The orchestra and its instruments . ial names, theMessiah, the Pucelle, the Viotti, the Bossier,the Dolphin, the Hellier, and so on, that arenow worth fortunes, the maker was paid from fiftyto two hundred dollars apiece! What would old Stradivari say could he know theprices that are given for these violins when theychange hands! He would be amazed beyond measure;but his delight would be greater if he could hear therich tones that are given forth from his instrumentsmellowed with age. Moreover, violinists did notplay in Stradivaris time as they play now. Couldthe old Cremonese maker see and hea
The orchestra and its instruments . ial names, theMessiah, the Pucelle, the Viotti, the Bossier,the Dolphin, the Hellier, and so on, that arenow worth fortunes, the maker was paid from fiftyto two hundred dollars apiece! What would old Stradivari say could he know theprices that are given for these violins when theychange hands! He would be amazed beyond measure;but his delight would be greater if he could hear therich tones that are given forth from his instrumentsmellowed with age. Moreover, violinists did notplay in Stradivaris time as they play now. Couldthe old Cremonese maker see and hear the violinsthat he made and learned to know and love as theytook shape beneath his skilful touch in the hands ofFritz Kreisler or Efrem Zimbalist — what would hethink! An authority tells us that: After 1690 his individu-ality began to assert itself, his model became moregraceful and flatter, the /-holes elegant and reclining,the centre bouts gracefully drawn out, as also thecorners; the scroll is bold and striking; the purfling. VIOLIN By Antonius and Hieronymus Amati THE VIOLIN 31 rather narrow; and the varnish beautiful golden, orlight red. It was at the end of this period that hemade the violins known as the Long Strads, socalled from their narrowness between the /-holes,giving them a lanky appearance, the size varying, andthe varnish amber, or light red. The year 1700brings us to his best period, the model flattish, thewood cut on the quarter and thickest in the centreunder the bridge, the curves gentle and harmonious,the wood of the blocks very light, often formed ofwillow, the scroll perfect in its symmetry. Thegraceful /-holes, the transcendently glorious amber-colored, or ruby, varnish are all characteristics ofthis epoch of the greatest masters greatest last instruments have the purfling pointed acrossthe corner instead of following it round; and it isnot uncommon to find it running completely throughthe corner. His ticket runs Antonio StradivariusCremone
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectmusicalinstruments
