Stradivarius Violins

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 96, 17 January 1935, Page 11

Stradivarius Violins

Sir, —As so many people are finding Stradivarius violins, or violins bearing a “Strad” label, it may be just as well to point out from the outset that there are thousands of violins to-day in the world bearing the printed inscriptions of Stradivarius. These violins are mostly no more Stradivarius violins than the pencil I am writing this with, being copies, and cheap ones at that, principally made in Germany. It is a pity it is not made a criminal offence to label any of these copies otherwise than “Copies of Stradivarius,” or “Copy of Nicolo Amati,” etc. But there it is, and no one can alter it. However, in my opinion there is too much gush and nonsense written these days about Stradivarius. violins. AU the Cremona, Neapolitan, Bresican, and other makers made good and bad violins just as all the makers today make good and bad violins. But it is Nicolo Amati and his pupil Stradivarius we must thank for shaping the violin as we see it to-day, and perhaps a genuine “ Strad’,’ will take the cake even , to-day for “crystalline sweetness.” The violinist cares little who made his violin; what he looks for is tone, and he can generally pick up a violin for about £4 or £5, perhaps 30 shillings, that may even outshine some of the best old masters’ violins ever made. The old masters’ violins have been forced up in price by that pest, of all pests, the collector of antiques. Still there may be some saving grace for him, as he has preserved something everybody likes to see anfl hear. A few hints to the' finders of Stradivarius violins may be of interest and ■value. First of all they should be able to distinguish between the factory-made violin and the hand-made violin. They should know also that hundreds of trademark violins to-day bear the inscription “Antonius Stradivarius Cremonsis facebat Anno.” Then follows the date, which will be between 1666 and 1736-37. Now with reference to the genuine . “Strad’ labels, in some cases Stradivarius spelt his Christian name ivith three “ns,” the "u” being turned upside down. The copyist and the dealers have discovered this, I notice, and even printed their labels with the “u” upside down. I noticed this the other day when setting up a sound post in a violin for a friend of mine, but the merest tyro could not have been deceived by the make of the violin. Stradivarius’s first labels wore set up in the ’sixties, 1665-1666 being the earliest years on record. The next labels printed have the printed figures 166, Stradivarius writing in the following figure with his pen. The old man made a mistake here, for when the years got to 167 or 16S. etc., be had to alter the seven and tlie eight and fill in the correct year witii his pen. In 1700 a new label appears printed in coarser type. In these' lie had only the figure 1 printed (some say 7 also)', and added tlie rest with his pen. In 1729 and 1730 came the last change, the label being printed in coarser tvpe. and he spelt his name with the Ron'lan “V” instead of the cursive one as before. In 1737 he died. In reference to “Violin O of Rosenoat'h’s” inquiry: of course, any violin made in 1760 would not be by Stradivarius. It would be hard to place the maker of your correspondent’s violin, as so many Continental makers made copies of Stradivarius. But if the violin is of Italian make probably Giovanni Battista Guadagnini (1711-1756). may have made it. in which case his name may be found written on a label on the. centre curve for the bow inside t(ie violin. Look through tlie tail peg hole and see. and conininnicate furtiler. “1 iolin O. I am. J. 11. O’CONNOR. Greytown, January 14. 1