New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1874-02-19
Esarc Old Victims.
Fabulous Prices for Instruments whose
Tone Has Been Perfected by Age.

ANY one possessed of 1000 in gold and
| sufficient musical enthusiasm to eXpend it in
the purchase of ancient instruments can OBJ
! tain for that sum two viOlins by eminent
makers and more than Il century and half
old. They are in the possession Of Mr..
Herman KONG Of 39l Bowery, who has been
conimissed to sell them by wel-known
collector, who purchased them more than
forty years ago. One Of the instruments,
the most valuable, was made by AntoDius
Stradivarius in l722. For this alone $4,000
in gold is demanded. Violins bearing the
name Of Stradivarius are exceedingly rare.
New y ork, ii is said, can boast of but three,
two of which are in the possession of Mr..
John Il. Waters, of Brooklyn. The third is
the one now offered for sale. 1t is we'll pre-
served. The deep, mellow tone which
swclls from it when the strings are touched,
aud which can be bestowed only by the
purifying hand of time, would delight the
heart of Il connoisseur. The second instru-
mcnt was manufactured by Carlo Bergonz
| in l723. Bergonzi was pupil of Stradi-
varius, and though his instruments are not
! held in such high esteem as those of his illus
trious master, they are nevertheless very
rare, and command large prices. This one
! is offered singly for 81 800 in gold. Like the
| other it has evidently passed through careful
| hands. and bears no marks of i'll usage. To
the ordinary vioninist there is no percept-
| BILE difference between the tones of the two
instruments, but the cultivated ear can de-
tect depth and purity in the workmanship
of Stradiyarus that is lacking in that of his
less renowned pupil. The largest price ever
paid for violin was probably that given to
MIR. Hart, the great London collector. He
received goo for an instrument by Joseph
Guarnerius. Paginini, who played On one
| Of Guarnerius's 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. Eiolins bearing such names as
those Of Stradivarius, Guarnerius, 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-
ouired through their great age. The modern
masters are in no way inferior to their pre-
dcccssors of hundred years ago, but where
as the latter were but few in number, Europe
is surfeited with the former, and in the middle
of the next century old instruments will be
too plentiful to command 1.-THE OF the price
freely given for them now. Probably the
most renowned maker Of our day is Viliaume
of Paris, and his instruments command
higher prices than any others in Europe.
He usually charges about 500 francs. In
New York the competition is no secret. and
larger sums are obtained. A violin by KONG
would bring about $50.
America can boast Of several very sue.
cessful collectors. Among these are Mr..
John b. Waters, Of Brooklyn. Besides the
two violins of Stradivarius already men-
toned, he possesses three instruments by
the most renowned of the old masters. He
values the five at $4,000, but would not sell
them at any price. Indeed, except under
extraordinary circumstances, he reluctantly
allows them to be seen; and when he
| is prevailed upon to produce them, the per-
! son for whom the favor is granted must hold
them with the utmost care by portions OF
attached leather, so as not to iniurc them by
the profaning touch Of the hand.