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
decision of Gasparo da Salo, although belonging to his style, and is
usually broad. His varnish may be described as deep golden, of good
quality. His method of cutting his material was not uniform, but he
seems to have had a preference for cutting his backs in slab form,
according to the example set for the most part by the Brescian makers.
The sides were also made in a similar manner, the wood used being both
sycamore and that known to makers as pear-tree. The instruments of
Andrea Amati are now very scarce. Among the famous instruments of this
maker were twenty-four Violins (twelve large and twelve small
pattern), six Tenors, and eight Basses, made for Charles IX., which
were kept in the Chapel Royal, Versailles, until October, 1790, when
they disappeared. These were probably the finest instruments by Andrea
Amati. On the backs were painted the arms of France and other devices,
with the motto, _Pietate et Justitia_. In the "Archives Curieuses de
l'Histoire de France," one Nicolas Delinet, a member of the French
King's band, appears to have purchased in 1572 a Cremona Violin for
his Majesty, for which he paid about ten pounds--a large sum, it must
be confessed, when we think of its purchasing power in the sixteenth
century. Mr. Sandys, who cites this curious entry, rightly conjectures
it may have included incidental expenses. No mention is made of the
maker of the Violin in question; we find, however, that in the
collection of instruments which belonged to Sir William Curtis there
was a Violoncello having the arms of France painted on the back,
together with the motto above noticed. The date of the instrument was
1572. We may therefore assume that the Violin purchased by Nicolas
Delinet in the same year was the work of Andrea Amati, and belonged to
the famous Charles IX. set.
[Footnote 2: The extracts were published by Signor Piccolellis at
Florence in 1886.]
AMATI, Niccolo, Cremona, brother of Andrea. Very little is known of
this maker or of his instruments.
AMATI, Antonio and Girolamo, sons of Andrea Amati, Cremona.
Antonius et Hieronymus Fr. Amati
Cremonen Andrae fil. F.
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