The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-05-09
COLLECTION OF V|OL|NS.
sIGNOR JOSEPH DE BONA HAS
SOME PRICELESS TREASURES.
OEe Of the Members of the Dam.
rosch Company Who Has spent
Rare Specimens-His FavOrite
sDecimen Il an Amntt Creation.

One of the interesting people of the
Media Opera Company is Signor Joseph
De Bona, a dim.nu,ive bu. very ener-
getic gentleman OF Italian blood and of
strong proclivliies for gathering TO HIM
self all OF the rare Old victims he meets in
his travels and adding them TO his al
ready large and very valuable collection.
DE Bona has lived In New York for nearly
twenty years. During all that time and
also during his residence in Italy DE Bona
has gathered ancient and rare vioiins,
celios and violas until he now owns nearly
enough 10 supply all the men in the or
cfesira which accompanied Melha and her
singers Saturday night at the Seattle
theater.
De Bona Is recognized among musicians
nll over the country as an authority or
string instruments. He Is a pupil of Ferd-
inandc Pinto, the great Italian master and
when Pinto died his pupil purchased all
OF his Cremonas which his exchequer
would permit. With these Instruments as
nucleus. some OF them almost above
price In their beauty of tone and work
manship. DE Bona has been gathering
sl3ins steadily for more than a quarter
Oh u century.
Many of the performers IN the magnifi-
cent orchestra OF the Damrasch- Ellis COM
pany played on Instruments owned by De
Bona. Ia the prelude 10 the las. act of
ia TraviataH Rudolph Rissland. the
fist violin. PLAYED on an Arlati OF an
early period in the masters career. valued
At SS0ea. Other instruments in the or
chessra owned by DE Bona were a Joseph
GAiarerins. valued at $500; a genuine
Giladagnlni tpcpil of Stradivariusl worth,
according TO the estimate of connoisseurs
Il ~ .f,,x. II 40.
Maggni.
Barbarini, a millionaire resident OF Flor
eaee that home OF art, was the maker OF
another magnificent instrument which Is a
part Of De Bona's collection. Barbarini
made tiolins as a pastime. He was IL
pupil Of Amati and his productions were
regarded as among the best of the old
school.
Perhaps the most interesting feature o.
the collection IL quartette OF instruments,
two victims. a viola and a vloionceiio. They
were made by the two Gagliano brothers.
Nicolaus aIwi Joseph. between Is45 and lIss
The family held the precious instruments
az heirlootns for seventy-tive years. The
first violin of the Gagiiauo quartette was
formerly used b. MIR. Leopold Damrosch
father of Walter Damrosch, one OF the
proprietors OF the COMPANY Of which Sig
nor De Bona Is a member.
II believe that violin Is better with use
than tying Idle In some dusty cabinet"
said Sigr0r DE Bona at the Buties after
TIE performance at the theater. This Is
the reason why ! carry my instruments
about ;he country with me. They are IN
almost constant use and Of course they are
III the hands ot competent. skilled per-
formers. I value the Amatt above all
OF the others. It's tone Is magnificent.
Net the usual Amati tone, for the reason
taat tt IL one of his FIRST works. Amaifs
g.. Al H.
his later work. In this regard he emnia,ea
siradivsrius. the greates1 maker or them
all This instrument was made In l6sl, and
i Is III as perfect condition as ever" and
signor De Roma fondled the handsome in
stsumeni as IL 1t were living. breathing
being.
"what are you going TO do with all %
your y.oliny.' Was asked az Signor DE
bora.
We'll. that is getting "a he something
81 a puzzle " he said. Il realize thar some
dAy ] shan not cara - follow travelling
companies around the country and ore day
! shall Wish "a lay aside the violin for
good and al. i3ns they Will ever be dea-
10 nae ft's their tore and not their worth
In dollars that makes them SO precious
n me" and The little vioiinlst took an-
,,thcT loving look at his tsvorite Anati as
Z lie isja * away in ijs case.
''Haye you a StradiyarIus in the iot?'
NO, ard I'm sorry for IT," said De
l.ona After All. Sirad.' as We musi-
e5ans SAY is better than all the rest On,
, Nes there Is no doub, about Il. People
Nsth theories about violin workmanship
ard architecture may say ali ;hey please.
bur lorrs aftpr they shall have finished Tho
Strsdivar1us viii he reCogB iEad as IL is and
ever has btcn. as the greatest &c vioins
he Mas master Of them al. Where arnong
nitsssIans Writers. poets ara dramatists
wln you nna whose works have so
lived after him as have the victims Of the
k-ps