THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 LOS ANGELES 
 
 Gift of 
 Mrs. Lawrence C. Lockley 
 
 MUSIO 
 
 LIBRARY
 
 GEORGE GEMUNDER'S 
 
 PROGRESS IN 
 
 VIOLIN MAKING, 
 
 WITH 
 
 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 AND ITS CRITICS IN GENERAL. 
 BY GEORGE GEMUNDER. 
 
 PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR'. 
 ASTORIA, N. Y.,
 
 Entrrtd According to Act of Congrttt, in tlu KMT 1881. 
 
 GEORGE GEMttNDER, 
 In tlu Office of tht Librarian of Congrttt.
 
 Musk; 
 Library 
 
 BIOGRAPHY 
 
 GEORGE GEMUNDER. 
 
 George Gemiinder was born at Ingelfingen, 
 in the kingdom of Wurtemburg, on the I3th of 
 April, 1816. 
 
 His father was a maker of bow instruments, 
 and it was, therefore, from Gemiinder's earliest 
 youth that he devoted himself to the same art 
 and the studies connected with it. 
 
 When he left school, it was suggested to his 
 father that George should become a school- 
 master, as he at the time wrote the finest 
 hand and executed the best designs of any 
 among his classmates. His father was not 
 
 1827775
 
 4 BIOGRAPHY OF GEORGE GEMUNDER. 
 
 averse to this proposal and decided to carry 
 it out. George was, accordingly, directed to 
 prepare for the seminary. The plan was not, 
 however, in accordance with his own tastes or 
 inclinations, and he followed it for a period of 
 but three weeks, only to abandon it finally and 
 forever, to take up that employment which 
 accorded with his natural gift and gave scope 
 for the development of his genius. 
 
 After his father's death, which occurred when 
 George was in his nineteenth year, he went 
 abroad, and worked variously at Pesth, Pres- 
 burg, Vienna and Munich. Fortune smiled 
 upon him, and more than once an opportunity 
 was presented of establishing a business ; but 
 nothing that promised simply commonplace 
 results and a commonplace life could attract 
 his eye, since his mind, aspiring to improve- 
 ment in his art, was constantly impelling him 
 toward that celebrated manufacturer of violins, 
 Vuillaume, at Paris. He plainly saw that in 
 Germany he could not reach in the art that 
 degree of accomplishment for which he strove, 
 and, therefore, he resolved to find, if possible, 
 at Strasburg, such a position as he had had at 
 Munich. Through the mediation of a friend 
 be obtained a call to go to a manufacturer of
 
 BIOGRAPHY OF GEORGE GEMUNDER. 5 
 
 musical instruments at Strasburg ; but upon 
 his arrival he was astonished to learn that the 
 man was a maker of brass instruments ! Here 
 was a dilemma. Disappointed in his effort to 
 find employment, winter at the door and far 
 away from home, what could he do ? The man- 
 ufacturer, whose name was Roth, perceiving 
 his perturbation, was kind enough to ask Ge- 
 miinder to remain in his house until he should 
 have succeeded in finding such a position 
 as he desired. Gemunder accepted the prof- 
 ered kindness, and after the lapse of six weeks 
 he formed the acquaintance of a gentleman 
 with whom he afterward became intimate, 
 and who promised to write for Gemunder a 
 letter of recommendation and send it to Vuil- 
 laume at Paris. Meanwhile Gemunder re- 
 mained in Strasburg. One day, while taking 
 a walk in the park called " Die Englishen An- 
 lagen," he seated himself on a bench and 
 shortly fell asleep. In his sleep he heard a 
 voice which seemed to say : " Don't give way ; 
 within three days your situation will change !" 
 The voice proved prophetic, for on the third 
 day after the dream his friend came to him 
 with a letter from Vuillaume, which contained 
 the agreeable intelligence that Gemunder
 
 6 BIOGRAPHY OF GEORGE GEMUNDER, 
 
 should go to Paris. The invitation was prompt- 
 ly accepted and Gemiinder immediately start- 
 ed on his journey. When he arrived at Vuil- 
 laume's another difficulty was encountered, for 
 Vuillaume had mistakenly supposed that Ge- 
 miinder spoke French. By mere good fortune 
 it happened at the time of Gemiinder's arrival 
 that a German professor was giving music les- 
 sons to Vuillaumc's twin daughters, who in the 
 capacity of interpreter informed Gemiinder 
 that M. Vuillaume was sorry to have induced 
 him to come to Paris, because it would be im- 
 possible to get along in his house without 
 French. Vuillaume kindly offered to pay Ge- 
 miinder's traveling expenses from Paris back 
 to Strasburg, but said, however, that should 
 the latter be satisfied with nominal wages at 
 first, he would give him thirty sous a day until 
 he should have learned enough of the language 
 to be able to get along. Gemiinder accept- 
 ed the proposition, which greatly astonished 
 Vuillaume because he had not supposed that 
 Gemiinder would be contented with such small 
 wages ! Then he showed him a violin and 
 violoncello as models of his manufacture, and 
 asked him if he could make instruments like 
 those. The answer being in the affirmative,
 
 BIOGRAPHY OF GEORGE GEMUNDER. J 
 
 Vuillaume smiled, for he was sure it could not 
 be done. On the following day he provided 
 Gemiinder with materials for making a new 
 violin, in order to see what he could do. He 
 soon perceived that Gemiinder possessed more 
 theoretical than practical knowledge. When 
 the violin was finished, he made him under- 
 stand that their way of working was different, 
 and he desired to have his own methods 
 adopted. Gemiinder did his best, and being a 
 good designer, he soon acquired a knowledge 
 of the different characters of the propagated 
 Italian school in regard to the construction of 
 violins. 
 
 After the lapse of three months Gemunder's 
 wages were increased ten sous a day, and 
 although he now saw his most heartfelt 
 desire fulfilled, namely, to work in Vuil- 
 laume 's manufactory, yet he did not find it 
 possible to stay there permanently, because 
 his fellow-workmen, who had observed the 
 kindness with which their employer had treated 
 his new workman, became filled with feelings 
 of jealousy, and resolved to harrass him and 
 compel him if possible to leave. So thoroughly 
 did they succeed in embittering his life, that 
 Gemiinder finally resolved to leave Vuillaume
 
 8 
 
 BIOGRAPHY OF GEORGE GEMUNDER. 
 
 and go to America, and with this firmly fixed 
 in his mind he began his preparations secretly 
 to carry out his plan. 
 
 When everything was ready, he went to 
 Vuillaume to make known his intention and to 
 explain to him the cause of his leaving. The 
 latter, astonished at this intelligence, declared 
 that Gemunder should not leave his house at 
 all, and assured him that he would not meet 
 with further unkindness from his fellow-work- 
 men, even if all should be dismissed, although 
 some of them had already been in his manu- 
 factory for many years. He further assured 
 Gemunder that should he not desire to remain 
 Paris, he would establish him in a business 
 similar to his own, either in Germany or else- 
 where, but he dissuaded him from going to 
 America, for the reason that the art of violin 
 making was not sufficiently understood there 
 at that time. This kindness and benevolence 
 upon the part of his employer so touched his 
 heart that he was constrained to remain, and 
 he began to construe!: new violins, in some of 
 which he imitated the Italian character thor- 
 oughly, and also to repair injured violins. 
 
 One day Vuillaume handed Gemunder a vio- 
 lin, with the remark that he wished him to do
 
 BIOGRAPHY OF GEORGE GEMUNDER. 9 
 
 his best work in repairing it, for a gentleman 
 from Russia had sent it. Vuillaume especially 
 called Gemiinder's attention to a certain place 
 in the back which was to be repaired, which 
 was almost invisible, and he gave Gemiinder a 
 magnifying glass for his assistance, but Gemiin- 
 der returned it, saying that he could do better 
 with his naked eyes, and when finished Vuil- 
 laume might examine it with the glass. When 
 completed, the work proved to be all that 
 Vuillaume had wished, and satisfied the owner 
 of the instrument so thoroughly that in his 
 ecstasy of delight he presented Vuillaume, in 
 addition to the payment for his work, with a 
 costly Russian morning gown. 
 
 On the return of Ole Bull from America, in 
 l<?45, that distinguished performer brought his 
 wonderful "Caspar da Salo " violin to Vuil- 
 laume to be repaired, and requested the latter 
 to do the work himself, as it was something 
 about which he was very particular ; but Vuil- 
 laume answered that he had a German in his 
 workshop who could do it better than he. Im- 
 pelled by curiosity to become acquainted with 
 this German, he asked to be shown to the 
 place. After some conversation, Gemiinder 
 undertook the repairing of the violin and com-
 
 IO BIOGRAPHY OF GEORGE GEMUNDER. 
 
 pleted it in as masterly a manner as he did in 
 the case of the Russian gentleman. 
 
 After an interval of three years, while Ge- 
 miinder was still working at Vuillaume's, the 
 latter showed him a violin and asked his opinion 
 about it. Gemunder, having examined it, re- 
 plied that it was made by some one who had 
 no school ! " I expelled to hear this," re- 
 turned Vuillaume, "and now let me tell you, 
 that this violin is the very same that I engaged 
 you to make when you came to me. I show it 
 only that you may recognize what you are now 
 and what you were then /" Gemunder was not 
 only surprised, but amazed, and would hardly 
 have believed it possible. This incident is only 
 mentioned to show that as long as the eye has 
 not been fully cultivated, those who fancy them- 
 selves to be artists are not such, and in reality 
 they cannot distinguish right from wrong. 
 Gemunder has often experienced this in Amer- 
 ica. He knows no other violin maker who de- 
 serves to be compared with Vuillaume in this 
 respect, for he correctly understood the charac- 
 ter of the outline and form as well as the interi- 
 or structure of the different Italian instruments. 
 
 Towards the end of 1847, when Gemunder 
 had been four years at Vuillaume's, his two
 
 BIOGRAPHY OF GEORGE GEMUNDER. It 
 
 brothers, who were in America, invited him to 
 go there, as the interest in and taste for 
 music was improving and they intended to give 
 concerts. Gemiinder therefore determined to 
 accept this invitation and left Paris. He 
 arrived in November, at Springfield, Mass., 
 and, meeting his brothers, arrangements for 
 concerts were made with an agent, who en- 
 gaged several other artists to make up the 
 company. The instrumental quartet consisted 
 of a clarinet, violin, flute and bass guitar. This 
 music made quite a sensation, and the houses 
 were always crowded, yet the Gemiinder broth- 
 ers did not receive anything from the proceeds. 
 They soon comprehended that they had had too 
 much confidence in their agent, and after the 
 lapse of a week they gave up the speculation. 
 For George Gemiinder, who had then very 
 little knowledge of the English language, 
 which fact increased the 'difficulty of his posi- 
 tion, there remained no other choice but to 
 settle as a violin maker. He borrowed from a 
 friend twenty-five dollars, and with this money 
 he set out for Boston, Mass., and established 
 himself there. The violins which he made he 
 sold at fifty dollars each, and made repairs at 
 low prices.
 
 IS BIOGRAPHY OF GEORGE GEMUNDER. 
 
 In 1851, when the first exhibition of Lon- 
 don took place, Gemiinder sent a quartet of 
 bow instruments, in imitation of Stradivarius, 
 and one violin according to Joseph Guarnerius. 
 and another according to Nicholas Amati. 
 
 As his business in Boston did not prove suf- 
 ficiently lucrative, Gemiinder left the city after 
 eighteen months, without waiting for news of 
 the result of the exhibition, and established 
 business in New York. Later he learned that 
 his instruments had received the first premium 
 at the exhibition. 
 
 When, in the following year, 1852, Gemiin- 
 der received his instruments back from the ex- 
 hibition, he learned that Ole Bull was in New 
 York again, and, as he had formed his acquaint- 
 ance in Paris, he paid him a visit and gave in- 
 formation that he had established himself in 
 New York, and also that he had obtained the 
 first premium at the London exhibition. Ole 
 Bull was highly astonished at this news, as he 
 said " Vuillaume is the best violin maker, 
 and I have on one of my violins the best 
 -specimen of his workmanship as a repairer." 
 He thereupon showed Gemiinder his " Caspar 
 da Salo." " Here," he said, " look at it, find 
 the place where the repair was made." But
 
 BIOGRAPHY OF GEORGE GEMUNDER. 13 
 
 Gemunder replied : " Sir, have you entirely 
 forgotten that when you went with your violin 
 to Vuillaume, he made you acquainted with a 
 German in his studio, whom he directed to re- 
 pair this ' Caspar da Salo* violin, and that this 
 German was myself?" Upon hearing this a 
 light seemed to break upon his mind, and he 
 exclaimed, " Yes, yes, I do remember. Now 
 you shall become in America what Vuillaume 
 is in Europe." 
 
 Meanwhile the advantages which might have 
 been derived from the London exhibition were 
 lost, in consequence of Gemiinder's removal 
 from Boston and establishing business at New 
 York. Spohr, Thalberg, Vieuxtemps and 
 many more of such authorities, examined his 
 violins in the exhibition and were much sur- 
 prised at the excellent qualities of the instru- 
 ments. Spohr observed : " These are the 
 first new violins that I ever saw, tried and 
 liked !" When they were played upon by him 
 and others, they attracted hundreds of admi- 
 rers and would have been sold at high prices 
 had Gemunder not failed to make arrange- 
 ments to dispose of them. 
 
 The results obtained at Paris and Vienna 
 were similar, his instruments attracting much
 
 14 BIOGRAPHY OF GEORGE GEMUNDER. 
 
 attention in each exhibition. In the Vien- 
 na Exposition, held in 1873, Gemiinder gained 
 the greatest triumph that was ever ob- 
 tained by any violin maker. The " Kaiser " 
 violin sent by Gemiinder in response to an 
 offer of a prize for the best imitation, was de- 
 clared by the professional judges to be a 
 renewed original ; a genuine Guarnerius not 
 only in regard to its outer appearance and 
 character, but also as to its wonderful qual- 
 ity of tone and ease with which the tones 
 come. To find these qualities in a new 
 violin was beyond all expectation, since it 
 had hitherto been taken for granted that 
 such a result could not be obtained, because 
 that object had been the unsuccessful study 
 of different makers for hundreds of years. 
 This proves, therefore, to the musical world, 
 that Gemiinder has solved that problem which 
 has generally been considered impossible. In 
 spite of all this, however, Gemiinder had 
 learned by painful experience that the prejudice 
 existing among most of the violinists was not 
 to be wiped out. These people are incapable 
 of judging reasonably, and it is easier for them 
 to say that Gemiinder makes his new violins of 
 wood prepared by a chemical process, or that
 
 BIOGRAPHY OF GEORGE GEMUNDF.R. 15 
 
 it has not yet been proven that his violins have 
 kept their good quality for an extended period 
 of time, notwithstanding that Gemiinder has 
 been constructing violins in America since 
 1847, an d that nobody can prove that any 
 violin of his making has lost its quality of tone. 
 On the contrary, they have invariably proved 
 good. Gemiinder, however, confesses that a 
 few of his first made violins in America do 
 not equal those of his present construction in 
 regard to tone and varnish. The cause of it 
 was that Gemiinder being unacquainted with 
 the woods of the new country, was not so suc- 
 cessful at first in the choice of wood for his 
 violins, and naturally would not be until his 
 experience had improved. The prejudice 
 above referred to would, however, be likely to 
 exist for another century, could Gemiinder live 
 for that length of time among those people, 
 the most of whom would persevere in their 
 opinions. 
 
 The impracticability of the theory of using 
 chemically prepared wood for violins is suffi- 
 ciently understood at the present time to ren- 
 der it useless to pursue the discussion in 
 these pages. Gemiinder has informed himself 
 as to the degree of success attained in the use
 
 l6 BIOGRAPHY OF GEORGE GEMUNDER. 
 
 of the different chemical preparations of wood, 
 as well as those prepared with borax, by which, 
 the inventor asserts, the wood becomes rich- 
 er in tone and lasts longer than that which 
 is left in its natural state. Yet, without oppos- 
 ing the inventor, Gemiinder follows the prin- 
 ciple of the old Italian violin makers, because 
 their productions have been in use to this day ; 
 therefore the material left in its natural state 
 has proved good and has satisfied the musical 
 world for these three hundred years. He has 
 indeed succeeded in constructing new violins 
 of material in its natural state, which produce 
 not only an extraordinary power of tone, but 
 also a strikingly equal quality of tone, and the 
 quality of easy speaking, and the outward ap- 
 pearance of the old violins has been so faith- 
 fully imitated that he who has not been told 
 the fact, will take them for genuine instruments 
 made by Stradivarius, Guarnerius, Maggini, 
 Amati, and others. 
 
 It is therefore assuming not too much to say 
 that George Gemiinder has surpassed in this 
 art all the violin makers of the present and 
 past times ; for where the Italian masters ended 
 with their knowledge, George Gemunder com- 
 menced and improved, which fact can be
 
 BIOGRAPHY OF GEORGE GEMUNDER. IJ 
 
 proved to the satisfa&ion of every critic ; for 
 George Gemiinder has not only gained the 
 same results as those achieved by Stradivarius 
 and others, but he has sketched a better acous- 
 tic principle for producing tone. It is for this 
 reason that August Wilhelmj, the great violin- 
 ist, calls George Gemiinder the greatest violin 
 maker of all times, for Wilhelmj had learned 
 by ample trial of the instruments made by 
 George Gemiinder that they were incontestably 
 all that the latter claimed for them. Wilhelmj 
 admired Gemiinder's " Kaiser " violin at the 
 Vienna Exhibition, as it was the only violin of 
 importance which attracted his attention, and 
 this aroused within him the desire to become 
 personally acquainted with its maker. By 
 means of his renown as the great violin virtu- 
 oso, an engagement was offered him to go 
 to America, which he accepted, and thus his 
 wish was fulfilled. On the day after his arrival 
 in New York, Wilhelmj went to see Gemiinder 
 at Astoria, and from that time has been Ge- 
 miinder's friend and admirer. 
 
 Wilhelmj and other artists have expressed 
 astonishment that a man of George Gemiin- 
 der's capabilities in this art was to be found in 
 America. Although he enjoys the highest
 
 l8 BIOGRAPHY OF GEORGE GEMUNDER. 
 
 renown in his art, yet he lives in a country in 
 which the appreciation of that art is still in its 
 development ; for the number of amateurs such 
 as are found in Europe, who spend enormous 
 sums in instruments, is very small here. The 
 fa6l is that George Gemiinder lives here at too 
 early a period, for his productions are a contin- 
 uation of those which the great Italian mas- 
 ters brought forth. Taking into consideration 
 all the foregoing circumstances it is fair to 
 suppose that George Gemunder has had to 
 contend with extraordinary difficulties during 
 this long time. For ignorance and arrogance 
 can do much damage, in this respect, not only 
 to the artist, but also to the amateur, as these 
 often times place their confidence in those 
 musicians who who have no knowledge of vio- 
 lins, and who can only mislead them.
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 GEORGE GEMUNDER'S OBSERVATIONS IN REGARD TO 
 VIEWS WHICH THE MOST OF VIOLINISTS AND 
 AMATEURS HAD OF THE TONE OF OLD AND 
 NEW VIOLINS HOW THEY IGNORED THE NEW 
 INSTRUMENTS, AND HOW THEY WERE DE- 
 CEIVED AND SURPRISED IN THEIR PREJUDICE 
 CONCERNING THEM. 
 
 Gemiinder had learned that the knowledge 
 of arrogant violinists and amateurs in regard 
 to tone did not rest on any correct basis, and 
 that their prejudice rested on a tradition aris- 
 ing from the decline of the manufacture of 
 violins since the death of the celebrated Italian 
 makers. All attempts of late years to make 
 good violins having failed, an aversion to new 
 violins has been gradually spreading, so that 
 the most of people at the present time do not 
 believe it possible for violins to be both new 
 and good. Firstly, because it has been found 
 that new violins have not been constructed so 
 as to possess the tone of old Italian instru- 
 ments ; and secondly, that those made of
 
 20 APPENDIX TO BIOGRAPHY. 
 
 chemically prepared wood did not stand proof 
 for a great length of time. Many musicians 
 and amateurs have in consequence of this pre- 
 vailing prejudice gone to an extreme and dis- 
 regarded new violins, no matter what tone they 
 might have. To this class of people belonged 
 especially the violinist Wieniawski, who had an 
 opportunity to play on one of the best violins 
 made by Gemiinder, which opportunity he ig- 
 nored, because the violin looked new. Instru- 
 ments imitated by Gemiinder were placed be- 
 fore him as genuine violins, and he admired 
 them. Ole Bull was equally surprised when 
 an imitation according to Stradivarius was 
 handed to him in Columbus, Ohio, and he de- 
 clared it to be a genuine original. 
 
 When Vieuxtemps gave concerts in America 
 for the first time, and went to see his friend 
 Vieweg, Professor of music in Savannah, Ga.,. 
 the Professor showed him his Stradivarius 
 violin. Vieuxtemps, catching sight of it, said : 
 " If he had not been quite sure that his violin 
 was at home, he would think it was his own."" 
 But when his friend told him it was a Gemiin- 
 der violin, he was astonished and observed : 
 " The d***l knows how Gemunder can bring 
 such a tone in new violins !"
 
 APPENDIX TO BIOGRAPHY. 21 
 
 At about the same time a violinist came 
 from Germany and visited Gemiinder to hear 
 his violins, because Spohr had praised him so 
 much ; but at the same time he doubted 
 that new violins could sound like those of the 
 old Italian masters. Gemiinder first showed 
 him some having the appearance of being new ; 
 the violinist played upon them and then ut- 
 tered : " They are as I thought ; they have 
 not that sweet, melting tone of the Italian in- 
 struments." Hereupon he asked Gemiinder if 
 he had no Italian violins, in order to show the 
 difference. Gemiinder then opened another 
 box, and showed him an imitation of Amati 
 for a genuine one. No sooner did the instru- 
 ment strike his sight than his face brightened 
 up and he said : " Everybody can see at once 
 that there must be tone in this," and after 
 playing upon it he was so pleased that he said 
 to Gemiinder : " Yes, there are none of the 
 present violin makers who have brought it so 
 far !" Hereupon Gemiinder informed him that 
 this was also a new violin of his making. 
 Scarcely had the visitor heard this, when, 
 ashamed of his prejudice, he took his hat and 
 went away. 
 
 Similar incidents often occur. In 1859 Ge-
 
 22 APPENDIX TO BIOGRAPHY. 
 
 miinder sent violins to the Exhibition of Bal- 
 timore, after which, on one occasion, he was 
 invited to a soiree at which his violins were 
 played. He also had a genuine Guarnerius 
 among his own instruments. An amateur, Mr. 
 Gibson, a very good player, was present and 
 anxious to hear the Italian violin. During the 
 performance of a quartet on the violins made 
 by Gemiinder, this amateur, who was possessed 
 of the popular prejudice against new instru- 
 ments, and who fancied he heard the Italian 
 violin, was so exceedingly delighted with it that 
 he observed, ' To hear such violins is suffi- 
 cient to keep any one from ever touching new 
 ones." But when Gemiinder told him they 
 were new ones made by him, the amateur 
 stared at him as much as to say, " Do you make 
 fun of me ? These violins do not look new at 
 all !" Gemiinder, however, convinced him of 
 the truth of his assertion. This fa6l surprised 
 the amateur to such a degree that he was at 
 loss what to say, and later, upon learning the 
 price of one of the instruments, bought it. 
 Sometime after this he valued it at two thou- 
 sand dollars in gold. Since then the violin has 
 been sent several times to Gemiinder, either 
 for a new bridge or other slight repairs, and
 
 APPENDIX TO BIOGRAPHY. 23 
 
 each time new anecdotes have been related of 
 it. Of especial interest is that one of Father 
 Urso, who was looking for a genuine Guarne- 
 rius to give to his daughter Camilla, the cel- 
 ebrated violinist. He took Professor Simon 
 with him to see the instrument. Both were 
 very much surprised at it, not only on account 
 of its undoubted genuineness, but also that it 
 Was kept so well. Gemiinder then let them 
 know that he had perpetrated a joke, and that 
 the instrument was made by himself. 
 
 One day Mr. Poznanski, from Charleston, S. 
 C., in company with his son, who was already 
 an artist on the violin, visited Gemiinder. 
 Although still young, his father intended 
 to send him to Vieuxtemps for his further 
 artistic accomplishment, and with this purpose 
 in view he was willing to buy an Italian violin. 
 As Gemiinder had none on hand, he showed 
 him a new violin, but Poznanski declared that 
 he would not buy a new one. Gemiinder then 
 showed him an imitation, as if it were a genu- 
 ine original. The son played on it, and both 
 father and son were highly satisfied with it ; 
 they expressed their wish to buy it and asked 
 the price, which was given as five hundred 
 dollars. When Poznanski was about to pay
 
 24 APPENDIX TO BIOGRAPHY. 
 
 down the money, Gemiinder told him that this 
 instrument was also new. Whereupon Poz- 
 nanski replied in an excited tone, " Have you 
 not heard that we do not want a new violin ?" 
 and they left the Atelier ! 
 
 When Vieuxtemps left America, in 1858, 
 Poznanski's son went with him to finish his 
 studies under his direction. After the lapse of 
 eight years he returned an accomplished artist, 
 and visited Gemiinder again. He then re- 
 marked that he wished to find an Italian violin 
 of first class, and asked Gemiinder if he had 
 something of that kind in his possession ? 
 Here he took the opportunity to remind Ge- 
 miinder of the time when he had deceived both 
 him and his father, observing at the same time 
 very naively : " But now, Gemiinder, you can- 
 not deceive me. I obtained thorough knowl- 
 edge of imitations at Paris, and also a knowl- 
 edge of the genuine Italian violins, for I had 
 an opportunity to see many of those made by 
 the masters." Gemiinder told him that he had 
 two Joseph Guarnerius violins of first class in 
 his possession, and laid them before him. Poz- 
 nanski expressed his astonishment to find such 
 rarities. After a thorough examination Poz- 
 nanski declared there was no doubt in regard
 
 APPENDIX TO BIOGRAPHY. 2$ 
 
 to their genuineness ! He tried both violins, 
 and soon evinced his predilection for one of 
 them, which he wished to buy, and inquired 
 the price. Gemiinder offered each of them at 
 one thousand dollars, but at the same time 
 told him that he had deceived him for a second 
 time, for the instrument which he had picked 
 out was new and made by himself, whilst the 
 other was genuine. Poznanski, however, told 
 Gemiinder that he could not deceive him, that 
 it was not possible to produce an instrument 
 like that. At this moment two friends of Ge- 
 miinder, who were acquainted with his instru- 
 ments, entered the shop, and Gemiinder asked 
 them in the presence of the young artist, at 
 the same time pointing to the instrument 
 selected by Poznanski, " who made this vio- 
 lin ?" They replied that the maker of it was 
 Gemiinder. This appeared to him impossible, 
 but, after deliberating on the subject, he said, 
 " I must believe it now, and yet I don't believe 
 it !" A few days later, becoming fully assured 
 that the instrument to which he had taken a 
 fancy was not an Italian violin, he bought the 
 genuine one, which, however, was an excel- 
 lent instrument, thus giving up the one to
 
 26 APPENDIX TO BIOGRAPHY. 
 
 which he had first given preference. This is 
 another striking proof of prejudice. 
 
 After a time, however, when Poznanski felt 
 more at home at Gemunder's, he found out 
 that the instruments made by Gemiinder were 
 the only true concert violins, and disposing of 
 his Guarnerius, he bought a Maggini made by 
 Gemiinder ; he now saw the full extent of his 
 prejudice, and was most severe in his denuncia- 
 tion of all who thought that there were no 
 other violins but the Italian to be played upon. 
 
 If Wienawski had not been seized with such 
 a strange fancy, and had had more confidence 
 in other artists, he would not have been com- 
 pelled to change violins every now and-then, 
 for he was constantly buying one Italian violin 
 after another and finding none to suit him, 
 merely because none would do but an Italian 
 instrument. Thus he came to America and 
 played on his Stradivarius violin, which had a 
 splendid tone in a room, but when played upon 
 in a concert hall proved a great deal too 
 weak, especially on the G string, when it was 
 overstrained. He then bought one of the 
 finest Guarnerius violins in Brooklyn, but as it 
 did not prove any better than the other, he 
 returned it.
 
 APPENDIX TO BIOGRAPHY. 
 
 To find Italian violins fit to produce a suffi- 
 cient effect in large concert halls is a great 
 rarity, since they have been mostly spoiled by 
 " fiddle-patchers," or had not from the very 
 beginning the proper construction for the giv- 
 ing out of tone sufficient to fill such halls. 
 On just such powerless violins Vieuxtemps 
 performed at his concerts on his last tour 
 through America. 
 
 One day Gemiinder made the acquaintance 
 of Mario, the greatest Italian connoisseur of 
 violins, who was decorated for this knowledge 
 when he was at New York. Gemiinder asked 
 him to come to his shop, as he had several vio- 
 lins which he would like to show him, in order 
 to have him judge if they were really genuine 
 instruments. Mario came and viewed the vio- 
 lins shown to him by Gemiinder minutely, nay, 
 even took a magnifying glass to examine the 
 varnish, whereupon he declared to Gemiinder 
 that they were genuine instruments. But the 
 fact is they were violins made by Gemiinder ! 
 
 In the beginning of 1860 Gemiinder was 
 often visited by an amateur named Messing, 
 who wished to find a good Italian violin, for he 
 manifested an aversion toward Gemiinder's. 
 productions, owing to his prejudice against new
 
 28 APPENDIX TO BIOGRAPHY. 
 
 
 
 violins. At the same time Gemiinder had as 
 an apprentice a nephew, who, when he had not 
 yet been fully three years with him, was en- 
 gaged to make his first violin, according to 
 form of Stradivarius. When it was finished 
 Gemiinder made him a present of it, and said 
 "he would varnish it so as to look old. After- 
 ward his apprentice gave it to a friend in New 
 York to sell it for htm. This friend published 
 in the newspapers that he had a Stradivarius 
 o sell. Mr. Messing was the first to make in- 
 quiries about it, and bought it, highly rejoiced 
 .at having a Stradivarius at last. He then had 
 it examined by the violin maker Mercier, in 
 New York, who confirmed the claim of orig- 
 inality. Mr. Messing then went to Europe, 
 .and at Paris he wished to hear what the violin 
 maker Gand would say, and the latter also de- 
 clared it was an old instrument, adding, howev- 
 er, that in order to be quite sure whether it was 
 a genuine instrument or not it would require 
 more time than he could apply to it just then. 
 When he went to Berlin, he showed his instru- 
 ment to the violin maker Grimm, that he might 
 hear from him his opinion as to its genuineness. 
 Grimm refrained from uttering his opinion, yet 
 ."he offered him a high price for the instrument,
 
 APPENDIX TO BIOGRAPHY. 29 
 
 which the owner considered to be sufficient evi- 
 dence that he possessed something extraordin- 
 ary, and to warrant him in keeping his violin. 
 After the lapse of four years, when Messing had 
 returned to New York, he came to see Gemiin- 
 der, full of joyous anxiety to show him his violin,, 
 saying, "Here, Mr. Gemiinder, I have something 
 to show you ; I have found what I have been so 
 long looking for!" Mr. Messing then opened his 
 box, and Gemiinder, catching a glimpse of the 
 violin, exclaimed, "That is my apprentice's first 
 production; how did you come by it ?" At these 
 words Mr. Messing stood as if thunderstruck, 
 and in his bewilderment he tried in every way to- 
 convince Gemiinder that he was mistaken, but 
 failing in this attempt, his discomfiture was com- 
 plete. When he had somewhat recovered from 
 his dismay, he felt heartily ashamed, because 
 he had disregarded the work of the master only 
 to take up with the apprentice's first produc- 
 tion, and this, too, under the delusion that that 
 work was a genuine Stradivarius violin. Mr. 
 Messing is now cured of his prejudice, and is 
 no longer looking for a Stradivarius violin. 
 
 At the time when Gemiinder had his violin 
 in the Exhibition of Vienna, Baron Leonard, 
 from Hungary, who was a great violinist,
 
 30 APPENDIX TO BIOGRAPHY. 
 
 brought him his Italian violin to have it re- 
 paired. During their discourse about violins 
 the Baron conveyed to Gemiinder the impres- 
 sion that he had already seen many Italian 
 violins, and he seemed to have a great knowl- 
 edge of them. Thereupon Gemiinder showed 
 him a violin that seemed to be a genuine Guar- 
 nerius, which he had determined to send to 
 the exhibition of Vienna. The Baron was 
 quite astonished at seeing such a wonder- 
 ful and splendid instrument, and did not know 
 which to admire more, whether the varnish of 
 the violin or its tone ; in short, he looked at it 
 with reverence, as if it were a shrine. Gemiin- 
 der then showed him a Stradivarius, and when 
 the Baron's gaze fell upon this instrument, he 
 seemed to be enraptured, and he exclaimed, in a 
 tone of question : " Mr. Gemiinder, how do you 
 come by such treasures ?" In truth you have a 
 treasure of the greatest rarity, for I never saw a 
 violin so beautiful and of such tone !" When, 
 however, Gemiinder declared to him that these 
 were the sisters of the " Kaiser " violin, which 
 was in the Vienna Exhibition, and were made 
 by him, the Baron conducted himself as if he 
 had awakened from a sweet dream, and found 
 it difficult to realize his true condition.
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 It is not my intention to unfold in this work 
 my knowledge of the structure of violins ; for 
 the present generation would not thank me for 
 doing so. In the treatise itself will be found 
 the reasons why I have not set forth that 
 knowledge. Since the death of the cele- 
 brated old Italian violin makers, many 
 works have been put forth, in which we 
 find not only in what manner those famous 
 masters varnished their violins, but also 
 prescriptions even, of theorists who usually 
 know nothing about the practice, or mathe- 
 matical principles thereof. Abundant theories 
 are to be found in all such works, but they are 
 good only for those who have little or no 
 knowledge of violin making. If the science 
 of the celebrated Italian masters could really 
 have been found in these works, the experi- 
 ments made by European investigators would 
 not have been entirely unsuccessful. 
 
 In George Hart's interesting book, " The
 
 32 PREFACE. 
 
 Violin," a comparative illustration may be 
 found of the workmanship of all violin 
 makers with whom he became acquainted, 
 either personally or by history, and by whose 
 productions he obtained his practical knowl- 
 edge, which comparisons are generally good, 
 but not entirely free from error. This 
 compilation of experiences is highly inter- 
 esting for all those who take an interest 
 in violins. The treatises which will be found 
 below have reference simply to the art of mak- 
 ing violins, to violin players and their critics, 
 the information contained in which has for the 
 most part never hitherto been made public. 
 
 Through these scientific explanations a bet- 
 ter judgment will be awakened, which will 
 tend to show how, in consequence of mistakes 
 and ignorance in regard to violins and violin 
 makers, false ideas arise.
 
 PROGRESS OF THE STRUCTURE OF 
 VIOLINS-THEIR CRITICS. 
 
 In 1845 I became personally acquainted with 
 Ole Bull, at Vuillaume's, in Paris, where I 
 then had my first opportunity of hearing and 
 admiring an artist on the violin. I learned 
 then to appreciate the beauty of both arts, 
 and the sublimity of attainment in either to 
 be a violin virtuoso or a perfect volin maker. 
 The latter art engaged my whole attention, 
 and it was my greatest aim to reach to the 
 highest point of perfection therein. 
 
 I also found that Ole Bull took special inter- 
 est in the different forms of violins, and I 
 remember that as early as 1841, at which time 
 I worked at Pesth, my employer made the 
 so-called "Ole Bull's bass-bars " in violins, 
 the ideas of Ole Bull concerning violins then 
 being accepted as authority. Ole Bull subse-
 
 34 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 
 
 quently made many experiments regarding 
 tone, especially upon new violins, in order to 
 reproduce the same character of tone, then 
 considered lost, peculiar to the Italian instru- 
 ments. Knowing that all experiments made 
 since the death of the celebrated Italian mas- 
 ters had proven unsuccessful, he undertook to 
 construct a violin of very old wood, but was 
 soon convinced that he had not obtained bet- 
 ter results than others ; he therefore decided 
 the project to be an impossibility, and hav- 
 ing arrived at this decision, his opinion was 
 generally conceded to. Since then, doubt- 
 less, he found out that to make a violin was a 
 more difficult task, for him, than to play on 
 one. As a virtuoso, however, he obtained a 
 celebrity which will make his name immortal, 
 and as he was an artist in his own peculiar 
 way, his name will live forever in the memory 
 of men. Nature has endowed many men with 
 rare gifts, each one possessing a talent pecu- 
 liar to himself; but we know how long it 
 requires to perfect one's self in any given art, 
 and it therefore cannot be expected that a 
 great violin virtuoso should at the same time 
 be proficient in the art of violin making, the 
 two arts being totally different. It is, how-
 
 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 35 
 
 ever, generally believed that the assertion of 
 Ole Bull had more weight with many violin 
 players and amateurs than the most adequate 
 knowledge of a violin maker. I admit that 
 Ole Bull had some experience with violins, 
 but had he obtained sufficient knowledge he 
 would have easily understood that many of 
 his ideas were not based upon principles which 
 he thought had remained secret to all investi- 
 gators on the subject, as the greatest authori- 
 ties have acknowledged the tone in George 
 Gemiinder's violins to be of the same quality 
 as that characteristic of the best Italian instru- 
 ments. 
 
 This proves that violins are judged the best 
 when they are mistaken for Italian instruments 
 and prejudice only is the actuating motive 
 when the declaration follows that the instru- 
 ment is a new violin. If, therefore, the know- 
 ledge of tone could have proved more reliable, 
 prejudice would not, in many cases, have 
 appeared so severe, and embodied itself so as 
 to degenerate into fanaticism. 
 
 Violins made of healthy wood and accord- 
 ing to the rule can never lose their tone. It 
 is, however, something different if they are 
 carelessly treated.
 
 36 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 
 
 When an Italian violin, which lay untouched 
 in concealment for fifty years, was shown to 
 Wieniawski at the Russian court, and he was 
 asked what he thought of it, he said, after 
 trying it : " The violin has a bad tone." 
 " Well," said the Emperor, " let us put it back 
 in its old place. If it had been good I should 
 have presented you with it." Wieniawski, 
 greatly surprised, replied : "Oh, when I play 
 upon it it will regain its tone." Here vanity 
 and ignorance are shown at once ; for if that 
 artist had had any knowledge of violins, he 
 must have known that the violin was not in 
 good order, and that it was first necessary to 
 have it put in a good condition by a profes- 
 sional repairer ; but instead of making such a 
 proposal, he thought to make an impression 
 by his renown, and that he would improve it 
 by playing upon it. 
 
 I mention this because it contains two 
 points : firstly, because, especially here in 
 America, great stress is laid upon the opinions 
 of such artists, but it proves that artists do 
 not always have a knowledge sufficient to 
 enable them to give a correct judgment of 
 violins; secondly, if this violin had been new, 
 many would have thought that it was made of
 
 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 37 
 
 chemically prepared wood. A violin, however, 
 of such defective wood, can never give a good 
 tone ; because the life is taken out of it when 
 it is made. If such artists would make them- 
 selves acquainted with a professional violin 
 maker, many of them would get more light on 
 this matter, but since they consider them- 
 selves to be authorities on the subject, there is 
 very little prospect of visible progress. It is, 
 therefore, a rarity when an artist is found who 
 is able to judge of the quality of tone, wheth- 
 er the wood is chemically prepared or not, 
 and although this is easily to be distinguished 
 by the practiced ear, a peculiar experience is 
 required for it nevertheless. Many, however, 
 believe that he who plays the violin to per- 
 fection, and especially the player of renown, 
 must be acknowledged as a judge of tone. 
 1 admit that many violin players are judges of 
 tone, but not beyond a certain degree, as the 
 greater number of them hear their own instru- 
 ments only and are taken with them ; but he 
 who possesses a feeling of tone, and into whose 
 hands violins of all shapes and qualities are 
 falling, whereby he learns to distinguish the 
 different characters of tone, is to be considered 
 a connoisseur of tone ; he must, however,
 
 38 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 
 
 possess some knowledge of playing, although 
 it is not necessary for him to be a solo player, 
 for with how many solo players have I become 
 acquainted who have no more judgment of 
 tone than children. 
 
 For musicians and solo players it is very 
 difficult to find out how far the tone of a violin 
 reaches. Many a player, having no experience 
 in this regard, plays in concerts on a violin 
 which sounds like an echo, but if the instrument 
 is called Stradivarius or Guarnerius and $3,000 
 has been paid for it, and besides it has a " his- 
 tory " attached to it, then, verily, it must 
 sound. The critic, however, does not blame 
 the violin, but the player, for weakness of 
 tone, and in that respect he is right. 
 
 For solo players who still use such echoing 
 violins in concerts, it would be of the greatest 
 importance to make themselves acquainted 
 with the quality of tone which is fit for con- 
 certs, for most Italian violins which are used 
 in concerts prove either too old or of too thin 
 wood ; but. most players are accustomed to the 
 fine, tender, echoing tone to a degree that 
 the true concert tone appears quite strange to 
 them. 
 
 Thus, violins of chemically prepared wood
 
 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 39 
 
 will never do for concerts, and it is a great 
 mistake to believe that such violins have ever 
 produced as good a tone as good Italian vio- 
 lins do. Ignorance and self interest have 
 launched this untruth into the world. For 
 violins made of such wood produce short 
 vibrations a muffled color of tone similar to 
 that of impaired Italian instruments. Vuil- 
 laume put all the world in commotion with 
 his violins of chemically prepared wood, and 
 all the world sang hosannas. But when it 
 was found that such instruments kept this 
 tone only a short time, there arose a general 
 prejudice against new violins and no one 
 would play on them. 
 
 In order to remove all such ideas and pre- 
 judices I can safely assert that violins of a free, 
 high, clear and powerful character of tone, 
 with a quality which thrills the heart such 
 tone as my instruments produce, and which 
 qualities are now seldom found in the best 
 Italian violins can never be obtained by any 
 artificial preparation of the wood, but only by 
 way of science according to acoustic prin- 
 ciples. 
 
 Of course it is the wood more than anything 
 else which is to be taken into consideration ;
 
 40 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 
 
 for without the right sort of wood all science 
 will be unavailing, and vice versa. Many vio- 
 lin makers can get the best wood, but where 
 there is no talent applied in the construction, 
 nothing very good can come forth. 
 
 Of all productions of art, the violin is the 
 most difficult to judge, and I have nearer 
 illustrated the different characters of tone 
 which violins produce, and tried to make these 
 things more comprehensible, in order that this 
 medley of opinions and judgments which have 
 been given may be put in a clearer light. 
 
 I was highly astonished at the manner in 
 which my " Emperor " violin (" Kaiser " violin) 
 was judged, which was sent to the Exhibition 
 of Vienna three weeks after it had been 
 finished. The violin had attracted not only 
 many admirers, but also a great number of 
 gazers who have no idea of a violin, and 
 who stared at it only on account of its price. 
 
 Thus, the New York Staats Zeitung had 
 a correspondent in Vienna, who also stared at 
 the violin from the same reason. His igno- 
 rance, which he exposed in his correspondence 
 to the newspaper which he represented, led 
 him to make the following remark, which was 
 published on the 2/th of June, 1873, and runs
 
 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 41 
 
 as follows : " From Salzburg several violins, 
 mostly the former property of Mozart and 
 Beethoven, were sent, and the one which 
 Beethoven owned was made by Hellmer, at 
 Prague, in 1737, as was noted on the label, 
 (saleable for 200 Florins,) while for a Gemiin- 
 der violin in the American division of the 
 Industrial Palace, $10,000 (!) are asked. Of 
 course, everybody laughs at the simpleton 
 who believes this is the only curiosity of the 
 kind, and thinks he can obtain such a fabulous 
 price for it. The Commission that for this 
 time has made us very ridiculous with our "Go 
 ahead," should remove that label as soon as 
 possible, that one of the exhibitors may not 
 become a public laughing stock." But that 
 writer soon found how much this violin was 
 admired ; he learned to see that it was the 
 only curiosity of the kind, in fa6l, for soon 
 afterward I read again in the Sontag's Staats 
 Zeitung that " the violin was admired very 
 much." 
 
 This violin was exhibited by me for the pur- 
 pose of proving to the world that I can make 
 violins that have the tone which has been 
 sought for a long time since the death of the 
 celebrated Italian masters, since which all
 
 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 
 
 attempts have miscarried, and I confirmed this 
 fa6l in a circular added to it. 
 
 But what was the result ? It was not 
 believed. In the Exhibition of Vienna my 
 violin was mistaken for a genuine Cremonese 
 violin, not only for its tone, but for its outer 
 appearance, which was so striking an imitation 
 according to Joseph Guarnerius, that a news- 
 paper of Vienna made the observation : 
 " George Gemiinder cannot make us Germans 
 believe that the violin sent by him is new ; a 
 bold Yankee only can put his name in a genu- 
 ine instrument, in order to make himself re- 
 nowned !" 
 
 Although this was the highest prize which a 
 violin maker had ever obtained, it was no ad- 
 vantage either for me or the public ; for the 
 art of violin making was not furthered by it, 
 but rather still more impaired by the corres- 
 pondence of the Staats Zeitung and the New 
 York Bellcstristic Journal. The latter writes 
 as follows : " S. F., Pittsburg. G. is a pupil 
 of Vuilliaume ; his violins are much demanded, 
 but their prices are so high that purchasers are 
 frightened !" 
 
 Thirty years ago I sold violins at from $5 
 to $75 ; ten years ago I sold violins at from
 
 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 43. 
 
 $100 to $300; now I sell them at $100 and 
 upwards ; and violin makers here and in 
 Europe ask the same prices. Nay, amateurs 
 who do best in their ignorance, ask still higher 
 prices. Wherein, therefore, do we find that 
 which frightens the purchasers ? The effront- 
 ery of writers who make such statements as 
 the above will bring them no honor. 
 
 Many may still remember that I had deter- 
 mined to send six violins of different forms, 
 copies of the best old master-violins, to the 
 Vienna Exhibition, and intended myself to 
 take the matter in hand, but, owing to an 
 accident, I was compelled to give up this 
 intention. In consequence, I resolved to send 
 only one violin. To sele<5l one of them, art- 
 ists such as Wollenhaupt, Dr. Damrosch, Carl 
 Feinninger and others were consulted, but 
 they differed in their opinions, which may be 
 taken as a proof that the instruments were 
 very much alike in character ; they are also 
 witnesses of the fact that I made them. In 
 order to call attention to the one selected, I 
 noted the price " ten thousand dollars !" No- 
 body, however, was charged to dispose of it, 
 although three thousand dollars were offered. 
 
 The circumstances connected with the con-
 
 44 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 
 
 struclion of this violin gives it more than an 
 ordinary interest. Ridicule and praise in the 
 highest degree are interwoven with its his- 
 tory ; therefore, it has been hitherto the 
 most interesting new violin in this century. 
 Why I could not be its representative and had 
 to leave it to fate can be learned from what I 
 have already written about it, and how I have 
 judged every thing connected with it. I was, 
 however, sure of one fact, namely, that it 
 would be acknowledged as a production of art. 
 The admission must then be made, and the 
 claim is amply justified by facts, that, as new 
 violins are frequently mistaken for genuine 
 Italian instruments, even when most particu- 
 lar attention is given to the varnish, the art of 
 violin making must no longer be considered as 
 a lost one. 
 
 May the foregoing satisfy all doubters and 
 those who have lately, especially in America, 
 written about the lost art of varnish and tone, 
 and may it cause them in future to refrain from 
 investigating into the so called lost arts. He 
 who would give a scientific explanation of this 
 art and be a critic, must be thoroughly ac- 
 quainted with it.
 
 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 45 
 
 A TREATISE UPON THE MANNER IN WHICH MASTER- 
 VIOLINS ARE RUINED. 
 
 The manner in which violins are so often 
 ruined seems almost beyond comprehension, 
 or rather the way they are generally treated 
 must necessarily involve their ruin. The cause 
 of this can not be entirely ascribed to those 
 destroyers of violins who pretend to be repair- 
 ers, but it generally rests with the owners of 
 violins themselves, because they are usually 
 ignorant as to who is master of the art of vio- 
 lin making and to whom a master violin may 
 be entrusted. They therefore make inquiries 
 for such experts, and apply for that purpose, 
 generally, to renowned violin players, not real- 
 izing that even these are not always endowed 
 with discrimination, frequently not more so 
 than the one asking advice, and thus the latter 
 is led astray. 
 
 To find an adept repairer is as difficult as to 
 find a thorough master of the art of making 
 violins ; for the repairer must possess the same 
 knowledge of the production of tone as the
 
 46 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 
 
 best violin maker. The man who cannot make 
 excellent violins cannot be an excellent re- 
 pairer. To obviate all doubts on the subject, 
 I will state that the foundation of the whole 
 secret is simply this " Every violin maker will 
 make repairs in accordance with his knowledge, 
 as he would make violins, and violins as he 
 would make repairs !" This principle is so 
 scientifically correct as to be conceded even 
 by the most severe critics. 
 
 Many a man achieves a reputation by cer- 
 tain meritorious accomplishments in which he 
 has distinguished himself, and in consequence 
 thereof everyone believes him an artist in the 
 fullest meaning of the word. For instance, 
 Ludwig Bausch, of Leipsig, gained a deserved 
 and world wide celebrity as an artist in mak- 
 ing bows. I also esteemed him as an excellent 
 and very accurate worker. But to my aston- 
 ishment I found, as I regret to say, that his 
 fine repairs were mostly devoid of value, as 
 also were his new violins, so far as the pro- 
 duction of tone was concerned. But artists 
 and amateurs, far and near, adored his useless 
 repairs and new violins, which latter usually 
 sold for high prices. 
 
 Thus the public are unable to form a proper
 
 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 47 
 
 judgment in regard to the art. It would pain 
 many a one, if they could realize the manner 
 in which valuable violins are treated by such 
 violin makers and repairers. Repairing vio- 
 lins, therefore, is as little understood % as violins 
 themselves, in consequence of which not only 
 the interior of many an Italian instrument is 
 ruined, but also the exterior is often deprived 
 of its classical appearance by an alcoholic 
 varnish, which is smeared over it and which 
 impairs its value ; and yet many owners of 
 such instruments, who do not know any better, 
 rejoice to see their violins with such a glossy 
 surface. 
 
 To rehabilitate a valuable instrument, and 
 repair the exterior if necessary, requires a skill 
 as artistic as the rehabilitation of a painting by 
 a celebrated painter. Such instruments are 
 also often peculiarly tortured by unskilled 
 hands, and many a valuable top has been 
 damaged by the operation of putting, or rather 
 forcing, in the sounding post. 
 
 Owners of violins should take particular pre- 
 caution never to permit the cutting away of 
 wood out ot the bottom or top of a violin, 
 without being fully satisfied that the repairer 
 is an adept in the art. In Italian violins made
 
 48 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 
 
 by the old celebrated masters there is no 
 necessity at all for doing this, as they have not 
 as a rule any too much wood, and most of 
 them are poor enough in this respect ; in case 
 those artists made no mistakes others have 
 brought them in by their repairs.
 
 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 49 
 
 OF THE CAUSES WHY THE JUDGING OF VIOLINS AND 
 
 THE REPAIRING OF THEM IS LESS UNDERSTOOD 
 
 THAN OTHER ART PRODUCTIONS, 
 
 Beautiful and interesting as is this art of 
 making and repairing violins, and however 
 great has been my enthusiastic devotion to it, 
 I should never have engaged in it had I in 
 starting possessed my present experience, for 
 the ignorance which the public has shown by 
 the confusion of opinions in this branch might 
 almost make one believe these judgments 
 emanated from a mad-house. 
 
 Why is it we hear no such conflicting opin- 
 ions about the productions of any other branch 
 of industry or art ? Because in no other bus- 
 iness do we find so many pretenders. And 
 why is it they infest this particular branch of 
 business more than any other ? Simply be- 
 cause the art of violin making is not founded 
 on a correct system, and this may account for 
 the medley of ideas which have been spread 
 broadcast throughout the musical countries,
 
 50 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 
 
 except France, where a regular system is 
 recognized. 
 
 Yet in spite of the lack of correct system of 
 making violins, I have become acquainted with 
 a few German musicians who have acquired an 
 excellent schooling in the art. In this respect 
 I cannot refrain from mentioning my admira- 
 tion for a thoroughly skilled musician, Mr. 
 Herman Eckhardt, of Columbus, Ohio, a man 
 of rare genius in the knowledge of music, who 
 was able to define clearly and accurately the 
 different periods of the progress I made in 
 violin making. 
 
 Such a man I must respect the more, because 
 he is endowed with sound judgment, which 
 other musicians, often of very high standing, 
 could only acquire by instruction, a method 
 which to some of them would seem to be im- 
 possible, as they are devoid of judgment, hav- 
 ing their ability warped by false ideas about 
 violins, and rendering them incapable of cor- 
 rectly understanding and appreciating the 
 latest and best productions ; this may ac- 
 count for their fanatical admiration of Italian 
 violins, even if they possess only imitation, 
 but, as " ignorance is bliss," they are happy. 
 
 On the other hand, there are amateurs who
 
 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 
 
 take such a practical view of the matter that 
 they are just opposite in their beliefs to this 
 class of fanatics. They do not see why a new 
 production, which answers the purpose as well 
 and which in more ways than one is preferable 
 to an old production of the same kind, should 
 be regarded as of less value. They do not 
 understand why a desirable article should com- 
 mand an enormous price when another article 
 accomplishing the same effect can be bought 
 much cheaper. And in this they show a com- 
 mon sense which might well be emulated by 
 many others. While it is true that an enthu- 
 siast ought never to be blamed for his enthu- 
 siasm, if it has a reasonable base, it is no less 
 true that lacking in this respect he is nothing 
 more or less than a fanatic. This class of peo- 
 ple is by no means exclusively confined to 
 amateurs, but even includes in its ranks many 
 true artists in music.
 
 52 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 
 
 ON THE PRESERVATION OF VIOLINS, 
 
 There is no doubt that a certain class of 
 violin players pay very little attention to the 
 care of their instruments, as they use them 
 daily, and few have time to bestow the neces- 
 sary attention upon them. If a violin is out 
 of order, a musician or amateur who knows 
 nothing about it continues to play upon it. 
 At length he perceives that the tone is not 
 the same as it was before. Many, therefore, 
 often lay the blame on the repairer, or on the 
 violin maker, if it is a new instrument. It is 
 therefore desirable that players should always 
 pay attention to their instruments and exam- 
 ine them whenever they intend to use them, 
 to see whether everything is in order ; that 
 the neck has not sunk a little to the front, 
 causing the finger board to lie deeper on the 
 top and the strings to lie somewhat too high. 
 Such deviations will occur, particularly when 
 the top is very much vaulted, as well as by 
 change of weather or climate. 
 
 As soon as the weather becomes moist it is
 
 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 53 
 
 advisable to keep a violin in a box ; when 
 the weather is fine it should be taken out of 
 the box for a time every day ; and even if it is 
 a very old violin it is not good to keep it 
 always locked up. A violin should never lie 
 on a floor, whether in a box or not, but should 
 always be kept on an elevated place and in a 
 moderately warm temperature. 
 
 Before using the violin it is advisable to rub 
 it with a soft cloth or chamois, so that neither 
 dust nor perspiration may remain on it ; it 
 should also be cleaned each time after being 
 played upon. The sounding post should also 
 be examined, to be sure that it still stands per- 
 pendicular. The bridge, too, must be looked 
 at, and if it stands obliquely it must be brought 
 into its normal position again before taking 
 the bow. It usually inclines somewhat forward 
 on the E string after tuning it. If this is the 
 case, pinch the E string between the thumb 
 and index finger, while the corresponding part 
 of the bridge is moved backward by the points 
 of the fingers. 
 
 On good and excellent violins particular at- 
 tention must be given to the bridge, especially 
 when it fits the instrument, for it is not always 
 easy to replace it with one equally good. A
 
 54 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 
 
 bridge which is qualified to affect: the violin 
 and contribute to the charm of tone of the 
 instrument is more 'valuable than one would 
 often think. Many consider a bridge of as 
 little consequence as a string, when it breaks 
 on the violin, and think they can restore the 
 loss by a bridge which costs three cents ; for 
 the correct model of a bridge is considered 
 only as an ornament by such people. Of 
 course they do not know that this is one of the 
 most important parts of good violins, and that 
 there are but few violin makers who are able 
 to make a bridge as it should be. But it is the 
 same with the bridge as with the violin. 
 
 It is not only the correct construction of the 
 violin and bridge which produces a good tone, 
 but the right sort of wood must be found for 
 the purpose. Thus the bad form of a bridge 
 made of fine wood is just the same as a com- 
 mon fiddle made of fine materials. It there- 
 fore follows that we should take as much care 
 of a master bridge as of the violin itself. 
 
 It some times occurs that the sounding post 
 of the violin becomes shorter by itself; in this 
 case it may be advisable to relax the strings 
 entirely in order to see whether the sounding 
 post does not fall. If this is the case, a new one
 
 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 55 
 
 must be made of old wood by a skilled work- 
 man. The cause of this is that the wood con- 
 tracts more or less, especially in dry weather ; 
 this may also be caused by a change of air, 
 which sometimes even produces a distortion of 
 the swell of the top. 
 
 When such care is habitually taken, a violin 
 will always be in good order. Too low a 
 sounding post causes a lower position of the 
 top on that side, which, when not remedied, 
 will remain and will produce a defe6l in the 
 swell and tone. This is also the case when 
 the sounding post is too high, and many vio- 
 lins are seen where the swell is higher or lower 
 than it ought to be on the side where the 
 sounding post stands. This is also the case 
 with the bass-bar or so-called "soul" of a 
 violin, which is just as mysterious a part of 
 the violin as any one can imagine ; and its 
 quality shows the skill or ignorance of its 
 maker.
 
 56 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 
 
 TO ILLUSTRATE HOW VIOLINS OF MY CONSTRUCTION 
 
 MAY BE COMPARED WITH THE OLD ITALIAN 
 
 MASTER-VIOLINS. 
 
 From the foregoing treatises it will be seen 
 with what energy I devoted myself to the art 
 of making violins, and I can declare to the 
 world with a good conscience that I have 
 reached the standpoint in this art which has 
 been striven for in vain during a century. 
 
 I have studied all the characteristics in the 
 construction of the Italian master violins, 
 and have had extensive practice in imitating 
 violins, as masters have made them, and have 
 obtained an understanding which enables me 
 to unite all good qualities of tone in the con- 
 struction. 
 
 As I am able to judge from experience, no- 
 body can confute me. All those who doubt 
 it or will dispute it can neither confute me 
 scientifically, nor prove what they say. I have 
 had a great many opportunities to hear and 
 repair the best Italian violins myself, including 
 Paganini's wondrous violin at Vuilliaumc's, in
 
 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 57 
 
 Paris, and I can affirm that my "Kaiser" violin 
 can be considered as wondrous a violin in re- 
 gard to tone and character as nay, it is even 
 to be preferred to that of Paganini's in many 
 respects ! 
 
 I also make a peculiar kind of Maggini vio- 
 lin. For this purpose I have selected an older 
 form than that which is generally known. I 
 construct these violins in a manner to include 
 all good qualities of tone, and they are, there- 
 fore, far preferable, because they surpass those 
 of Stradivarius in greatness of tone. Such 
 distinctions prove that I have made great pro- 
 gress in this art. 
 
 Most Italian violins are now of interest only 
 to admirers of art, and may be recommended 
 to antiquarians, for there are only a very few 
 still existing which can be used for concerts, 
 and although if even their voice disappears 
 more and more out of their body, they will 
 always be valued, kept as relics and admired 
 by friends of art. But it is only fancy which 
 makes most of them adore what they do not 
 understand, and they trample down the blos- 
 som of the new productions which the world 
 brings forth. 
 
 Therefore, it will be of some interest to
 
 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 
 
 many to hear more minute particulars about 
 the method of construction of violins of the 
 old Italian masters, as many persons are still 
 in darkness as to which violins the best tone 
 is to be ascribed. This want of knowledge 
 comes simply from the fact that a combination 
 of uninjured instruments of the best masters 
 is a task very difficult to be effected, and these 
 instruments would by all means have to be put 
 in proper condition by an expert. 
 
 This has, perhaps, never been done yet, and 
 a general comparison could only be made as 
 the opportunity presented itself. 
 
 As I acquired knowledge of the system, the 
 forms and swells of violins of the great mas- 
 ters, I also became so thoroughly familiar with 
 the characteristics of tone that I have found 
 out what the present needs require. 
 
 I will now consider in detail the different 
 characteristics of tone of the productions of 
 the great masters, and state in what manner 
 this difference was obtained. 
 
 Jacob Stainer, at Absam, in Tyrol, was a 
 pupil of Nicholas Amati, at Cremona. Stainer 
 and Amati made violins which were mostly 
 demanded by amateurs on account of their 
 round, sweet, silver tone, This character of
 
 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 
 
 tone they produced by a small, round and 
 some what oblong swell, as well as by a neat 
 and somewhat smaller size than that of Stradi- 
 varius, who endeavored to gain a greater so- 
 nority of tone. Stradivarius, therefore, made 
 the swell less high than Stainer or Amati, but 
 of a broader circumference, drawn oblong, by 
 which he obtained a sublime tone in an aristo- 
 cratic and majestic form. 
 
 Joseph Guarnerius del Jesu. As long as he 
 made violins according to the school of his 
 great master, Stradivarius, his productions 
 were of a similar nature. Later, he made 
 somewhat smaller models, sometimes with a 
 circumferential swell, by which he gained a 
 somewhat smaller tone, but with a striking, 
 quick touch of a peculiar brilliancy. It is 
 strange that he gave a different form to each 
 of his violins, the/", the swells and the scrolls 
 varying in almost every instrument. It is told 
 that he was imprisoned for a long time, and, 
 under great deprivations, he made violins 
 secretly. In all his productions his great genius 
 is recognized. 
 
 Duffu Prugar, at Bonninien, lived in the six- 
 teenth century. His violins have a large and 
 wide form, with interesting ornaments of
 
 <6o PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 
 
 carving work and inlay ; their swells are beau- 
 tiful, and as high as those of Stradivarius, and 
 they produce a great and full tone. But as 
 there are only few still existing, many violins 
 are imitated in France according to this mod- 
 el, and they are spread far and wide. 
 
 Maggini's violins are mostly of a large size 
 and of a higher swell and fuller toward the 
 extreme parts than all the other violins of the 
 Italian masters, therein producing a great 
 fulness of tone ; on the G and D strings their 
 color of tone is particularly deep. 
 
 Gaspard da Salo made very interesting vio- 
 lins of small and large size ; the former have a 
 peculiar character of tone, not very strong but 
 of a very clear color. These violins have a 
 beautiful, high and round swell, similar to 
 those of Jacobus Stainer, but those of a 
 greater size are flatter, producing more power 
 of tone, and are therefore better adapted for 
 .solo performances. 
 
 These celebrated masters left us a great 
 choice of different forms and swells, as well as 
 their method of workmanship in regard to the 
 top and bottom of their violins, where the 
 proof is to be seen that they always made in- 
 vestigations in order to gain a greater pcrfec-
 
 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 
 
 tion. Stradivarius and Joseph Guarnerius have 
 especially obtained a beautiful quality of tone 
 in their violins, yet in order to gain an easy 
 touch of tone, they worked the top pretty 
 tender, and in many instances they made the 
 middle part of the top most thin, probably 
 to further the easiness of sound still more.. 
 Such violins do not answer for concerts. 
 
 It seems that at that time less attention was 
 paid to such a power of tone as is required 
 now, because only few of them have been found 
 with an acceptable thickness of wood in the 
 top and bottom. This is, therefore, the rea- 
 son that so many Italian violins produce too- 
 weak a tone in concerts. 
 
 Although Maggini left the top and bottom 
 thicker in the middle part, still, most of his 
 violins have not, on account of construction 
 and deep color of tone, been received with 
 favor like those of Stradivarius and Joseph 
 Guarnerius. As only a few such Guarnerius 
 and Stradivarius violins were found which by 
 reason of their thickness of wood answered 
 the purpose of solo violins, every one believed 
 all their productions of a like character. 
 
 Therefore, so many solo players often expose
 
 62 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 
 
 their ignorance by playing on such violins in 
 concerts. 
 
 Stradivarius instructed other pupils besides 
 Joseph Guarnerius, who made excellent violins, 
 and many of these violins still exist. As the 
 most of them were made with the full thick- 
 ness of wood, they produce a splendid tone, 
 often better than some of those made by their 
 great master. This teaches us that he who 
 wishes to possess an Italian violin on account 
 of its tone cannot depend upon finding it by 
 the name alone, but he has to pay all his at- 
 tention to the discovery of those in which the 
 necessary thickness of wood is found. 
 
 A solo player, therefore, should never play 
 a violin on account of its name alone, for if the 
 violin produces a weak tone, the blame will be 
 laid on him, and so much the more because it 
 is generally supposed that such instruments 
 must be master violins.
 
 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 63 
 
 ART EXHIBITIONS.-HOW VIOLINS ARE EXAMINED 
 AND JUDGED, 
 
 First of all I will take America into consid- 
 eration, where the art of making violins is too 
 little understood to be judged. Commis- 
 sioners of exhibitions like those, for instance, 
 of the late Centennial, have no idea of violins, 
 and, therefore, are unable to appoint judges 
 competent to award the premiums. It would 
 be too much to ask that they should them- 
 selves be such connoisseurs, for the violin is 
 still considered as a fiddle in this country, and 
 it may still take a long time before the people 
 here reach the standard of knowledge and ap- 
 preciation which Europe occupies. Therefore, 
 only very few real violin makers are found 
 here, for most of them are only amateurs do- 
 ing business in this branch. In the Centen- 
 nial exhibition in Philadelphia, in the Uni- 
 ted States Department, were found mostly 
 such amateur violins. I have heard that all 
 those who called themselves violin makers 
 received a premium. The judges were either
 
 64 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 
 
 unequal to the requirements of their office or 
 they desired to offend nobody. If the latter 
 be the case they certainly acted generously if 
 not justly. But exhibitions of art were estab- 
 lished for the purpose of finding out in which 
 way the different articles of industry and art 
 compare with each other. Proper examina- 
 tions can be made only by professional men, 
 otherwise only that fiddle that " cries " the 
 most will attract the greatest attention. 
 
 Justice will never prevail in such exhibitions, 
 owing either to want of knowledge in order to 
 be able to judge who has deserved a premium, 
 or to favoritism, for merit can hope least, espe- 
 cially in Europe. Artists there can only re- 
 ceive acknowledgment if they have the means 
 to spend. The Centennial exhibition, how- 
 ever, was not guilty of such a wrong ; here it 
 was the desire to be as just as possible to all, 
 although not every one could be satisfied. To 
 act in the capacity of an awarder is always a 
 thankless task ; whether the judge has or has 
 not the necessary knowledge, discontent is 
 sure to follow, because the conceited man who 
 has been unrewarded does not see the differ- 
 ence between his production and the better 
 one of his co-exhibitor, but an injustice is done
 
 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 65 
 
 to an artist, if through favoritism a premium 
 is awarded to an inferior production. 
 
 Exhibitions, however estimable they may 
 be, are still very imperfect in regard to their 
 organization ; in Europe they have been for 
 years entirely corrupt, and are now called into 
 existence mostly J}y speculators. The true 
 principle has been lost sight of and taken a 
 corrupt form. It is scarcely to be expected 
 that the time will come when the many defects 
 which have crept in will be removed again, 
 for all these failings which have manifested 
 themselves throw a shade over such exhibi- 
 tions, and the time is not far distant when they 
 will be entirely disregarded, if not reorganized 
 on a different basis. But I believe that they 
 will never attain great perfection, even if taken 
 in hand by the Government, for so long as a 
 system of awards is connected therewith, mis- 
 takes and discontent cannot be avoided. 
 Managers of exhibitions are not always com- 
 petent to appoint the proper professional men 
 and experts as judges ; and as those appoint- 
 ed lack the necessary qualifications, dissat- 
 isfaction ensues. But suppose the awards were 
 made with proper knowledge and strictest im- 
 partiality, what then ? What have the re-
 
 66 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 
 
 maining competitors gained who are less gifted 
 by nature, and therefore could not receive any 
 award ? Nothing but mortification and an im- 
 paired business. Is this fair on the part of 
 human society ? Not every one can be an 
 artist. The offering of premiums has for its 
 object the promotion of industry ; but the ma- 
 jority of exhibitors can never achieve distinc- 
 tion by reason of lack of talent, and must con- 
 sequently be considered as excluded from their 
 line of business. Are we not bound to con- 
 sider them as our fellow brethren and to care 
 for them as well as for those receiving premi- 
 ums ? But the present generation does not 
 seem to have any thoughts about this, for 
 there are but very few men who are still ani- 
 mated with noble impulses ; while the major- 
 ity are striving to ruin their fellow men by 
 greediness. 
 
 In my opinion such exhibitions cannot con- 
 tinue any longer, because justice can never 
 be expected, and the chase for the highest 
 premium in order to outdo others, has not 
 only become ridiculous, but also immoral. 
 
 If I were the richest man, it should never 
 come into my mind to strive for a premium 
 which I must purchase through so-called
 
 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 67 
 
 leeches. There are, however, connoisseurs who 
 know how to distinguish that which is better 
 from that which is less good. 
 
 As long as such exhibitions are based on 
 such rotten principles, I find no longer any 
 interest as an exhibitor in striving for a premi- 
 um, and as I gained the highest moral premi- 
 um in the exhibition at Vienna in 1873, on 
 this account I did not compete for any premi- 
 um as an exhibitor in the Centennial exhibi- 
 tion at Philadelphia !
 
 68 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 
 
 NOTE ABOUT DILETTANTI VIOLIN MAKERS. 
 
 Whoever takes an interest in violin mak- 
 ing will -undoubtedly be pleased to hear more 
 particulars in regard to dilettanti violin mak- 
 ers and their patrons. There are some dil- 
 ettanti violin makers in America who consid- 
 er violin making their business, and there 
 are others who do not make it their chief 
 business. They have their own particular 
 patrons, who in the knowledge of violins are 
 on the same level with themselves ; but it can- 
 not be denied that in the productions of some 
 of these violin makers there is talent discern- 
 able ; if these persons could have had proper 
 instruction, more good violin makers would be 
 found than are now in existence. But as long 
 as dilettanti violin makers remain as such, only 
 dilettanti violins will be produced ; for without 
 proper instruction it is impossible to obtain 
 either a correct knowledge of the exterior 
 formation or a correct knowledge of the pro- 
 duction of tone. 
 
 It is true, that every piece of wood over
 
 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 69 
 
 which strings have been stretched will sound, 
 and every such instrument will have its admir- 
 ers. There are, however, dilettanti violin 
 makers whose self-conceit and boldness is sim- 
 ply astonishing. The professional will under- 
 stand this, for if a self-conceited man could see 
 clearly and look into the matter, he would be 
 astonished at his workmanship, as I was once 
 myself. 
 
 As dilettanti usually lack that practice which 
 is peculiar to the regular violin makers, they 
 very often experiment in all kinds of machines 
 by which they expect to lighten manual labor ; 
 their object, however, is mostly reached in a 
 very roundabout manner, although they believe 
 to have made an improvement, and this im- 
 provement they announce to the public as a 
 great success. As most of their patrons have 
 no knowledge of the matter, such a dilettante 
 appears to them as an extraordinary genius. 
 This supposition would perhaps not be dispu- 
 ted if it did not take considerably more time 
 to execute with their machines a certain 
 amount of work than the practical workman 
 requires simply by the dexterity of his hand. 
 
 A dilettante violin maker can never be a 
 thorough workman, and is entitled to be con-
 
 70 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 
 
 sidered only as a " jack-of-all-trades ;" he has 
 a great many kinds of tools which the regular 
 violin maker never uses. 
 
 Many dilettanti are presumptuous enough to 
 believe themselves further advanced in theo- 
 retical knowledge concerning tone than the 
 most experienced violin maker of the present 
 day. Some of them ask, in consequence, a 
 great deal higher price for a violin of their own 
 make than does any regular violin maker for his. 
 But it seems to me that such persons are often 
 only the tools of Ole Bull, a once celebrated 
 violinist with extravagant ideas, who misled 
 them. They, however, believe to have learned 
 from him the true secret of the art of violin 
 making. He also tried to persuade them into 
 the belief that in order to have violins sound 
 well and to be serviceable for concerts, they 
 -shjCMoW-be^made of chemically prepared wood. 
 If such pretended wise man would have some 
 knowledge of wood, he ought to be able to 
 distinguish wood which is chemically prepared 
 and that which is not ! About this point I have 
 already sufficiently explained my opinion. 
 
 To give the wood the old natural color which 
 is peculiar to the Italian violins, in a great 
 measure depends on the material used, for
 
 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 71 
 
 not every wood intended for violin making has 
 the necessary qualifications. Violins made 
 from such selected wood are therefore espe- 
 cially valuable. 
 
 It cannot now appear strange that the gen- 
 eral public has so little knowledge in the judg- 
 ing of violins, when a world renowned violinist 
 like Ole Bull shows such ignorance. Here in 
 America the latter preferred the company of 
 dilettanti violin makers, for the reason that 
 they were generally willing to listen to his 
 ideas, and some of them have studied now so 
 much that they cannot see any clearer nor 
 hear any better. 
 
 Dilettanti violin makers form a peculiar class 
 of violin makers in America ; and they seem 
 to be born for the sphere of such knowledge 
 as is here shining forth Their patrons write 
 articles for them in which they try to instruct 
 the public by their ignorance, as we find, for 
 instance, in the Philadelphia Times, of August 
 3Oth, 1879: " Gemiinder refuses to state the 
 source of supply for his wood, and it is a well- 
 known fact that he and others use at times 
 chemical preparations for the purpose of 
 changing the character and the appearance of 
 their wood."
 
 72 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 
 
 The writer of this notice made a state- 
 ment without any foundation. Had he and 
 his train a proper knowledge of the matter, 
 they would be able to perceive that the mate- 
 rial of my violins is not chemically prepared 
 and the character of the wood has not under- 
 gone any change whatever. It is presumptu- 
 ous in ignorant persons to make such state- 
 ments against a man of long experience, for 
 the purpose of bringing his productions into 
 discredit ; productions which are proofs in 
 themselves that not a single violin can come 
 into the condition of those manufactured of 
 chemically prepared wood, as those of Vuil- 
 liaume in Paris. But such individuals manifest 
 not only a prejudice against a better under- 
 standing, but also are impertinent, from which 
 stupidity and meanness emanate ; and thus 
 they unmask themselves as false experts. 
 
 The cause for this assertion will have to be 
 found, and for the disbeliever there is no other 
 ground in the advantages I have gained by my 
 studies, which to them seem impossible ; and 
 as the Italian violins are generally acknowl- 
 edged the only good instruments, they try 
 almost anything to oppose what has proven
 
 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 73 
 
 itself so gloriously, rather than acknowledge 
 it as a fa6l. 
 
 Truth, however, can never be overruled, and 
 the time will come which will impose silence 
 on such individuals ! Since mankind inhabits 
 the earth their characters are as different as we 
 find different plants. Many a flower is not fra- 
 grant, and how many stately and celebrated 
 men are heartless ! Those, therefore, who are 
 void of generosity are able to do evil. Those 
 classes who are as it were idle weeds, for the 
 kinds are both useful and hurtful to men ; all 
 that nature produces has a meaning. If we 
 could fathom all the secrets of nature we 
 would also be able to understand the meaning 
 of them, and idle weeds could be less hurtful. 
 But in nature there lies a wisdom which re- 
 mains a secret to mortal man.
 
 74 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 
 
 GOOD LUCK AND ART, AND REMARKS ABOUT VIOLINS, 
 
 It is an incontestable fact that the success of 
 the endeavors of men to gain a livelihood 
 depends upon luck, although many are of dif- 
 ferent opinion, especially those who are always 
 favored by good luck, as they ascribe their 
 success to their enterprise and skill. They do 
 not consider that good luck only has offered 
 them a chance. Many become wealthy with- 
 out being gifted with peculiar knowledge, 
 while many others, in spite of all their knowl- 
 edge and genius, endeavour in vain and do not 
 see their efforts rewarded. It is, therefore, a 
 matter of facl:, that neither art nor science 
 produce wealth, unless they are favored by 
 good luck, and the cases are innumerable 
 which prove this. From the many experi- 
 ences in my life, especially in my profession, 
 I will only mention the following : Vuilliaume, 
 of Paris, was favored by nature in a very high 
 degree in every thing ; he was not only the 
 greatest artist in his profession in Europe dur- 
 ing the present century, but also an excellent
 
 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 75 
 
 business man, and good luck smiled on him in 
 all his enterprises. Lupot, his partner, laid 
 the foundation of Vuilliaume's independence 
 by effecting a marriage between him and a 
 very rich lady of nobility. Thus he became 
 not only a celebrated man, but also the richest 
 violin maker of our time. Although some of 
 his violins of prepared wood incurred discredit, 
 nevertheless there were admirers who bought 
 his violins, even in America, where the pre- 
 judice against new violins is so prevalent, on 
 account of the supposition that the wood of 
 them was chemically prepared, a practice of 
 which they so stupidly and unjustly accused 
 me, and thereby caused a great deal of harm 
 to my business. On the other hand, Vuil- 
 liaume, who really prepared his wood in a 
 chemical manner, was lucky and prosperous. 
 What is the reason of this and where is it to 
 be found, and why does good luck generally 
 lie in the opposite extreme ? The solution of 
 this secret will probably remain undisclosed to 
 mortals. Upon whomsoever fortune smiles, 
 and whom she allows to blow the golden horn, 
 he penetrates the world, his name becomes 
 great, and he produces upon mankind that 
 effe6l which persuades them into the belief that.
 
 76 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 
 
 the best can be found only in him. If Vuil- 
 liaume had been a poor man he would have 
 certainly remained poor, especially in America, 
 where the art of violin making is still less un- 
 derstood than in Europe, and unjust reports 
 will be more readily listened to than anywhere 
 else. 
 
 In Europe there was a general supposition 
 that a pretty good demand for old Italian vio- 
 lins existed in America, in consequence of 
 which dealers in old and new violins found 
 their way hither. In disposing of these instru- 
 ments they were not very scrupulous in regard 
 to the information, and sometimes gave them 
 names according their own fancy. A great 
 many so-called Italian violins and violoncellos 
 came in this way to America, and the owners 
 are happy in the imaginary possession of an 
 Italian instrument. Other persons again en- 
 tertain the idea that they are surer of a genu- 
 ine article if it comes from Europe, as there is 
 their home ; but if it is believed that this is 
 always the surer way, it is a mistake. It re- 
 quires an extraordinary study to recognize the 
 maker of an instrument, and understand the 
 dead language of the violin. Thus it must not 
 .be believed that the instruments claimed to be
 
 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 77 
 
 Italian are always genuine ; the seller himself 
 may sometimes be mistaken. Many owners of 
 such "baptized" violins do not always like to 
 be informed of the real origin of the instru- 
 ment by a person of thorough knowledge. 
 
 Sometimes I feel constrained to give an 
 opinion by virtue of my knowledge, but it 
 it must not be expected of me to admire a 
 thing that is not genuine, as those owners do 
 in their ignorance. 
 
 If, howevever, a genuine and valuable Ital- 
 ian violin has lost any part, and if a violin 
 maker possesses the art to restore the missing 
 part, either in imitating the varnish or in 
 adapting the lost part to the character of the 
 violin, so that the instrument reappears in its 
 originality so completely that the connoisseur 
 is deceived, the value of the violin is in that 
 case not impaired. This also occurs in regard 
 to very valuable old pictures, and the artist 
 who is found to be able to execute such work 
 is well paid. 
 
 Such artists are, perhaps, more to be es- 
 teemed than the maker of the original, as they 
 are rare, especially those who are able to restore 
 the originality of valuable old violins. The 
 instruments lose their value in case the repairs
 
 78 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 
 
 cannot be carried out properly, owing to a 
 want of genius upon the part of the repairer. 
 
 I have often shown this art in exceptional 
 repairs ; but what can be gained by it ? The 
 greater number of those who own violins do 
 not know how to appreciate such skilful work, 
 and, in their ignorance, they attempt to do 
 harm in the bargain, when they hear that they 
 must for such repairs, perhaps, pay somewhat 
 more than usual an additional proof of how 
 great the darkness still is in judging this art. 
 The time when a better understanding in this 
 regard will come to daylight is still far off! 
 And why ? Because all other arts and branch- 
 es of industry are based upon solid ground, as 
 the State governments protect them, and, 
 therefore, they can come to a proper degree of 
 perfection. The art of making violins does not 
 enjoy this privilege (except in France) and it 
 hovers mostly in the fog since the death of the 
 celebrated Italian masters. 
 
 Therefore, it can yet be called only a fancy 
 art. The opportunity which has been given to 
 mankind in this century to make this science 
 general has not been regarded, because the 
 confidence and belief in it has been wanting, 
 and it will disappear like a drowning person,
 
 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 79 
 
 who several times comes up out of the water, 
 but who, at last, is overwhelmed. Instead of 
 endeavoring to save this art in its details, it is 
 ignored by self-interest. But such an aversion 
 to the best modern productions is sometimes 
 punished very severely, as want of knowledge 
 often brings common productions into the 
 possession of individuals. 
 
 Since the death of Tariso, the great collec- 
 tion of violins, etc., which he gathered from 
 all the regions of Europe, has been scattered 
 again over all countries. Vuilliaume, who 
 bought many of them, afterward resold some 
 to violin makers and dealers ; those instru- 
 ments which were put in order by them are 
 easily recognized. 
 
 This collection consisted mostly of all char- 
 acters of Italian instruments, from the most 
 commonplace to the celebrated Stradivarius. 
 In many an admirer an interest may have been 
 awakened thereby to possess one of these 
 instruments. But it must not be expefted 
 that all of those violins still possess their 
 original parts. Had not such amateurs as 
 Tariso and they are not rare in Europe 
 bought those instruments of that time and 
 kept them safely, which contributed to their
 
 80 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 
 
 * 
 
 longer preservation, they would, especially if 
 they had been always used, be in a much worse 
 condition. 
 
 George Hart, of London, is also such a 
 gatherer of and dealer in instruments. John 
 Hart, the father of George Hart, whose per- 
 sonal acquaintance I made at Vuilliaume's, 
 in Paris when I was engaged to make for him 
 a set of Stradivarius heads, from that of violin 
 up to that of contra-basso, which should serve 
 as models undertook to gather such old Ital- 
 ian violins for the purpose of selling them 
 again to other persons. From that firm there 
 came, in fact, some specimens of the celebrated 
 Italian masters to America, and they are inter- 
 esting and very well preserved. I have seen 
 and admired them ; they are in possession of 
 an amateur at Hartford, Conn. Here they are 
 preserved again for the coming generation. 
 
 Violin players look with envy upon such 
 violins in the hands of amateurs, but it is for- 
 tunate that most of them have come into such 
 hands, for violins of this kind are very delicate, 
 and although those which are well kept pro- 
 duce a beautiful tone, most of them have not 
 that power of tone which is necessary for con- 
 certs.
 
 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 8l 
 
 The solo player, however, believes he must 
 produce the strong tone of a violin by force, 
 which breaks the tone, and is not heard dis- 
 tinctly. In this manner such violins are tor- 
 tured and ruined. When such well kept vio- 
 lins continue to be well preserved, they may 
 be the same after a hundred years. Such relics 
 will then, no doubt bring still higher prices 
 from those who wish to possess a violin of that 
 kind. 
 
 But it is strange that some amateurs put a 
 particular value upon a violin which has been 
 in the possession of a rich nobleman, as if it is 
 more likely to be genuine in that case ? What 
 a foolish idea ! Such whims are not enter- 
 tained by connoisseurs. There are enough 
 aristocrats who possess only a fiddle, especially 
 in America, and who know nothing about the 
 value of a violin ; it is rarely that they have at 
 home a violin which is worth over five or ten 
 dollars. When many of them hear that thou- 
 sands of dollars are paid for violins, they think 
 that persons who pay these prices must be 
 crazy. The reason of this is that most of them 
 know no difference between a ten dollar fiddle 
 and a violin which costs as many hundreds of 
 dollars !
 
 '82 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 
 
 Amateurs who pay thousands of dollars for 
 a violin are here in America just as isolated as 
 that enthusiast who paid six hundred dollars 
 for the first ticket of the first concert given by 
 Jenny Lind in New York, and the other who 
 paid ten dollars for his admittance in order to 
 be able to see the six hundred dollar man. 
 
 Thus I believe to have unrolled a panorama 
 which will assist in the dissemination of knowl- 
 edge and truthful views, which have only been 
 obtained by a long experience.
 
 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 83 
 
 OF THE MANNER OF PLAYING-TREATMENT OF 
 BRIDGES ETC. 
 
 It has often occurred to me that violin play- 
 ers of all kinds find fault when the strings are 
 not arranged in the manner to which they are 
 accustomed, and almost every one believes his 
 method to be correct. This subject shall be 
 discussed here, so that a clearer insight may 
 be obtained and the correcl; method ascer- 
 tained. 
 
 There are violin players who have a greatly 
 arched bridge, and others a very flat one, on 
 their instruments. The latter, therefore, more 
 than the former, have the advantage of being 
 able to play on all violins, because they are 
 accustomed to a bridge which is flatter. These 
 different methods mostly arise from the differ- 
 ent arrangements of the violins upon which 
 pupils learn to play. 
 
 Ole Bull was an exception to this rule ; with 
 him it was not chance ; of all violin players he 
 used the flattest bridge on his violin ; but it 
 was his principle. His music pieces required
 
 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 
 
 it, and in his method he became a master. 
 
 I. B. Poznanski played at one time on a vio- 
 lin with almost as flat a bridge as that on Ole 
 Bull's instrument, and I believe it will not have 
 been forgotten that he produced, as if by 
 charm, a great tone from his instrument. This 
 proves that a great tone can be gained on a 
 flat bridge. Therefore it depends only on the 
 skill with which the bow is handled. Many 
 violin players, however, are of opinion that 
 they must press the bow on the strings very- 
 much, in order to bring forth a strong tone on 
 the violin ; but the pressure of the bow is lim- 
 ited ; for when it is too strong, the ear be- 
 comes disgusted with the tone, nay, a scraping 
 and jarring tone is produced by too strong a 
 pressure, because the G string touches the fin- 
 ger-board in this case, in consequence of which 
 many violin players wish to have the finger- 
 board very hollow. But it must not be be- 
 lieved that in such a manner the right tone is 
 produced ; on the contrary, the full tone, which 
 lies ready in the violin, is very easy to be 
 gained by the knowledge and skill of handling 
 the bow. 
 
 The rule is, that the tone must be drawn 
 forth by the bow, and it must not be forced
 
 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 85 
 
 forth by pressure. The bow must not be led 
 oblique, but straight over the strings, so that 
 the hair lies flat on them ; it also depends on 
 the flexibility of the arm, that the bow may 
 not touch the strings stiffly, but in an elastic 
 manner. Those who attract attention to their 
 elbows cannot expe6l that the bow and the 
 violin alone will do their service. 
 
 The most perfect condition of a violin re- 
 quires the instrument to be so arranged that it 
 can be played easily ; therefore, I determine 
 that the height of the strings must be three- 
 sixteenths of an inch at the end of the finger- 
 board, and that the arch of the bridge must 
 have the same measure, three-sixteenths of an 
 inch, between its two extremes, for bridges 
 more arched than this cause difficulties to the 
 player, because the movement of the bow is 
 too much abstracted when passing from the 
 E string to the G string. In such a manner, 
 David in Leipsic had the violins arranged for 
 his pupils. 
 
 On such arched bridges the two middle 
 strings lie too high from the top towards the 
 G string and E string, and it is an acoustical 
 mistake, because it produces an inequality of 
 the character of tone.
 
 86 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 
 
 Such knowledge should be taught to the pu- 
 pils in conservatories of music ; but it is gen- 
 erally believed that when a violin player has 
 been made a professor he is able to satisfy the 
 requirements of his position in this regard. 
 
 For the benefit of the learner, however, I will 
 enter more nearly upon the knowledge which 
 is required, especially in a conservatory, and 
 to the imparting of which the teacher should 
 attend. First I will mention as an example 
 the conservatory at Leipsic when it was under 
 the management of Director David. Most of 
 his scholars were then compelled to play on 
 new violins made by Bausch, which for their 
 stiff and tough tone are for the greater part 
 unfit for those who would become artists. This 
 quality of tone, together with the facl; that 
 students were forced into a certain position 
 and fatigued, caused them to become nervous ; 
 but many parents who had no knowledge ol it, 
 sent their sons to that institute, even from 
 America, and they had no idea that many of 
 them brought back a nervous disease and were 
 thus ruined. I heard this of no other conser- 
 vatory in Europe. Thus it would appear that 
 David pursued his own interest rather than 
 that he cared for the good of his pupils.
 
 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 87 
 
 Here in America we have violin teachers 
 whose methods are preferable by far to such. 
 
 The following is a method according to 
 which students should be instructed: The stu- 
 dent must not be forced into a position of 
 holding the violin so as to cause the ruin of 
 health, but on the contrary, by means of a free 
 position and natural holding of the violin the 
 chest will be enlarged. This does not only 
 benefit the health, but also facilitates the learn- 
 ing and progress. 
 
 It is of the greatest importance that stu- 
 dents learn on violins which have good tone, 
 for instruments which have a bad quality of 
 tone usually discourage the beginner, so that 
 he becomes nervous and soon considers play- 
 ing an unpleasant work, and gives it up without 
 knowing the reason why. Teachers, therefore, 
 should have the necessary knowledge of the 
 qualities which a violin must possess. A 
 knowledge indispensable for them and a great 
 benefit for the learner. For only a good tone 
 has a charming influence upon the mind, and 
 owing to this many beginners advance early 
 to a high degree of perfection ; therefore it 
 must also be in the interest of the students to 
 get familiar with the good tone of a violin,
 
 88 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 
 
 that their ear may not be accustomed to a 
 sickly tone. Alas ! This point is mostly dis- 
 regarded by their parents, who have little or 
 no knowledge of a violin, and it provokes some 
 indignation in scientifically instructed teachers 
 to teach their pupils on miserable fiddles. 
 
 If a teacher knows how a violin should be 
 arranged, it is above all his duty to examine 
 the instrument, and ascertain whether it can 
 be used for the instruction of a learner ; for as 
 the violin is first arranged for him so he will 
 ever be accustomed to have it afterward. For 
 instance, on the violin of the solo player Ed. 
 Mollenhauer, the strings lie on the finger- 
 board lower than on any other that I ever saw. 
 No doubt he has learned on such an instru- 
 ment. It is true that the virtuosoship is 
 facilitated, but the strength of tone is impaired 
 by such an arrangement. 
 
 The ingenius artist Brume, however, was so 
 great a master that he played even on violins 
 the strings of which lay very high, although 
 he did not know this. Many, again, are ac- 
 customed to bridges that are very much curved 
 towards the E string, because they did not 
 know, when learning, how badly their violins 
 were arranged.
 
 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 
 
 A correct system must be the foundation of 
 everything, but as the thories in this art are still 
 dead letters for most violin players, there have 
 arisen fantastical ideas, especially among the 
 greatest of them. Ole Bull did his best to im- 
 part such ideas to others, yet many of them 
 were, no doubt, excellent. Ole Bull always 
 had a vehement desire to find something better 
 beyond all possibility. Many of his ideas were 
 contradictory to all the rules, and although he 
 put some in practice he did not persevere in 
 any of them for a long time, for a new idea 
 occurring to him all others were supplanted 
 by it. 
 
 It happened once that Ole Bull was visited 
 in New York by another artist, who was called 
 the " American Sivori." He, as well as many 
 others thought that Ole Bull had a perfeft 
 knowledge of the structure of violins. Sivori, 
 seeing that Ole Bull had a bridge on his violin 
 which stood quite oblique for the upper part 
 of the bridge was bent backwards by a quarter 
 of an inch, adopted this idea. When his vio- 
 lin had been provided with such a bridge he 
 came to me, and with great satisfaction he 
 showed me this queer position of the bridge on 
 his violin. I was highly astonished at him that
 
 90 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 
 
 he could approve of an idea which is against 
 all correct theory and is nothing but a farce. 
 I then explained to him not only the conse- 
 quences which must arise from it, but also the 
 impossibility, by such an arrangement, of 
 bringing to bear an even horizontal pressure 
 on the bridge. But he thought that which 
 came from Ole Bull was better than that which 
 came from my knowledge. Let us see what 
 happened later. In a concert of his, while he 
 was playing with enthusiasm, the bridge fell 
 and broke ! 
 
 Another day an Italian artist came with his 
 Maggini violin to show me where the sounding 
 post must stand in his violin, having obtained 
 his information about it from Ole Bull. I could 
 not help smiling when I saw that the sounding 
 post was placed quite near the/" hole. Upon 
 expressing my surprise, he replied with the 
 following insult : " What do you know about 
 the position of the sounding post ? You are 
 no violin player like Ole Bull, therefore you 
 cannot know about it." My answer simply 
 was : " Only a fool can talk to me in that way, 
 and very soon you will find out that you will 
 have to give up such an insane idea !" 
 
 It was on the third day after that he came
 
 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 91 
 
 back begging me to place the sounding post 
 in his violin according to my judgment. When 
 he had apologized for his indiscretion, I fulfilled 
 his wish. 
 
 Thus I have become acquainted with several 
 artists who constantly tortured their violins by 
 getting the sounding post and bass-bar dis- 
 placed. This proves a want of correct theo- 
 retical knowledge, and through this ignorance 
 they make the sounding post wander about 
 the whole violin. 
 
 The place of the sounding post can only be 
 ascertained through the theoretical knowledge 
 of the construction of the bottom and top of 
 the violin. Many players think they can ob- 
 tain the right tone by the position of the 
 sounding post alone, but no sounding post can 
 make good a fault in the construction of the 
 bottom and top.
 
 CIRCULAR TO THE VIENNA EXHIBITION. 
 
 CIRCULAR WHICH ACCOMPANIED MY " EMPEROR VIOLIN " 
 IN THE VIENNA EXHIBITION OF 1873-AN INTER- 
 ESTING EXPLANATION ABOUT VIOLINS 
 AND OF THE SCIENCE OF TONE. 
 
 It is an indisputable fa<5l, that of all produc- 
 tions of art in the world, the Violin has been 
 least understood. 
 
 This wonderful instrument has remained an 
 enigma to the musical world until now. How 
 fortunate it is that this instrument does not 
 understand human language, by which circum- 
 stance it escapes that medley of critical re- 
 marks which are made in its regard. 
 
 It is, therefore, in the interest of art and its 
 votaries that I have determined to present 
 herewith to the public the results of my long 
 experience obtained in making violins, and in 
 examining those sciences connected with it. 
 
 It is generally known that up to the earlier 
 part of the eighteenth century the Italian mas- 
 ters made the best violins, and with the death 
 of those artists a decline of that art, too, took 
 place. Those so-called classical instruments
 
 94 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 
 
 have been, especially of late years, eagerly 
 sought at high prices, by all artists and ama- 
 teurs, because a settled opinion has taken hold 
 of their minds that nobody is able to construe! 
 a violin which is fit for solo performances ; 
 that the secret which the old Italian masters 
 possessed is not yet found, and that new vio- 
 lins, although constructed according to the 
 rules of acoustics, cannot gain the desired per- 
 fection until after the use of a hundred years. 
 This, therefore, animated many violin makers 
 with an endeavor to overcome that difficulty, 
 but in vain ; at last Vuillaume, of Paris, was 
 impressed with the thought of making wood 
 look old by a chemical process, and he suc- 
 ceeded in creating a furor with his instruments 
 made of such wood, so that people began to 
 believe the right course was being pursued. It 
 turned out, however, that after a few years 
 those instruments deteriorated, and finally be- 
 came useless and proved a failure. 
 
 This especially prejudices the minds of the 
 virtuosi so far that they do not believe it to be 
 possible to make violins which answer the 
 general requirements of concert playing until 
 they have attained a great age. 
 
 Vuillaume has, therefore, by his chemical
 
 CIRCULAR TO THE VIENNA EXHIBITION. 95 
 
 preparation of wood, injured this art seriously, 
 because the previous prejudice was corrobora- 
 ted thereby. Such prejudices stand in the way 
 of progress in making good violins. 
 
 But as everything in the world is going on, 
 so the art of the construction of violins has 
 not remained behindhand, and I can prove this 
 to the musical world by my own experience. 
 
 To the knowledge of making such violins as 
 artists and amateurs demand, there belong be- 
 sides ingenuity in carrying out the mechanical 
 work a knowledge of the following three 
 sciences, namely : mathematics, acoustics and 
 the choice of wood. 
 
 A knowledge of acoustics, which is most in- 
 dispensable to the violin maker, cannot always 
 be acquired, since it emanates from an innate 
 genius, which makes itself manifest in the very 
 choice of the wood. 
 
 When by the aid of these sciences I had ar- 
 rived by a natural proceeding at what I aspired, 
 I made violins in imitation of the old Italian 
 instruments and presented them to great art- 
 ists and connoisseurs, and the highest author- 
 ities of Europe and America. They pro- 
 nounced them to be genuine old Italian violins, 
 not only on account of tone, but also in regard
 
 96 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 
 
 to form and appearance. In this manner I 
 broke that prejudice. I proved to the so-called 
 " connoisseurs " that those violins laid before 
 and acknowledged by them to be good, were 
 of my making, hence they were new. If I had 
 presented those violins as new productions of 
 my own to those gentlemen, they would have 
 condemned them forthwith and said that they 
 would not prove good till they had reached a 
 great age, and that they would perhaps in a 
 hundred years equal the old Italian instru- 
 ments. 
 
 In general, however, it is not taken into 
 consideration that if a violin is not scientific- 
 ally constructed the good quality of tone will 
 never be obtained, either by much playing or 
 by age. In applying the three above men- 
 tion sciences I have gained not only the fine 
 quality of tone, but also that ease with which 
 the tones are made to come forth. 
 
 But we must be thankful to the great mas- 
 ters ; they have laid for us the foundation of the 
 manufacture of violins, by which they became 
 immortalized. 
 
 Their system, however, is but little under- 
 stood by the present violin makers, because 
 very few intelligent people devote themselves
 
 CIRCULAR TO THE VIENNA EXHIBITION. 97 
 
 to this art, and the most of those who are 
 learning it, practice it not in the way of art, 
 but of business. What wonder, when even 
 the greatest artist in Europe, Vuillaume, im- 
 itated the very mistakes which the great Ital- 
 ian masters made in regard to mathematical 
 division. He did not consider that they, in 
 improving the art, made experiments in regard 
 to form, swell and different thicknesses in 
 working out the bottom and top. But there 
 are a great many professional men who, from 
 exaggerated veneration, consider all produc- 
 tions of those masters as law and beyond cor- 
 rection. 
 
 I have discovered that the old masters did 
 not arrive at perfection, but made mistakes in 
 their mathematical division and in the work- 
 manship of the different thicknesses of the 
 bottom and top. Those faults I have endeav- 
 ored to avoid in the manufacture of my violins, 
 and I think I have solved this problem. 
 
 Just so it is with the knowledge of tone. It 
 is a great mistake to believe that it is only the 
 player who has this knowledge. Experience 
 has taught that playing and knowledge of tone 
 are two different provinces, because the artist 
 very seldom has an opportunity to make close
 
 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 
 
 study of the different qualities of tone, and is 
 usually preposessed with his own instrument. 
 
 If many solo performers had more knowl- 
 edge of tone they would not so often play in 
 concerts on feeble instruments, which are too 
 old, too defective in construction, or have been 
 spoiled by bungling workmen who were em- 
 ployed to repair them. Such instruments often 
 injure the solo performer exceedingly, and the 
 critic is right in charging the to fault feebleness 
 of tone. But the artist is generally satisfied if 
 he only possesses an Italian violin. 
 
 Also in the science of tone I have found the 
 way to gain that experience by which I have 
 been enabled to make a violin which will satis- 
 fy an unprejudiced solo performer of the pres- 
 ent and future. 
 
 I have confined myself to the natural pro- 
 cess which the Italian violins underwent, and 
 I have put the problem to myself that it must 
 lie within the bounds of possibility to construct 
 violins which will bring forth good tones at 
 once and not depend on a promising future for 
 all their good qualities, and I have not been 
 mistaken, but have secured what I sought. 
 
 Many are still of opinion that the art of 
 making violins and predetermining the quali-
 
 CIRCULAR TO THE VIENNA EXHIBITION. 99 
 
 ties of tone, is a mere accident. This is, if 
 taken in a general sense, true, because most of 
 those who make violins scarcely know any 
 more of it than a joiner, but the ability to 
 construe!; violins according to the rules of art, 
 requires a man who has enjoyed a technical 
 education, and whoever has acquired the 
 necessary capabilities knows the method by 
 which the different qualities of tone may be 
 produced and obtained. 
 
 Above all, he who occupies himself with re- 
 pairs can least dispense with these capabilities, 
 since he is often intrusted with the most valu- 
 able instruments ; but alas ! with what incon- 
 sideration do those who possess such instru- 
 ments often give them, for repair, to botchers 
 and fiddle makers. 
 
 This proves how great in this regard is the 
 lack of correct judgment. Through such 
 spoilers of violins most Italian violins have 
 come to naught, because many who own such 
 instruments think that whenever any one makes 
 a neat piece of work and knows how to use his 
 chisel, file and sandpaper, he is the man to be 
 intrusted with such instruments. But where 
 there is a lack of science, the repairer's work, 
 be it ever so neat, may cause damage in half
 
 100 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 
 
 an hour which will be greater than can ever be 
 made good again. 
 
 If a violin maker constructs bad instruments 
 it is his own damage, but to make bad repairs 
 is to ruin the instruments of others, the crea- 
 tions of masters. 
 
 Neither is a violin maker who does not know 
 how to construct excellent instruments a good 
 repairer. Yet there are many who think that 
 good repairers need not possess the knowledge 
 of making good violins. But what a mistake ! 
 It seems, however, wisely ordained by nature 
 that even he who is less gifted and less learned 
 may enjoy life, and thus gladly bear sacrifices 
 in consequence of his error. 
 
 This is the plain and simple explanation of 
 matters in regard to the manufacture of vio- 
 lins and the knowledge of tone, and those to 
 whom this does not seem comprehensible may 
 submit to a more thorough experience than 
 they have gained until now ; in this case they 
 will, after they have fully convinced themselves 
 of it, sometimes remember G. G.
 
 REPLY TO MR. SCHELLE. 
 
 A REPLY TO MR, E. SCHELLE'S CRITIQUE CONCERNING 
 
 THE VIOLINS IN THE EXHIBITION OF VIENNA IN 
 
 THE LEIPSIG "NEUE ZEITSCHRIFT FUR 
 
 MUSICK, No, 52, 1873. 
 
 Jn the foregoing circular, treating upon vio- 
 lins, I said : " It is indisputable that no pro- 
 duction of art in the world has been less un- 
 derstood than the violin." This truth has 
 proved good again in Mr. Schelle's critique 
 concerning violins, and it shows how little he 
 is able to judge about them ! In his very in- 
 troduction it is plainly shown that he has made 
 no studies in regard to tone when he says : 
 " Thus an idea came to Vuillaume to make, 
 by a chemical preparation, wood to look like 
 that of the old violins. Instruments made of 
 this material excel in regard to their splendid 
 and real Italian tone." 
 
 Against this I assert just the contrary and 
 can prove it to be nonsense by the fact that 
 wood, when submitted to a chemical process, 
 will produce a dry, covered tone, and the noble
 
 102 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 
 
 quality of tone that which affects the heart- 
 is lost. 
 
 Mr. Schelle then says : " We may also dis- 
 cover a similar experiment in the instrument 
 which Mr. George Gemiinder, of New York, 
 has in the exhibition, under the ostentatious 
 name of Kaiser Violin (Emperor Violin). Of 
 course its manufacturer would protest against 
 this insinuation, for in a little pamphlet he de- 
 clares that by the assistance of three sciences, 
 the mathematics, acoustics and knowledge of 
 the wood to be chosen, he had not only com- 
 prehended the system of Italian school, but 
 had even discovered errors in it,' etc." 
 
 Mr. Schelle further says : " There have been 
 many celebrated violin makers who were gifted 
 with the same talents and learned in the same 
 sciences, yet they could not reach what they 
 aimed at, in spite of their most strenuous 
 efforts. We confess quite openly that in spite 
 of his assurance we harbor the suspicion that 
 Mr. Gemiinder has taken refuge in a chemical 
 preparation of the wood. The violin in ques- 
 tion, a faithful imitation according to Guiseppe 
 Guarnerius, is indeed beautiful in its appear- 
 ance and has a very excellent tone. But the 
 extravagant, really American, price of ten
 
 REPLY TO MR. SCHELLE. 103 
 
 thousand dollars could only be excused when 
 its excellence should have been proven good 
 in future," etc. 
 
 From this (Mr. Schelle's) critique it is evi- 
 dent that he has tried to throw into the shade 
 the interesting production of art which I had 
 in the exhibition, in order to be enabled to put 
 the productions of the Vienna violin makers in 
 a more favorable light. But this proves that 
 only such persons as are destitute of sufficient 
 knowledge to judge of violins may be trans- 
 ported to such one-sided critiques, dictated 
 either by partiality or other interests ; for if 
 that were not the case Mr. Schelle ought to 
 have blushed with shame in regard to that in- 
 justice and disrespect with which he illustrated 
 the experience of an artist and spoke of his 
 talents and sciences, to which Mr. Schelle is 
 as much a stranger as he is to the artist's per- 
 son ! 
 
 As Mr. Schelle takes into consideration that 
 the violin at ten thousand dollars exhibited by 
 myself must first undergo " a proof of time," 
 it may be rather advisable for Mr. Schelle to 
 take a lesson of Gemiinder, that he may learn 
 those characters of tones which will prove good 
 in future and which will not ; so that he may
 
 K>4 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 
 
 be able hereafter to show better knowledge in 
 his critique upon violins ! 
 
 From my childhood I have grown up in this 
 art in Germany and have devoted myself to 
 all those studies which are connected with it. 
 The last four years in Europe I passed at Vuil- 
 laume's in Paris, consequently I am acquainted 
 with the entire European knowledge of the 
 construction of violins. 
 
 Since 1847 I have made violins in America, 
 therefore my instruments do not require to be 
 subjected to a " proof of time," for it is with- 
 out such a one that I have solved the problem 
 and secured at once the fine tone which all the 
 preceding violin makers strove in vain to find. 
 I obtained my purpose in quite a natural way. 
 This knowledge, however, does not lie in an 
 object whose secret is only to be secured by a 
 patent ; it lies purely in the gifts of man. An- 
 other century may pass by before this problem 
 will be solved again. The closing page in Mr. 
 Schelle's critique sounds like a lawyer's plead- 
 ing in favor of a criminal. In this regard his 
 writing is quite creditable, for he has well 
 pleaded the cause of the violin makers of Vi- 
 enna ! 
 
 But then those words in my circular about
 
 REPLY TO MR. SCHELLE. IOJ 
 
 violin makers proved true again : " This won- 
 derful instrument has still remained an enigma 
 to the musical world until now. How fortun- 
 ate it is that it does not understand human 
 language, by which circumstance it escapes the 
 medley of opinions which have been given in 
 regard to it." 
 
 When, however, its clear tone was heard, 
 and the easiness with which the tones came 
 was noticed, then it became an enigma to pro- 
 fessional men and they declared that this vio- 
 lin was an original fixed up again ! 
 
 But later, when it was objected to and found 
 to be a new Gemiinder violin, it was ignored 
 even in the newspapers. The Neue Wiener 
 Tageblatt, of Vienna, called it afterwards " the 
 false Cremona violin !" How envy here glared 
 forth again ; for this violin was not exhibited 
 as a Cremona violin, although it has been dem- 
 onstrated that it had been previously really 
 taken for a genuine Italian instrument. 
 
 Its introduction as " Emperor Violin " had a 
 force and pungency which tickled the profes- 
 sionals, and what surpasses all belief is, that 
 they themselves crowned the work. It was, 
 indeed, the greatest premium that I could gain r 
 in spite of all the pains which those men gave
 
 106 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 
 
 to themselves to deprive me of my merit. 
 Thus a moral prize values higher than a piece 
 of metal ? 
 
 Although many mocked at the high price, 
 yet no such violin could be made by all those 
 deriders, should millions of dollars be offered 
 to them. Therefore an unrivaled artist has 
 the right to fix any price on his productions. 
 Although an offer of $3,000 was made for it, 
 yet nobody was charged to sell it, even if $10,- 
 ooo had been presented. 
 
 The newspaper of the exhibition of Vienna, 
 published on the I7th of August, 1873 : "Ge- 
 miinder found fault with the Italian construc- 
 tions and those of Vuillaume." 
 
 If Gemvinder had not extended his studies 
 so far he would probably not have stirred up 
 those matters which had given such a headache 
 to those people of Vienna, for George Gemim- 
 der became thoroughly acquainted with both 
 the faultless and the faulty points of the Ital- 
 ians in the construction of violins. If those 
 people of Vienna had had the good luck to 
 discover imperfections on the above mentioned 
 constructions, then they would have made a 
 great cry about it. 
 
 The same newspaper says in another pas-
 
 REPLY TO MR. SCHELLE. 107 
 
 sage : " The tone of this violin is indeed strong 
 and beautiful and has an easiness that pleases, 
 also it has not that young tone peculiar to the 
 very best new violins." In saying these words 
 the writer confesses the truth in his innocence, 
 and this verdi6l crowns this violin again, be- 
 cause this character of tone is just that one 
 which all violin makers in the nineteenth cen- 
 tury have been trying in vain to find. 
 
 And further : " For this reason some pro- 
 fessional men gave vent to the suspicion that 
 the wood was submitted to an artificial prepar- 
 ation, probably by the use of borax." Such 
 was the nonsense to which this peerless violin 
 was subjected, since there was none to take up 
 its defence. The annexed description in which 
 all chemical preparations were peremptorily 
 opposed, was entirely disregarded by them. 
 Thus there is no other way to advise those 
 pseudo-professional men to have such borax 
 violins made and patented ! 
 
 To those gentlemen who call themselves 
 professional men, I, George Gemiinder, declare 
 that I am ready at .any time to sacrifice my 
 " Emperor violin " or any other which I have 
 made, and I propose to give it to the best chem- 
 ists in the world to be cut to pieces, that they
 
 PROGRESS IN VIOLIN MAKING. 
 
 may examine the wood and ascertain if any 
 chemical preparation has been used. If this is 
 found to be the case they may be allowed to 
 scold and blame me publicly as much as they 
 please ; but, if nothing of that kind is found, 
 they are to pay ten thousand dollars for the 
 " Emperor violin." 
 
 Address : GEORGE GEM UNDER. 
 ASTORIA, NEW YORK.
 
 ERRATUM. 
 
 Page 70. Sentence beginning " He also 
 tried to persuade them into the belief," &c., 
 should read, " He also tried to persuade them 
 into the belief that when new violins sound 
 well and are serviceable for concerts they 
 are made of chemically prepared wood."
 
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 OCT 1 4 1996 
 Al REC'D C.L. WH 
 
 23-96
 
 ucsou 
 
 7 000143258 2