Omaha daily bee., 1910-02-17

As for the habit itself II is said to have
been begun by a strange Italian, Luigi
TRrlsio. who. in the beginning OF the
eighties, secured the towns and villages
Of Italy, and succeeded in obtaining a
large number Of instruments Of the best
makes, which he brought to England.
These gradually found their way into the
hands Of other collectors.
One OF the last remaining s~trongholds
OF the hand-mad violin is to be found in
the little village Of Markneukirchen, in
Saxony. Here generations of violin makers
have been at work, and those Of today use
the same benches and live in the same
houses as did their ancestors. Here is to
be found the modern Stradivarius," the
best maker there, who has received a deco
ration from the king OF Saxony. Inac-
cessible and quaint as it is. Markneu-
kirchen IL in some respects modern. A
large business is done with the outside
world. and many dealers partly supply
their market from this source. Other
marks of progress which are manifested
are the reading Of American technical jour
nails, and the rendition Of Sousa's compo-
sitions by the sundry bands which the
town affords.
There are performers who enjoy doing
"stunts'' on the violin. Two compositions
which lend themselves to this are Paga-
minis "Moto Perpetuo" and Mozart's over
ture from his Figaro" In the former the
player ~ called upon to read considerably
over 500 notes, a feat which has been
done in about three minutes and a half.
At a performance Of the Scots guard,
under the leadership Of F. w. Wood, the
latter piece, equally difficult as the first,
49, -a---a l. 10000 - 49, - -
minutes and a half, and reported to have
been beautifully executed.
A recent invention brings the violin
within the class of the piano, inasmuch
as that instrument lends itself to mechan-
zeal playing. This mechanical device was
put on exhibition in England, and is reputed
to have given wonderful results, the play
ing being equal to that of a master mus
ician. The invention is an Arrangement
whereby the fingers of the player are
sLpplanted by a mechanical agency, which
in turn is run by electric motors driven
by batteries. The result not only is equal
to human ability, but beyond it, as both
duets and quartettes can be rendered, all
four of the strings being in use at one time.
This mechanism is the result OF several
years experiments and scientific research.
A London scientist and inventor has made
what he calls a Scientific violin" In
stead of the usual sounding board there is
substituted a metal trumpet, or %resonator,
and a diaphragm Of aluminium. The idea
is doing away with the wooden sounding
board, and using one of metal, was to
construct an instrument which would be
equal to those Of Amitl and Stradivarius.
This means of attempting that end has,
to all reports, never been tried before,
as the sounding board was the one feature
which received the greatest attention., es-
pecially from the Italian makers.
Not having improved for over 100 years,
the violin at the present time is composed
of the same number OF parts as in the
time of Stradivarlus. There are seventy
In all. only two of which, the strings and
the loop, are of any other material than
wood. The greatest bow maker used to
select his material from billets Of dye
wood shipped from Brazil. Sometimes II
was necessary to go through eight OF
ten tons of this wood before a few suit.
able pieces were found, The hair used in
the bow is another point, OF sirterest The
present number used lin a French bow
ranges from 175 to go.
A curious instrument was completed no
long ago. 1t was made entirely of birch.
wood toothpicks, of which there were 3,37I
used. Thomas Atkinson of Greensboro
Ind, is its maker and he spent over a
year in the operation. Violinists have ex-
perimented on the instrument, and they
say that it is not only a curiosity, but ar
exceptionally good violin,
A Canadian recently has invented a new
head for the violin, the idea being to ar.
range it so that the player can strinE
his instrument without loss of time. The
pegs on which the strings are frightened
are removable, and can be removed withour
detaching the string. 1t Is the inventors
plan to furnish additional pegs with the
strings attached. 1t is claimed that re.
moving the old string. putting in a new
one and tuning. consumes but fifteen sec.
conds, and can be accomplished in the dark
BY FREDRICK j. HAsKrN.
Tonorrow-Laws OF the Sea.