Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-09-07

&c snd they seconded tho view that Il
vas indeed a genuine SJsd. Ono OS
them even got himself dLsliked Zy
Offering the family only 1900 for the
instrument. News of tho marvellous
find spread about the town, and the
family came 70 be regarded 80 poten-
TALLY rIch. They acquired new, ex-
peDsiyc house ~furnlshinza and an au-
tofnobile on ths security OF their straf.
Many liberal offers for ths violin pees
rejected. but. as 70 turned out. they
waited TOO long. For M evening A
friend brought a well known concert
v~iolinlst TO the house, who told them
that their wonderful strad was only a
cheap German copy not even worth
the cost OF repairing.
There is also a widespread super
stition 10 the effect that a violin r.
often improved by being Injured and
having It's injury repaired" explaAn-
cd the wofin expert. "Notaing conld
DO more absurd, Of course. but il r.
easy 10 gee how the idea must have
originated. People VINO have had their
yiolins cracked take them 70 an ez-
pert 10 be repaired. In mending the
crack. he often discovers several other
4fAEgAE an Wi Aitl 6A%C ACETEClH IEfftls
AS a result the instrument often does
sound better than Il I'D before. But Il
Is not the damage which improves the
violin; Il Is the repairing-the substi-
tuition OF new parts FOR old. or the
altering of the sire and thickness Of
certain parts.
Not only * a Violin not improved
by injuries, but tho value Of a Gre
mona violin - greatly enhanced 81 .
In IN good condition. Tho condition ot
the yarnish - especially important.
I recall at least ono instance where
an ignorant Violin repairer ruined a
genuine G~uarnerius violin By scrap
: ing of all the original vsrnish and
, applying a thick coat of the modern
variety"
!. II Is remarkable how well preserved
] are some Of the old viol.ns IN the po~-
session Of collectors. One made By
- Gaspard da Salo and ~gorgeously orna-
mented. go Z Is said, by the great
Q Benvenuto CeIEni himself. ia today. IN
+ almost ar perfect condition as when
n Il left the maker's hands. II was once
/. owned by the distinguished Swedish
9 artist. Ole Bull, who had A large col
lection Of Volins. and az HE death IN
this country = racsed into the pOsses-
: sion OF a wealthy amateur. Az GasDari
da Sale is credited by most authorities
: with being the inventor OF tne frs,
] violin some time about 1860. this "A
probably the most age1 instrument n
n existence. Needless 20 say. Il ~ worth
4 fortune. although ia chief value 4
IS as a curiosity and not for the quality
Of It's
The majority Of the stradivaru-
violins IN existence. however. nave a
practical as well az an aesthetic val.
ne, standing the strain OF constaI,
: use by some OF the worit's noe- cele.
y orated v.olinists. The cheapest IN,
/ damaged Strad Is valued at 10000
~ while even the cheapest darlaxed IN.
&c strDment turned out by the Creates
al violin maker who sver lived Is wor-l
ID $1,000. A genuine Gtrad IN sxcellsn
r condition recently imported from Eu,
IL rope 10 This country vas valued a;
Or $4,000.
ID The average commercial violin o
D. modern make, on tho sthex hand
sells for $50. The reason for this dif
ference IN price IS not the mere mat
ter OF age but Of workmanship. i
all spite OF occasional alleged proofs 2
-a the contrary. Il is impossible for MOD
ern makers 10 equal the superb crafts
mansn!p Of the Cremona school of ID
sixteenth n seventeenth centur1e.
49, 4S snug
ne richness OF tone, which experts A,
10 tribute largely 20 the iexibilitv OF IN
by wood use-5 in sbalr co1s-~Iatio "
AS Thar - Enrnz - 4La - !
lin Others contend rbat tho ~1,n-snaa
is. OF the old Italian violins rasts -htas
ae. on the varnish. the secret Formula .
he which -rernains one OF the great madi.
$50 var mysteries, ike the pta
:" ment which was used in the staine
ell glass windows of the early cathedral