THE SECRET OE ANTONIO STRADIVARI

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 172, 7 August 1937, Page 11

THE SECRET OE ANTONIO STRADIVARI

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IJHE BICENTE3STABY of Antonio Stradivari 's death has revived interest in the life and work of the greatest violin-maker of all times. ; • • -Volumes have -been written on Stradivari by authors of all nationalities. But his art remains. a secret. m r - The -secret .begins at ,his, birth, the exact date of which- is not known. The exploration of thirty-seven old parishes of Cremona and of the city archives has proved futile. Most biographers are agreed on the year 1644, by. deduetion from the label on a violin in the # I possession of a noble Italian family, which bears the date 1736, foliowed by tho master's signature and by the note "92 years of age." As Stradivari died in 1731, tho biographers assumed that he was born in 1644. More recent research, however, would seem to show that be was born a few years after 1644. Mystery thus prevails about his birth, as about his youth. Here again we must turn for information to the label on another violin from the year 1666, stating that it was made by "Antonius Stradivarius of Cremona, a pupil »of Nicolo Amati." Stradivari must * have been twenty years old then and employed in the laborat.ory of tho famous lute-maker Nicolo Amati, the spiritual father of all Ifalian makers of stringed instruments, who in 1640, created the first of the new violins, of exquisite craftsmanship and graceful lines, known as the "Grandi Amati/' which were Stradivari 's inspiration in his own still' unsurpassed art. Conjecturing about his youth fwe may assume that he was apprenticed to Amati while still a boy. We like to iniagino him as an attentive, eager and conscientious pupil, striving to attain tho sarne rare peri'ectlon as his muster, but soon sdrpassing him, because he had the stuff of genius within him. We do not know how long Stradivari remained with Amati, or whether we ought to believe Henry, Arthur aud Alfred Hall, the English brothers who compiled the most voluminous book on Stradivari and who mention 'the year 1684, as tlie timo when he went into business on his own. But whether he did stay witli Amati many or few years, it is certain that the label, s of his violins extant, with few exceptions, are dated after 3687. Furthermore, is is certain that he must have giveu proof of his special abilities while still quite young, crealing , *sometnmg entircly difCcrent from what the violin industry had produced nntil then — namcly, ihe concert violin, which, thanks to its sonorousness and other qualities, soon became the .dom-

inant instrument for orchestras, as it was audible in the remotest corners of spacious halls. In 1667 the violin-maker, who was then a little over twenty, married, the widow Francesca Feraboschi. The marriage records are available in the archives of one of tho Cremona churches; but without the birth date of the groom. She died in 1698, having borne him- six children. He did not mourn her long, however, for a year later he married young Antonia Zambelli, who bore him five children. From the few descriptions that have come down to us it would appear that Stradivari was a tall, very lean man. His head was always covered with a large cap of white wool in winter and of cotton in summer, and on working days he wore a big white leather apron. over his trousers. The description is that Of a simple working man, in no way different from the thousands of modest and conscientious craftsmen of a time when the arts and craft-s flourished in Italy and made her famous throughout the world; an indefatigable worker he mUst have been at that, intent upon turning out beautiful and pcrfect instruments. "We' may, assume that he did not consider himself in any way outstanding and found it tho most natural thing in the world to, deliver only perfect merchandise to liis customers. During half a century at least he worked without respite, hardly able to cope with the orders flowing from every corner of the world. His worksliop was situated in his own house, a modest, narrow, three-storied building, with a primitive terrace, on which he used to work in warm weather, and where his instruments, still moist and fragrant with varnish, could be seen hanging from wire lines, like so many piecos of drying laundry. During half a century hundreds upon hundreds of famous violins, which dolighted thousands of iioople, lcft that: humble dwclling, without anybody ever taking tho troublo of registering or numbering theui. There were eertainly not less than 1,100 of them, according

to caleulations' made ' by the ' Hills, all instrurdents [ of " rare '. value, * some richly 'iniaid ' with ebony, lvory and \ mother- - of-pearl, : masterpieees worthv .of the great. personages- for- whom' they -were intehded; - - ■ • . .. . . . t Who,- were ; these " great . personages '' . -to.whom' Stradivari r catered ? ' Princes, dignitaries of the Chnrch, high officials, crowned heads of almost all countries; We have a record that in Mareh, 1G82, the .Banker Monti ordered from Stradivari ; ' ' violins and cellos ,t-o equip two orchestras . and. which' were 'toi be . presented 'tO his Majesty King James of England. "'A Stradivari " violin " must have been orie of the most precious gifts that could be bestowed upon a music-loving friend. The violinists of his time were unanimous in praise of his instruments, which enabled them to obtain new and unsuspected effects, and repeat orders were therefore coming in all the time. Stradivari was alre'ady famous in Italy and abroad when he created the first of his greatest masterpieees in 1690, the still extant "Tuscau" violin, one of the most perfect produced in his I workshop. His "golden age" did not slart untill"1700, however, From that timo-on hardly a year passed without . his im:proving upon his .marvellous instruments in one way ,or another. " Space does not permit us to follow him from milestone (to milestono ■ of his 'fruitful career. The first great masterpiece of his golden age,. :thc "Betts," constructed in 1704, resembles the. Tuscan but is ahead of 3t in sonorousness and acoustic power. Its lines are slender and graceful and the S, sound holea of bold design. The most fruitful period of his career occurred between 1710 and .1730, when he produced the greatest numbei: of tho violins, that have sinee bocome especially famous. In 1710 he was over sixty years old, but his fingor's had ' preserved their ■ prodigious dc^lerity and his eyesight must have been excellont as he was able to atfain the hci^lit of perfection of the ''yieux-

temps" violin (1710). In 1713 he created the "Parke" which later came Lnto Sarasate's possession; in 1714 the most famous "Delfino"; in 1715 the - three violins that became the property -,pf : the great" violin virtuoso, Joac'him," and ln 1716 , the "Messiah," the 'finest of . all, from which he would not part.; during his lifetime and which was acquired, still in perfect condition. by the_.pti.lls., . . . Until 1725. at least the master could not . have ■' f elt ' the * bur den • of age, for he continued to work and improve upon his instruments, ' as- though no limit were - set . to his creati ve , ability. Not are there - any, indications that his sons, Francesco and- Omoboho, whom he had txained for the same. profession, arid b!; favourite pupil, . Carlo Bergonzi, were doing much-rmore than.cutting the woorf and making the- accessories. Theli contribution becomes important al'tet 1725,' although Stradivari himself weut on . oonstructing perfect violins anjl .cellos until 1730. ■ Of tho last years of his life we hnou little, except that he lost two sons and that his wife died a few months before him. He was buried in the tomb which he had bought for himself in the Church of San Domenicq ii Cremona. But this church was in bac shape at tho time of his death and ii had to be wrecked in 1869. Thus ii happened that tlie mortal remains oi Antonio Stradivari and his family were scattered to -the -winds, and nothing remained except the tombstone now on.view at tlie Manicipal Museun of Cremona. He took with him to the grave not only the secret of hi,s birth and youth, but that of his art. In, spite of tht years that havo passed, the instrument! constructed ! in > - Antonio - Stradivari 's workshop still stand all the tests. They are recognised at first glance and hav lost none ; of .their exceptional qualities They still charm us by the beauty of their varnish, never yet surpassed in any of the valuable in:?tru: ments built after his death. Undoubtedly this varnish is oue.- of the esseiltial elements of the unsurpassed quality and beauty of his instruments. No analysis has yet helped to find out the socret of the composition of that trulv superior substance, which will probably .remain- a secret for ever. - Thousands of fine violins and cellos havo sinee . been produced in Italy, Franco, and other countries. No maker, however,. lias .succcpdcd- in producing instruments comparablo to thoso of the great Cremonese, the varnish of which is like a livirig- and exquisitely sensitive skin,. - — -