The Washington times., 1901-09-15
A VIOLIN CENTURIES old.
Rare Instrument Possessed by
Man in Chicago.
Manufactured in France During the
Fifteenth Century-SuppOsed to BE
Genuine DuiGOPruEca-SRid by
Expcrts to BE of Great Value.

Every now and then an old violin,
, which turns out TO be the handiwork OF
one of the old masters of violin MAKING
is found and il becomes the pride OF ITS
owner and the object of covetous regard
OF collectors and musicians. j. h. WACO
ner. of 1893 North Clark Street, has an in
strument made by Gaspard Duiffoprugca,
in France, in 1916 There are marks OF
| age about the instrument and some other
indications, such as the mellow richness
of the tone and the pecuiarities of the
finish. that strengthen his belief that his
instrument was made $50 years ago. There
/ is controversy among musical instru-
ment experts and musicians who nave
delved into the history of the art of vio-
lin making as to whether Gaspard Duiffo-
prugca ever made violin. There are
authorities ranged on both sides and the
fragments of the histroy of the long dead
master Instrument maker are so meagre
that it is likely to be waged for an in
definite period. The trouble about either
side convincing the other is that there are
few facts to go on. and the controversy
is confined to theories and deductions
from preconceived estimates of the scope
of his work. However, that controversy
is interesting only as it touches the gen
HlStTby OI Niolln
The violin was first evolved, accor ding
to the authorities, by the French in stru-
ment- makers toward the close of tine fif-
tenth century, when they reduced the size
of the older viol and with some changes
of form and proportion made the mod
ern violin. The statement that they
made the modern violin is made advis-
edly, for since the perfect work of the
old masters of the sixteenth century,
there has literally been no Improvement
made on this grandest of musical instru-
mentS. The work of those earlier makers
was so perfect that they turned out mod
els that cannot be improved upon and
in many ways cannot be equaled. This
is one of the reasons why the old violin,
whicr has its history traced back to one
of their workshops, is worth its weight
in pearls. The ingenuity of later work.
men has been equal to the task of i'm
proving almost every other musical in
strument and implement of common use,
but there has beeen no Improvement in
the violin, for the reason, the makers and
musicians say, that the first generation
of makers made perfect violns. There
have been but two changes in the form,
proportion, or arrangement of the parts
since those first days. These changes are
in making the sound bar slightly longer
and adding fraction to the length of the
neck. These slight alterations. which
mark the whole difference between the
sixteenth century made violin, were made
not because of any defects in the other
or older plan, but 10 adapt the instrument
to modern requirements.
The history of stringed instruments
played with a bow, as is the violin. runs
hD ri fn ba frpa xrn nf pai
tiers found during the sixth century in
Wales the first one. which was known as
the Crwth. The authorities think that
from this was developed the viol, the
Viol Da GAMBIA the Viol d Amour, with
its sixteen strings and sixteen other
sympathetic strings. and finally the vi
olin. Down TO the beginning of the eight
eenth century Instruments of the violin
class were given the general family name
of the Welsh instrument of the sixth CEN
tury. The Italians had been the makers
OF musical instruments of this class, and
there is evidence that in France toward
the end of the fifteenth century. or the
b, b,ginntng of the sixteenth, the evolution
of the violin was perfected. The anti
quarians say that in delineations OF Ital
ian scenes of a little later date the violin
occurs under the name of ''piccoli Violins
ALA Frances, or little violins of the
French fashion.
The Wagner violin is believed by its
owner to be one of those produced in
France in those earlier days. The sup
posed maker, Gaspard Duiffoprugca, went
10 France about 1910 from his home in the
Italian Tyrol lie waS a famous engraver
and inlayer of woods and maker of vio-
loncellcs. The French King, Francis l,
"a inns aeriD jSte
of various kinds to come over the noun
tains from Italy to educate his subjects
to an appreciation of artistic things.
Duiffoprugca settled at Bologna and aft
erward on the invitation of the King went
to Paris. How long he lived at Paris,
what he did out of the ordinary while
there, where he went when he left, and
where and at what time he died are mere
matters of conjecture now, for the his
tory of his after life and death is lest in
the silence of the chroniclers SO far as
positive and exact statements are con-
cerned. 1t is believed that he went to
Lyons, some point near there. where
he had a powerful friend in a dignitary
of the church. That he made violoncellos
before and after he went TO Paris is un-
questioned. One of these Instruments was
adorned with more than the usual care of
this maker, who is noted for the carving
of the heads and the inlaid work he put
upon the backs and sides of his instru-
merits. The violoncello in question had in
iniaid work on the back a complete plan |
of the city of Paris.
The violin, which is now owned by Mr. |
Wagner of this citv and which he be- |
lieves is a genuine Duiffoprugca has this |
elaborate carving and inlaid work that |
hiatfp hn Win
maker The head is finely carved one |
and represents a human head and face |
The inlaid work on the back represents |
the towers, roofs. and chimneys of a city |
with churches, castles, and dwellings and !
a stream Just without the circling walls. |
There is bridge over this stream, and |
the whole work in the compa ratively |
small space wonderfully portrays the |
scene, dozen different woods being used |
in its. This. at the bottom of the instru- |
ment, the end of which rests under the |
players chin. Just above this and at the |
other end of the back is the inlad figure |
of a violoncello with the old-fashioned |
bow. There are number of different |
kinds of wood used in this TO give the |
proper shade to the different parts of the |
pictured instrument such as the strings. |
body neck. the bow handle, the string |
keys, and the like. The whole of this is
by two twining vines which
form wreath. There is more inlaid work |
around the sides.
Mr.. Wagner knows comparatively |
nothing of the history of his instrument |
further back than the time of his father
who has been dead over forty years. The
violin was an heirloom which came into
the possession of the elder Wagner. and