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    Antonio Stradivari
    Antonio Stradivari
    Antonio Stradivari
    Ebook140 pages1 hour

    Antonio Stradivari

    By Horace William Petherick

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    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherArchive Classics
    Release dateNov 27, 2013
    Antonio Stradivari

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    Book preview

    Antonio Stradivari - Horace William Petherick

    Project Gutenberg's Antonio Stradivari, by Horace William Petherick

    This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with

    almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or

    re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included

    with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

    Title: Antonio Stradivari

    Author: Horace William Petherick

    Release Date: June 26, 2011 [EBook #36535]

    Language: English

    *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ANTONIO STRADIVARI ***

    Produced by Linda Cantoni, David E. Brown, Bryan Ness and

    the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at

    http://www.pgdp.net

    ANTONIO STRADIVARI.

    PRINTED BY E. SHORE AND CO.,

    3, GREEN TERRACE, ROSEBERY AVENUE, LONDON, E.C.

    HORACE PETHERICK.

    THE STRAD LIBRARY, No. VIII.

    ANTONIO STRADIVARI,

    BY

    HORACE PETHERICK.

    Of the Music Jury, International Inventions Exhibition,

    South Kensington, 1885; International Exhibition,

    Edinburgh, 1890; Expert in Law Courts, 1891;

    Vice-President of the Cremona Society.

    COPYRIGHT.

    London:

    THE STRAD Office, 3. Green Terrace, Rosebery Avenue, E.C.

    E. DONAJOWSKI, 26, Castle Street, Berners Street, W.

    D. R. DUNCAN, 186, Fleet Street, E.C.

    1900

    CONTENTS.

    LIST OF PLATES.

    PREFACE.

    IT was in the month of April, 1898, when The Strad monthly magazine had completed its eighth year of issue, that the Editor Suggested that then might be an appropriate time for giving a biographical sketch of the great Cremonese master in serial form, expressed in a manner interesting and instructive as possible. With this view I took up the subject with some enthusiasm and proposed to work upon lines which I believed to be bound by truth. All references to peculiarities in connection with Stradivari's designs, construction and purposes should be the result of my own personal observation during many years of experience as connoisseur and expert. In formulating my results of study of a great number—possibly the majority—of the instruments of the master extant—I have abstained as far as possible from using technical terms not readily comprehended by a reader coming newly to the subject, and I trust all persons reading through the matter now collected, added to, and presented in book form, will find their time not mis-spent at least when they arrive at the conclusion.

    Horace Petherick.

    Croydon.

    INTRODUCTION.

    IT was during the second half of the sixteenth century that the violin, with its well recognised combined excellences of artistic form and musical sonority, was started on its way in the world to supply a want and prove its fitness as a leading instrument at once and for future times. So happily was this effected, so complete and mature was it in conception, that the advancing intellect of three centuries has proved incompetent to insert any fresh and permanent addition to its original simple arrangement. Precisely as it came from the hands of an artistic and inventive genius in the city of Brescia so we have it now, unchanged in its essential details of construction, although having its natural qualities made more evident after undergoing the modern adjustment with regard to accessories of detail, or regulation as it is termed. This has been effected by simply enlarging some parts for the purpose of allowing more freedom and convenience in the execution of more modern music, its elaboration of rhythm, besides the extended range of notes in the higher positions of the register, necessitating this. As might have been expected in connection with the then still living Renaissance period, on the violin making its appearance it was soon taken in hand by men of superlative talent, who stamped it with their own individuality in which was a marvellous perception of artistic quality. All that was to be done by means of proportion, form and colour, not setting aside the essentials of refined sonority, were combined, each aiding in the grand total and producing that known and so much sought after at the present day—a beautiful Italian violin. For about a century or more many Italian liutaros were busily engaged in sending forth under competition works which are now by the cognoscenti treated as unrivalled excellence of quality, classical, and the outcome of genius. Each worker being anxious to maintain the standard of excellence, or take a step forward in the practice of their art, the culminating point seems to have been reached when the artist under consideration in the following pages was executing his masterpieces in Cremona.

    ANTONIO STRADIVARI.

    ANTONIO STRADIVARI.

    CHAPTER I.

    Date and Place of Birth of Antonio Stradivari—His Instructor in the Art of Violin Making—Peculiarity of his Early Work, Nothing Striking, but Slowly Progressive—Which of the Designs of his Master he was most Impressed by, and his Own Modifications for Improvement—His Departure from the House of his Master, Free to Carry Out his own Inclinations.

    THE year 1614, although not particularly noticeable at the time for its portentous events, was destined to be one of considerable interest to those who are enthusiastic lovers of the delightful quality of sound emitted by a certain section—and that only—of a class of stringed instruments which have made the city of Cremona famous throughout the civilised world. For in that city and in that year was born a male child, whose surname was eventually to eclipse by its own refulgence the renown of the city itself. Its paternal name was Stradivari, people trouble themselves very little about the prefix Antonio, common enough in Italy, and which was the Christian name given him by his parents. Of these we can only say, that as might be supposed, they were of a respectable portion of the middle class socially considered and from which have sprung all over the world—with few exceptions—the greatest luminaries of the whole firmament of intellect.

    Of his private life during manhood we know very little, of his boyhood nothing. But we may fairly and truly draw our conclusions that as the time arrived when he was supposed fit for training to fight life's battle, he had already exhibited talent indicative of fitness for that artistic branch of industry in which he was hereafter to be the world-wide acknowledged head.

    That his special abilities were thoroughly recognised by his parents receives much emphasis from the fact of his being offered to, and received as pupil by, Nicolas Amati, greatest of that great family of stringed instrument makers. Young Antonio was thus placed in the most favourable situation possible for the fructifying and development of his own particular talents. That portion of his life which was spent with the great master of line in violin facture, will, probably, in its details always remain a blank to us: but there is a lightning like flash thrown out by the fact of old Nicolas Amati bequeathing his collection of tools, patterns, etc., to Antonio Stradivari, and, be it noticed, not to his own son, then over thirty years of age. That the future master of his craft had been a steady and beloved pupil of his great teacher, there is no room for doubt; indeed, steadiness, fixity of purpose and honest intention, are manifested in his work during the whole of his career. The earliest of his handiwork has become known to us while he was with Nicolas Amati. In this he exhibits extreme delicacy of handling, and seemingly, in the confidence of his master, certain little modifications in the design of the sound holes were permitted, or perhaps passed as improvements, but there is nothing eccentric or extravagant introduced, a gentle addition, or

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