,the ,salabue ,stradivari4 --------------------- ,a ,history and ,critical ,description ,,of ,,the ,,famous ,,violin ,,commonly ,,called 8,,le ,,messie40 ,containing many particulars obtained from authentic sources and now published for the first time4 ,illustrated with ,three ,coloured ,plates by ,,mr4 ,,shirley ,,slocombe4 -------------- ,w4 ,e4 ,,hill ,,sons1 #ch1 ,,new ,,bond ,,street1 ,,london1 ,w4 ,,novello1 ,,ewer ,,co41 ,,london ,,and ,,new ,,york4 ------- #ahia4 ------- ,all ,rights ,reserved4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,printed ,,by ,,novello1 ,,ewer ,,co41 ,,london1 ,w4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,prefatory ,,note4 ,,this monograph forms the second number of a series which opened with the pamphlet on the ,tuscan ,stradivari1 published nearly two years ago1 when that remarkable violin was in our possession4 ,our purpose in these publications is to furnish descriptive notices of some of the masterpieces of violin making1 with critical analyses of their characteristic features and authentic particulars of their history4 ,in pursuance of this object we have spared no pains in seeking original sources of information1 and in carefully sifting evidence2 and1 by these means1 we hope to succeed in correcting many of the loose ideas current with regard to the works of ,stradivari and the other great makers1 and in establishing trustworthy data for the guidance of the present and future generations of devotees of the violin4 ,in the preparation of the materials for the present memoir1 we have been greatly indebted to our friend ,signor ,federico ,sacchi1 of ,cremona1 for his indefatigable researches at the fountain-head of information on the subject of ,stradivari and his native town2 and we desire to take this opportunity of acknowledging the great value of his assistance in throwing light upon many points previously obscure4 ,our observations upon the general characteristics of the instrument1 and the comparative analysis of its distinctive features1 are based upon a professional experience of more than fifty years1 engrafted upon family traditions in the craft dating from the middle of the last century4 ,our own views are supplemented by the published testimony of several authorities whose opinions cannot fail to command respect wherever the name of ,stradivari is known4 ,finally we would express our obligations to ,mr4 ,robert ,harrison for the time and thought which he has devoted to the collation of materials for the memoir1 and to his congenial task of editing the whole work4 ,w4 ,e4 ,,hill ,,sons4 ,,new ,,bond ,,street1 ,march1 #ahia4 ,the block on the cover represents the ,arms of the town of ,cremona4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,to ,a ,,stradivari ,,violin4 ,o precious treasury of sounds exquisite1 ,the music of all time within thee sings6 ,old melodies1 and quaint strange whisperings ,of bye-gone songs that linger and invite4 ,earth's cry of pain1 heaven's anthems of delight4 ,the hopes and fears of love's imaginings1 ,all found a voice upon thy thrilling strings6 ,thou singest still1 with changes infinite1 ,the heights and depths of this strange human life ,with all its sorrows or its ecstasies1 ,its thoughts unuttered1 its most voiceless cries2 ,one pure tone rising always through the strife ,intense1 heart-searching4 ,sorrow in such setting ,is a sweet dream and a more sweet forgetting4 ,f4 ,s4 ,illustration ,illustration3 ,back of the ,salabue ,stradivari4 ,vincent ,brooks1 ,day ,son ,lith4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,illustration ,,the ,,salabue ,,stradivari4 ,,the ,exhibition of ,ancient ,musical ,instruments1 held at the ,south ,kensington ,museum in #ahgb1 comprised a ,collection of ,violins such as had never before been brought together1 and afforded to the musical amateur an unprecedented opportunity of studying the beauties of some of the most precious instruments in ,europe4 ,of these1 perhaps none excited so much interest among connoisseurs as a ,violin by ,stradivari1 lent by ,msr4 ,vuillaume1 the celebrated ,parisian maker and dealer1 and thus described by him in the official ,catalogue of the ,exhibition4#a #ia4 ,violin4 ,by ,a4 ,stradivarius1 #agaf4 8,le ,messie40 8,cet instrument a t peine jou4 ,il fut achet vers #agfj par le ,comte ,cozio de ,salabue1 grand seigneur et dilettante1 qui l'a toujours respect et conserv jusqu' sa mort4 ,ses hritiers l'ont vendu ,luigi ,tarisio1 connoisseur et fanatique d'instruments1 qui l'a conserv sans le laisser voir personne jusqu' #ahed4 ,a l'epoque de sa mort il tait recommend ses hritiers1 et cach soigneusement dans la ,ferme de la ,croix1 ct du ,village de ,fontaneto1 prs de ,novara 7,italie74 ,c'est l que son propritaire actuel est all le chercher dans le mois de ,janvier1 #ahee4 ,le bois dont il est fait est rmarquable par la richesse de ses ondes4 ,la perfection du travail1 la beaut du vernis1 rien ne lui manque4 ,c'est un violon qui semble sortir de la main du matre4 ,c'est enfin le seul1 l'unique instrument de ,stradivarius1 qui soit parvenu jusqu' nous1 en cet tat de parfaite conservation2 or1 ce monument intact de l'ancienne lutherie1 cet instrument que l'archet n' pas fait resonner dans l'espace de plus d'un sicle et demi1 qui s'est ecoul depuis l'epoque de sa fabrication1 cet instrument vient donner un clatant dementi cette opinion d'aprs laquelle le son ne pourrait se produire libre et pur qu'aprs un long usage1 parcequ'ici dans un instrument neuf on trouve toutes les qualits runies--force1 moelleux1 rondeur1 finesse1 vibration facile1 ton distingu1 noble1 incisif40 ,lent by ,m4 ,,vuillaume1 ,,paris4 ,the title at the head of the enthusiastic description above quoted sufficed in itself to excite the great interest exhibited by the musical public in this celebrated instrument4 ,they saw for the first time a violin1 long known to them by repute1 which1 partly by design and partly by accident1 had been surrounded with a certain halo of romantic mystery1 ever since its existence had first been asserted1 and long before the instrument itself had been actually inspected by any of the recognised experts of ,england or ,france4 ,as will be seen later1 the title was conferred upon it in connection with its long deferred production to the musical world4 ,the extraordinary industry of the great master ,antonio ,stradivari is well known4 ,notwithstanding the minute care and precision which characterised his work1 he may safely be credited with the construction of not less than two thousand instruments during his long and active life4 ,we have evidence that he remained at his bench to the very end of his days1 for in a document to which further reference is made below we find mention of a perfect instrument bearing date #agcf1 with his age1 inscribed with his own hand upon the label as ninety-two4#b ,the instruments made by ,stradivari were for the most part distributed throughout the ,courts and noble houses of ,europe4 ,we have records of several concertos of instruments made by him upon the commission of the ,courts of ,spain1 ,modena1 ,tuscany1 ,poland1 and others1 from the time when he began to acquire a ,european reputation4 ,among these was the great concerto presented by the ,cremonese ,nobleman1 the ,marchese ,bartolommeo ,ariberti1 to the ,court of ,tuscany1 and containing that marvellous instrument which1 after being long hidden from the world1 came to light in recent times and excited so much admiration two years ago1 when it was first exhibited in this country4 ,there were1 however1 undoubtedly many fine specimens of his work remaining in their maker's hands at the time of his death1 and these passed into the possession of his family4 ,fortunately1 from a manuscript which remained in the possession of an enthusiastic ,cremonese chronicler1 ,vincenzo ,lancetti1 we learn the fate of some of the instruments inherited by the great maker's sons4 ,lancetti was an active man of letters1 and the author of important biographical works1 including 8,cremonese ,worthies10 8,a ,dictionary of ,pseudonyms10 8,a ,dictionary of the ,poets ,laureate of every ,nation10 and numerous other books1 published between #agif and #ahcj1 when he was in ,milan as ,director of the ,archives of the ,war ,office4 ,in #ahbc1 having in contemplation a biographical memoir of the violin makers of his native town1 he enlisted the assistance of the wealthy amateur and great connoisseur1 ,count ,alessandro ,cozio di ,salabue1 of ,casale ,monferrato 7,piedmont47 ,the work unhappily was never completed1 but ,count ,salabue's original sketch for the memoir 7in the hand of his amanuensis1 here partly reproduced in fac-simile7 affords us some valuable information on the subject4 ,from this memorandum1 dated 8,milan1 ,january1 #ahbc10 we learn that1 in addition to the large number of ,stradivari's violins scattered throughout ,europe1 ninety-one were in his possession at the time of his death4 ,in #agge ten of these instruments were still in the hands of his son ,paolo1 the youngest child of his second marriage1 who sold them in that year1 together with two choice instruments by ,francesco ,stradivari 7the second son71 and all the forms1 models1 and tools left by their father1 to the ,count ,salabue1 whose collection has become so famous in the annals of the ,cremona ,school4 ,the name of this amateur must ever be held in grateful remembrance for his loving care of the ,italian masterpieces4 ,it is to such men that we owe the preservation of nearly all the finest existing instruments of the #agth and #ahth centuries4 ,endowed with great wealth and rare judgment1 he formed an unrivalled representative collection of the works of the great masters of the craft1 and by his careful researches amassed an amount of information which might well have served as an invaluable tradition of an apparently vanishing art4 ,to such a man the acquisition of ten undoubted specimens of the incomparable ,stradivari must have been one of the greatest events of his life4 ,the ,count's memorandum informs us that his purchase included two masterpieces of the great maker2 one of large size1 with a label bearing date #agaf1 and another of medium size1 dated #agcf1 and bearing on the label the inscription 8d'anni #ib10 in ,stradivari's own hand2 both quite new and untouched1 and rare models for a good maker4 ,the former instrument1 with which we are now concerned1 is described in the memorandum as of exquisite workmanship1 and perfect quality of wood1 with a tone of great evenness and power4 ,this remarkable violin1 received at first hand from the very workshop of its great maker1 remained carefully preserved in the ,count ,salabue's collection at ,milan1 until after his death4 ,it is a noteworthy instance of the fascination exercised by a perfect violin1 that no one of the successive owners of this splendid instrument1 from ,stradivari himself downwards1 would part with it until called away by death4 ,after the death of the ,count1 his heirs in #ahbg sold the ,stradivari of #agaf to a man whose career merits a passing notice1 on account of the important part he played in rescuing innumerable works of the greatest violin makers from obscurity and1 perhaps1 destruction4 ,illustration3 ,si' grande fu poi il numero de' ,violini principalmente che fabbric esso ,antonio ,stradivari che dopo esserne sparsi per tutta l',europa n lasci al suo decesso4 ,no4 #ia1 entra nel #agge4 ve ne erano soltanto che dieci che amper dal figlio ,paolo il suddto4 ,conte ,cozio assieme a due ,capi d'opera di suo figlio ,francesco4 ,nella pi volte citata ,collezione del ,sigr4 ,conte ,cozio si ritiene due de' principali ,capi d'opera di esso celeberrimo ,antonio ,stradivari1 cio quello d forma pi grande1 e bellissimo di lavori e di legno1 e di perfetta qualit1 egualianza di voce1 e di gran forza portante nel ,viglietto contropostovi #agaf41 e'l altro sebbene di forma mezzana portami nel biglietto l'anno #agcf41 ed al difratto l'indicazione ,s' anni #ib4 scritta dallo stesso ,stradivari1 che' assai si approssima alla perfezione1 ed alla forza di voce del precedente1 ed entrambi affatto nuovi1 ad intatti per cui' possono servire di scielti modelli ad un buon fabbricatore d'istromenti4 ,,translation4 8,so large was the number of 7instruments and7 especially violins1 made by ,stradivari that1 in addition to those distributed over the whole of ,europe1 ninety-one were left by him at his death4 ,in #agge ten of these still remained in the hands of his son1 ,paolo1 and were then bought1 together with two masterpieces of his other son1 ,francesco1 by ,count ,cozio4 ,in the collection of the ,count ,cozio--so often cited--are two of the greatest masterpieces of the most famous ,antonio ,stradivari4 ,the one1 of larger size--of most beautiful workmanship and wood--of perfect quality--having a very powerful and even tone--bears on the label the date #agaf4 ,the other has on the label the date #agcf1 and1 written below by ,stradivari himself1 the inscription 8#ib years old40 ,this violin1 though of medium size1 nearly equals the earlier instrument in perfection and power of tone4 ,both are quite new and intact and well suited to serve as choice models for a good instrument maker40 ,luigi ,tarisio was a man of humble birth1 and followed the calling of a carpenter in the small village of ,fontaneto1 near ,novara1 in ,piedmont1 where also the celebrated ,viotti was born4 ,taking up fiddle playing as an amusement1 ,tarisio was led by degrees to devote his attention to the subtle beauties of the great instruments of his country1 the pursuit of which became the absorbing passion of his life4 ,so strong was its influence that he left his trade and home to wander about the country in search of violins4 ,the experience thus acquired soon taught him to appreciate the merits of the great creations of ,brescia1 ,cremona1 and the other homes of violin making in ,italy1 and the commercial instinct1 which formed so marked an element of his character1 convinced him that the increasing demand for these instruments might be turned to profitable account4 ,it must be remembered that in those days the works of the leading ,italian makers had in great part remained in their native country1 and in their original condition2 but they were not1 as is popularly supposed1 to be found in the hands of peasants in out-of-the-way villages4 ,tarisio could hardly fail to become aware of the treasures amassed by ,count ,cozio di ,salabue1 whose estate was near to his own native province1 and he availed himself of the opportunity afforded by the death of that great enthusiast1 and the partial dispersion of his collections1 to gain possession of some of the gems1 which he had probably long coveted4 ,how much of the ,count's collection came into the hands of ,tarisio is not recorded1 but evidence is forthcoming that the perfect ,stradivari of #agaf became the property of the humble ,italian carpenter in #ahbg4 ,when he had accumulated a stock of instruments which he believed would command a market in any of the ,european capitals1 he determined to try his fortunes in ,paris4 ,he reached that city for the first time in #ahbg1 travelling1 it is said1 on foot1 in order to save his purse4 ,although furnished in the first instance with the less rare specimens of his collection he soon found a ready demand for the goods of which he had then almost a monopoly1 and1 encouraged by the leading dealers of ,paris1 he soon established a regular trade with that city1 making periodical visits thither1 separated by intervals which he devoted to collecting in his own country2 and1 on each occasion1 astounding his foreign friends by some fresh evidence of his judgment and good fortune in securing the masterpieces of ,cremona and ,brescia4 ,early in the course of his relations with the ,parisian dealers1 he began to talk of the wonderful ,stradivari which he had obtained from the ,salabue collection2 but he was careful never to bring it with him to ,france1 relying on reiteration of its wondrous qualities to create a sufficiently acute curiosity among his customers4 ,so long was this mystery maintained that ,tarisio and his ,salabue became a byeword among the dealers of ,paris1 and gave rise to the name by which the violin has ever since been known4 ,on one occasion ,tarisio was enlarging upon his favourite theme to ,vuillaume1 when ,alard1 the violinist1 who was present1 exclaimed3 8,ah a1 votre violon est donc comme le ,messie2 on l'attend toujours1 et il ne parait jamais40 ,the violin1 as ,vidal says1 8was baptised60 ,tarisio1 however1 could never be persuaded to produce 8le ,messie10 and at his death1 in ,october1 #ahed1 the world had still only the tradition of its excellence4 ,the celebrated author1 ,mr4 ,charles ,reade1 who was himself a great enthusiast and no mean connoisseur1 and in his earlier days an importer of ,italian instruments1 refers1 in some notes on this violin1 to ,tarisio's reluctance to produce it4 ,the man's death was in keeping with his life4 ,the possessor of priceless specimens of the instruments he loved1 he lived in penury1 and was found dead in his garret in ,milan1 surrounded by fiddles1 large1 small1 perfect1 and imperfect1 piled up on the floor in cases1 hung upon the walls1 and even from the rafters of the miserable attic that he made his home4#c ,many characteristic anecdotes are related of this strange man which cannot find a place in our brief notice1 and for which the curious reader is referred to the notes of ,mr4 ,charles ,reade1 given in 8,readiana10 and to other works4 ,mr4 ,reade says of him1 writing from personal knowledge1 8,the man's whole soul was in fiddles4 ,he was a great dealer1 but a greater amateur1 for he had gems by him no money would buy from him40 ,relatives were soon found to claim the effects of the deceased collector2 and three months afterwards the news of his death reached ,paris1 where it created no small flutter among the dealers and amateurs1 who were well aware that the shabby ,italian must have left a magnificent collection of instruments4 ,the most eminent of all that ,paris community1 ,j4 ,b4 ,vuillaume1 lost no time in placing himself in communication with ,tarisio's heirs1 with a view to the acquisition of his treasures1 and started for ,italy on the #hth ,january1 #ahee4 ,there1 at the small farm ,de la ,croix1 near ,fontaneto1 which had belonged to ,tarisio1 he found the relatives assembled with every appearance of the most sordid poverty4 ,his first question was1 8,where are the instruments80 8,at ,milan10 was the answer2 8but six violins are here10 and there in a corner of the room were six cases4 ,vuillaume was not slow to inspect their contents1 kneeling upon the floor1 on which they were piled in default of furniture1 and one after the other he drew forth five splendid instruments--first a magnificent ,stradivari1 then a beautiful ,giuseppe ,guarnieri2 next a ,carlo ,bergonzi1 in perfect preservation1 and two almost untouched ,guadagnini1 and lastly the gem of the collection1 the long talked of 8new0 ,stradivari of #agaf--,le ,messie4 ,vuillaume's experienced eye at once recognised the justification of all ,tarisio's raptures over this instrument1 and1 determined by what he had already seen1 he entered into negotiations which resulted in the purchase of the whole of the collection4 ,the purchase was completed at a price which has been stated at #c1aff1 an amount which ,vuillaume probably more than realised without parting with the most precious treasure of them all4 ,this he kept as the apple of his eye for twenty years1 and before pursuing its fortunes farther1 we may glance in passing at the life of the man who is entitled to share with ,count ,cozio di ,salabue1 and ,tarisio1 the chief credit of having rescued and preserved one of the greatest masterpieces that have issued from ,cremona4 ,jean ,baptiste ,vuillaume was born in #agih at ,mirecourt1 where his father and grandfather before him had followed the calling of violin makers1 and where he served his apprenticeship to the craft4 ,at nineteen years of age he made his way to ,paris1 where he obtained an engagement as workman with the elder ,chanot 7,francis71 with whom he remained until #ahba1 when he entered the service of an organ builder named ,lt1 who also dealt in violins1 and with whom he was taken into partnership in #ahbe4 ,in #ahbh1 happily married1 and fortified with considerable experience1 grafted on a strong natural intelligence1 he launched himself on a career which made his name famous in the annals of violin making4 ,sprung from an industrious and thrifty working class1 he had lost no opportunity of perfecting his knowledge of the instrument to which he devoted his talents and the application of his whole life4 ,of all the great ,italian masters of violin-making ,stradivari was always his ideal1 and by constant study1 and cultivation of his own rare natural powers of observation1 he acquired such an intimate knowledge and judgment of ,stradivari's work in every detail1 that he might almost be said to be better acquainted with that maker's instruments than the master himself4 ,vuillaume soon found the sale of violins1 issued as new works1 without any semblance of antiquity1 an unprofitable undertaking1 and1 recognizing the growing demand in all parts of the world for instruments resembling the great works of ,cremona1 he determined to apply his great skill as a workman1 and his extraordinary familiarity with ,stradivari's models1 to the construction of faithful copies of that great maker's works4 ,this was the foundation of his success1 for the modern copies found a ready sale1 and orders poured in upon ,vuillaume from all parts of the world4 ,these instruments1 imitations though they were1 had high intrinsic merit2 and it is to be remembered that they were copies made from unrivalled models1 with a fidelity and care such as only a devoted worshipper and a great master of his art could attain4 ,he spared no pains in striving after perfection in the quality of his materials1 and he treated the obscure and difficult problem of varnish 7the secret of which1 as applied by the old ,italian masters1 seems to have died with them7 with a success which has probably not been equalled by any other maker since their time4 ,the number of these instruments bearing his name is enormous1 upwards of two thousand five hundred being known to exist2 and many of them he made throughout with his own hand4 ,they were almost always numbered inside1 in the middle of the back1 in pencil1 and we have it on the best authority that every instrument was varnished by his own hand4 ,in a letter written by ,vuillaume in #ahge1 a few weeks before his death1 to the well-known ,parisian violin maker1 ,m4 ,silvestre1 then living in ,lyons1 he says3 8,i have completed three thousand instruments1 all sold1 paid for1 and the money spent1 and it affords me great satisfaction40 ,to return to 8,le ,messie40 ,this wonderful instrument remained in ,vuillaume's possession until his death4 ,he kept it for inspection in a glass case1 and never allowed it to be touched1 even by the most experienced hands1 as we can personally testify4 ,these precautions gave rise to the rumour of its being a violin of his own construction1 and the statement written by him inside the belly has1 therefore1 an additional interest and importance4 ,we have some interesting records of the anxieties attendant upon such precious possessions1 in a correspondence which passed between ,vuillaume and ,madame ,alard 7his daughter7 at the time of the ,franco-,german war4 ,on the #cjth of ,august1 #ahgj1 he wrote--8,in my last ,i spoke to you of ,alard's ,violin1 of my #8,messie1' and of certain valuables which ,i have here4 ,i do not know what to do with them1 for1 if one survives1 one will be able to recover the valuables when the hubbub is over1 as some sous can be buried2 but violins cannot be buried40 ,in another letter he wrote--8,i do not know what to do with the precious things ,i have2 first1 there are your violins--what ought ,i to do with them8 ,the boxes of plate1 my medals1 and the #8,messie'--where ought ,i to place all these in case of pillage80 ,the medals referred to are no doubt those conferred upon him in connection with the ,paris ,exhibitions of #ahbg1 #ahcd1 #ahci1 #ahdd1 #ahee1 and the ,great ,exhibition in ,england of #ahea4 ,again he wrote on the #acth of ,september--8,i am going to hide your husband's violins with the #8,messie4' ,i have found quite a safe hiding place protected from fire--#8puis la grce de ,dieu'60 8,le ,messie0 happily escaped the dangers apprehended by ,vuillaume1 and after his death 7#aith ,march1 #ahge71 in the absence of definite instructions as to its disposal1 it was inherited by his only children1 ,jeanne ,emilie and ,claire ,marie1 in common4 ,the former was the wife of ,m4 ,alard1 the violinist1 and the second daughter had married ,m4 ,mestayer1 in whose charge the violin was left1 together with other valuable instruments1 during ,vuillaume's absence from ,paris in the terrible time of the ,commune4 ,after his death the violin was valued for the estate at #a1jjj1 and in #ahgg ,m4 ,alard bought out his sister-in-law's half-share for #ejj and thus became1 through his wife1 the entire owner4 ,vuillaume probably considered it unnecessary during his lifetime to present ,alard with this violin1 as he was already well provided with instruments1 and had the choice of some of the finest that passed through ,vuillaume's hands4 ,these included the famous ,stradivari known as the 8,alard10 the fine ,giuseppe ,guarnieri1 dated #agdb 7presented after ,alard's death to the ,paris ,conservatoire71 and the ,grand ,nicolo ,amati1 dated #afde1 now in the possession of ,baron ,knoop4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,illustration3 ,back of the ,salabue ,stradivari ,vincent ,brooks1 ,day ,son ,lith ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,delphin ,alard was the most eminent representative of the modern ,french school of violin playing4 ,after studying as a pupil of the ,paris ,conservatoire1 he in #ahdc succeeded ,baillot as professor1 and achieved a great reputation both as performer and teacher1 and as the author of a violin school and editor of classical compositions for that instrument4 ,he numbered among his pupils many who have since distinguished themselves1 and notably the celebrated violinist ,seor ,sarasate4 ,at ,alard's death1 on ,february #bb1 #ahhh1 8,le ,messie0 came into the possession of his widow and two daughters1 ,madame ,guesnet and ,madame ,crou--he1 like ,vuillaume1 having left no directions as to the disposal of his instruments4 ,on the death of ,madame ,alard1 ,m4 ,crou1 on behalf of his wife and her sister1 sold the violin1 on the #eth ,may1 #ahij1 to us1 on behalf of ,mr4 ,r4 ,crawford1 an enthusiastic amateur1 of ,trinity1 ,edinburgh1 for the sum of #ej1jjj francs 7#b1jjj71 which is the largest authenticated amount ever paid for a violin4 ,it is interesting to compare these figures with ,mr4 ,charles ,reade's estimate of the value of the instrument in #ahgb at #fjj 7see 8,readiana074 ,having traced from authentic sources the unbroken record of this famous violin1 let us examine the characteristic features of an instrument which has excited the unqualified admiration and ambition of the first makers and connoisseurs of ,europe4 ,the plates which accompany this memoir have been admirably executed by ,mr4 ,shirley ,slocombe1 and reproduced by chromo-lithography under the direction of ,mr4 ,alfred ,slocombe2 and they offer an accurate and beautiful representation of the instrument4 ,the striking originality of ,stradivari's work asserts itself in nearly all his productions1 there being hardly an instrument of his which is not characterised by some features peculiar to itself4 ,the ,salabue violin has several unmistakable characteristics4 ,the most original and distinctive is the height and pronounced sharpness of the wave-like ridge1 bordering the surfaces of the back and belly close to the outline4 ,in other instruments of the same maker this ridge is much rounder in form4 ,let us further illustrate the point4 ,the purfling1 which is sunk in the wood at about one-eighth of an inch from the outline1 lies generally at the bottom of a hollow which forms the lowest portion of the surface4 ,in our example the surface rises outwards from the purfling in a concave curve to a greater height and to a more sharply defined ridge than in any other ,stradivari instrument known to us4 ,another distinctive feature is the form of the corners1 which are cut more square than any we have seen4 ,both these features are accentuated by the absolute freshness of the instrument4 ,the sound holes are more slanting than is usual in instruments of this period1 although this was less rare in those of earlier date4 ,in fact1 we have seen no other ,stradivari violin of the years #agae1 #agaf1 #agag1 or #agah with sound holes similarly placed4 ,the model of the violin is decidedly flat1 especially in the belly1 but the genius of the master asserts itself in the compensation he has provided in the height of the sides4 ,the wood leaves little to be desired4 ,the back1 in two pieces1 has a broad1 handsomely marked curl1 while the pine of the belly has a fine silky grain1 neither too coarse nor too fine4 ,the sides and head1 as well as the neck1 which is original1 are perhaps a little plain in comparison with the back2 but the great ,italians never troubled about matching the sides and head to the back1 as is the custom among modern makers4 ,it is not uncommon to meet with instruments with the back cut in slab form1 and the sides and head cut on the quarter4 ,mr4 ,charles ,reade in some notes in 8,readiana10 from which we have already quoted1 refers to what he calls a crack in the violin4 ,the mark which has given rise to his statement is in reality one of three insignificant and almost imperceptible shakes in the wood1 such as frequently appear during the seasoning of the pine blocks used for bellies4 ,these shakes are easily glued and then become invisible2 but are opened again by exposure to the sun during the drying of the varnish4 ,they are1 however1 in no sense defects4 ,the varnish is a study in itself1 for it is untouched and unrubbed1 as if it had been laid on yesterday4 ,it has not perhaps the luscious richness of some of ,stradivari's instruments1 and it appears drier and less thickly laid on than usual in violins of the same period4 ,this is especially noticeable on the sides1 where the grain of the wood rose as the varnish was applied to it1 and still stands up as on the day when the brush left it4 ,on the head again one can clearly see where the varnish accumulated slightly as it flowed round the volute4 ,such details as these could not be traced but for the wonderful preservation of the varnish4 ,the necessity of opening the instrument1 in order to insert a stronger bass bar1 gave us an opportunity of examining the inside1 which is as remarkable as the outside4 ,this is only the second occasion on which the violin has been opened in the course of its existence4 ,vuillaume opened it1 and took the opportunity to write inside on the belly the following inscription1 which affords valuable corroborative evidence of the authenticity of the record already given4 ,illustration3 8achette par ,tarisio au ,cte ,cossio de ,salabue an #ahbg achette par ,vuillaume le #ab4 ,janr #ahee ,le ,messie0 ,the bass bar which ,vuillaume then fitted was not strong enough1 and allowed after a time a slight depression of the belly1 necessitating the renewal above referred to4 ,excepting for the change of bar1 everything inside is as ,stradivari left it4 ,the blocks and linings1 considered in relation to the thicknesses1 are a model of consistency1 neither heavy nor flimsy1 made of the lightest and toughest wood we know1 and all finished with the gouge and knife alone4 ,stradivari evidently disdained the superficial finish given by modern copyists to their interior work by the free use of glass paper4 ,the thicknesses of belly and back1 a point on which ,stradivari appears to have made numerous experiments1 are of his stoutest4 ,the whiteness of the label1 and the variance of the instrument in some features from the characteristic style of that period of ,stradivari's work1 have given rise on different occasions to the supposition that the label was not genuine1 and that the violin was of a later date2 but the careful examination which we made of the interior when the belly was removed1 has enabled us to finally dispose of this idea4 ,the label has never been moved since ,stradivari fixed it in its place1 nor have the figures upon it been tampered with in any way4#d ,details of construction1 such as we have examined in the preceding paragraphs1 offered1 to a man of ,stradivari's great originality1 scope for almost endless variety of treatment1 which has furnished us with a key to the pronounced distinctions between his instruments and others of the ,italian school4 ,in the ,brescian instruments1 for instance1 there is1 as a general rule1 no hollowing near the edges of the backs and bellies1 nor any bordering ridge like that discussed above4 ,they consequently have an appearance of strength and solidity1 but lack the style and elegance of the ,cremona school4 ,the ,amati family1 on the other hand1 gifted with a keen sense of harmony and beauty of form1 gave perfect expression to these ideas in their works2 but1 unfortunately1 at some sacrifice of dignity of appearance4 ,stradivari attained the happy mean between these two extremes1 and carried his ideas into execution with such perfection of detail1 that all his successors have had to content themselves with the rle of copyists1 and none have been found to improve upon their model4 ,there can be no doubt that the ,salabue ,violin has exercised a strong influence upon modern copyists4 ,the ,turin maker1 ,pressenda 7#aggg to #ahed71 who was acquainted with ,count ,salabue1 and his pupil ,rocca 7d4 #ahfb71 who knew ,tarisio1 were evidently familiar with the instrument4 ,rocca in particular would seem to have made it his ideal1 for we find reproduced in nearly all his copies of ,stradivari the characteristic sharp bordering ridge1 slanting sound holes1 and general flat model of the ,salabue4 ,as soon as it came into ,vuillaume's possession1 he set to work to reproduce it in every detail1 and his copies of this instrument are unquestionably the finest violins he made4 ,they are true to the original in bearing no traces of wear2 but a few of them are fitted with carved pegs and tailpiece similar to those added by him and still attached to the ,salabue4 ,the carving on the tailpiece represents the figure of the ,madonna with the infant ,christ4 ,nearly all the other ,parisian and ,mirecourt makers in turn have copied ,vuillaume1 but without his advantages in ability1 and in having the original model to work from4 ,the copies of the present day are becoming in consequence more and more ridiculous exaggerations of the peculiar features of the ,salabue4 ,the year #agaf appears not to have been prolific of great works from ,stradivari1 as we know at present of only one fine violin of that year beside the ,salabue4 ,this is the one known as the ,cessol1 belonging to ,mr4 ,william ,croall4 ,the previous year1 #agae1 produced five famous violins1 two now belonging to ,herr ,joachim1 one to ,seor ,sarasate1 one to ,g4 ,haddock1 ,esq41 and another known as the ,alard4 ,the year #agag again produced two notable instruments1 a violin belonging to ,j4 ,g4 ,orchar1 ,esq41 and the well-known violoncello for many years the property of ,bonamy ,dobree1 ,esq41 and now in the possession of ,e4 ,i4 ,holden1 ,esq4 ,for an appreciative description of the beauties of the ,salabue we may quote an enthusiast1 the ,rev4 ,h4 ,r4 ,haweis1 whose writings and lectures upon his favourite study have made the name of ,stradivari familiar to thousands of the ,english-speaking people4 ,mr4 ,haweis1 referring to the exhibition of the instrument in ,london1 in #ahgb1 wrote--8,it is for the first time unveiled in all its intact glory to the gaze of thousands to whom for years it has been a kind of myth4 ,it is as though the ivory ,minerva of ,phidias1 that stood once in the ,parthenon1 should be discovered hidden away with the utmost care in some deep dry and hermetically-sealed sepulchre of the ,east1 and brought over scatheless to be set up amidst the ,elgin fragments4 ,so stands this matchless new violin amidst its time-worn1 rubbed1 and fractured brethren4 ,it is of the grand pattern2 it is massive without looking massive2 its strength is hidden beneath its grace4 ,the back is in two parts2 the wood very choice4 ,the fine graining of the flat belly is remarkable4 ,the holes are delicately cut1 the left f a shade lower than the right2 a practice so common that it must have been intentional with ,stradivarius1 his fine eye not tolerating even there a suspicion of mechanical work4 ,we see in this violin what the perfect ,stradivari corners were4 ,in almost every other known specimen the corners and the wood are both rubbed4 ,in ,le ,messie they are untouched and clean-looking2 wondrously sharp and wide awake1 yet without vulgarity1 and of a perfect finish4 ,the ease and neatness of the purfling is incomparable1 and over the whole instrument lies a thick rich red brown varnish wondrous to behold2 the washing of it is level and lavish1 and unworn by time or use4 ,the brush seems to have left it about a week4 ,the neck has been lengthened by ,m4 ,vuillaume4 ,the head is light and graceful rather than heavy or powerful1 the scroll thrown off like a ribbon lightly curled round the finger and drawn in2 one side of the scroll is slightly lower than the other1 the fluting smooth1 with a surface like that of clear still water1 and the lines of the scroll picked out with a thick rim of black varnish that serves to accentuate the outlines of the head1 just as purfling calls attention to the contour of the back and belly4 ,in nearly every other violin this black head-rim has been almost entirely effaced1 but in ,le ,messie it remains to show us the maker's intention4 ,he meant you to take up his violin and see at a glance its whole outline traced and emphasized by a sharp purfling carried out in the head by a deep rim of black varnish4 ,this brooding over the beauty of curves1 this anxiety that they should be manifest to all men is most instructive and touching2 neither the purfling nor the black varnish added to the tone1 nor even the preservation of the instrument--it was the art instinct of the old makers piercing the manufacture40 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,illustration3 ,side view of the ,salabue ,stradivari ,vincent ,brooks ,day ,son ,lith4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,that ardent student and devotee of the violin1 ,mr4 ,charles ,reade1 has made some suggestive remarks upon the method of varnishing which he supposed ,stradivari to have pursued2 and1 as ,mr4 ,reade makes reference to the ,salabue1 his words may prove of interest in the present connection4 ,he preferred to describe the violin as the ,vuillaume ,strad1 and while agreeing with his objection to the name which has clung to it1 we regret that the title conferred upon it by ,tarisio1 the 8,salabue10 has not been retained4 ,that name has the merit of historical distinctiveness1 and would create a most desirable precedent in violin nomenclature1 as a set off to the absurd and confusing nicknames which have become so common4 ,there are no less than three 8,jupiter ,strads02 one 8,emperor ,strad02 two 8,king0 ,josephs 7,guarnieri72 and another of the same maker called 8,le ,diable40 ,mr4 ,reade begins with some general suggestions as to the great maker's method1 and says3 8,he began with three or four coats of oil varnish containing some common gum4 ,he then laid on several coats of red varnish made by simply dissolving some fine red unadulterated gum in spirit2 the spirit evaporated and left pure gum lying in a rich oil varnish from which it chips by its dry nature and its utter want of chemical affinity to the substratum4444 ,the ,vuillaume ,strad1 not being worn1 does not assist us in this particular line of argument2 but it does not contradict us4 ,indeed there are a few little chips in the top varnish of the back1 and they reveal a heterogeneous varnish below1 with its rich yellow colour like the bottom varnish of the ,pawle bass4 ,moreover1 if you look at the top varnish closely you shall see what you never see in a new violin of our day2 not a vulgar glare upon the surface1 but a gentle inward fire4 ,now that inward fire1 ,i assure you1 is mainly caused by the oil varnish below2 the orange varnish above has a heterogeneous foil below4 ,that inward glow is characteristic of all foils4 ,if you could see the ,vuillaume ,stradivarius at night1 and move it about in the light of a candle1 you would be amazed at the fire of the foil and the refraction of light4444 8,a violin varnished as ,i have indicated will look a little better than other new violins from the first2 the back will look nearly as well as the ,vuillaume ,stradivarius1 but not quite4 ,the belly will look a little better if properly prepared2 will show the fibre of the deal better4444 8444 ,sand-paper is a great enemy to varnish2 it drives more wood-dust into the pores than you can blow out4444 ,the back of the ,vuillaume ,stradivarius1 which is the finest part1 has clearly not been sand-papered in places1 so probably not at all40 ,with regard to the tone of the instrument1 some comments written in #ahfd by the well-known authority1 ,f4 ,j4 ,fetis1 are worthy of repetition4 ,he writes of the ,salabue ,stradivari3 8,this genuine memorial of ancient manufacture--this instrument which has not resounded under the bow for nearly a century and a half--gives striking refutation to the idea that a free and pure tone cannot be produced from a violin until after it has been long in use2 for here1 in this new instrument1 we find in combination all the qualities of power1 mellowness1 roundness1 delicacy1 freedom1 with a noble and penetrating tone4 ,in a word1 this violin is a type of external beauty and of sonorous perfection40 ,nevertheless it is our opinion after a careful trial that the instrument would be greatly improved in tone by further use4 ,these descriptions of one of the finest instruments in existence1 from the hands of devoted and disinterested lovers of the ,cremona handiwork1 leave hardly anything to be added except the exact measurements of the violin1 which are as follows3-- ,illustration3 ,height of sides3--,at the top1 #a inches2 at the bottom1 #a inches4 ,the label affixed to ,le ,messie is presented below in fac-simile4 ------------------------------------- ,antonius ,stradivarius ,cremonensis ,faciebat ,anno #agaf ------------------------------------- ----- ,footnote #a3 ,this account coincides almost word for word with a notice of the instrument by ,f4 ,j4 ,fetis quoted in part on p4 #cj of this work4 ,footnote #b3 ,the article on ,stradivari in ,grove's ,dictionary of ,music assigns eighty-eight as the maker's age at his death1 but the evidence of ,count ,salabue1 quoted at p4 #ab1 confirmed by further evidence lately obtained from authentic instruments of this maker1 point to the conclusion that he lived certainly to #agcg1 when he had entered his ninety-fourth year4 ,this conclusion refers his birth to the year #afdd1 which would accord more naturally with the events of his life than the later date suggested in ,grove4 ,this question will be treated more fully in a future publication4 ,footnote #c3 ,the information here given concerning ,tarisio has been obtained by ,signor ,sacchi1 chiefly from the late ,enrico ,ceruti1 the last descendant of an old family of violin makers in ,cremona4 ,footnote #d3 ,there is a curious mistake in ,m4 ,vidal's valuable recent work 8,la ,lutherie10 in which the transcript of the label accompanying the illustration of 8le ,messie0 bears the date #agae4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,transcriber's ,notes ,all spelling and hyphenation has been retained from the original text4 ,pg4 #ab3 ,note #a3 ,this transcription of the handwritten ,italian is as close to the original as could be determined1 but complete accuracy isn't guaranteed4 ,pg4 #bg3 ,note #b3 ,bold f is here substituted for a small inline figure of a violin f-hole in the original text4