The Violin and Old Violin Makers: Being a Historical & Biographical Account of the Violin, with Facsimiles of Labels of the Old MakersClarke, A. Mason
History
The Violin and Old Violin Makers: Being a Historical & Biographical Account of the Violin, with Facsimiles of Labels of the Old Makers
Clarke, A. Mason
Violin -- History; Violin makers
BUCHSTETTER, JOSEPHUS, son of Gabriel David. Made some instruments of
good quality and tone, and adopted a flat model.
EBERLE, ULRIC, of Prague, about 1750, an eminent German maker, whose
instruments at one time were considered nearly equal to the best Italian
makers.
HELMER, CHARLES (CAROLUS), of Prague, a pupil of Eberle. He made some
very fine instruments. Otto says: “They have, however, the fault that
the three upper strings improve greatly by being played on, but the G
string, in most of them, remains so far inferior, that while the tone of
the former is such as may be expected from a full sized violin, that of
the latter only resembles a child’s toy-instrument. Yet an experienced
maker would find no difficulty in correcting this fault.”
HOFFMANN, MARTIN, one of the earliest representatives of the German
school, flourished in Leipzig in the latter part of the seventeenth
century. He was better known as a lute-maker. He made violins possessing
excellent tone, but they do not find much favour by reason of their
ungainly appearance.
JAUCH (or JAUG), of Dresden, early part of eighteenth century. The best
description of this maker’s instruments is that contained in Otto’s
treatise. “Jauch,” he says, “has manufactured very good violins on the
model of the Cremonese, and displayed, in his beautiful and excellent
workmanship, a thorough knowledge of the wood, and of the due
proportions of strength required in the respective parts of the
instrument. But his violins produce a very weak squally tone, when they
have been carelessly repaired; though even in this case they may be
often restored and brought nearly to equal the Italian, by placing them
in the hands of an experienced maker, possessing a knowledge of
mathematics and acoustics, without which they will be completely
spoiled.”
KLOTZ FAMILY. This group represent well-nigh a century of activity,
i.e., from about 1670 to about 1760.
KLOTZ, EGIDIUS. Born in Mittenwald. When young he quitted his native
village and placed himself under Stainer at Absam. Having learnt the art
under this celebrated maker, he returned to his native place and set up
in business on his own account, and soon gained considerable renown as a
maker of superior instruments, so much so that his productions for some
time almost eclipsed those of his master. Even now a sound
specimen—which is rarely seen, is not lightly passed over. His
instruments possess a fine and powerful tone.
KLOTZ, MATHIAS, 1653-1745. Worked for about twenty years in Mittenwald,
during which period he produced instruments of an unsatisfactory nature.
He appears to have been aware of this, and with the object of increasing
his knowledge, he undertook a journey to Florence and Cremona and other
centres of violin industry. With his newly-acquired experience he
returned to his native place and established himself in rather a large
way.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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