Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-11-24

tressed at the verdict of judges. Fortunately
came across a newspaper friend of his in Vienna,
the violin exhibited, and told him his
story. The newspaper man became interested and
determined to prove Gemunders for him. THE
thing do he said, "is to sit right down here
in Vienna and make another violin exactly ike IL.
This Gemunder did, and succeeded in convincing the
judges. Today Gemunder violins very Variable,
and the one which fooled all Europe is in the
possession Frederick Gottlef, of this city, who
considers it Of the greatest prizes in his collection
1t is christened THE Kaiser"
While the expert violin dealer, like a bank clerk
who handles money, if often able TO distinguish q
counterfeit violin by the touch Of it. he is
not nSallble and the amateur is always being taken
in By violin kind and another. In buying
a violin there great many things to be consd-
Every violin is different. An instrument that
has rich and tone be we'll adapted to
concert hall still sound harsh in the
no matter who playing it. a violin. If we'll made.
will mellow with but, if poorly made, amount
playing will have effect it. Cheap violins
abomnation to art. If the performer already
constant source of annoyance to him. and If he does
know how to play the harsh and nasal tone Of the
cheap violin will ruin his
Before the war hundreds OF thousands Of violins
were imported every year from Germany, many Of
sold for prices ranging from 81 to S47S- These
yions were all nachinemade and usually torture to
ANYBODY who had listen to them Good violins as
cheap as SIS even great many at go
are loud and harsh Occasionally, however Nolins OF
the very order have soft sweet tone that Is
not to be accounted by Of the features sup
posed TO produce good tone-namely varnish. quality
of wood and expert workmanship. A few years ago,
for example, a young who worked in furniture
factory wanted violin, but he could not AFFORD to buy
one He secured scraps OF old door to house
that was being down, and with these and piece
OF peachwood he his violin modelled after
the Duke pattern. inexplicable reason the
violin had a beautiful quality and tone; and violin
teacher who happened it and told the story
offered to give young lessons. He has now left
the furniture company and is playing in professional
orchestra
While hundreds OF excellent violins are turned out
every year by modern violin makers in this country
and abroad, probably to be valued as highly as the
early Cremonas centuries to come, there are
great many also which would their best purpose
as kindlIng. purchasing a violin, consult some one
who knows good violin when he sees it-and hears
it-an unprecedented person, such as an experienced
violnist music teacher.
To most OF great artists. OF there Is no
violin quite like Cremona. almost all the great
vionists of the concert stage have either
Strad" or a Guarnerius. Albert Spaulding. the Amer
lean violinst, recently purchased Guernerius for
100000 which remarkable price for such an
instrument Mr. Hildebrandts Stradivari cello Is not for
sae-the owner just part with his right
hand-but being pressed for price he declared that
he would not $4,000 for it, His position IS not
hard to understand Csrven wood and varnish. after
they have sung with passion of half dozen
ters It is easy believe with musicians that they
acquire something like a soul.