made by ,hellmer1 at ,prague1 in #agcg1 as was noted on the label1 7saleable for #bjj ,florins17 while for a ,gemuender violin in the ,american division of the ,industrial ,palace1 #aj1jjj 767 are asked4 ,of course1 everybody laughs at the simpleton who believes this is the only curiosity of the kind1 and thinks he can obtain such a fabulous price for it4 ,the ,commission that for this time has made us very ridiculous with our ',go ahead1' should remove that label as soon as possible1 that one of the exhibitors may not become a public laughing stock4 ,but that writer soon found how much this violin was admired2 he learned to see that it was the only curiosity of the kind1 in fact1 for soon afterward ,i read again in the ,sontag's ,staats ,zeitung that the violin was admired very much4 ,this violin was exhibited by me for the purpose of proving to the world that ,i can make violins that have the tone which has been sought for a long time since the death of the celebrated ,italian masters1 since which all attempts have miscarried1 and ,i confirmed this fact in a circular added to it4 ,but what was the result8 ,it was not believed4 ,in the ,exhibition of ,vienna my violin was mistaken for a genuine ,cremonese violin1 not only for its tone1 but for its outer appearance1 which was so striking an imitation according to ,joseph ,guarnerius1 that a newspaper of ,vienna made the observation3 ,george ,gemuender cannot make us ,germans believe that the violin sent by him is new2 a bold ,yankee only can put his name in a genuine instrument1 in order to make himself renowned6 ,although this was the highest prize which a violin maker had ever obtained1 it was no advantage either for me or the public2 for the art of violin making was not furthered by it1 but rather still more impaired by the correspondence of the ,staats ,zeitung and the ,new ,york ,bellestristic ,journal4 ,the latter writes as follows3 ,s4 ,f41 ,pittsburg4--,g4 is a pupil of ,vuilliaume2 his violins are much demanded1 but their prices are so high that purchasers are frightened6 ,thirty years ago ,i sold violins at from #ej to #ge2 ten years ago ,i sold violins at from #ajj to #cjj2 now ,i sell them at #ajj and upwards2 and violin makers here and in ,europe ask the same prices4 ,nay1 amateurs who do best in their ignorance1 ask still higher prices4 ,wherein1 therefore1 do we find that which frightens the purchasers8 ,the effrontery of writers who make such statements as the above will bring them no honor4 ,many may still remember that ,i had determined to send six violins of different forms1 copies of the best old master-violins1 to the ,vienna ,exhibition1 and intended myself to take the matter in hand1 but1 owing to an accident1 ,i was compelled to give up this intention4 ,in consequence1 ,i resolved to send only one violin4 ,to select one of them1 artists such as ,wollenhaupt1 ,dr4 ,damrosch1 ,carl ,feinninger and others were consulted1 but they differed in their opinions1 which may be taken as a proof that the instruments were very much alike in character2 they are also witnesses of the fact that ,i made them4 ,in order to call attention to the one selected1 ,i noted the price ten thousand dollars6 ,nobody1 however1 was charged to dispose of it1 although three thousand dollars were offered4 ,the circumstances connected with the construction of this violin gives it more than an ordinary interest4 ,ridicule and praise in the highest degree are interwoven with its history2 therefore1 it has been hitherto the most interesting new violin in this century4 ,why ,i could not be its representative and had to leave it to fate can be learned from what ,i have already written about it1 and how ,i have judged every thing connected with it4 ,i was1 however1 sure of one fact1 namely1 that it would be acknowledged as a production of art4 ,the admission must then be made1 and the claim is amply justified by facts1 that1 as new violins are frequently mistaken for genuine ,italian instruments1 even when most particular attention is given to the varnish1 the art of violin making must no longer be considered as a lost one4 ,may the foregoing satisfy all doubters and those who have lately1 especially in ,america1 written about the lost art of varnish and tone1 and may it cause them in future to refrain from investigating into the so called lost arts4 ,he who would give a scientific explanation of this art and be a critic1 must be thoroughly acquainted with it4 ,a ,,treatise ,,upon ,,the ,,manner ,,in ,,which ,,master-,,violins ,,are ,,ruined4 ,the manner in which violins are so often ruined seems almost beyond comprehension1 or rather the way they are generally treated must necessarily involve their ruin4 ,the cause of this can not be entirely ascribed to those destroyers of violins who pretend to be repairers1 but it generally rests with the owners of violins themselves1 because they are usually ignorant as to who is master of the art of violin making and to whom a master violin may be entrusted4 ,they therefore make inquiries for such experts1 and apply for that purpose1 generally1 to renowned violin players1 not realizing that even these are not always endowed with discrimination1 frequently not more so than the one asking advice1 and thus the latter is led astray4 ,to find an adept repairer is as difficult as to find a thorough master of the art of making violins2 for the repairer must possess the same knowledge of the production of tone as the best violin maker4 ,the man who cannot make excellent violins cannot be an excellent repairer4 ,to obviate all doubts on the subject1 ,i will state that the foundation of the whole secret is simply this ,every violin maker will make repairs in accordance with his knowledge1 as he would make violins1 and violins as he would make repairs6 ,this principle is so scientifically correct as to be conceded even by the most severe critics4 ,many a man achieves a reputation by certain meritorious accomplishments in which he has distinguished himself1 and in consequence thereof everyone believes him an artist in the fullest meaning of the word4 ,for instance1 ,ludwig ,bausch1 of ,leipsig1 gained a deserved and world wide celebrity as an artist in making bows4 ,i also esteemed him as an excellent and very accurate worker4 ,but to my astonishment ,i found1 as ,i regret to say1 that his fine repairs were mostly devoid of value1 as also were his new violins1 so far as the production of tone was concerned4 ,but artists and amateurs1 far and near1 adored his useless repairs and new violins1 which latter usually sold for high prices4 ,thus the public are unable to form a proper judgment in regard to the art4 ,it would pain many a one1 if they could realize the manner in which valuable violins are treated by such violin makers and repairers4 ,repairing violins1 therefore1 is as little understood as violins themselves1 in consequence of which not only the interior of many an ,italian instrument is ruined1 but also the exterior is often deprived of its classical appearance by an alcoholic varnish1 which is smeared over it and which impairs its value2 and yet many owners of such instruments1 who do not know any better1 rejoice to see their violins with such a glossy surface4 ,to rehabilitate a valuable instrument1 and repair the exterior if necessary1 requires a skill as artistic as the rehabilitation of a painting by a celebrated painter4 ,such instruments are also often peculiarly tortured by unskilled hands1 and many a valuable top has been damaged by the operation of putting1 or rather forcing1 in the sounding post4 ,owners of violins should take particular precaution never to permit the cutting away of wood out of the bottom or top of a violin1 without being fully satisfied that the repairer is an adept in the art4 ,in ,italian violins made by the old celebrated masters there is no necessity at all for doing this1 as they have not as a rule any too much wood1 and most of them are poor enough in this respect2 in case those artists made no mistakes others have brought them in by their repairs4 ,,of ,,the ,,causes ,,why ,,the ,,judging ,,of ,,violins ,,and ,,the ,,repairing ,,of ,,them ,,is ,,less ,,understood ,,than ,,other ,,art ,,productions4 ,beautiful and interesting as is this art of making and repairing violins1 and however great has been my enthusiastic devotion to it1 ,i should never have engaged in it had ,i in starting possessed my present experience1 for the ignorance which the public has shown by the confusion of opinions in this branch might almost make one believe these judgments emanated from a mad-house4 ,why is it we hear no such conflicting opinions about the productions of any other branch of industry or art8 ,because in no other business do we find so many pretenders4 ,and why is it they infest this particular branch of business more than any other8 ,simply because the art of violin making is not founded on a correct system1 and this may account for the medley of ideas which have been spread broadcast throughout the musical countries1 except ,france1 where a regular system is recognized4 ,yet in spite of the lack of correct system of making violins1 ,i have become acquainted with a few ,german musicians who have acquired an excellent schooling in the art4 ,in this respect ,i cannot refrain from mentioning my admiration for a thoroughly skilled musician1 ,mr4 ,herman ,eckhardt1 of ,columbus1 ,ohio1 a man of rare genius in the knowledge of music1 who was able to define clearly and accurately the different periods of the progress ,i made in violin making4 ,such a man ,i must respect the more1 because he is endowed with sound judgment1 which other musicians1 often of very high standing1 could only acquire by instruction1 a method which to some of them would seem to be impossible1 as they are devoid of judgment1 having their ability warped by false ideas about violins1 and rendering them incapable of correctly understanding and appreciating the latest and best productions2 this may account for their fanatical admiration of ,italian violins1 even if they possess only imitation1 but1 as ignorance is bliss1 they are happy4 ,on the other hand1 there are amateurs who take such a practical view of the matter that they are just opposite in their beliefs to this class of fanatics4 ,they do not see why a new production1 which answers the purpose as well and which in more ways than one is preferable to an old production of the same kind1 should be regarded as of less value4 ,they do not understand why a desirable article should command an enormous price when another article accomplishing the same effect can be bought much cheaper4 ,and in this they show a common sense which might well be emulated by many others4 ,while it is true that an enthusiast ought never to be blamed for his enthusiasm1 if it has a reasonable base1 it is no less true that lacking in this respect he is nothing more or less than a fanatic4 ,this class of people is by no means exclusively confined to amateurs1 but even includes in its ranks many true artists in music4 ,,on ,,the ,,preservation ,,of ,,violins4 ,there is no doubt that a certain class of violin players pay very little attention to the care of their instruments1 as they use them daily1 and few have time to bestow the necessary attention upon them4 ,if a violin is out of order1 a musician or amateur who knows nothing about it continues to play upon it4 ,at length he perceives that the tone is not the same as it was before4 ,many1 therefore1 often lay the blame on the repairer1 or on the violin maker1 if it is a new instrument4 ,it is therefore desirable that players should always pay attention to their instruments and examine them whenever they intend to use them1 to see whether everything is in order2 that the neck has not sunk a little to the front1 causing the finger board to lie deeper on the top and the strings to lie somewhat too high4 ,such deviations will occur1 particularly when the top is very much vaulted1 as well as by change of weather or climate4 ,as soon as the weather becomes moist it is advisable to keep a violin in a box2 when the weather is fine it should be taken out of the box for a time every day2 and even if it is a very old violin it is not good to keep it always locked up4 ,a violin should never lie on a floor1 whether in a box or not1 but should always be kept on an elevated place and in a moderately warm temperature4 ,before using the violin it is advisable to rub it with a soft cloth or chamois1 so that neither dust nor perspiration may remain on it2 it should also be cleaned each time after being played upon4 ,the sounding post should also be examined1 to be sure that it still stands perpendicular4 ,the bridge1 too1 must be looked at1 and if it stands obliquely it must be brought into its normal position again before taking the bow4 ,it usually inclines somewhat forward on the ,e string after tuning it4 ,if this is the case1 pinch the ,e string between the thumb and index finger1 while the corresponding part of the bridge is moved backward by the points of the fingers4 ,on good and excellent violins particular attention must be given to the bridge1 especially when it fits the instrument1 for it is not always easy to replace it with one equally good4 ,a bridge which is qualified to affect the violin and contribute to the charm of tone of the instrument is more valuable than one would often think4 ,many consider a bridge of as little consequence as a string1 when it breaks on the violin1 and think they can restore the loss by a bridge which costs three cents2 for the correct model of a bridge is considered only as an ornament by such people4 ,of course they do not know that this is one of the most important parts of good violins1 and that there are but few violin makers who are able to make a bridge as it should be4 ,but it is the same with the bridge as with the violin4 ,it is not only the correct construction of the violin and bridge which produces a good tone1 but the right sort of wood must be found for the purpose4 ,thus the bad form of a bridge made of fine wood is just the same as a common fiddle made of fine materials4 ,it therefore follows that we should take as much care of a master bridge as of the violin itself4 ,it some times occurs that the sounding post of the violin becomes shorter by itself2 in this case it may be advisable to relax the strings entirely in order to see whether the sounding post does not fall4 ,if this is the case1 a new one must be made of old wood by a skilled workman4 ,the cause of this is that the wood contracts more or less1 especially in dry weather2 this may also be caused by a change of air1 which sometimes even produces a distortion of the swell of the top4 ,when such care is habitually taken1 a violin will always be in good order4 ,too low a sounding post causes a lower position of the top on that side1 which1 when not remedied1 will remain and will produce a defect in the swell and tone4 ,this is also the case when the sounding post is too high1 and many violins are seen where the swell is higher or lower than it ought to be on the side where the sounding post stands4 ,this is also the case with the bass-bar or so-called soul of a violin1 which is just as mysterious a part of the violin as any one can imagine2 and its quality shows the skill or ignorance of its maker4 ,,to ,,illustrate ,,how ,,violins ,,of ,,my ,,construction ,,may ,,be ,,compared ,,with ,,the ,,old ,,italian ,,master-,,violins4 ,from the foregoing treatises it will be seen with what energy ,i devoted myself to the art of making violins1 and ,i can declare to the world with a good conscience that ,i have reached the standpoint in this art which has been striven for in vain during a century4 ,i have studied all the characteristics in the construction of the ,italian master violins1 and have had extensive practice in imitating violins1 as masters have made them1 and have obtained an understanding which enables me to unite all good qualities of tone in the construction4 ,as ,i am able to judge from experience1 nobody can confute me4 ,all those who doubt it or will dispute it can neither confute me scientifically1 nor prove what they say4 ,i have had a great many opportunities to hear and repair the best ,italian violins myself1 including ,paganini's wondrous violin at ,vuilliaume's1 in ,paris1 and ,i can affirm that my ,kaiser violin can be considered as wondrous a violin in regard to tone and character as--nay1 it is even to be preferred to--that of ,paganini's in many respects6 ,i also make a peculiar kind of ,maggini violin4 ,for this purpose ,i have selected an older form than that which is generally known4 ,i construct these violins in a manner to include all good qualities of tone1 and they are1 therefore1 far preferable1 because they surpass those of ,stradivarius in greatness of tone4 ,such distinctions prove that ,i have made great progress in this art4 ,most ,italian violins are now of interest only to admirers of art1 and may be recommended to antiquarians1 for there are only a very few still existing which can be used for concerts1 and although if even their voice disappears more and more out of their body1 they will always be valued1 kept as relics and admired by friends of art4 ,but it is only fancy which makes most of them adore what they do not understand1 and they trample down the blossom of the new productions which the world brings forth4 ,therefore1 it will be of some interest to many to hear more minute particulars about the method of construction of violins of the old ,italian masters1 as many persons are still in darkness as to which violins the best tone is to be ascribed4 ,this want of knowledge comes simply from the fact that a combination of uninjured instruments of the best masters is a task very difficult to be effected1 and these instruments would by all means have to be put in proper condition by an expert4 ,this has1 perhaps1 never been done yet1 and a general comparison could only be made as the opportunity presented itself4 ,as ,i acquired knowledge of the system1 the forms and swells of violins of the great masters1 ,i also became so thoroughly familiar with the characteristics of tone that ,i have found out what the present needs require4 ,i will now consider in detail the different characteristics of tone of the productions of the great masters1 and state in what manner this difference was obtained4 ,jacob ,stainer1 at ,absam1 in ,tyrol1 was a pupil of ,nicholas ,amati1 at ,cremona4 ,stainer and ,amati made violins which were mostly demanded by amateurs on account of their round1 sweet1 silver tone4 ,this character of tone they produced by a small1 round and some what oblong swell1 as well as by a neat and somewhat smaller size than that of ,stradivarius1 who endeavored to gain a greater sonority of tone4 ,stradivarius1 therefore1 made the swell less high than ,stainer or ,amati1 but of a broader circumference1 drawn oblong1 by which he obtained a sublime tone in an aristocratic and majestic form4 ,joseph ,guarnerius del ,jesu4--,as long as he made violins according to the school of his great master1 ,stradivarius1 his productions were of a similar nature4 ,later1 he made somewhat smaller models1 sometimes with a circumferential swell1 by which he gained a somewhat smaller tone1 but with a striking1 quick touch of a peculiar brilliancy4 ,it is strange that he gave a different form to each of his violins1 the f1 the swells and the scrolls varying in almost every instrument4 ,it is told that he was imprisoned for a long time1 and1 under great deprivations1 he made violins secretly4 ,in all his productions his great genius is recognized4 ,duffu ,prugar1 at ,bonninien1 lived in the sixteenth century4 ,his violins have a large and wide form1 with interesting ornaments of carving work and inlay2 their swells are beautiful1 and as high as those of ,stradivarius1 and they produce a great and full tone4 ,but as there are only few still existing1 many violins are imitated in ,france according to this model1 and they are spread far and wide4 ,maggini's violins are mostly of a large size and of a higher swell and fuller toward the extreme parts than all the other violins of the ,italian masters1 therein producing a great fulness of tone2 on the ,g and ,d strings their color of tone is particularly deep4 ,gaspard da ,salo made very interesting violins of small and large size2 the former have a peculiar character of tone1 not very strong but of a very clear color4 ,these violins have a beautiful1 high and round swell1 similar to those of ,jacobus ,stainer1 but those of a greater size are flatter1 producing more power of tone1 and are therefore better adapted for solo performances4 ,these celebrated masters left us a great choice of different forms and swells1 as well as their method of workmanship in regard to the top and bottom of their violins1 where the proof is to be seen that they always made investigations in order to gain a greater perfection4 ,stradivarius and ,joseph ,guarnerius have especially obtained a beautiful quality of tone in their violins1 yet in order to gain an easy touch of tone1 they worked the top pretty tender1 and in many instances they made the middle part of the top most thin1 probably to further the easiness of sound still more4 ,such violins do not answer for concerts4 ,it seems that at that time less attention was paid to such a power of tone as is required now1 because only few of them have been found with an acceptable thickness of wood in the top and bottom4 ,this is1 therefore1 the reason that so many ,italian violins produce too weak a tone in concerts4 ,although ,maggini left the top and bottom thicker in the middle part1 still1 most of his violins have not1 on account of construction and deep color of tone1 been received with favor like those of ,stradivarius and ,joseph ,guarnerius4 ,as only a few such ,guarnerius and ,stradivarius violins were found which by reason of their thickness of wood answered the purpose of solo violins1 every one believed all their productions of a like character4 ,therefore1 so many solo players often expose their ignorance by playing on such violins in concerts4 ,stradivarius instructed other pupils besides ,joseph ,guarnerius1 who made excellent violins1 and many of these violins still exist4 ,as the most of them were made with the full thickness of wood1 they produce a splendid tone1 often better than some of those made by their great master4 ,this teaches us that he who wishes to possess an ,italian violin on account of its tone cannot depend upon finding it by the name alone1 but he has to pay all his attention to the discovery of those in which the necessary thickness of wood is found4 ,a solo player1 therefore1 should never play a violin on account of its name alone1 for if the violin produces a weak tone1 the blame will be laid on him1 and so much the more because it is generally supposed that such instruments must be master violins4 ,,art ,,exhibitions4--,,how ,,violins ,,are ,,examined ,,and ,,judged4 ,first of all ,i will take ,america into consideration1 where the art of making violins is too little understood to be judged4 ,commissioners of exhibitions like those1 for instance1 of the late ,centennial1 have no idea of violins1 and1 therefore1 are unable to appoint judges competent to award the premiums4 ,it would be too much to ask that they should themselves be such connoisseurs1 for the violin is still considered as a fiddle in this country1 and it may still take a long time before the people here reach the standard of knowledge and appreciation which ,europe occupies4 ,therefore1 only very few real violin makers are found here1 for most of them are only amateurs doing business in this branch4 ,in the ,centennial exhibition in ,philadelphia1 in the ,united ,states ,department1 were found mostly such amateur violins4 ,i have heard that all those who called themselves violin makers received a premium4 ,the judges were either unequal to the requirements of their office or they desired to offend nobody4 ,if the latter be the case they certainly acted generously if not justly4 ,but exhibitions of art were established for the purpose of finding out in which way the different articles of industry and art compare with each other4 ,proper examinations can be made only by professional men1 otherwise only that fiddle that cries the most will attract the greatest attention4 ,justice will never prevail in such exhibitions1 owing either to want of knowledge in order to be able to judge who has deserved a premium1 or to favoritism1 for merit can hope least1 especially in ,europe4 ,artists there can only receive acknowledgment if they have the means to spend4 ,the ,centennial exhibition1 however1 was not guilty of such a wrong2 here it was the desire to be as just as possible to all1 although not every one could be satisfied4 ,to act in the capacity of an awarder is always a thankless task2 whether the judge has or has not the necessary knowledge1 discontent is sure to follow1 because the conceited man who has been unrewarded does not see the difference between his production and the better one of his co-exhibitor1 but an injustice is done to an artist1 if through favoritism a premium is awarded to an inferior production4 ,exhibitions1 however estimable they may be1 are still very imperfect in regard to their organization2 in ,europe they have been for years entirely corrupt1 and are now called into existence mostly by speculators4 ,the true principle has been lost sight of and taken a corrupt form4 ,it is scarcely to be expected that the time will come when the many defects which have crept in will be removed again1 for all these failings which have manifested themselves throw a shade over such exhibitions1 and the time is not far distant when they will be entirely disregarded1 if not reorganized on a different basis4 ,but ,i believe that they will never attain great perfection1 even if taken in hand by the ,government1 for so long as a system of awards is connected therewith1 mistakes and discontent cannot be avoided4 ,managers of exhibitions are not always competent to appoint the proper professional men and experts as judges2 and as those appointed lack the necessary qualifications1 dissatisfaction ensues4 ,but suppose the awards were made with proper knowledge and strictest impartiality1 what then8 ,what have the remaining competitors gained who are less gifted by nature1 and therefore could not receive any award8 ,nothing but mortification and an impaired business4 ,is this fair on the part of human society8 ,not every one can be an artist4 ,the offering of premiums has for its object the promotion of industry2 but the majority of exhibitors can never achieve distinction by reason of lack of talent1 and must consequently be considered as excluded from their line of business4 ,are we not bound to consider them as our fellow brethren and to care for them as well as for those receiving premiums8 ,but the present generation does not seem to have any thoughts about this1 for there are but very few men who are still animated with noble impulses2 while the majority are striving to ruin their fellow men by greediness4 ,in my opinion such exhibitions cannot continue any longer1 because justice can never be expected1 and the chase for the highest premium in order to outdo others1 has not only become ridiculous1 but also immoral4 ,if ,i were the richest man1 it should never come into my mind to strive for a premium which ,i must purchase through so-called leeches4 ,there are1 however1 connoisseurs who know how to distinguish that which is better from that which is less good4 ,as long as such exhibitions are based on such rotten principles1 ,i find no longer any interest as an exhibitor in striving for a premium1 and as ,i gained the highest moral premium in the exhibition at ,vienna in #ahgc1 on this account ,i did not compete for any premium as an exhibitor in the ,centennial exhibition at ,philadelphia6 ,,note ,,about ,,dilettanti ,,violin ,,makers4 ,whoever takes an interest in violin making will undoubtedly be pleased to hear more particulars in regard to dilettanti violin makers and their patrons4 ,there are some dilettanti violin makers in ,america who consider violin making their business1 and there are others who do not make it their chief business4 ,they have their own particular patrons1 who in the knowledge of violins are on the same level with themselves2 but it cannot be denied that in the productions of some of these violin makers there is talent discernable2 if these persons could have had proper instruction1 more good violin makers would be found than are now in existence4 ,but as long as dilettanti violin makers remain as such1 only dilettanti violins will be produced2 for without proper instruction it is impossible to obtain either a correct knowledge of the exterior formation or a correct knowledge of the production of tone4 ,it is true1 that every piece of wood over which strings have been stretched will sound1 and every such instrument will have its admirers4 ,there are1 however1 dilettanti violin makers whose self-conceit and boldness is simply astonishing4 ,the professional will understand this1 for if a self-conceited man could see clearly and look into the matter1 he would be astonished at his workmanship1 as ,i was once myself4 ,as dilettanti usually lack that practice which is peculiar to the regular violin makers1 they very often experiment in all kinds of machines by which they expect to lighten manual labor2 their object1 however1 is mostly reached in a very roundabout manner1 although they believe to have made an improvement1 and this improvement they announce to the public as a great success4 ,as most of their patrons have no knowledge of the matter1 such a dilettante appears to them as an extraordinary genius4 ,this supposition would perhaps not be disputed if it did not take considerably more time to execute with their machines a certain amount of work than the practical workman requires simply by the dexterity of his hand4 ,a dilettante violin maker can never be a thorough workman1 and is entitled to be considered only as a jack-of-all-trades2 he has a great many kinds of tools which the regular violin maker never uses4 ,many dilettanti are presumptuous enough to believe themselves further advanced in theoretical knowledge concerning tone than the most experienced violin maker of the present day4 ,some of them ask1 in consequence1 a great deal higher price for a violin of their own make than does any regular violin maker for his4 ,but it seems to me that such persons are often only the tools of ,ole ,bull1 a once celebrated violinist with extravagant ideas1 who misled them4 ,they1 however1 believe to have learned from him the true secret of the art of violin making4 ,he also tried to persuade them into the belief that when new violins sound well and are serviceable for concerts they are made of chemically prepared wood4 ,if such pretended wise man would have some knowledge of wood1 he ought to be able to distinguish wood which is chemically prepared and that which is not6 ,about this point ,i have already sufficiently explained my opinion4 ,to give the wood the old natural color which is peculiar to the ,italian violins1 in a great measure depends on the material used1 for not every wood intended for violin making has the necessary qualifications4 ,violins made from such selected wood are therefore especially valuable4 ,it cannot now appear strange that the general public has so little knowledge in the judging of violins1 when a world renowned violinist like ,ole ,bull shows such ignorance4 ,here in ,america the latter preferred the company of dilettanti violin makers1 for the reason that they were generally willing to listen to his ideas1 and some of them have studied now so much that they cannot see any clearer nor hear any better4 ,dilettanti violin makers form a peculiar class of violin makers in ,america2 and they seem to be born for the sphere of such knowledge as is here shining forth4 ,their patrons write articles for them in which they try to instruct the public by their ignorance1 as we find1 for instance1 in the ,philadelphia ,times1 of ,august #cjth1 #ahgi3 ,gemuender refuses to state the source of supply for his wood1 and it is a well-known fact that he and others use at times chemical preparations for the purpose of changing the character and the appearance of their wood4 ,the writer of this notice made a statement without any foundation4 ,had he and his train a proper knowledge of the matter1 they would be able to perceive that the material of my violins is not chemically prepared and the character of the wood has not undergone any change whatever4 ,it is presumptuous in ignorant persons to make such statements against a man of long experience1 for the purpose of bringing his productions into discredit2 productions which are proofs in themselves that not a single violin can come into the condition of those manufactured of chemically prepared wood1 as those of ,vuilliaume in ,paris4 ,but such individuals manifest not only a prejudice against a better understanding1 but also are impertinent1 from which stupidity and meanness emanate2 and thus they unmask themselves as false experts4 ,the cause for this assertion will have to be found1 and for the disbeliever there is no other ground in the advantages ,i have gained by my studies1 which to them seem impossible2 and as the ,italian violins are generally acknowledged the only good instruments1 they try almost anything to oppose what has proven itself so gloriously1 rather than acknowledge it as a fact4 ,truth1 however1 can never be overruled1 and the time will come which will impose silence on such individuals6 ,since mankind inhabits the earth their characters are as different as we find different plants4 ,many a flower is not fragrant1 and how many stately and celebrated men are heartless6 ,those1 therefore1 who are void of generosity are able to do evil4 ,those classes who are as it were idle weeds1 for the kinds are both useful and hurtful to men2 all that nature produces has a meaning4 ,if we could fathom all the secrets of nature we would also be able to understand the meaning of them1 and idle weeds could be less hurtful4 ,but in nature there lies a wisdom which remains a secret to mortal man4 ,,good ,,luck ,,and ,,art1 ,,and ,,remarks ,,about ,,violins4 ,it is an incontestable fact that the success of the endeavors of men to gain a livelihood depends upon luck1 although many are of different opinion1 especially those who are always favored by good luck1 as they ascribe their success to their enterprise and skill4 ,they do not consider that good luck only has offered them a chance4 ,many become wealthy without being gifted with peculiar knowledge1 while many others1 in spite of all their knowledge and genius1 endeavour in vain and do not see their efforts rewarded4 ,it is1 therefore1 a matter of fact1 that neither art nor science produce wealth1 unless they are favored by good luck1 and the cases are innumerable which prove this4 ,from the many experiences in my life1 especially in my profession1 ,i will only mention the following3 ,vuilliaume1 of ,paris1 was favored by nature in a very high degree in every thing2 he was not only the greatest artist in his profession in ,europe during the present century1 but also an excellent business man1 and good luck smiled on him in all his enterprises4 ,lupot1 his partner1 laid the foundation of ,vuilliaume's independence by effecting a marriage between him and a very rich lady of nobility4 ,thus he became not only a celebrated man1 but also the richest violin maker of our time4 ,although some of his violins of prepared wood incurred discredit1 nevertheless there were admirers who bought his violins1 even in ,america1 where the prejudice against new violins is so prevalent1 on account of the supposition that the wood of them was chemically prepared1 a practice of which they so stupidly and unjustly accused me1 and thereby caused a great deal of harm to my business4 ,on the other hand1 ,vuilliaume1 who really prepared his wood in a chemical manner1 was lucky and prosperous4 ,what is the reason of this and where is it to be found1 and why does good luck generally lie in the opposite extreme8 ,the solution of this secret will probably remain undisclosed to mortals4 ,upon whomsoever fortune smiles1 and whom she allows to blow the golden horn1 he penetrates the world1 his name becomes great1 and he produces upon mankind that effect which persuades them into the belief that the best can be found only in him4 ,if ,vuilliaume had been a poor man he would have certainly remained poor1 especially in ,america1 where the art of violin making is still less understood than in ,europe1 and unjust reports will be more readily listened to than anywhere else4 ,in ,europe there was a general supposition that a pretty good demand for old ,italian violins existed in ,america1 in consequence of which dealers in old and new violins found their way hither4 ,in disposing of these instruments they were not very scrupulous in regard to the information1 and sometimes gave them names according their own fancy4 ,a great many so-called ,italian violins and violoncellos came in this way to ,america1 and the owners are happy in the imaginary possession of an ,italian instrument4 ,other persons again entertain the idea that they are surer of a genuine article if it comes from ,europe1 as there is their home2 but if it is believed that this is always the surer way1 it is a mistake4 ,it requires an extraordinary study to recognize the maker of an instrument1 and understand the dead language of the violin4 ,thus it must not be believed that the instruments claimed to be ,italian are always genuine2 the seller himself may sometimes be mistaken4 ,many owners of such baptized violins do not always like to be informed of the real origin of the instrument by a person of thorough knowledge4 ,sometimes ,i feel constrained to give an opinion by virtue of my knowledge1 but it must not be expected of me to admire a thing that is not genuine1 as those owners do in their ignorance4 ,if1 however1 a genuine and valuable ,italian violin has lost any part1 and if a violin maker possesses the art to restore the missing part1 either in imitating the varnish or in adapting the lost part to the character of the violin1 so that the instrument reappears in its originality so completely that the connoisseur is deceived1 the value of the violin is in that case not impaired4 ,this also occurs in regard to very valuable old pictures1 and the artist who is found to be able to execute such work is well paid4 ,such artists are1 perhaps1 more to be esteemed than the maker of the original1 as they are rare1 especially those who are able to restore the originality of valuable old violins4 ,the instruments lose their value in case the repairs cannot be carried out properly1 owing to a want of genius upon the part of the repairer4 ,i have often shown this art in exceptional repairs2 but what can be gained by it8 ,the greater number of those who own violins do not know how to appreciate such skilful work1 and1 in their ignorance1 they attempt to do harm in the bargain1 when they hear that they must for such repairs1 perhaps1 pay somewhat more than usual--an additional proof of how great the darkness still is in judging this art4 ,the time when a better understanding in this regard will come to daylight is still far off6 ,and why8 ,because all other arts and branches of industry are based upon solid ground1 as the ,state governments protect them1 and1 therefore1 they can come to a proper degree of perfection4 ,the art of making violins does not enjoy this privilege 7except in ,france7 and it hovers mostly in the fog since the death of the celebrated ,italian masters4 ,therefore1 it can yet be called only a fancy art4 ,the opportunity which has been given to mankind in this century to make this science general has not been regarded1 because the confidence and belief in it has been wanting1 and it will disappear like a drowning person1 who several times comes up out of the water1 but who1 at last1 is overwhelmed4 ,instead of endeavoring to save this art in its details1 it is ignored by self-interest4 ,but such an aversion to the best modern productions is sometimes punished very severely1 as want of knowledge often brings common productions into the possession of individuals4 ,since the death of ,tariso1 the great collection of violins1 etc41 which he gathered from all the regions of ,europe1 has been scattered again over all countries4 ,vuilliaume1 who bought many of them1 afterward resold some to violin makers and dealers2 those instruments which were put in order by them are easily recognized4 ,this collection consisted mostly of all characters of ,italian instruments1 from the most commonplace to the celebrated ,stradivarius4 ,in many an admirer an interest may have been awakened thereby to possess one of these instruments4 ,but it must not be expected that all of those violins still possess their original parts4 ,had not such amateurs as ,tariso--and they are not rare in ,europe--bought those instruments of that time and kept them safely1 which contributed to their longer preservation1 they would1 especially if they had been always used1 be in a much worse condition4 ,george ,hart1 of ,london1 is also such a gatherer of and dealer in instruments4 ,john ,hart1 the father of ,george ,hart1 whose personal acquaintance ,i made at ,vuilliaume's1 in ,paris--when ,i was engaged to make for him a set of ,stradivarius heads1 from that of violin up to that of contra-basso1 which should serve as models--undertook to gather such old ,italian violins for the purpose of selling them again to other persons4 ,from that firm there came1 in fact1 some specimens of the celebrated ,italian masters to ,america1 and they are interesting and very well preserved4 ,i have seen and admired them2 they are in possession of an amateur at ,hartford1 ,conn4 ,here they are preserved again for the coming generation4 ,violin players look with envy upon such violins in the hands of amateurs1 but it is fortunate that most of them have come into such hands1 for violins of this kind are very delicate1 and although those which are well kept produce a beautiful tone1 most of them have not that power of tone which is necessary for concerts4 ,the solo player1 however1 believes he must produce the strong tone of a violin by force1 which breaks the tone1 and is not heard distinctly4 ,in this manner such violins are tortured and ruined4 ,when such well kept violins continue to be well preserved1 they may be the same after a hundred years4 ,such relics will then1 no doubt bring still higher prices from those who wish to possess a violin of that kind4 ,but it is strange that some amateurs put a particular value upon a violin which has been in the possession of a rich nobleman1 as if it is more likely to be genuine in that case8 ,what a foolish idea6 ,such whims are not entertained by connoisseurs4 ,there are enough aristocrats who possess only a fiddle1 especially in ,america1 and who know nothing about the value of a violin2 it is rarely that they have at home a violin which is worth over five or ten dollars4 ,when many of them hear that thousands of dollars are paid for violins1 they think that persons who pay these prices must be crazy4 ,the reason of this is that most of them know no difference between a ten dollar fiddle and a violin which costs as many hundreds of dollars6 ,amateurs who pay thousands of dollars for a violin are here in ,america just as isolated as that enthusiast who paid six hundred dollars for the first ticket of the first concert given by ,jenny ,lind in ,new ,york1 and the other who paid ten dollars for his admittance in order to be able to see the six hundred dollar man4 ,thus ,i believe to have unrolled a panorama which will assist in the dissemination of knowledge and truthful views1 which have only been obtained by a long experience4 ,,of ,,the ,,manner ,,of ,,playing--,,treatment ,,of ,,bridges ,,etc4 ,it has often occurred to me that violin players of all kinds find fault when the strings are not arranged in the manner to which they are accustomed1 and almost every one believes his method to be correct4 ,this subject shall be discussed here1 so that a clearer insight may be obtained and the correct method ascertained4 ,there are violin players who have a greatly arched bridge1 and others a very flat one1 on their instruments4 ,the latter1 therefore1 more than the former1 have the advantage of being able to play on all violins1 because they are accustomed to a bridge which is flatter4 ,these different methods mostly arise from the different arrangements of the violins upon which pupils learn to play4 ,ole ,bull was an exception to this rule2 with him it was not chance2 of all violin players he used the flattest bridge on his violin2 but it was his principle4 ,his music pieces required it1 and in his method he became a master4 ,i4 ,b4 ,poznanski played at one time on a violin with almost as flat a bridge as that on ,ole ,bull's instrument1 and ,i believe it will not have been forgotten that he produced1 as if by charm1 a great tone from his instrument4 ,this proves that a great tone can be gained on a flat bridge4 ,therefore it depends only on the skill with which the bow is handled4 ,many violin players1 however1 are of opinion that they must press the bow on the strings very much1 in order to bring forth a strong tone on the violin2 but the pressure of the bow is limited2 for when it is too strong1 the ear becomes disgusted with the tone1 nay1 a scraping and jarring tone is produced by too strong a pressure1 because the ,g string touches the finger-board in this case1 in consequence of which many violin players wish to have the finger-board very hollow4 ,but it must not be believed that in such a manner the right tone is produced2 on the contrary1 the full tone1 which lies ready in the violin1 is very easy to be gained by the knowledge and skill of handling the bow4 ,the rule is1 that the tone must be drawn forth by the bow1 and it must not be forced forth by pressure4 ,the bow must not be led oblique1 but straight over the strings1 so that the hair lies flat on them2 it also depends on the flexibility of the arm1 that the bow may not touch the strings stiffly1 but in an elastic manner4 ,those who attract attention to their elbows cannot expect that the bow and the violin alone will do their service4 ,the most perfect condition of a violin requires the instrument to be so arranged that it can be played easily2 therefore1 ,i determine that the height of the strings must be three-sixteenths of an inch at the end of the finger-board1 and that the arch of the bridge must have the same measure1 three-sixteenths of an inch1 between its two extremes1 for bridges more arched than this cause difficulties to the player1 because the movement of the bow is too much abstracted when passing from the ,e string to the ,g string4 ,in such a manner1 ,david in ,leipsic had the violins arranged for his pupils4 ,on such arched bridges the two middle strings lie too high from the top towards the ,g string and ,e string1 and it is an acoustical mistake1 because it produces an inequality of the character of tone4 ,such knowledge should be taught to the pupils in conservatories of music2 but it is generally believed that when a violin player has been made a professor he is able to satisfy the requirements of his position in this regard4 ,for the benefit of the learner1 however1 ,i will enter more nearly upon the knowledge which is required1 especially in a conservatory1 and to the imparting of which the teacher should attend4 ,first ,i will mention as an example the conservatory at ,leipsic when it was under the management of ,director ,david4 ,most of his scholars were then compelled to play on new violins made by ,bausch1 which for their stiff and tough tone are for the greater part unfit for those who would become artists4 ,this quality of tone1 together with the fact that students were forced into a certain position and fatigued1 caused them to become nervous2 but many parents who had no knowledge of it1 sent their sons to that institute1 even from ,america1 and they had no idea that many of them brought back a nervous disease and were thus ruined4 ,i heard this of no other conservatory in ,europe4 ,thus it would appear that ,david pursued his own interest rather than that he cared for the good of his pupils4 ,here in ,america we have violin teachers whose methods are preferable by far to such4 ,the following is a method according to which students should be instructed3 ,the student must not be forced into a position of holding the violin so as to cause the ruin of health1 but on the contrary1 by means of a free position and natural holding of the violin the chest will be enlarged4 ,this does not only benefit the health1 but also facilitates the learning and progress4 ,it is of the greatest importance that students learn on violins which have good tone1 for instruments which have a bad quality of tone usually discourage the beginner1 so that he becomes nervous and soon considers playing an unpleasant work1 and gives it up without knowing the reason why4 ,teachers1 therefore1 should have the necessary knowledge of the qualities which a violin must possess4 ,a knowledge indispensable for them and a great benefit for the learner4 ,for only a good tone has a charming influence upon the mind1 and owing to this many beginners advance early to a high degree of perfection2 therefore it must also be in the interest of the students to get familiar with the good tone of a violin1 that their ear may not be accustomed to a sickly tone4 ,alas6 ,this point is mostly disregarded by their parents1 who have little or no knowledge of a violin1 and it provokes some indignation in scientifically instructed teachers to teach their pupils on miserable fiddles4 ,if a teacher knows how a violin should be arranged1 it is above all his duty to examine the instrument1 and ascertain whether it can be used for the instruction of a learner2 for as the violin is first arranged for him so he will ever be accustomed to have it afterward4 ,for instance1 on the violin of the solo player ,ed4 ,mollenhauer1 the strings lie on the finger-board lower than on any other that ,i ever saw4 ,no doubt he has learned on such an instrument4 ,it is true that the virtuosoship is facilitated1 but the strength of tone is impaired by such an arrangement4 ,the ingenious artist ,brume1 however1 was so great a master that he played even on violins the strings of which lay very high1 although he did not know this4 ,many1 again1 are accustomed to bridges that are very much curved towards the ,e string1 because they did not know1 when learning1 how badly their violins were arranged4 ,a correct system must be the foundation of everything1 but as the theories in this art are still dead letters for most violin players1 there have arisen fantastical ideas1 especially among the greatest of them4 ,ole ,bull did his best to impart such ideas to others1 yet many of them were1 no doubt1 excellent4 ,ole ,bull always had a vehement desire to find something better beyond all possibility4 ,many of his ideas were contradictory to all the rules1 and although he put some in practice he did not persevere in any of them for a long time1 for a new idea occurring to him all others were supplanted by it4 ,it happened once that ,ole ,bull was visited in ,new ,york by another artist1 who was called the ,american ,sivori4 ,he1 as well as many others thought that ,ole ,bull had a perfect knowledge of the structure of violins4 ,sivori1 seeing that ,ole ,bull had a bridge on his violin which stood quite oblique--for the upper part of the bridge was bent backwards by a quarter of an inch1--adopted this idea4 ,when his violin had been provided with such a bridge he came to me1 and with great satisfaction he showed me this queer position of the bridge on his violin4 ,i was highly astonished at him that he could approve of an idea which is against all correct theory and is nothing but a farce4 ,i then explained to him not only the consequences which must arise from it1 but also the impossibility1 by such an arrangement1 of bringing to bear an even horizontal pressure on the bridge4 ,but he thought that which came from ,ole ,bull was better than that which came from my knowledge4 ,let us see what happened later4 ,in a concert of his1 while he was playing with enthusiasm1 the bridge fell and broke6 ,another day an ,italian artist came with his ,maggini violin to show me where the sounding post must stand in his violin1 having obtained his information about it from ,ole ,bull4 ,i could not help smiling when ,i saw that the sounding post was placed quite near the f hole4 ,upon expressing my surprise1 he replied with the following insult3 ,what do you know about the position of the sounding post8 ,you are no violin player like ,ole ,bull1 therefore you cannot know about it4 ,my answer simply was3 ,only a fool can talk to me in that way1 and very soon you will find out that you will have to give up such an insane idea6 ,it was on the third day after that he came back begging me to place the sounding post in his violin according to my judgment4 ,when he had apologized for his indiscretion1 ,i fulfilled his wish4 ,thus ,i have become acquainted with several artists who constantly tortured their violins by getting the sounding post and bass-bar displaced4 ,this proves a want of correct theoretical knowledge1 and through this ignorance they make the sounding post wander about the whole violin4 ,the place of the sounding post can only be ascertained through the theoretical knowledge of the construction of the bottom and top of the violin4 ,many players think they can obtain the right tone by the position of the sounding post alone1 but no sounding post can make good a fault in the construction of the bottom and top4 ,,circular ,,which ,,accompanied ,,my ,,emperor ,,violin ,,in ,,the ,,vienna ,,exhibition ,,of #ahgc--;,,an ,,interesting ,,explanation ,,about ,,violins ,,and ,,of ,,the ,,science ,,of ,,tone4 ,it is an indisputable fact1 that of all productions of art in the world1 the violin has been least understood4 ,this wonderful instrument has remained an enigma to the musical world until now4 ,how fortunate it is that this instrument does not understand human language1 by which circumstance it escapes that medley of critical remarks which are made in its regard4 ,it is1 therefore1 in the interest of art and its votaries that ,i have determined to present herewith to the public the results of my long experience obtained in making violins1 and in examining those sciences connected with it4 ,it is generally known that up to the earlier part of the eighteenth century the ,italian masters made the best violins1 and with the death of those artists a decline of that art1 too1 took place4 ,those so-called classical instruments have been1 especially of late years1 eagerly sought at high prices1 by all artists and amateurs1 because a settled opinion has taken hold of their minds that nobody is able to construct a violin which is fit for solo performances2 that the secret which the old ,italian masters possessed is not yet found1 and that new violins1 although constructed according to the rules of acoustics1 cannot gain the desired perfection until after the use of a hundred years4 ,this1 therefore1 animated many violin makers with an endeavor to overcome that difficulty1 but in vain2 at last ,vuillaume1 of ,paris1 was impressed with the thought of making wood look old by a chemical process1 and he succeeded in creating a furor with his instruments made of such wood1 so that people began to believe the right course was being pursued4 ,it turned out1 however1 that after a few years those instruments deteriorated1 and finally became useless and proved a failure4 ,this especially prejudices the minds of the virtuosi so far that they do not believe it to be possible to make violins which answer the general requirements of concert playing until they have attained a great age4 ,vuillaume has1 therefore1 by his chemical preparation of wood1 injured this art seriously1 because the previous prejudice was corroborated thereby4 ,such prejudices stand in the way of progress in making good violins4 ,but as everything in the world is going on1 so the art of the construction of violins has not remained behindhand1 and ,i can prove this to the musical world by my own experience4 ,to the knowledge of making such violins as artists and amateurs demand1 there belong besides ingenuity in carrying out the mechanical work a knowledge of the following three sciences1 namely3 mathematics1 acoustics and the choice of wood4 ,a knowledge of acoustics1 which is most indispensable to the violin maker1 cannot always be acquired1 since it emanates from an innate genius1 which makes itself manifest in the very choice of the wood4 ,when by the aid of these sciences ,i had arrived by a natural proceeding at what ,i aspired1 ,i made violins in imitation of the old ,italian instruments and presented them to great artists and connoisseurs1 and the highest authorities of ,europe and ,america4 ,they pronounced them to be genuine old ,italian violins1 not only on account of tone1 but also in regard to form and appearance4 ,in this manner ,i broke that prejudice4 ,i proved to the so-called connoisseurs that those violins laid before and acknowledged by them to be good1 were of my making1 hence they were new4 ,if ,i had presented those violins as new productions of my own to those gentlemen1 they would have condemned them forthwith and said that they would not prove good till they had reached a great age1 and that they would perhaps in a hundred years equal the old ,italian instruments4 ,in general1 however1 it is not taken into consideration that if a violin is not scientifically constructed the good quality of tone will never be obtained1 either by much playing or by age4 ,in applying the three above mention sciences ,i have gained not only the fine quality of tone1 but also that ease with which the tones are made to come forth4 ,but we must be thankful to the great masters2 they have laid for us the foundation of the manufacture of violins1 by which they became immortalized4 ,their system1 however1 is but little understood by the present violin makers1 because very few intelligent people devote themselves to this art1 and the most of those who are learning it1 practice it not in the way of art1 but of business4 ,what wonder1 when even the greatest artist in ,europe1 ,vuillaume1 imitated the very mistakes which the great ,italian masters made in regard to mathematical division4 ,he did not consider that they1 in improving the art1 made experiments in regard to form1 swell and different thicknesses in working out the bottom and top4 ,but there are a great many professional men who1 from exaggerated veneration1 consider all productions of those masters as law and beyond correction4 ,i have discovered that the old masters did not arrive at perfection1 but made mistakes in their mathematical division and in the workmanship of the different thicknesses of the bottom and top4 ,those faults ,i have endeavored to avoid in the manufacture of my violins1 and ,i think ,i have solved this problem4 ,just so it is with the knowledge of tone4 ,it is a great mistake to believe that it is only the player who has this knowledge4 ,experience has taught that playing and knowledge of tone are two different provinces1 because the artist very seldom has an opportunity to make close study of the different qualities of tone1 and is usually prepossessed with his own instrument4 ,if many solo performers had more knowledge of tone they would not so often play in concerts on feeble instruments1 which are too old1 too defective in construction1 or have been spoiled by bungling workmen who were employed to repair them4 ,such instruments often injure the solo performer exceedingly1 and the critic is right in charging the fault to feebleness of tone4 ,but the artist is generally satisfied if he only possesses an ,italian violin4 ,also in the science of tone ,i have found the way to gain that experience by which ,i have been enabled to make a violin which will satisfy an unprejudiced solo performer of the present and future4 ,i have confined myself to the natural process which the ,italian violins underwent1 and ,i have put the problem to myself that it must lie within the bounds of possibility to construct violins which will bring forth good tones at once and not depend on a promising future for all their good qualities1 and ,i have not been mistaken1 but have secured what ,i sought4 ,many are still of opinion that the art of making violins and predetermining the qualities of tone1 is a mere accident4 ,this is1 if taken in a general sense1 true1 because most of those who make violins scarcely know any more of it than a joiner1 but the ability to construct violins according to the rules of art1 requires a man who has enjoyed a technical education1 and whoever has acquired the necessary capabilities knows the method by which the different qualities of tone may be produced and obtained4 ,above all1 he who occupies himself with repairs can least dispense with these capabilities1 since he is often intrusted with the most valuable instruments2 but alas6 with what inconsideration do those who possess such instruments often give them1 for repair1 to botchers and fiddle makers4 ,this proves how great in this regard is the lack of correct judgment4 ,through such spoilers of violins most ,italian violins have come to naught1 because many who own such instruments think that whenever any one makes a neat piece of work and knows how to use his chisel1 file and sandpaper1 he is the man to be intrusted with such instruments4 ,but where there is a lack of science1 the repairer's work1 be it ever so neat1 may cause damage in half an hour which will be greater than can ever be made good again4 ,if a violin maker constructs bad instruments it is his own damage1 but to make bad repairs is to ruin the instruments of others1 the creations of masters4 ,neither is a violin maker who does not know how to construct excellent instruments a good repairer4 ,yet there are many who think that good repairers need not possess the knowledge of making good violins4 ,but what a mistake6 ,it seems1 however1 wisely ordained by nature that even he who is less gifted and less learned may enjoy life1 and thus gladly bear sacrifices in consequence of his error4 ,this is the plain and simple explanation of matters in regard to the manufacture of violins and the knowledge of tone1 and those to whom this does not seem comprehensible may submit to a more thorough experience than they have gained until now2 in this case they will1 after they have fully convinced themselves of it1 sometimes remember ,g4 ,g4 ,a ,,reply ,,to ,,mr4 ,e4 ,,schelle',s ,,critique ,,concerning ,,the ,,violins ,,in ,,the ,,exhibition ,,of ,,vienna ,,in ,,the ,,leipsig ,,neue ,,zeitschrift ,,fur ,,musick1 ,no4 #eb1 #ahgc4 ,in the foregoing circular1 treating upon violins1 ,i said3 ,it is indisputable that no production of art in the world has been less understood than the violin4 ,this truth has proved good again in ,mr4 ,schelle's critique concerning violins1 and it shows how little he is able to judge about them6 ,in his very introduction it is plainly shown that he has made no studies in regard to tone when he says3 ,thus an idea came to ,vuillaume to make1 by a chemical preparation1 wood to look like that of the old violins4 ,instruments made of this material excel in regard to their splendid and real ,italian tone4 ,against this ,i assert just the contrary and can prove it to be nonsense by the fact that wood1 when submitted to a chemical process1 will produce a dry1 covered tone1 and the noble quality of tone--that which affects the heart--is lost4 ,mr4 ,schelle then says3 ,we may also discover a similar experiment in the instrument which ,mr4 ,george ,gemuender1 of ,new ,york1 has in the exhibition1 under the ostentatious name of ,kaiser ,violin 7,emperor ,violin74 ,of course its manufacturer would protest against this insinuation1 for in a little pamphlet he declares that by the assistance of three sciences1 the mathematics1 acoustics and knowledge of the wood to be chosen1 he had not only comprehended the system of ,italian school1 but had even discovered errors in it1 etc4 ,mr4 ,schelle further says3 ,there have been many celebrated violin makers who were gifted with the same talents and learned in the same sciences1 yet they could not reach what they aimed at1 in spite of their most strenuous efforts4 ,we confess quite openly that in spite of his assurance we harbor the suspicion that ,mr4 ,gemuender has taken refuge in a chemical preparation of the wood4 ,the violin in question1 a faithful imitation according to ,guiseppe ,guarnerius1 is indeed beautiful in its appearance and has a very excellent tone4 ,but the extravagant1 really ,american1 price of ten thousand dollars could only be excused when its excellence should have been proven good in future1 etc4 ,from this 7,mr4 ,schelle's7 critique it is evident that he has tried to throw into the shade the interesting production of art which ,i had in the exhibition1 in order to be enabled to put the productions of the ,vienna violin makers in a more favorable light4 ,but this proves that only such persons as are destitute of sufficient knowledge to judge of violins may be transported to such one-sided critiques1 dictated either by partiality or other interests2 for if that were not the case ,mr4 ,schelle ought to have blushed with shame in regard to that injustice and disrespect with which he illustrated the experience of an artist and spoke of his talents and sciences1 to which ,mr4 ,schelle is as much a stranger as he is to the artist's person6 ,as ,mr4 ,schelle takes into consideration that the violin at ten thousand dollars exhibited by myself must first undergo a proof of time1 it may be rather advisable for ,mr4 ,schelle to take a lesson of ,gemuender1 that he may learn those characters of tones which will prove good in future and which will not2 so that he may be able hereafter to show better knowledge in his critique upon violins6 ,from my childhood ,i have grown up in this art in ,germany and have devoted myself to all those studies which are connected with it4 ,the last four years in ,europe ,i passed at ,vuillaume's in ,paris1 consequently ,i am acquainted with the entire ,european knowledge of the construction of violins4 ,since #ahdg ,i have made violins in ,america1 therefore my instruments do not require to be subjected to a proof of time1 for it is without such a one that ,i have solved the problem and secured at once the fine tone which all the preceding violin makers strove in vain to find4 ,i obtained my purpose in quite a natural way4 ,this knowledge1 however1 does not lie in an object whose secret is only to be secured by a patent2 it lies purely in the gifts of man4 ,another century may pass by before this problem will be solved again4 ,the closing page in ,mr4 ,schelle's critique sounds like a lawyer's pleading in favor of a criminal4 ,in this regard his writing is quite creditable1 for he has well pleaded the cause of the violin makers of ,vienna6 ,but then those words in my circular about violin makers proved true again3 ,this wonderful instrument has still remained an enigma to the musical world until now4 ,how fortunate it is that it does not understand human language1 by which circumstance it escapes the medley of opinions which have been given in regard to it4 ,when1 however1 its clear tone was heard1 and the easiness with which the tones came was noticed1 then it became an enigma to professional men and they declared that this violin was an original fixed up again6 ,but later1 when it was objected to and found to be a new ,gemuender violin1 it was ignored even in the newspapers4 ,the ,neue ,wiener ,tageblatt1 of ,vienna1 called it afterwards the false ,cremona violin6 ,how envy here glared forth again2 for this violin was not exhibited as a ,cremona violin1 although it has been demonstrated that it had been previously really taken for a genuine ,italian instrument4 ,its introduction as ,emperor ,violin had a force and pungency which tickled the professionals1 and what surpasses all belief is1 that they themselves crowned the work4 ,it was1 indeed1 the greatest premium that ,i could gain1 in spite of all the pains which those men gave to themselves to deprive me of my merit4 ,thus a moral prize values higher than a piece of metal8 ,although many mocked at the high price1 yet no such violin could be made by all those deriders1 should millions of dollars be offered to them4 ,therefore an unrivaled artist has the right to fix any price on his productions4 ,although an offer of #c1jjj was made for it1 yet nobody was charged to sell it1 even if #aj1jjj had been presented4 ,the newspaper of the exhibition of ,vienna1 published on the #agth of ,august1 #ahgc3 ,gemuender found fault with the ,italian constructions and those of ,vuillaume4 ,if ,gemuender had not extended his studies so far he would probably not have stirred up those matters which had given such a headache to those people of ,vienna1 for ,george ,gemuender became thoroughly acquainted with both the faultless and the faulty points of the ,italians in the construction of violins4 ,if those people of ,vienna had had the good luck to discover imperfections on the above mentioned constructions1 then they would have made a great cry about it4 ,the same newspaper says in another passage3 ,the tone of this violin is indeed strong and beautiful and has an easiness that pleases1 also it has not that young tone peculiar to the very best new violins4 ,in saying these words the writer confesses the truth in his innocence1 and this verdict crowns this violin again1 because this character of tone is just that one which all violin makers in the nineteenth century have been trying in vain to find4 ,and further3 ,for this reason some professional men gave vent to the suspicion that the wood was submitted to an artificial preparation1 probably by the use of borax4 ,such was the nonsense to which this peerless violin was subjected1 since there was none to take up its defence4 ,the annexed description in which all chemical preparations were peremptorily opposed1 was entirely disregarded by them4 ,thus there is no other way to advise those pseudo-professional men to have such borax violins made and patented6 ,to those gentlemen who call themselves professional men1 ,i1 ,george ,gemuender1 declare that ,i am ready at any time to sacrifice my ,emperor violin or any other which ,i have made1 and ,i propose to give it to the best chemists in the world to be cut to pieces1 that they may examine the wood and ascertain if any chemical preparation has been used4 ,if this is found to be the case they may be allowed to scold and blame me publicly as much as they please2 but1 if nothing of that kind is found1 they are to pay ten thousand dollars for the ,emperor violin4 ,address3 ,,george ,,gemunder4 ,,astoria1 ,,new ,,york4 ,,erratum4 ,page #gj4 ,sentence beginning ,he also tried to persuade them into the belief1 c41 should read1 ,he also tried to persuade them into the belief that when new violins sound well and are serviceable for concerts they are made of chemically prepared wood4 ,transcriber's ,notes3 ,passages in italics are indicated by italics4 ,inconsistencies in spelling and hyphenation have been retained from the original4 ,the following obvious errors have been corrected3 ,page #h3 the word in added after the word remain ,page #ah3 the extra word who removed ,page #gg3 howevever changed to however ,page #hh3 ingenius changed to ingenious ,page #hi3 thories changed to theories ,page #ih3 preposessed changed to prepossessed to fault changed to fault to ,punctuation has been corrected without note4 ,the error notated on page #gj in the ,erratum in the original has been corrected in this e,text4