Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-04-25
AMERICAN vloLlNs
Now Rival Those of the Old italian
Akra 81 Makers.

. q
Hkrs 81 Makers.
That some of the best modern vio-
Inns are made in America; that these
may be little inferior in quality to the
instruments of the famous old Italian
makers that much responsibility for
debasing public taste lies at the doors
of manufacturers ofsveryt cheap vio-
Inns; that the violinist is : helped by
knowing how practically to construct
fiddle-these are general ideas
which Tone gets from talking with a
professional violin maker whose vio-
Inns, new and restored. are known to
leading musicians throughout the
country.
without special reference to any
one persons Instruments" he says. Il
believe it TO be a truth that several
men IN this country are today making
violins superior to those OF their
European contemporaries.
The reason for this superiority is
not that we are so much more skill
full than the best German and French
maiers--for we are not-but that we
use older and better wood Just look
at this piece of spruce. taken from a
house about $50 years old. lately de-
moliShed at Quincy. Mass. That is
the Kind of timber we are all looking
for. The longer II has been seasoned
the better il is. other things being
cqual - Susk wood NEST. american ex
agsarts ties The European makers oil
the other hand. use for various rca-
sons comparatively modern wood. gen
orally frem the state-owned Black
Forest in Gerni:nly.; whereltbc govern
ment for some years past has con-
trollcd. the output. The pine frona
that district is ordinarily employed
when &c issperiiaps mine or-io- years
old. II looks to he well seasoned
enough; set little microscopic changes
and warnings in the structure con-
tinue for a long timeaand render it
unaoehtetlly less dependable than the
spruce secured from our old colonial
houses. s38lt ~
Comparing a Strad. Guarneri or
other ancient make with fine violin
of today, Il is fact that If the two
are played successfully by the same
violinist cpnnoisseurs in the next
room will disagree as to which was
played FIRST.
sHewepers the audience, in
other words. there may be little or no
choice bctaseepj the two Instruments.
yetxa sli2hl difference viii be detect
ed by the vii liirst sl,ffhself as he plays
The older instrument. because S its
wood has yibrated for centuries while
the newer one. has hcen in use only
Tor days, or months. responds some
what better TO the musicians demands
That quality Of trained responsive
ness faloffe constitutes, lhc real value
of ~ sieeea 'Strad.s The rest is large
~ sentimental and historical value.
''The duickncss. nevertheless with
Which 4 new violin Will improve
through use. IL it is well made. is ex-
traordinary. What the present. day
maker would like is to produce an in
strufnent which after a few months
playing Will reach quality such that
even the virtuoso himself would as
soon play on 1T as on a century-oId
violin. ae4
The absolutely perfect violin no one
can hope to produce. The great Italian
makers themselves never did. In
minor points of workmanship. indeed.
their creations frequently invite criti-
cism, II. is Because the proportions
and the materials are. so good that a
genuine Guarneri or Stradivari an
pears, TO come about as close to per-
feetions as is humanity possible"
One OF the efforts of o. III. BRYANT.
Boston violin maker to approximate
the itleals violin appears in an instrl1-
mentsAlow making at his shop in
Huntington avenue in preparation for
the first annual violin prize competf-
lion "Wednesday afternoon. April "a.
among the students Of the adjacent
New England Conservatory of Music.
This ptize.sfof money value of $3.50.
MI Bryant has instituted himself in
order to demonstrate a master work.
mans interest in the progress of vio-
lin teaching at the oldest and largest
Americaii music school
The violin TO be Offered as the prize
viii follow the traditions of the best
Italian makers. Around a block Of
solid maple, cut to the correct shape.
is.stretched rim of thin curly maple.
at certain corners of which little
blocks of willow serve as strengthen
ing. The. arched upper and lower
sides, the breast and back are both of
American spruce and maple, cut from
4 a, SOUND beam of an ancient colonial
house, These woods have character
istics that make them equal in reson-