The Violin: Its Famous Makers and Their ImitatorsHart, George
History
The Violin: Its Famous Makers and Their Imitators
Hart, George
Violin -- History; Violin makers -- Biography
Antonio Stradivari, Carlo Bergonzi and Montagnana doubtless intended
to bring out in a stronger degree certain particular qualities of
tone: at the same time we may be sure that they had no idea of
attempting to improve upon Stradivari in his own field of work, for
they must have well known the Herculean character of such a task. On
the other hand, had these remarkable makers been mere copyists, they
would certainly have handed down to us more instruments moulded in
exact accord with the style of their great teacher; while, at the same
time, we should have lost many variations, which are at present not
only an evidence of their fertility of resource, but also in
themselves most pleasing objects. If, in the sister art, Tintoretto
had made it his sole business to copy Titian, the world would have
been rich in copies of Titian, but poor in Tintorettos.
The varnish of Montagnana has long excited the admiration of
connoisseurs throughout Europe. The extreme richness and velvet-like
softness which are its characteristics constitute it a fitting
countersign of the workmanship of this great maker, an artist of the
first magnitude. He made Violins, Tenors, and Violoncellos. His
Violins are of two sizes.
MONTALDI, Gregorio, Cremona, 1730. Copied Stradivari.
MORELLA, ----, Mantua, about 1550. M. Fetis, in his "Biographie
Universelle des Musiciens," states that he was famous for his Viols
and Lutes. S. Ang. Maffei, in his "Annali di Mantova" (fol. 147),
highly praises the instruments made by Morella.
NADOTTI, Giuseppe, Piacenza. A Violin by this maker was in 1881
exhibited at the Milan Exhibition, dated 1767.
NELLA, Raffaele, Brescia, copied Maggini.
ORTEGA, ----, Madrid, about 1840. Maker and restorer of instruments.
PANDOLFI, Antonio, Venice. A Violin of this make, dated 1719, was
among the instruments exhibited at the Milan Exhibition in 1881.
PANORMO, Vincenzo, Palermo, born about 1740, died 1813. This maker was
one of the most successful followers of Antonio Stradivari. Panormo
and Lupot share the palm as copyists of the great Cremonese master.
Neither appears to have attempted to create a model of his own; their
sole aim was to imitate to the utmost the various patterns of
Stradivari, Guarneri, and Amati, but they principally confined
themselves to Stradivari.
Vincenzo Panormo left Italy in early life, and settled for a short
time in Paris, from which city a few of his instruments are dated.
From Paris he removed to London, where he remained many years. He also
visited Ireland, where he made, it is said, several beautiful
instruments from an old maple billiard-table, with which he was
fortunate enough to meet. He was of a restless temperament, which
showed itself in continual self-imposed changes. He would not, or
could not, permit his reputation to grow steadily, by residing long in
one place, but as soon as fame was within his grasp, he sacrificed the
work of years by removing to an entirely new field of labour.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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