THE professed object of M. Otto’s work is to guard purchasers of violins, &c., against imposition, and to show how such instruments may be kept in order and repaired. But it is quite clear that he has prudently had the main chance in view, and, while thinking of the interests of others, has not been unmindful of his own, for he takes especial care to let his readers into the history of his business, where he and his sons reside, and what—of course for ‘a consideration’—they undertake to do in the way of trade.

But while advertising himself and Co.—perhaps very justifiably—he has embodied in his pages a number of facts interesting to amateur players, highly useful to professional performers, and curious to all whose pursuits lead them to inquire into the state of the mechanical arts, among which is to be reckoned the manufacture of musical instruments; and if he has really taught ‘the best means of preserving a good instrument, and of improving a spoiled one,’[73] he has rendered a service which entitles him to the gratitude of the musical world.

Many of our readers will be surprised to learn that a really good, a complete violin, consists of fifty-eight different parts, which the author thus describes:—

‘The wood used in the manufacture of this instrument is of three sorts. The back, the neck, the sides, and the circles are made of sycamore; the belly, the bass bar, the sound post, and the six blocks of Tyrolese deal; the finger-board and tail-piece of ebony.’

It appears that the peculiar curvature, or swell of the back and belly of good violins, is produced by scooping out of the solid wood, and not by pressing the material on heated moulds of the desired shape, a practice which the translator, in a note, informs us is common now in Germany, among the cheap makers.

M. Otto rather inclines to the opinion that violins might be now made equal to the old Cremonese, and thinks that musicians and dilettanti are blameable for not encouraging good makers, and for putting too much confidence in repairers. He seems to be persuaded that the rich, mellow tone of instruments depends much on the ameliorating effects of time; and his translator strengthens what is said in the original, by the following remarks:—

‘It may not be unreasonable to attribute the superiority of old instruments to time, which, by its slow but sure and powerful agency, mellows and softens down the asperities of many musical instruments, and in particular organs and violins. That the mechanical construction of the old instruments is in any degree superior to the present day can scarcely, upon mature reflection, be admitted, as in the present age, when every art or science is analysed and sought into with the most unsparing avidity, it is certain that many enthusiastic and scientific admirers of the violin have destroyed some of the very best instruments of the old makers, for the sole purpose of forming a correct opinion of the minutest proportions of their interior construction.... I feel rather reluctant in expressing my opinion, that were it possible to produce an old instrument, possessing precisely the same quality of tone as when first finished, no very great superiority, if any, would be discerned over the modern-made instruments, constructed with the care which would be bestowed upon a violin intended to be a pattern of the excellence of modern workmanship and science. I am, however, compelled to state that, as far as I can collect from many professional individuals, there is one reason why many of the modern-made instruments are so inferior to the old ones. It is this: many makers of late date in England, Italy, Germany, who had succeeded in producing excellent instruments, and in consequence established their reputation, as they imagined, in a short time after their fame had gone forward to the world, relaxed in their application, and became negligent, under the impression that their name having been once established, their instruments, no matter how indifferent they might be, would be well received. It is but justice to the Italian and the German makers, to state that they entertain a very favourable opinion of the violins manufactured in England. It may also not be uninteresting to learn that the generally received opinion, collected from various sources upon which reliance can be placed, is, that there exists at the present day, in England, a greater number of the genuine instruments of the old makers than, proportionally, in any other country.’

The following facts, stated by the translator, are very worthy of notice, and, we will venture to say, are new, not only to musicians in general, but even to many violin-players in particular:—

‘It is an authenticated fact, that the shallower or flatter the model of a violin is, the fuller is the tone. Many amateurs conceive the very reverse. On comparison, however, between a genuine Straduarius and an Amati, this will be immediately perceived. A Guarnerius or a Straduarius is of the flat model and powerful in tone. An Amati, on the other hand, has a very beautiful high model, very fine wood and highly-finished workmanship, and in the genuine instruments the purfling is inlaid very close to the edge, much more so than in any other genuine Italian instruments. The Amatis possess a brilliant silvery tone, but from the cause above-mentioned they are not so sonorous as the flatter-modelled instruments, particularly the Guarnerius or Straduarius.’

‘It is a prevalent opinion, as well with professors as amateurs, that the old Italian instruments have attained their zenith, and some even aver that they have been deteriorating.... Is it not probable that the improvements, introduced within late years, added to the patterns afforded by the old instruments themselves, which have been studied with the most intense anxiety by the most skilful artists of Europe, and of England in particular, have tended to detract from the value of the old instruments?... The Amatis, from their sweetness of tone, are preferred for accompaniments to the voice. In performances strictly instrumental, a Guarnerius or a Straduarius is more valued in consequence of possessing a greater body of tone.’

There are cheats in all trades, and in all quarters of the world, it seems; even the rude mountaineers, the simple Tyrolese, we now learn, are not guiltless of a fraud which it may be well to guard the amateur against—‘The Tyrolese makers,’ says M. Otto, ‘have carried on an extensive business, and put forth a great quantity of violins, tenors, and basses; the greater part of which have been surreptitiously palmed upon the uninitiated as genuine Cremonese or Steiners.’

The author then points out the forms and mode of construction of the violins of the most celebrated Italian makers. He says, ‘I have had under my hands about thirty Cremonese instruments, of the following makers. The oldest were made by HIERONYMUS AMATI, at the beginning of the seventeenth century. After him came ANTONIUS AMATI, about the middle of the same century. Then followed NICOLAS AMATI, towards the end of the same. To these must be added ANTONIUS STRADUARIUS, of Cremona, who flourished during the same epoch as the above, and after them JOSEPH GUARNERIUS, at the commencement of the eighteenth century. All their instruments were constructed after the simplest rules of mathematics,[74] and the six which came into my possession unspoilt, were made after the following proportions. The belly was the strongest in thickness where the bridge rests, then it diminished about a third at that part where the f holes are cut, and, where the belly rests on the sides, it was half as thick as in the middle. The same proportion is observed in the length. The thickness is equally maintained all along that part on which the bass bar was fixed; from thence to the upper and under end blocks the thickness decreases to one-half, so that the cheeks were three-fourths of the thickness of the breast, and the edges all round only one-half. These proportions are the best adapted for imparting a full, powerful, and sonorous tone.

‘The back is worked out much in the same proportion as the belly, and is generally rather stronger in wood.’

‘HIERONYMUS AMATI, of Cremona, whose violins are the oldest, used the most beautiful maple, which has a very strong full figure, and, as far as I can learn, the greater part of his backs are made in one piece only. The figure runs from the left to the right side, somewhat sloping. The form of his violin is large, and the model decreases in a very beautiful manner towards each edge.’

‘The instruments of ANTONIUS AMATI differ but little from his father’s, though he was not so nice in the choice of his figured wood; yet in beauty of tone they are in no way inferior, if not spoilt in repairing.’

‘Those of NICHOLAS AMATI are conspicuous for having a somewhat smaller form and a peculiar model; the swell rises gently near the purfling, and afterwards springs up more abruptly, so as to form a difference of an inch in height between the highest part at the centre and that at the edges. They swell more abruptly than those of either Hieronymus or Antonius, and in the centre form a sharp ridge. For the rest, his instruments are not constructed with the same care as those of Hieronymus.’

‘Those of STRADUARIUS are remarkable for their flat construction. The model or swell on the back and the belly does not rise more than half an inch; they are therefore the flattest of all the Cremonese makers’ instruments. Those that are uninjured possess a very beautiful deep full tone. They are the most esteemed by concert violinists; for every virtuoso will obtain one, if he has an opportunity, at no matter what price.

‘Their shape is invariably very fine, but their corners are not quite so obtuse as those of Hieronymus Amati. The f holes are beautifully cut out and lie near together, as in all genuine Italian instruments; the back, the sides, and the neck are made of beautifully figured maple, and coloured with dark brown amber varnish.

‘The violins of Joseph Guarnerius are beautifully constructed. They are extremely similar in shape, model, and the cutting of the f holes, to those of Nicholas Amati, and are coloured with the same deep yellow amber varnish.

‘The instruments made by Jacob Steiner, of Apsam, differ from the Cremonese both in outward shape and in tone. They are higher modelled, and their proportions of strength are calculated quite differently. The nearest comparison which can be drawn between a Cremonese and a Steiner is this: a Cremonese has a strong reedy, sonorous tone, something similar to that of a clarionet, whilst a Steiner approaches to that of a flute. The belly is modelled higher than the back. In length they are somewhat shorter than the Cremonese. The sides and the back are made of the finest figured maple, and covered with a deep yellow amber varnish.’

The author now digresses, for the purpose of letting us know that for sixteen years he became a guitar maker, but that he has now given that trade up to his sons, for reasons which, as a matter of profit, are obvious enough. We may just remark, en passant, that guitars are now to be had in all parts of Europe, at less than half the price they used to be sold at. But M. Otto shall be heard—‘I must in this place observe that the guitar had originally five strings only. The late Herr Naumann, MaÎtre de Chapelle at Dresden, gave me the order for the first guitar with the sixth or low E string, which I added according to his instructions. Since then the guitar has always had six strings, for which improvement amateurs have to thank Herr Naumann. As, however, for the last ten years a great number of instrument makers, as well as cabinet makers, have taken up this business, I have since then entirely given it up. When I receive any orders I turn them over to my sons at Jena and Halle, who are doing considerably in that branch. The substitution of covered strings for the D and G is a small improvement of my own.’

But we must return to the violin, and hasten to the close of this article; not, however, till we have communicated to our readers some useful instructions given by the author for the preservation of instruments.

‘I shall now,’ he says, ‘lay down some brief hints for the treatment and preservation of the instrument. A good old violin should be kept in a wooden case, lined with cloth or flannel, as the too great heat in summer, as well as the sudden transitions from cold to warmth in winter, are injurious. Too great a heat renders the wood brittle, which gives the instrument a harshness of tone, besides drying and parching the strings. In winter the too great warmth of a room produces the same effects.... Much greater damage is done to the instrument in summer by the flies when it is left out of its case. They get in at the f holes, and in a few years the inside of the back and the belly gets so much spotted with dirt as to feel like shagreen to the touch.

‘The instrument should be kept particularly clean, and the dust carefully wiped off the rosin with a linen rag. The insides should be cleaned out once every six months, with a handful of barley made warm, and poured into the f holes, and well shaken. The dust or dirt inside adheres to the barley, and is brought out again through the f holes. In order to preserve the strings a length of time in good condition and sonorous, it will be advisable to keep in the spare bag, (which should be lined with a piece of bladder moistened with oil of almonds,) a small piece of silk taffeta, slightly damped with the same oil. The strings should be rubbed with this piece of silk from the bridge to the neck, before putting the instrument away in the case, and when again wanted for use, the oil should be wiped off dry with a piece of fine linen, and particularly in that part where the bow is used.’

The best strings, called Roman, come from Milan, and the purest rosin from Prague, in the opinion of the author. He then remarks that much playing in fourths and in fifths on a violin improves its tone, as ‘tending to extract the resinous particles from the wood’! If this be a fact, he assigns a reason; but afterwards declines divulging the cause of ‘this singular effect,’ from a sense of ‘duty to his family.’ This smacks rather of what is commonly called quackery; but we must make due allowance for the worthy man’s paternal care.

The present translation—which, on the whole, is well executed—will be found very useful to all violinists, especially amateurs who are not acquainted with the German language. In fact no violin-player ought to be without it, for the cost is trifling, the time it will occupy in reading cannot exceed a couple of hours, and the information it contains is of a very valuable kind.