Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-09-07

ings and an automobile on the secur-
lty of their Strad. Many liberal Of
fers for the violin were rejected, but,
as 1t turned out, they waited toe long.
For one evening a friend brought a
we'll known concert violinist to the
house, who told them hat their Won
derful Strad was only a cheap Ger
man copy not v worth the cost Of
repairing.
Injuries Do Not Improve Violins.
There is also a widespread SUPER
stition to the effect that a violin is
often improved by being injured and
having it's injury repaired" explained
the violin expert. Nothing could be
more absurd, Of course, but it is easy
to see how the idea must have origin
ated. People who have had their NO
Inns cracked take them to an expert
to be repaired. In mending the crack.
he often discovers several other de-
fects as we'll and also corrects them.
AS a result the instrument often does
sound better than 1t did before. But
1t is no the damage which improves
the violin: it is the repairing-the
substitution of new parts for old, or
the altering of the size and thickness
OF certain parts.
Not only Is a violin not improved
by injuries, but the value of a Gre
mona violin is greatly enhanced II it
is in good condition. The condition
OF the varnish is especially important.
l recall at least one instance where
an ignorant violin repairer ruined a
genuine Guarnerius violin by scraping
on all he original varnish and apply
ing a thick Goa of the modern va
riety." a
It's remarkable how we'll pre-
served are some of the old violins in
the possession Of collectors. One
made by Gaspard da Salo and gor-
geously ornamented, so it is said, by
the great Benvenuto Cellini himself,
Is q in almost as perfect condition
as when 1T left the makers hands.
II was once owned by the distinguish
ed Swedish artist. Ole Bull, who had
a large collection Of violins, and at
ms death in this country it passed
into the possession Of a wealthy am
ateur. AS Gaspard da Salo is cred
tied by most authorities with being
the inventor Of the first violin some
time about 1850, this is probably the
nose aged instrument In existence.
Needless to say, it is worth a fortune,
although its chief value is as a curl
oslty and not for the quality Of its
The majority of the stradivar rims
viohns in existence, however, have a
practical as we'll as an aesthetic value
standing the strain Of constant use by
some of the worlds most celebrated
v~totntsts. The cheapest undamaeed
Strsd is valued at $40, 900, while even
the cheapest damaged instrument
turned out by the greatest violin
maker who ever lived is worth ST.
600. A genuine strdd in excellent
condition recently imported from Eu.
rope to this country wa valued at
The average commercial value :,
modern make, on the other hand. se,1s
for $50. The reason for this diner.
ence In price is not the mere matter
OF age tut Of workmanship. In spite
OF occasional alleged proofs to the
contrary, A Is impossible for modern
makers to equal the superb craftsman
ship of the Cremona school Of the
sixteenth and seventeenth centuries,
whose instrumentstar eagerly sought
oy connotsseurs on account OF. their
r1chenss Of tone. which experts attr1-
pute largely to the fleubiity Of the
used In their construction.
tina is, sone Of the experts do.
Others contend that the ~
the old Italian vtolins rests chiefly on
n varnfsh, the secret formula for
which remains one Of the great me
dleval mysteries, like the unknown
pigment which was used In tho stained
glass windows Of tho early cathedrals.
ANSWERS 10 QUESTIONS,
G. Who composed the United
States commission to China IN 1880
whtc Invent to investigate the Shan-
tung Question: q. -. B.
a. There WA no AmericaA COM
mission sent to China on the shan
tung question In 1870 or subsequently.
The Shantung question lay in abey-
ance from the time Of the Paris 8
Terence until the Washington confer
ence. The Casino, q Chiness-Japanese
commisaon y 9 sittihg In China,