Chapter II: Section I: The Early History of the Violin

PAGE 1.--General observations--Early History involved in obscurity and vague conjecture--Jubal, Orpheus, and Apollo--Views of Early Historians of Music, as to Asiatic and Scandinavian origin respectively--Ravanon, King of Ceylon, and the "Ravanastron"--Researches of Sanscrit Scholars--Suggested Arabian origin of the Ribeca, or Rebec, and the Rehab of the Moors--Early Egyptian instruments--Moorish musical influence in Spain--The Troubadours and Trouveres in Northern France, and the Gigeours of Germany . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11

2.--Early evidence of Bowed Instruments in the north of Europe--Presumed Scandinavian origin of the German Geige--The Hon. Roger North's "Memoirs of Music"--Martinus Gerbertus, his "De Cantu et Musica Sacra"--Paul Lacroix' "Arts of the Middle Ages"--Earliest known representations of Bowed Instruments, sixth to ninth century--The Manuscript of St. Blasius--The Cheli or Chelys--Saxon Fiddle in the Cottonian Manuscripts, and in Strutt's "Sports and Pastimes"--The early Saxons' love of Music--The Saxon Fithele in the time of the Norman Conquest--The Geige in France, and the Jongleurs, "dancers, jugglers, and buffoons"--Domestic Music in Germany and the Low Countries in the sixteenth century--The Viol and the Madrigal--Music in Italy--Adrian Willaert, "The Father of the Madrigal"--Northern Musicians attracted to Italian Courts--Development of the Madrigal in Italy--High standard of early Italian work, but under German teaching--The Viols of Brensius of Bologna--Silvestro Ganassi, his work on the Viol--Duiffoprugcar and Gasparo da Salo and the development of the Violin--The Fretted Finger-board--The Violono or Bass Viol--Five-stringed Viols--The three-stringed Fiddle, or Geige, attributed to Andrea Amati, altered by the Brothers Mantegazza to a four-stringed Violin--Advent of the four-stringed Violin ascribed to Gasparo da Salo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-26

SECTION II.--THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE VIOLIN.

The present form of the Violin the result of much research and experiment, but perfected by the great Cremonese makers--Hogarth's "Line of Beauty" exemplified in the Violin--The requisites necessary to the due appreciation of the grace and properties of the Violin, and its exquisite power of expression--Its acoustical properties--Varieties of woods used in its construction--Methods adopted, and choice of material, by the great Brescian and Cremonese makers--The "whole-back" and "slab-back"--The constituent parts of the Violin--System of placing the sound-bar--Properties and position of the sound-post, and of the bridge; the neck; the finger-board; purfling, &c., &c.--The sound-holes of different makers--Needed cautions as to repairing good instruments . . . . . . . . . . . 27-42

SECTION III.--ITALIAN AND OTHER STRINGS.

Importance of the Strings in the economy of the Violin--Adrien Le Roy's instructions "How to know Strings"--Thomas Mace and "Venetian Catlins"--Character of the different manufactures of Strings--Superiority of the Italian--The raw material not supplied by the feline race--Rules to be observed in choosing Strings--Modern improvements in Stringing--The Strings of Lindley and Dragonetti--Covered Strings--Experiments on the strain and pressure of Strings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43-56

SECTION IV.--THE ITALIAN SCHOOL.

A glance at the rise, culmination, and decadence of Art in Italy, and the Violin as connected therewith--The Italians far in advance of other nations in the manufacture--The five Schools of Italian makers--Roger North on the demand for Italian Violins--Brescia the cradle of the manufacture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57-69

SECTION V.--THE ITALIAN VARNISH.

The formation of the Italian Varnish a secret lost to the world--Lustrous character of that of Cremona--Characteristics of the four classes of Italian Varnish--Conjecture as to the loss of the secret--Influence of the different Varnishes on the tone of the Violin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70-76