New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-02-17
Rare Old ViOlins.

ANY one possessed of $4,000 in gold and
sufficient musical enthusiasm to expend it
in the purchase of ancient instruments can
obtain for that sum two violins by eminent
makers and more than q century and half
old. They are in the possession Of Mr..
Herman KOnig, of No. 39l Bowery, who
has been commissioned to sell them by q
well known collector, who purchased them
more than forty years ago. One of the in
struments, the most valuable, was made by
Antonius Stradivarius in 1722. For this
alone $4,000 in gold is demanded. Violins
bearing the name of Stradivarius are ex-
ceedingly rare. New York, it is said, can
possession of Mr.. John B. Waters, Of
Brooklyn. The third is the one now offered
tor sale. 1t is we'll preserved. The deep
mellow tone which swells from it when the
strings are touched, and which can be be-
slowed only by the purifying hand of
time, would delight the heart of con-
noisseur. The second instrument was man.
ufactured by Carlo Bergonzi in 1928 Ber-
gonzi was pupil OF Stradivarius, and
though his instruments are not held
in such high esteem as those of his illustri-
GUS master, they are nevertheless very rare,
and command large prices. This one is Of
fered singly for $500 in gold. Like the
other, it has evidently passed through care
full hands, and bears no mark of i'll usage.
To the ordinary viOlinist there is no per-
ceptible difference between the tones of the
two instruments, but the cultivated ear can
detect the depth and purity in the work
manship of Stradivarius that is lacking in
that of the less renowned pupil. The larg-
est price ever paid for violin was pr0ba-
bly, that given to Mr.. Hart, the great Lon
don collector. He received f700 for an in
strument of Joseph Guarnerius. Paginini,
who played on one Of Guarnerius' violins,
considered this maker among the best that
the world has ever seen.
The fabulous prices now paid for old in
struments will soon be among the things Of
the past. Violins bearing such names as
those Of Stradivarius, Guaranerius, Amati,
and Bergonzi are becoming. very rare, and
ere long will not be purchasable. They
probably owe their excellence less to their
superior workmanship than to the tone ac-
quired through their great age. The modern
masters are in no way inferior to their pre-
decessOrs of hundred years ago, but
whereas the latter were but few in number,
Europe is surfeited with the former, and in
the middle of the next century old instru-
ments will be too plentiful to command q
tithe of the price freely given for them now.
Probably the most renowned maker of our
day is Villaume, of Paris, and his instru-
ments command higher prices than any
others in Europe. He usually charges about.
500 francs. In New York the competition
is net SO great. and larger sums are OBJ
tanned. A violin by Konig would bring
about $3.50.
America can boast of several very sue
cessful collectors. Among these are Mr..
John B. Waters, of Brooklyn. Beside the
two violins of Stradivarius already men
toned, he possesses three instrumentsp5
the most renowned of the old masters. +,
values the five at $4,000, but would not sell
them at any price. Indeed, except under
extraordinary circumstances, he allowed
them to be seen; and when he is prevailed
upon to produce them, the person for whom
the favor is granted must hold them with
the utmost care by portions of attached
leather, 80 as not to injure them by the
profaning touch of the hand.-Ne,c York