Part 3

MAIER, ANDREA FERDINAND, Salzburg, 1746. Little is known of this maker except that he made the small instrument on which the immortal Mozart first learned to play the violin, which event, could he have foreseen, would no doubt have compensated him for the want of more general fame.

MALDONNER, ---- Bavaria, about 1760.

MALLER, LAUX, Venice. This artiste was an early and highly esteemed maker of lutes. Mace in his curious and very interesting book, "Music's Monument," mentions him as one of the best authors, _i.e._ makers. He also says he has "seen two of his lutes ('pittiful, battered, cracked Things,') valued at £100 apiece." Mace's book was published in 1676. Think of £100 for a lute two hundred years ago, when the value of money was at least six times less than it is now! This would make the comparative value of a "battered" old lute about £600, a sum (with the exception of the King Joseph Guarnerius, mentioned elsewhere) exceeding the highest price we have heard of in modern times. Even the most splendid and perfect violins of Stradiuarius have never realised as much as this "pittiful battered lute!" In the face of this fact (as we suppose it is) we cannot be surprised that enthusiastic amateurs should in the present day give such large prices for the splendid productions of the great Cremona Makers.

MARIANI, ANTONIO, Pesaro, 1570 to 1620. An imitator of Gaspar di Salo.

MARATTI, ---- Verona, 1690. Made good toned violins, but the workmanship has little character.

MARQUIS DE LAIR, ---- A French maker about 1800.

MARSHALL, JOHN, London, 1760.

MARTIN, ---- London, 1790.

MAUCOTEL, CHARLES, London. An excellent workman, who has produced some beautiful instruments.

MAUSIELL, LEONARD, Nuremburg, 1725. A capital imitator of Steiner, whose style he followed so closely as to render it (as it is stated) difficult to distinguish the one from the other. This is one of the makers praised by Spohr in his "Violin School," as worthy attention when a good Cremona cannot be got.

MAYRHOF, ANDREA FERDINAND, Salzburg, 1740.

MEDARD, HENRY, Paris and Nancy. A French maker, who is generally considered to have been a pupil of Nicholas Amati, and was esteemed nearly equal to his master; but Fetis includes him in his list of the personal pupils of Antonius Stradiuarius.

MERLIN, JOSEPH, London, about 1780. A very ingenious person, who obtained the honour of being mentioned in Madame D'Arblay's "Diary and Letters." His violins were after the Steiner pattern, and well made, but did not approach the Steiner tone.

MEUSIDLER, JEAN, Nuremberg, about 1540. A maker of viols, viols da gamba, &c.

MEZZADIE, ALEXANDER, Ferrara, about 1700. A good maker who followed the Amati style, and is reckoned by Fetis as one of that school.

MIER, ---- London, 1786.

MILANI, FRANCISCO, Milan, is supposed to be a pupil of Guadagnini and followed his style,--about 1760.

MILLER, ---- London, about 1750.

MOHR, PHILIP, Hamburg, 1650.

MONTADE, GREGORIO, Cremona, 1735. Considered to be a pupil of Stradiuarius, but more probably an imitator.

MONTAGNANA, DOMINICO, Venezia, 1725. This excellent artiste made instruments generally of a large size, and used wood of a large and beautiful figure. The varnish exceedingly brilliant and of a rich yellow or yellow red colour, and the tone everything that can be desired. Mr. Perkins had a violoncello of this make, which was originally sold as a Joseph Guarnerius, and was said in the catalogue to be uncommonly fine and handsome. This is another of those careful artistes, whose productions are now in high esteem when one of the three great masters cannot be obtained, and which will very probably hereafter rank with them and become very famous.

MORRISON, JOHN, London, 1780 to 1819.

MORELLA, MORGLATO, Mantua, about 1550. Famous for rebecs, viols, and viols da gamba.

N.

NAMY, ---- Paris, about 1800.

NAYLOR, ISAAC, Leeds, 1788.

NEWTON, ISAAC, 1780.

NICHOLAS, ---- Geneva, 1790.

NIGGEL, SYMPERTUS, Paris, about 1650.

NORMAN, BARAK, London, 1690 to 1740. He generally used a monogram formed of the letters NB. interlaced. This artiste has long been a favourite, and he certainly made some good instruments, which in the present day are depreciated below their real worth, as is the case also with other English makers, whose productions have had to give way before the prevailing preference for Italian instruments. He was partner at one time with Nathaniel Cross, and the instruments then made bear their joint names on the labels.

NORRIS AND BARNES, pupils of Thomas Smith, 1785 to 1818.

NOVELLO, VALENTINO, Venezia, about the middle of 18th Century.

NOVELLO, MARCO ANTONIO, Venezia, same date. Both these makers are in good esteem.

O.

OBUE, BARTOLOMEO, Verona.

ODOARDI, GUISEPPE, early 18th Century.

OTT, JEAN, Nuremberg. Lute maker, 15th Century.

OTTO, JACOB AUGUSTUS, born at Gotha, 1762, died 1830. Author of the celebrated Book on the Construction of the Violin. He made some good instruments which, in his book he says he "proved" by a machine which played them in thirds, fourths, and fifths for a continued period, thus mellowing and perfecting the tone. We do not believe in this doctrine. From all past experience, there can be no doubt that whatever pains or trouble a maker may take to bring his instruments, while new, to bear the character of old, his labour is quite useless. There is no instance of an instrument becoming famous for its fine tone till it had attained a good old age. Some modern makers use chemical means to mature their violins; but this process is utterly destructive to them, as they become quite rotten through the action of the acid after a lapse of years. Time alone can ripen and mellow all musical instruments made of wood, the violin and the organ especially.

P.

PANORMO, VINCENZIO, born near Palermo, 1734. He appears to have left his native place, and after a temporary sojourn in several towns came to England about 1772, and died in 1813. He was an excellent artiste. His instruments are carefully constructed on Cremona models, and possess a fine tone. He made a few violoncellos which are highly prized, their tone being extremely rich and powerful. They are of the Stradiuarius pattern, mostly of handsome maple for the back and ribs. All his instruments are of a good Italian quality of tone, and are among those which are rising in value as the great masters become rarer and dearer.

PANORMO, JOSEPH, son of Vincenzio, also a good workman.

PANORMO, GEORGE LEWIS, another son of Vincenzio, a celebrated bow maker.

PANORMO, Edward.

PANORMO, GEORGE, probably grandson of Vincenzio.

PAMPHILON, EDWARD, London, 1685. A very clever artiste. Made violins of rather small model, somewhat high built, rich yellow varnish, and sometimes double purfled. The Editor has known one of his instruments, which was in the hands of a rich amateur, in whose house he has heard it played and very much approved.

PANSANI, ANTONIO, Rome, 1785.

PARKER, DANIEL, London, 1714, is considered one of the good old English makers. His instruments have a clear and powerful tone. A first-rate authority calls him an excellent workman; another says though he was otherwise good he used a bad brick red varnish.

PASTA, GAETANO, Brescia, early in 18th Century.

PASTA, DOMINICO, Brescia, same date. Said to have followed the Amati patterns, and deserted the Brescian standard of Gaspar di Salo and Maggini.

PEARCE, JAMES and THOMAS, London, 1780.

PEMBERTON, J., London, 1580. An English maker of considerable talent. Is supposed to have been the maker of the instrument presented by Queen Elizabeth to the Earl of Leicester.

PFRETZSCHNER, GOTTLOB, Cremona, 1749.

PFRETZSCHNER, CARL FREDERICK, Cremona.

PICHOL, ---- Paris.

PIQUE, ---- Paris. An excellent maker, and the master of Lupot. Spohr recommends Pique's instruments, and Dubourg says they were given as prizes by the French Conservatoire in the beginning of the present Century.

PIERRAY, or PIERRET, CLAUDE, Paris. A charming workman. His violins have been frequently mistaken for Italian by inexperienced judges. They are of a deep red colour and finely finished, with an excellent quality of tone.

PIETE, NOEL, Paris, about 1785, pupil of Saunier. An artiste well spoken of.

PLACK, FRANCIS, Schoenback, 1738. Considered a good maker.

POLLUSHA, ANTONIO, Rome, 1751.

PONS, ---- Grenoble, France, 1787. Made large pattern violins with high model, which have no great value.

POSSEN, LAUXMIN, Bavaria, about 1540. Made rebecs, viols, and viols da gamba.

POWELL, ROYAL and THOMAS, London, 1785.

PRESTON, JOHN, York, 1789.

R.

RACCERIS, ---- Mantua, 1670, believed to have been a partner with one of the Gaglianos, and made similar instruments.

RAF, ---- Bavaria.

RAMBEAUX, ---- Paris, a pupil of Gand, and an excellent workman.

RAPHAEL, NELLA, Brescia, 18th Century. This artiste was of the school of Maggini, and his instruments are said to have the scrolls sculptured, and to have inscriptions on the sides.

RAUCH, JAQUES, Mannheim, 1730 to 1740. Considered to be a very good maker.

RAUCH, SEBASTIAN, 1742 to 1763.

RAUCH, ---- Breslau.

RAUCH, ---- Wurtzburg.

Otto praises the instruments of the two brothers of Breslau and Wurtzburg. He says they are excellent violins but have a shape and model peculiar to themselves and entirely different to the Italian or Steiners, but possess when uninjured a full, round and powerful tone. If Otto had told us what instruments were like instead of what they were not like, his book would have been more valuable.

RAUT, JEAN, Bretagne. He was at Rennes till 1790. Made good instruments after the Guarnerius school.

RAYMAN, JACOB, London, 1641. The instruments of this maker were very highly valued formerly. He is considered one of our best old English artistes.

REICHEL, JOHANN GOTTFRIED, Absom. An imitator of Steiner.

REICHEL, JOHANN CONRAD, Neukirch, 1779.

REISS, ---- Bamburg. A capital imitator of Steiner, and made excellent instruments.

REMY, ---- Paris.

RENISTO, ---- Cremona, 1740, pupil of Carlo Bergonzi. His instruments are very similar to those of his master, but rather higher modelled, and the workmanship somewhat rougher.

RETANTINO, ---- No particulars of this maker.

RIMBOUTS, PETER, Amsterdam.

ROOK, JOSEPH, London, 1777 to 1852. A good workman, who imitated Forster.

ROSS, JOHN, 1562. An early maker of lutes.

ROTH, CHRISTIAN, Augsburg, 1675.

ROVELIN, ---- 18th Century.

RUDGER, ---- Cremona--not one of the Ruggeri Family. Made some good instruments of the high build, and deep sides, and used fine varnish.

RUGGERI, FRANCISCO, Cremona, 1640 to 1684. This celebrated maker is considered to have been a pupil of Antonius Amati, and made many excellent instruments which bear a high reputation. They rank next to the Amati. Their quality is similar, and the style of work is easily seen to belong to the same class. There are a few violins by this maker of the same pattern as the Grand Amatis, which are said to surpass the latter, having more wood in them, which was detrimental when they were made, but which age has mellowed, and they now possess a strong and free vibration. Many of the Ruggeris have varnish little inferior to that of Stradiuarius and Guarnerius. This artiste ranks highest in the family in the estimation of the connoisseur. His work is extremely clean. The next is Giovanni Baptista, rather higher built and sound holes rather broader. The scrolls are larger than those of Amati but of the same type, There are many splendid violoncellos of these makers and a few tenors. Some of the former are very large. Francisco Ruggeri is mentioned by Spohr in his list of instruments to be sought for in the absence of the three great makers, Nicholas Amati, Antonio Stradiuarius and Joseph Guarnerius.

RUGGERI, GUIDO, Cremona, 1679.

RUGGERI, GIOVANNI BAPTISTA, son of Francisco. Brescia, 1690. Mentioned above.

RUGGERI, PIETRO GIACOMO. Brescia 1700 to 1720. The celebrated violoncellist Piatti plays on an instrument by this maker, and the tone is uncommonly fine and sonorous as all who have heard him know.

RUGGERI, VINCENZIO, Cremona, 1700 to 1730.

RUPPERT, FRANCIS, Erfruth, made some excellent instruments of a very flat model, but generally omitted the linings and corner blocks as well us the purfling. They are nevertheless esteemed in Germany. They have a dark brown amber varnish.

S.

SAINT, PAUL. Paris, about 1650. An excellent French maker.

SALO, GASPAR DI, Brescia, dates from 1560 to 1610. This celebrated artiste was the contemporary of the ancient Amatis, and is thought by some connoisseurs to have been the master of Andrew. However that may be, as there can be no certainty of the fact, the varnish on which the great Cremonese makers established that notable reputation which distinguishes them to the present day, bears a strong analogy to that of Gaspar di Salo, however they may have derived it. In this respect, also, Gaspar excels Maggini, his pupil and follower, who was evidently not initiated into the secret of making that excellent varnish which characterises his master.

The pattern of the instruments which the two early and famous chiefs of the Cremonese and Brescian Schools built, is however totally different. Those of Gaspar are large, massive, double purfled, and with large sound holes. Andrew is noted for a small pattern, and if he studied in the Brescian workshop, he discarded the style he found there (varnish excepted) and aimed at altogether a different object in his own productions. Those of Gaspar di Salo are constructed with capacity and strength to produce a considerable volume of tone. The Cremonese Artiste on the other hand, made instruments which, both in their proportions and adjustment, were especially adapted for the production of a sweet but not powerful tone. Gaspar's instruments seem to foreshadow in their tone and power, those of Stradiuarius and Joseph Guarnerius, while the Amatis seem generally to have been contented with producing a tone of surpassing sweetness. Gaspar also succeeded in giving to his productions that fine tone which seems to have been especially aimed at by the early makers, but as he also from the size and strength of his instruments, produced more tone, he may be considered far the superior of Andrew, the first of the Amatis. It is on this account that in the present day, Gaspar di Salo is esteemed as the greatest maker of his time, and connoisseurs value his instruments accordingly.

There are not many violins by this great master, but of tenors and double basses more. These are very fine and rich in tone. He was not however famous for giving so very high a finish to his works as was afterwards attained at Cremona. His violins are described as rather long, and with a gentle elevation from the sides to the centre. The sound holes straight and large, well cut and parallel, and double purfling. The varnish is generally of a rich brown. These are the chief external characteristics, but they have always possessed that "which passeth show," and commanded the esteem of the dilettanti in that rich quality of tone which is the first essential in a perfect instrument.

Signor Dragonetti, the greatest double bass player of our day, used one of Gaspar's instruments, which was presented to him on account of their admiration of his wonderful talent, by the order of the Convent of St. Mark at Venice. Shortly before his death the Duke of Leinster offered him £700 for it, a princely sum, but it was refused, as Dragonetti did not feel justified in parting with it, and he ordered in his will that it should be returned to the convent at Venice, which was accordingly done. Ole Bull has a very celebrated violin of Gaspar's make. In the first place, it was sculptured with Caryatides, by the great Florentine artist, Benvenuto Cellini, at the special command of another eminent person, Cardinal Aldobrandini, who presented it to the museum of Inspruck in the Tyrol. In 1809 that city was assaulted by the French, the museum was plundered, and this violin carried to Vienna, where it became the property of another notable person, the Councillor Rehazek, who was famous for his collection of ancient musical instruments. He left it by will to another still more celebrated person, Ole Bull, the distinguished Norwegian violinist, by whom it was exhibited in London in 1862, and with whom it still remains. To our description of Gaspar's instruments we should add that his tenors and double basses are of a rather broader form than his violins.

SALLE, ---- Paris, 1800. This artiste was an excellent workman, and famous also as a judge of old instruments.

SANONI, GIOVANNI BAPTISTA, Verona.

SANTI, GIOVANNI, Naples, 1730.

SANCTUS SERAPHINO, Venezia, about 1730. An excellent workman, whose instruments possess almost the beautiful finish of Stradiuarius. He used handsome wood of small figure, and his varnish is often beautiful in the extreme. The model however approaches that of the Steiner school, and the tone is therefore generally wanting in fullness and roundness. He made also a few violoncellos with similar characteristics.

SAPINO, ---- Cremona. Pupil of Guiseppe Cappa, made instruments after the style of the Amati.

SANZO SANTINO, ---- Milan.

SAUNIER, ---- born in Lorraine 1740. An excellent artiste whose instruments are reckoned among the best of the French school.

SCHEINLEIN, MATTHIAS FREDERICK, Langenfeld, born 1710, died 1771.

SCHEINLEIN, JEAN MICHAEL, Langenfeld, born 1751. Made instruments which are said to be good but not strongly built.

SCHMIDT, ---- Cassel, mentioned by Otto as living in 1817, and praised by him as an excellent maker. His instruments are of the flat model of Stradiuarius but have the edges larger and the purfling further from the sides.

SCHONGER, FRANCIS, Erfurth, made high modelled instruments, but of poor tone.

SCHONGER, GEORGE, Erfurth, son of the above, modelled his instruments in the Italian style and produced some very superior examples.

SCHORN, JACOB, Salzbourg.

SCHORN, JOHANN, Inspruck, 1688.

SCHOTT, MARTIN, Prague.

SHAW, ---- London, 1656.

SIMPSON, JOHN, London, 1790.

SIMPSON, J. and J., son of the above.

SIMON, ---- Salzbourg, 1722.

SIMON, ---- Paris.

SMITH, HENRY, London, 1629. This may be a celebrated maker of viols, &c., mentioned by Mace, 1676, as one of the best then known.

SMITH, THOMAS, London, 1756 to 1799. This well known maker was a pupil of Peter Wamsley. His violoncellos are of the Steiner model, and some of them possess considerable power, and were formerly highly esteemed, but they are now considered to be deficient in quality and wanting in the rich fine tone of the Italian artistes. Notwithstanding, they are still favourites in the country; the editor knows two of his violoncellos which have been respectively sold for £30 and £40 within a few years.

SMITH, WILLIAM, London, 1771.

SOLOMON, ---- pupil of Bocquay, a good French artiste.

SPEILER, ---- 18th Century.

STADELMANS, DANIEL, 1744, Vienna.

STADELMANS, JOHANN JOSEPH, Vienna, 1784. Fame speaks very highly of this maker, who closely imitated Jacob Steiner and ranks next to him among the German makers.

STEINER, JACOB, of Absom in the Tyrol, born about 1620, date of death not known, but at about the age of seventy retired to a Convent.

See separate chapter on this celebrated artiste.

STOSS, FRANCIS, Bavaria.

STORIONI, LORENZO, Cremona, living in 1782, said to be the last of the great Cremona makers. Forster says his instruments resemble those of Joseph Guarnerius, and that Vieuxtemps' solo violin in 1861, was by this master, and was very much admired. His violoncellos are very powerful. The author knows a violin which an authority says is by Storioni, but which the owner considered to be by Antonius and Hieronymus Amati. The same authority says there are only two in England of this make. It possesses a splendid fine full and rich tone, beautiful wood for the belly, but the back rather plain, varnish deep yellow with reddish tinge. Workmanship not very fine. We mention those little known artistes' instruments when we have seen them, because they are now rising in value and are esteemed as likely to afford good instruments to those who cannot afford those of the three great masters.

STRADIUARIUS, ANTONIUS, Cremona, born 1644, died 1737.

See separate chapter for a fuller account of this celebrated artiste.

STRADIUARIUS, HOMOBONO, Cremona, son of Antonius; made instruments under the direction of his father, which were signed "_Sub disciplina A. Stradiuarius._"

STRADIUARIUS, FRANCISCO, Cremona, another son of Antonius, and signed in the same manner as his brother.

STRAUBE, ---- Berlin, 1770. Constructed after the Italian model. His instruments are scarce and good.

STRNAD, GASPAR, Prague, 1781 to 1793. This maker bears a good reputation.

STURIONUS, LAURENTIUS. See Storioni.

SURSANO, SPIRITUS, Coni, 1764.

T.

TAYLOR, ---- London, 1770 to 1820.

TECHLER, DAVID, first established himself at Salzburg, and afterwards went to Venice, where the story goes that he was so persecuted by other makers that he fled to Rome, about 1706. He made some excellent and beautiful instruments. They have fine yellow varnish and resemble those of the Tyrolean school of Albani and others. Lindley had a violoncello by this maker which was very fine, and powerful in tone. Another was sold a few years ago by auction, for £50. We have seen a violin of this maker, with very beautiful wood and highly finished workmanship, the tone of which was very pure and polished.

TENZEL, ---- One of our catalogues contains a violin by this maker, but we have no particulars.

TEODITI, JEROME, Rome, 1750.

TESTATOR, IL VECCHIO, Milan, about 1520. A claim has been made for this maker that he was the first to give the name of violino to the reduced viol.

TERRESIO, ---- An Italian who died in 1853, was a most eminent judge of instruments. His whole existence seemed to be centered in his art, and his eye became so practised that when travelling to discover old instruments, he took them all to pieces, sides, backs, heads, and all parts, forming a conglomerate mass of pieces of valuable violins. The object of so doing was to avoid the customs' dues which are of course heavy on old instruments. When he reached his destination, he would replace them without the aid of a single mark. After his death his house, or rather his hermitage, was visited by connoisseurs, who found it strewed with different parts of instruments, some being found in the most out of the way places. He had the major part of all the great instruments through his hands. Among other valuable instruments found in his house after his death, was a Gaspar di Salo double bass and a Bergonzi double bass--the latter unique. Both these instruments are now in Mr. Hart's possession. The Gaspar di Salo is very perfect and its tone is unsurpassed. The Bergonzi is quite a curiosity, from its being the only one of his make known. He visited this country during the Exhibition of 1851, and was deeply gratified upon seeing so many high class instruments among the dilettanti here, and the taste and zest the English have in forming collections.

TESTORE, CARLO GUISEPPE, Cremona, about 1700. This artiste made some very good instruments after the Guarnerius pattern. The wood of the backs of his violoncellos is mostly pear tree, and the bellies are of splendid wood. The tone is very powerful, but not always so smooth as might be wished. This is another rising name. The celebrated double bass player Bottesini, uses one of this maker's instruments which possesses a splendid tone, and is sufficient to stamp Testore as an excellent maker. If any of his smaller instruments possess as good and fine a tone as this double bass he must be ranked among the best Italian artistes. Use will probably wear away the want of smoothness at present complained of in some of them.

TESTORE, CARLO ANTONIO, Milan, about 1710 to 1730.