Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1915-12-31
VIOLIN WITH A ROMANCE
Stradivarius Unused for Two Hun
dred Years and Glistening With
Newness-Fabulous Price
Is Paid

\ ments and sensibilities attributed to
them by imaginative musicians, but
| they have histories, interesting and
varied, gay romances and dark
tragedies, even as do their warm
\ friends of mankind. A violin which
\ is not only remarkable in itself, but
with remarkable story, is the one
! possessed by Axel Skovgaard, the
violinist. 1t is as bright and pol
ished as If it had left the hands of
its maker but yesterday, and still
the instrument Is nearly 200 years
old. In spite of it's age it retains
the original varnish as applied by
the skilfull hands of Antonius
Stradiyarius, without flaw or
scratch. Looking very young and
| new, 1t Is among the oldest violins
In existence. as 1t is the most famous
and costly. But more remarkable
than Its age and fine state of preser-
walton is the fact that the first per-
4 6Oh ~ pay upOn IL was WI. OhOf-
gard himself, and as he is young
man, making no pretense of having
attained perpetual youth, the story is
| naturally most unusual one.
To chance meeting with London
dealer in musical instruments, Mr..
Skovgaard owes his good fortune in
| obtaining his rare Strad. This man
had a fine collection of Italion vio-
Inns. among them being masterpieces
by Amati. Stradivarius, Guarerius,
Gergonzi and Guadagmini. They
were real antiques. cracked, scratch
ed, scraped and worn through more
or less rough life for several CEN
turtles. Having reyeled In the wealth
before him and tried most of them,
MIR. Skovgaard remarked that it
would have been a pleasure to have
seen such instruments when they
were new, but such pleasures were
denied modern artists.
To the surprise of Mr.. Skovgaard
his new friend replied in the mega
tive and stepped to a fireproof vault
and came out with a big yellow
leather case, which he opened and
took out an unstrung violin, and
handed it to his guest.
Apparently it was just from the
makers shop, but plainly it was let
tered "Antonius Stradivarius Ammo
1712."
Il could not believe my eyes" says
Mr.. Skovgaard, but stood as one in
a trance. AS | stood there with the
handsomest of all violins in the
world in my hands l was carried
back as if in dream to the days of
the great violin Makers
The artist goes on to tell of his
desire to possess the noble instru-
ment and of the great number of vic
issitudes through which it led him,
how finally he gained closer ac-
Quaintance with the London dealer,
who told him the romantic story of
| the instrument.
When / was last in Madrid" said
the dealer, Il was presented to a
collector of art works, in whose col
violin, viz, a Stradivarius. Naturally
| inquired how violin could have
become lost among so many paint
ings and he then informed me that
it was an old heirloom which had
always been in the family, and that
he had once found book with his
tory of the same violin, and it was
therefore that it had been retained
in the museum"
Later a fire had partially de-
stroyed the museum, causing the
owner of the violin to entrust it to
his London friend until the rebuild
ing of the place. With the instru-
ment went the romantic tale of its
origin-how in Cremona. through
the love OF one of Stradivarlus' best
ment that the maker particularly
priced had been stolen for the girl.
When it was returned to it's maker
he refused ever to part with 1t. and
1t was not until after his death that
his sons sold it to collector, who,
in his turn, sold it to the Spanish
museum, where the instrument de-
scended from father to son in many
| generations. Mr. Skovgaard was
naturally more than ever DESTROYS
of purchasing the instrument and