Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-20
Wonder Stories of the Violin
Continued hDwpo
Continued from page S

fashioned in Cremona, is fascinating field for
speculation. Luigi Tarisio. quantest and most
wonderful of collectors of whom Charles Reade
has written, picked up hundreds of them for a
song. One niion dollars would hardly cover
the present worth of the instruments he rescued
from oblivion during his travels up and down
Italy. He and his family realized far less than
one-tenth of that from his life's labors.
Something like fifteen hundred of these ia
nous and costly instruments have been cata-
logued: but Joseph Guarneri del Jesu, who
began turning out instruments at fourteen and
kept at it almost up to the time of his death in
his nnety-fifth year. is credited with the crea-
ton of two thousand instruments. Where have
they all gomez Some of the most noted were
stolen. Spohr, the great virtuoso and com
poser, had magnificent Strad., which was
stolen from the back of his carriage while he
was travelling The instrument has never since
been traced. Joseph Guarneri made Won
derful set of vIolins, volaS, and cellos tor the
orchestra of the Spanish court. Many OF these
instruments have been stolen, and out of the
mystery of their disappearance blossomed the
industry of the fake Spanish Strads.
The constantly increasing price of the Stradi-
varius and Guarnerlus vlollnS opens another IN
teresting speculation. l am strongly opposed
to the acquisition of these great instruments by
private collectors. They should be at the COM
mand of the artists, who can use them to advan-
tage. Some experts claim that the collectors
have served useful purpose by preserving the
otherwise. The instruments are not Jeopardlzed
while in use. STILL have no quarrel with the
collectors or dealers. They have served a useful
purpose; but the great danger to-day IS that,
with the increase of wealth and the growing
number of connoisseurs, the price of these
valuable instruments may be forced to point
where they will be beyond the reach of an artist.
His First Great Instrument
TT was a long time before could afford either
Strad. or Guarnerius of the caliber wanted.
Ny Adams Strad made originally for
noble Italian family in Cremona. From them 1t
passed into the hands of the Grevie family of
England, and is catalogued the "Greville
Strad." They sold it to Belts Royal Exchange,
where it purchased in 1912 by Colonel
Stodart 1t next became the property of
George Hart, the famous London collector, who
sold it in turn to r. d. Hawley of Hartford,
Connecticut. your most famous American col
lector, in 1879. Ten years later Edward Dean
Adams of the Northern Pacific Railroad pur-
chased it from Mr.. Hawley for his son, and
after the 1atter's death Mr.. Adams was kind
enough to let it come into my hands. bought
it the day first saw it, and reckon that as one
of the happiest days of my life. The Hart
Guarnerius, which is also my property was pur-
chased from Mr.. Hart by the violinist Wilhelmj
and used by him on all his concert tours. He
sold it to me when he gave up concert work.
When the day comes for me to "lay down
the fiddle and the bow" as your old negro song
puts it. do not intend to consign my instru-