The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-01-27
FATHER OF THE VIOLIN
Gaspar da SaIo, Who Fashioned
the First instrument.
THE PRIZE OLE BULL DREW.
How a Gaspar da SaIo Masterpiece
Was Secured by a Vienna Collector
and How 1t Passed Into the Hands

or the GiTtec man from norway.
In the wear of our Lord 1874 in the
little Lombard town of Salo, on the pic
turesque Lago Iii Garda, was born the
man who fashioned the first violin.
His real name was Garpar BertolOttl,
but he was and is commonly known as
Gaspar da SaIo. after his native city,
which caused a marble bust OF this
most distinguished of its sons 10 be
executed by the Italian sculptor Ia
nelli and placed in the stairway of It's
city hall.
Of his youth and apprenticeship we
know nothing. No doubt he learned
the art of viol and lutte making at
Brescia, where ha came in touch with
master luteTs like Zanctto, Nirchi and
Montichiari.
At all events. We first hear of him as
established at BresCia as yiol and VIC
lin maker Time has smoothed away
all knowledge of the real man, wheth-
or he was Industrious or idle, generous
or ungcnerous, happy or unhappy, wise
or uuwiSc, married or single. That he
made viOlS. tenors, basseS and viOlinS
we know. That his viOlins are the first
authentic specimens of the violin max
er'S art in existence or of which there
is authentic record is also certain. SO
his title to the distinction of being the
first violin maker can hardly be ques-
toned.
However. about the year 1872 a
claim was put forward that certain
Gaspar Uuiffpruggcar was the inventor
of the violin. The story ran that this
Gaspar Duiffpruggcar was born in the
Tyrol in 1869, that he established him
self at Lutier, in Bologna famous for
its sausageS), that in 1915 he was sum-
moned to Paris by Francis l. and APP
pointed royal instrument maker and
that he was the friend and intimate of
Leonardo da Ninci, who painted the
backs of some of his violins.
Soon after this account of Duiffprugg
car and his vioins was published
three violins which were alleged to be
the genuine work of Duiffpruggcar
made their appearance, with labels
dated 1910 to 1918.
1t is now settled that these violinS
were fraudulent, made by some skill
full French lutier, possibly Nuillaume.
Moreover. it is now known that Duff
pruggcar was a German, born in Ba
varia in 1911, and that his real name
was Tieffenbrucker. He was never in
Italy, and the story of his relations
with Francis l. and Leonardo da Ninci
is a fabrication. 1t is now established
that he settled in Lyons. France, about
1850 and died there about 1870 or 1911.
The only evidence which in any wise
supports or gives color TO the claim
that DuiffpruggCar ever made Il violin
is a picture by Pierre WOrliriot, dated
1862, now in the National library at
Paris. This picture is portrait of
Duiffpruggcar at the age of forty eight,
in which he is represented with a long,
flowing beard standing behind pile
of stringed instruments, among which
appear two rude yiOinS. Gaspar da
Salo was making violins at Brescia at
this time, 1862, so the picture falls far
short of proving that the Italian Gas
par was anticipated by the man from
Bavaria.
But what weighs almost conclusively
against Duiffpruggcar's claim is the
fact that the art of violin making in
France does not claim him as its an
cestor. for the first French violin max
ers of whom we have authentic record
and of whose work we possess genu-
inc specimens learned their art in Italy
and copied from Brescian and Cremo-
neSe models.
On the other hand. from the seed
planted by Gaspar da Salo great tree
has grown, and to him the world Of
music owes an incalculab BILE debt OF
gratitude
Gaspar da Salo died at Brescia April
Il. 1909. and was buried in the old
church Of San Giuseppe.
Unfortunately Da Salo's violins have
| become exceedingly rare. Perhaps not
! more than a dozen are in existence.
| The general characteristics of his in
! struments are large pattern. large I
holes prOtruding corners and a dark
! brown varnish. The tone is full and
| even. Among them perhaps the finest.
and at any rate the best known, is the
! one known as the treasury VIOLIN" the
head of which was sculptured by Ben
Venuto Cellini The last owner of this
! violin was the celebrated Norwegian
! NiOliniSt. Ole Bull How it came into
+ his possession may best be told in his
own words:
We'll. in 1889 | gave sixteen con
/ certs at Vienna. and then RhehaZek
was the great violin collector. I saw
at his house this violin for the first
time. l went just wild over it. viii
! YOU sell it?' l asked. Yes was the
! reply. for one-quarter of all Vienna
! Now. Rhehazek was really as poor as
q church mouse. Though he had no
/ end Of money put out in the most valu-
able instruments, he never sold any of
/ them unless forced by hunger. l in
vited Rhehazek TO my concerts. !
wanted 10 buy the violin so much that
I made him some tempting offers. One
day h" said to me, See here, Ole Bull.
II 90 sell tn" violin you shall have the
: preference - 1000 Jucats,' Agreed"
J "rjcd, though knew 1t was a big
srm
"That violin anne stro0ing or play
ing. rather. through my brain for some
wears. Il WIS ju 1871 I vas in Leip-
81 giving concerts Ii<Zf was there.