Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-02-05
THE CRITIC TALKS
TO MUSIC LOVERS
aN MONDAY next. February :, I


new violin can be made into an instru-
ment equal or superior in tone 10 the
masterpieces OF Strndiyarius, ,Guarner-
sus Amati and the other italian gem
fuses Of violn-makine.
The alleged "dlscovercr" Ia named
Ohlhaver and he Is an expert mechanic
who has never before been Interested
in vlolns but who Il is said, has
number of clever inventions along other
lines to HIS credit. Eot very much has
been given ont about tho secret by which
he claims that he can transform the
cheapest factory-made violin into the
tonal likeness of the Crcmonn instru-
ments except that Herr Ohlhuver says
the secret rs as simple as the egg OF
Columbus" Maybe II Il, FOR the seqlel
OF the tale O. Columbus End tie CEE
showed that the simple hes were The
audience, However. psrltaps Herr Ohh
haver spoke with deep meaning when he'
said that
THE only condition which tho dis
- covercr makes is that the instru-
ment 20 be treated must be unyarniSh@d
No external change IN violin can he
detected after Il has passed through MS
hands. The newly treated instrument iS
called the "Revslo," which Is phonetic
ally, the reverse OF the name Of the IN
ventor
The so-called secrets" Of tn, Crenona
makers have been sought after hY the
most skilled violin makers and savants,
or chemistry. for many years, ~ faCt
ever since Il was conclusively proved
that the modern makers could not con-
struct violins OF the tonal merit nor the
physical beauty Cf the old italian mas
In vain.
However Herr OhlJrvtr "pulls' new
one in the matter Of his "seCret" For
many years he has been n student and
Follower o. occultism and hts str'k!ngly
original claim is that the spirit Of Stradt-
varlus appeared 70 him and later came
the inspiration Of how to make Crcmona
hddles out OF cheap ones. He claims
70 be on the most friendly terms with
the spirits, and IL his claim to violin
magic is made good he must be, Tor
IN this event, Herr Ohlhaver will soon
be paying an income tax like unto that
OF John d. himself. How he came TO be
thus favored and great violin makers
Ike Nuillaume Lupot and otherS who
sought for lifetime for this "soSret'
came to be passed by, is something tlIAt
the spirit of StradivarIus should be made
TO explain.
put, seriously speaking, the pursuit
OF the apparently lost knowledge Of
how TO make really great violins is one
OF the most romantic chapters of musical
history. Probably no branch OF the
musical art or trade. as you may prefer
70 call the making Of instruments, has
been the object Of go much time and
expensive research as this, ard Il Is GER
tain thnt no line Of musical e1deuTor
least century Of research and expert
ment the end TO be attained seems ap-
parenily as far on az ever.
To begin with. tn Va '5N -" rr'
ing to do with the tone Of the Cremona
or any other v!ollns, for the varrish is
simply to preserve the wood and does
not affect the toue.g.v!ng properties in
any way. However Il Is trl" that the
modern varnshes used on st-irEed In.
Etruments are not the equal n beauty OF
the old Cremone varn!shes. which, seem
70 defy chemical analysis. although
there Is no reason TO suppose that the
modern ones do not serve equally well
In protecting the instruments.
Another improved theory Is that the
old Italian masters used sizing on the
wood OF their v,olius before IL was
made up into the instrument which had
an effect on the vibrating or tone-giEing
qualities but here again the most skill
or dlsprove this. II such thing were
used, Il appears IN the course Ot time
10 have disappeared into tho wood,
leaving no trace
YTUILLAUME. one ot the greatest Of
modern violin nake-a. 'ge'ercd by
Dr. Savart. one Of the most dISt!r.
KuIshed OF French chemists and stu
dents, conducted what, up 10 the present
time, has been the mos. exhaustive
series Of experiments into the mysteries
OF the old violin makers, even going 20
the length OF cutting VI a. fne sp"ci-
men Of the Strad,Nar.us T!O,iDS tor the
purpose ~ analysis. But It all went
Tor virtually nothing, fOr the NnIUHum~
"iolins. h0e as .N"|. are t"oI one
still are not Cr-Uoras.
there Is not space in This li'.,e sketch
70 tell Of the many experiments AID ~"
countless analyses which tH"se ~" en-
-husiasrs made ard how they all ran"
~ nauCht. Vu!Wauwe vas on" ur the
enest workn. that the modern world
Of violin making has known even X he