Chapter XXVI: Conclusion (3)

KRETZCHMANN.--Markneukirchen; eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. A very numerous family. In some of their instruments the maker’s initials are branded in the place usually occupied by the label.

KREUZINGER.--The name of a Schönbach family of makers in the nineteenth century. ANTON, born 1873, is highly spoken of as a good copyist. JOSEPH, born 1871, is reckoned a good workman, but seems latterly to have manufactured on a large scale.

KRIGGE, HEINRICH.--Danzig; _circa_ 1750 Large fiddles, double purfled after the manner of Maggini.

KRINER.--Mittenwald; eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. A large family which includes one or two high-class workmen. Amongst them may be mentioned SIMON KRINER, who died in 1821, and was a clever copyist of Italian work. He travelled with his productions and occasionally came to England.

KULIK, JOHANNES.--Prague. Died 1872. Neat work and well-cut heads. Used various tickets.

LAFLEUR, JACQUES.--Paris. Died 1832. Excellent bow-maker. A son, JOSEPH RENÉ, was also a good workman. Died 1874.

LAGETTO, LOUIS.--Paris; eighteenth century. Was an Italian. Yellow-brown varnish. Mediocre style and appearance.

LAMBERT, JEAN NICOLAS.--Paris; eighteenth century. Used various labels, some with ornamental border; also sometimes branded his work.

LAMY, ALFRED JOSEPH.--Paris; contemporary. Well-known bow-maker. Imitates style of Voiriu.

LANDOLFI, CARLO FERDINANDO.--Milan; _circa_ 1740-80. A maker of some importance. His work is fairly plentiful, and the best examples are well finished and exhibit much handsomer material than that employed by most of the Milanese makers. The varnish on such examples is strikingly beautiful. It is of different shades varying between yellowish-red and brown-red. Scrolls not handsome. He is sometimes cited as a follower of Guarneri del Gesù, but there is little or no resemblance to the work of that maker. Arching sometimes rather full. Sound-holes well cut, but rather weak looking. Work generally very characteristic, but examples are met with in which it is carelessly finished and the varnish inferior. He seems to have made his instruments in different grades. The violoncellos used to realise better prices than the violins. They are good instruments, but rather small in size. A son named PIETRO ANTONIO worked with him and succeeded him. He seems to have lived until about the end of the century. A few examples of his work seen by the writer were of inferior style and finish. Yellowish-red varnish of not much brilliancy. Sound-holes slightly pointed.

LANTNER, FERDINAND MARTIN.--Prague. Died 1906. He made a number of instruments, but they seem to be scarce in this country.

LANZA, ANTONIO MARIA.--Brescia; to about 1715. Genuine work scarce. Maggini style.

LAPAIX, J. A.--Lille; to about 1858. Was an inventor or innovator whose experiments did not lead to much, but made some useful fiddles of orthodox pattern.

LA PREVOTTE, ETIENNE.--Marseilles, Paris. Died 1856. Made some handsome violins, but was chiefly a guitar maker.

LARCHER, PIERRE.--Paris, Tours; eighteenth century. Pupil of Guersan.

LASKE, JOSEPH ANTON.--Prague. Died 1805. Said to have been a fine workman. Little known in this country. Some of the labels have an ornamental border.

LAVAZZA, ANTONIO MARIA.--Milan; early eighteenth century. Scarce. A relative named SANTINO LAVAZZA worked about the same time.

LE BLANC.--Paris; about 1800. Brown instruments, branded with the name.

LE CLERC, J. N.--Paris; eighteenth century.

LEEB.--Pressburg, Vienna. A family of makers in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The best known is ANDREAS CARL, a good workman. Chiefly Stradivari pattern.

LEGNANI, LUIGI.--Naples; _circa_ 1760. Pupil of Zosimo Bergonzi.

LEIDOLFF.--Vienna; seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. There were several members of the family. Their work is of the Stainer school.

LEISSMÜLLER, CHRISTOPHER and MARTIN.--Krünn, near Mittenwald; eighteenth century. Two makers who have made useful violins of good tone.

LE JEUNE.--Paris; eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. A numerous family of makers of no particular eminence.

LEMBÖCK, GABRIEL.--Budapest. Died 1892. A good maker and excellent repairer.

LENOBLE, AUGUSTE.--Paris. Died 1895. A fine bow-maker. Worked first with François Peccatte.

LENTZ, JOHANN NICHOLAUS.--London; early nineteenth century. A Tyrolese. Instruments date from Chelsea. The work is passable, but specimens are not often seen. He was first employed as a butler, and became friendly with J. F. Lott.

LE PILEUR, PIERRE.--Paris; 1750.

LÉTÉ, SIMON.--Paris; nineteenth century. Married the daughter of F. Pique. Was chiefly an organ builder, but made passable violins. J. B. Vuillaume was in partnership with him until 1828.

LEWIS, EDWARD.--London; seventeenth century. Carefully finished work with yellow or yellow-red varnish. Scarce.

LIEBICH.--Breslau; nineteenth century. Several of the name date from Breslau. Some of their copies are very well made.

LIPP.--A name frequently seen in eighteenth century fiddles, mostly dating from Mittenwald.

LIPPOLD.--Eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. A family of makers in Markneukirchen.

LONGMAN & BRODERIP.--London. Well-known dealers in the eighteenth century. Banks, Jay, and several other good workmen made instruments for the firm.

LORENZ.--Eighteenth century. There were two or three German makers of the name, chiefly in Markneukirchen. No particular merit. Name branded on backs.

LOTT.--London. A celebrated family of German origin, dating from late eighteenth century. The senior and perhaps most important member was JOHN FREDERICK LOTT, who died in London in 1853. He was first associated with Fendt in working for Thomas Dodd (_q.v._), and his double basses will bear comparison for style and workmanship with anything of the kind made in this country or abroad. He also made fine violoncellos, and, more rarely, violins, but was a fine workman in all departments. His son GEORGE FREDERICK died in 1868, and worked chiefly for Davis, the well-known dealer in Coventry Street, for whom he made many clever copies of Italian instruments. He was also celebrated as a judge of old violins. JOHN FREDERICK LOTT II., who died in 1871, was the second son of J. F. Lott, senior, and is perhaps the best known of the family amongst violinists. His copies of del Gesù’s fiddles are frequently remarkably clever imitations, and are still frequently mistaken for originals, though they are usually a trifle larger than the latter. He was almost equally successful in imitating Carlo Bergonzi, but examples of that pattern are rather scarce. But it may be said that he could, when he chose, imitate any of the great Cremonese masters with extraordinary fidelity. He was occasionally employed by J. B. Vuillaume, to whom he is said to have imparted information (little needed, one would have supposed) on the methods employed in making facsimiles of old Italian work.

LOUIS, JEAN.--Geneva, Basle; about 1800-20.

LOWENDALL, LOUIS.--Dresden, Berlin; nineteenth century. A well-known manufacturer of stringed instruments and accessories.

LUPOT.--Eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. A celebrated French family of makers originating in Mirecourt. JEAN, the founder, died there in 1749, and was in no way distinguished. His son LAURENT worked in various places and died in Orleans between 1760-70. FRANCOIS LUPOT I. was son of Laurent, and worked chiefly in Orleans, but went to Paris in 1794 and died there in 1804. He was a good workman, vastly superior to his predecessors. His name is usually stamped on the back of his instruments in addition to the label. Brown or yellow-brown varnish of moderate quality. Arching sometimes inclined to be full. Sound-holes rather upright and the opening not very wide. Scroll mediocre. He is said to have worked with Guarneri del Gesù, but his violins bear no likeness whatever to those of that master, and it is difficult to understand how such a story could have gained currency. His son NICHOLAS LUPOT, born Stuttgart, 1758, died Paris, 1824, was a maker of the first rank, and is usually reckoned the most important of all the makers of the French school. He worked first with his father, and his earlier examples date from Orleans. In 1792 he made for Pique of Paris a number of fiddles in the white, which were varnished by that maker, and bore his label, but are easily distinguished from the works of the latter. The migration to Paris took place in 1794, and his finest efforts are dated from there, the best period beginning about 1800, or a year or two later. His copies of makers other than Stradivari are comparatively rare, but he was unquestionably one of the best imitators of the great Cremonese who ever lived. The work throughout is scrupulously well finished; outline exactly reproduced, and scrolls and sound-holes cut with much vigour and accuracy. Notwithstanding this, the general appearance of his instruments is a trifle massive and heavy, and there is no doubt that in this respect certain other copyists, such as François Fent and Vincent Panormo, have excelled him. His varnish is of good quality, but varies somewhat in appearance, texture, and colour. Dark red was the favourite shade, but lighter shades from yellow onwards are met with, and in some examples the reds are rather glaring. The tone of a fine example is excellent, but, like that of most French instruments, seldom or never possesses the true Italian quality. Some of the violoncellos are superb. He was the founder of the more modern and typical French school of makers and had several notable pupils. His younger brother, FRANÇOIS LUPOT II., died in Paris in 1837. Such violins as he made are quite indifferent, and his attention was almost entirely confined to bow-making. His best bows are excellent in every way, but he was an unequal workman, and a good many are a trifle short in the stick.

LUTZ.--Eighteenth and nineteenth century. A large family of makers in Schönbach. Some of them established themselves in other places (Vienna and Paris), and were at work quite recently.

MACGEORGE, GEORGE.--Edinburgh. Worked with Matthew Hardie, and later alone until about 1820.

MACINTOSH, JOHN.--Dublin. Died about 1840. Born in Scotland. Succeeded to Perry and Wilkinson’s business. A tolerably good workman, but resorted to practices for artificially maturing the wood of his instruments.

MAGGINI, GIOVANNI PAOLO.--Brescia. Born in Botticino Sera, near Brescia, in August, 1580. Died in or before 1632. It is supposed that he fell a victim to the plague in the latter year. Interesting and important information about him was discovered by Professor Berenzi, who lectured on the subject in Brescia in 1890 and also wrote a pamphlet. The facts thus disclosed were included in a monograph on Maggini compiled by Lady Huggins, and published in 1892, most of the material being derived from notes supplied by the brothers Hill. The maker was apprenticed to Gaspar da Salò, and his earlier work is primitive looking and somewhat rough. According to the Huggins monograph both backs and bellies were at first cut on the slab. The violins of Gaspar da Salò, or such of them as have survived, seem to be usually of small pattern; those of Maggini, on the other hand, are usually of large size and may measure from 14-1/4 to a fraction over 14-1/2 inches in length of body; but according to observations made by the writer, there is reason to believe that he now and then made examples of somewhat reduced proportions. Be that as it may, the typical Maggini fiddle is considerably larger than an ordinary full-sized instrument. His practice was to double purfle his work, but several single purfled specimens are known. The sound-holes at his best period are finely cut and set somewhat slantingly in the belly, the edges being bevelled on the under side. The lower circles are somewhat smaller than the upper ones, but it is by no means certain that this feature was either originated by or entirely peculiar to Maggini, as has been asserted. The cutting of the scroll is peculiar, the turns being from a quarter to half a turn shorter than the ordinary number. In large numbers of continental and other forgeries, and in the common copies of Maggini violins, the process has been reversed and an extra turn added to the volute. The varnish is of fine quality, brown in early work, and golden with a tinge of red in the latest specimens. The outline of the body is bold, with short corners, and, in a typical example, the waist widens rapidly to the lower corner. The arching of the violins is very gradual, rising to about half an inch in the centre of the plates. There are, however, specimens, supposed to date from Maggini’s middle period, in which the build is somewhat higher, and there is a “pronounced raised border” running round the edges. The labels are undated, and placed near the centre of the instrument, instead of directly under the sound-hole. The tone of his best violins is superb, but a little deficient in brilliancy in the upper register. Genuine Maggini work is scarce, but imitations of it abound. One of the cleverest imitators was Bernhard Fendt, several of whose double-basses have passed as Magginis. Violas of unquestioned authenticity do not exceed about a dozen in number. They are more arched than the fiddles and the sound-holes set somewhat high. Nearly all the existing specimens have been reduced in size. Only two or three genuine violoncellos appear to be known. Of double-basses and instruments of the violone class it is difficult to speak with certainty. A small chamber bass, erroneously assigned to da Salò, was in the possession of Mr. T. W. Bourne a few years ago, and a fine example of large size is, or was recently, in Stockholm. Much of the work of this class formerly assigned in this country to Maggini is now recognised as English, Fendt and one or two others being the authors of it. Of Maggini’s two sons, one died in infancy, and the other, Pietro, was not a violin maker. The older books mention a Pietro Santo Maggini, but his existence as a maker is nowadays discredited.

MAIRE, NICHOLAS.--Paris. Died 1878. A good bow-maker.

MALDONER, JOHANN STEPHAN.--Füssen; eighteenth century. Mediocre work, often worm-eaten. Used a label with an ornamental border.

MALINE.--Paris; worked to about 1850 or later. A clever bow-maker. Worked at one time for Vuillaume. A violin-maker of the same name, who may have been his son, also worked in Paris.

MANDELLI, CAMILLO.--Late nineteenth century. Apparently dates from Cremona, with which city he was intimately acquainted. Work not known to writer.

MANN, JOHN ALEXANDER.--Glasgow. Died 1889. A good workman. Usually copied Stradivari. Dark yellow varnish. He was one of the best Scottish makers of the last century, and was intimate with J. B. Vuillaume. Some of his tickets are in French wording.

MANSUY, or MANSUE.--Paris; _circa_ 1840. Instruments seemingly scarce.

MANTEGAZZA--Milan; eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. There were three or four members of the family. PIETRO GIOVANNI seems to have worked in partnership with two brothers. They were well-known dealers and repairers. Good work, varnish often very dark in colour. Their violas are highly spoken of. The form of their instruments resembles that of Amati.

MARCHETTI, ENRICO.--Turin; late nineteenth century. Obtained a medal for his work at Antwerp in 1885.

MARCHI, GIAN ANTONIO.--Bologna; seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Golden yellow or red-brown varnish of good quality. Wood handsome. Scrolls very well cut. Appears to have made some fine violoncellos.

MARCONCINI, ALOYSIUS.--Bologna, Ferrara; _circa_ 1760-90. Said to have been a pupil of Omobono Stradivari. A son named GIUSEPPE died in 1841. He worked in Cremona as a pupil of Storioni.

MARENGO-RINALDI, ROMANO.--Turin. Born 1866. Succeeded the well-known dealer, Gioffredo Rinaldi. Work is after the style of Pressenda, whose recipe for varnish he is said to possess. He has obtained medals at Turin and Paris.

MARIANI, ANTONIO.--Pesaro; _circa_ 1635-95. This maker has shared the fate of Cappa, his working period having been antedated by about a century in the older books on the violin. He was at work until very near the end of the seventeenth century. All sorts of double purfled instruments, some of them in no way like his, have been attributed to him. He is said to have been a pupil of Maggini, which is certainly very doubtful. The resemblance to the work of that maker is very trifling. The fiddles are generally rather large, and in most cases double purfled; but in other respects they differ materially from those of Maggini. The pattern is primitive and inelegant; the corners long; the sound-holes usually set very upright; in some the wings are absent, and the sound-hole is of the type known as “Brescian.” The waist is long and stiff looking, and quite unlike that of Maggini. The scroll a rough piece of carving. Varnish of good quality, and usually brown or yellow-brown. Wood generally of very plain appearance. A fine violin with an excellent tone, having a single line of purfling, is in the possession of the well-known artist, Philip Cathie. Another Mariani, named FABIO, is said by Valdrighi to have worked in Pesaro in the latter part of the seventeenth century, and was probably a son.

MARINO, BERNARDINO.--Rome; eighteenth century and early nineteenth. Roughish work of Tecchler style. Varnish red-brown.

MARQUIS DE L’AIR. See CLAUDOT.

MARSHALL, JOHN.--London; eighteenth century. Wamsley school of work. Stainer pattern. Labels usually in Latin. In some of his tickets there is a mild attempt at humour, “Good beef a penny a pound, but trades all very bad.”

MARTIN.--Eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. A pretty numerous family working chiefly in Markneukirchen, several of whom bore the Christian names “John Adam.”

MARTIN.--Paris; nineteenth century. There were several of the name. They were principally dealers and repairers.

MAST.--Eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. A Mirecourt family. JEAN LAURENT worked in Paris in the latter part of the eighteenth century. Instruments branded. JOSEPH LAURENT, a neat workman, settled in Toulouse. Rather high model. Pretty wood. Yellow or red varnish. He was a skilful repairer.

MAUCOTEL.--Mirecourt, Paris, London; nineteenth century. A well-known family of good workmen. CHARLES, born Mirecourt, 1807, worked in Paris under Gand. Came to London in 1844, and after working for Davis established himself in Rupert Street. Retired to France in 1860. Chiefly copied Stradivari. Red varnish. CHARLES ADOLPHE, his brother, worked in Paris for Vuillaume until 1844, and then set up for himself. Made a considerable number of copies of excellent workmanship and tone. Obtained various medals, and died in 1858. ERNST MAUCOTEL, born in Mirecourt in 1867; assisted Hippolyte Chrétien-Silvestre, with whom he became partner in 1900.

MAURIZI, FRANCESCO.--Appignano; eighteenth century. Used sometimes a large oval ticket with ornamental border. Varnish brown.

MAUSSIELL, LEONHARD.--Nuremberg. Born 1685, died after 1760. A careful maker. Usually copied Stainer. Some of the fiddles have lion-heads. Varnish yellow, or yellow-brown.

MAYR.--Eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Three or four of the name worked in different parts of Germany (Salzburg, Munich, Schönbach). The best known is ANDREAS FERDINAND, a careful workman, who copied Stainer, and worked in Salzburg until about 1750.

MAYSON, WALTER H.--Manchester. Born 1835, died 19--. Has made a great number of violins and other instruments of excellent finish, some of which are elaborately carved. He wrote a book on violin making, which was published in the “Strad Library.”

MÉDARD.--A numerous family of makers established in Nancy and Paris in the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. There were upwards of a dozen of them. The best known is François, son of Claude Médard. Born at Nancy, he worked chiefly in Paris, where he flourished until about 1715, or later. The work is very pretty, and the wood frequently handsome. Light red varnish of very clear texture. Arching rather flat.

MEER, KAREL VAN DER.--Amsterdam; contemporary. A clever workman. Maker to the Conservatoire in Amsterdam.

MEIBERI, FRANCESCO.--Leghorn; eighteenth century. One of the few makers dating from Leghorn. Work little known.

MEINEL.--Upwards of a score of makers of the name date from Klingenthal and Markneukirchen, in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The work of some of them is very passable. Instruments frequently branded with maker’s initials.

MEISEL.--Another very large tribe of German makers, dating, chiefly from Klingenthal, down to very recent times.

MEISNER, JOHANN FRIEDRICH.--Lübeck. Died 1770. A professional musician who made violins, specimens of which are occasionally seen in this country. Dark brown varnish.

MELEGARI, ENRICO CLODOVIO.--Turin; nineteenth century.

MELONI, ANTONIO.--Milan; late seventeenth century. Pretty work. Yellow varnish.

MENNÉGAND, CHARLES.--Died 1885. Worked in various places, including Amsterdam, but chiefly in Paris. A very clever workman and repairer. Has left numerous instruments, a number of which are violoncellos. Usually worked on Stradivari lines.

MENNESON, JEAN EMILE (pseudonym “Guarini”).--Rheims. Born 1842. A clever workman, who has obtained several medals. Has produced a great number of instruments with the assistance of workmen, and had formerly a factory at Mirecourt. Many of his violins are copies of the “Messie” Stradivari. His sons succeeded to his business.

MERCIER, A.--Paris; nineteenth century. Mirecourt class of work. Name stamped inside instruments. Varnish yellowish red.

MÉRIOTTE, CHARLES.--Lyons; middle eighteenth century. Stradivari pattern.

MESSORI, PIETRO.--Modena; contemporary. Manufactures various kinds of instruments, and has received several medals. Violins are said to be well made and amber varnish, but work is not known to the writer.

METHFESSEL, GUSTAV.--Berne. Born 1839. Worked first in Vienna.

MEYER, MAGNUS ANDREAS.--Hamburg; eighteenth century. Work said to resemble that of Tielke. Yellow varnish. Sometimes inlaid. Written labels.

MEZZADRI, ALESSANDRO.--Ferrara; _circa_ 1720 and later. Amati style. Fairly good work. Another Mezzadri named FRANCESCO worked in Milan to about 1750. Writer has seen two or three violins of fairly neat workmanship and Amati outline. Reddish varnish.

MICHELIS.--_See_ ZANETTO.

MIGGE, OTTO KOBLENZ.--London. Born 1857. Has written a book claiming to have discovered the secrets of the Italian masters. Violins by him seen by the writer certainly did not justify the claim.

MIREMONT, CLAUDE AUGUSTIN.--New York, Paris. Born 1827, Mirecourt, died 1887. Has left many useful instruments, chiefly of Stradivari pattern, which are rising in value. Sides sometimes appear rather deep. He made some excellent violoncellos.

MÖCKEL.--Nineteenth century. A Berlin family established in Berlin, Dresden, and elsewhere. One of them, OTTO, used a label with his portrait upon it.

MOINEL, CHARLES.--Paris. Born 1866. Succeeded Cherpitel.

MOITESSIER, LOUIS.--Mirecourt. Worked to about 1825 and made many instruments. Examples seen by writer were of mediocre workmanship.

MÖNNIG.--Markneukirchen. A family of nineteenth century makers. About half a dozen of them are mentioned.

MONTADE, GREGORIO.--Cremona; to about 1730. The work is after the pattern of Stradivari, but is little known amongst connoisseurs.

MONTAGNANA, DOMENICO.--Venice; to about 1745 or later. A maker of very high rank, about whom very little is certainly known. He was probably born in Venice, and the stories that he worked under either Stradivari or Amati may be dismissed as being unsupported by any evidence worthy of the name. The earliest date seen by the writer in an authentic ticket is 1715, and appears in a fine violin of rather small size, photographs of which appeared in the _Strad_ magazine in June, 1912. Whoever was his instructor, he seems to have asserted his individuality from the outset. In a few of the violins there is more than a suspicion of a leaning towards the German form of outline; and in the treatment of the sound-holes the same thing may be observed. This is not surprising when it is remembered that the majority of the old Venetian makers exhibit traces, more or less marked, of the influence of Stainer. In his finest examples no trace of anything of the kind is discernible. He was an admirable workman with great knowledge of wood, and a fine eye for form. Much of his material is very handsome, particularly in the violoncellos, in the making of which instruments he was second to no maker, except Stradivari. A few double-basses are known. Violas are very rarely seen, but the few recognised as genuine are admirable instruments and possess a very fine tone. His varnish has long excited the admiration of connoisseurs. It is very lustrous, and of varying shades of red, the texture being much clearer than that usually seen on work of the Venetian school. The violins are of two sizes, the larger and more valuable being a small fraction under 14 inches long, and the general dimensions corresponding pretty nearly with the larger examples of Guarneri del Gesù. In the finer examples the sound-holes are not unlike some of those of Carlo Bergonzi. The arching is of medium height as a rule, but now and then a little fuller. His fiddles are certainly very rare, but their number is not so phenomenally limited as has been asserted by some writers. Tricks have been freely played with his labels in the past. These in some examples date from the sign “Cremona”; but there are genuine tickets which contain no reference to it. The heads are always splendid pieces of carving and of bold contour. One of the handsomest of his violoncellos has long been in the possession of Mr. George Gudgeon. A woodcut of it appears in Hart’s book on the violin.

MORLET, NICHOLAS.--France, probably Mirecourt; nineteenth century. Large violins after the stereotyped pattern of “didier” Nicolas.

MORRISON, JOHN.--London; nineteenth century, first half. Worked in Soho, chiefly for the trade. Instruments little known.

MOUGENOT.--Rouen; _circa_ 1760.

MOUGENOT, GEORGES.--Brussels. Born 1843. A well-known dealer and maker. He worked with N. F. Vuillaume, whose business in Brussels he acquired. His copies of Stradivari and Guarneri are very well made. Work usually signed in addition to printed label.

MOUGENOT-GAUCHÉ.--Contemporary. A manufacturer of violins on a considerable scale. His best grade fiddles are useful instruments and mostly after the pattern of the “Messie” Stradivari.

MUCCHI, ANTONIO.--Modena. Died 1883. His violins and violoncellos are fair examples of modern Italian work. Varnish generally yellow or yellow-brown.

MÜLLER.--Several German makers of this name are known. Some worked in Markneukirchen in the last century. Others in Schönbach.

NADOTTI, JOSEPH.--Piacenza; eighteenth century, latter half.

NANCY, JEAN THÉODORE.--Paris; to about 1800. Chiefly known as a clever repairer.

NEMESSÁNYI, SAMUEL FELIX.--Budapest; _circa_ 1850-75. Work little known in this country, but he was an exceptionally clever copyist of Guarneri del Gesù and used good varnish.

NEUMÄRKER.--Nineteenth century. Several makers of the name worked in Schöneck.

NEUNER.--Mittenwald; eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. A very numerous family of makers, several of whom bore the Christian name MATTHIAS. The second of that name died about 1830, and in 1812 founded the well-known firm of NEUNER AND HORNSTAINER, one of the largest manufacturing houses in Germany. LUDWIG NEUNER, born 1840, and a member of the firm, worked for a time with J. B. Vuillaume in Paris. A clever workman, he, in 1879, gained a medal in Berlin.

NEVEU, CHARLES.--Paris. Born 1863. A skilful copyist. Chiefly Stradivari pattern.

NEWTON, ISAAC.--London. Died 1825. Worked for Betts.

NICOLAS.--Paris. _See_ FOURRIER.

NICOLAS.--Mirecourt; eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. A well-known family, the principal member of which is known the world over as “didier” Nicolas. He was born in 1757 and died in 1833. His early personal work is good and well finished. The violins are built somewhat upon Stradivari lines, but cannot be described as copies of that maker. They are generally of rather large pattern and but slightly arched. Tone powerful, and the varnishes, a reddish-yellow or yellow-brown, of good quality. Some of the violoncellos are exceptionally good. There is no doubt that these earlier examples possess considerable merit, but in later years Nicolas employed a very large staff of workmen, and degenerated into a manufacturer of coarse-sounding, common-place instruments, which, though useful enough in the orchestra, are quite unsuitable for other purposes. The type of instrument ultimately turned out has been extensively copied in France and elsewhere. The feature which at once strikes the eye is the sound-hole, the wings of which are cut off almost horizontally. His fiddles are branded with a triangular stamp “a la Ville de Cremonne.” Several other Mirecourt makers adopted the “Ville de Cremonne” as a sign. A son, JOSEPH, died in 1864, and after the latter’s death the business was sold to Derazey (_q.v._).

NIGGELL, SYMPERT.--Füssen; _circa_ 1730-75. A maker of some repute, but not very well-known in this country. A few fiddles seen by the writer were well-finished instruments; pattern a little like that of Albani, and with dark brown varnish. He branded his work inside with his initials.

NISBET, WILLIAM.--Prestonkirk. Born 1828. Pencilled his name inside the backs of his violins. Obtained a medal in Edinburgh in 1886.

NORMAN, BARAK.--London; _circa_ 1680-1740. Said to have been the first maker of violoncellos in this country. His work is generally double purfled, and he imitated some of the Maggini features, including the peculiarity observed in that maker’s sound-holes, the lower circles of which are smaller than the upper ones. The violoncellos are large, and well made, the varnish generally a dark red-brown, but lighter shades occur. He and Nathaniel Cross, with whom he was for a time partner, seem to have made a number of ornamentally purfled viols-da-gamba. The writer has seen some of these, converted and strung as violoncellos. Violins by Barak Norman exist, although this has been denied by some writers. His monogram in purfling appears under the finger-boards, and sometimes on the backs. Some large tenors of high build are in existence.

NORRIS, JOHN.--London. Died 1818. Founded the well-known business of Norris and Barnes, for many years carried on in Coventry Street. He learned fiddle-making with Thomas Smith, but very little seems to be known of him as a workman.

NOVELLO.--Venice; eighteenth century. Three makers of the name are mentioned. The only examples of violins seen by the writer were by PIETRO VALENTINO, who was at work in the closing years of the century, and describes himself in his tickets as a pupil of Bellosio.

NÜRNBERGER.--Markneukirchen; eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. A large family of workmen, two or three of whom have turned their attention to bow-making. Some of their work in this department is excellent, and will bear comparison for style and finish with that of the best living French bow-makers.

OBBÕ, MARCO.--Naples; earlier part of eighteenth century. Little known. His full name does not seem to be known, but the final O in his label has the abbreviation mark (as above) over it. Flattish fiddles. Yellow, or yellow-brown varnish.

OBICI, BARTOLOMEO.--Verona; seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Large violins. Yellow varnish. Brescian style of work.

ODDONE, CARLO GIUSEPPE.--Turin. Born 1866. A clever maker, who was for a time in England, but has been established in Turin since 1901.

ODOARDI, GIUSEPPE.--Ascoli. Born 1746; date of death not ascertained. One Italian writer says he died at the age of 28, but this seems to be incorrect. He seems to have experimented with different kinds of wood. Writer has not met with examples of his work.

ÖHBERG, JOHANNES.--Stockholm; _circa_ 1760-90.

OLRY, J.--Amiens; to about 1850. Stradivari pattern; good work. Dark-red varnish. He worked with Georges Chanot I.

OMOND, JAMES.--Stromness. Born 1833. A Scottish maker of more than average ability. Has made a large number of instruments.

ORTEGA, ASENSIO.--Madrid. Died about 1835. A maker and repairer, who has earned unenviable notoriety by tinkering with the famous violoncello made by Stradivari for the Spanish Court.

OSTLER, ANDREAS.--Breslau; eighteenth century. Pretty work and handsome wood. Yellow or yellow-brown varnish. Stainer pattern.

OTTO.--Makers of this name worked all over Germany and elsewhere. About twenty of them are mentioned by von Lütgendorff, who devotes several pages to them. The only member of the family of much interest to English readers is JAKOB AUGUST, who died in 1829, and was the author of the wellknown book on the violin.

OUVRARD, JEAN.--Paris; eighteenth century. Pupil of Pierray, whom he imitated to some extent. Work seldom seen.

PACHERELE, MICHEL.--Paris; late eighteenth century. Scarce. Stamped his name on the backs of his instruments. Yellow varnish.

PACHERELE, PIERRE.--Paris, Nice, Genoa, Turin. Died in Nice 1871. A fine workman, but a “roving blade.” He did much work as a repairer. Worked with Pressenda for several years, and made instruments which closely resemble and are equal to those of that maker. His ordinary instruments are of Stradivari pattern.

PACQUET.--Marseilles; late eighteenth century. Common-place instruments. Frequently worm-eaten.

PADEWET.--Nineteenth century. Four or more makers of the name are known. The family seems to have sprung from Vienna. Three of them worked in Karlsruhe. JOHANN I. died 1872. A skilful maker who obtained several medals. JOHANN II., who died in 1902, copied Stradivari, and seems to have made a large number of instruments. He received various medals, and was a well-known repairer.

PAGEOT.--Mirecourt. Died 1849. Name also spelt Pajeot. Bow-maker. Personally a skilful workman, but employed workmen who turned out bows wholesale, the prices beginning at sixpence each.

PAJOT.--Jenzat; nineteenth century. A family of makers, probably originating in Mirecourt. Chiefly makers of hurdy-gurdies.

PALLOTA, PIETRO.--Perugia. Died about 1820. Little known.

PAMPHILON, EDWARD.--London; about 1681. He used a beautiful varnish of yellow colour, sometimes with a tinge of red. The fiddles are squarish, and stiff looking in outline. Scrolls small. The bottom of the shell is finished in a peculiar way. Some of the sound-holes are more curious than beautiful, the lower turns having a very wide sweep. Double-purfling was generally, but not always, employed. Writer has seen a few specimens containing Maggini labels. His own tickets are very scarce, and contain the day of the month when instrument was finished, in addition to the year.

PANDOLFI, ANTONIO.--Venice; eighteenth century. The work and tone are highly spoken of, but the writer has not seen examples.

PANORMO.--London, Paris; eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The last survivor of this celebrated family died in Brighton in 1891. The most important member of it was VINCENZO TRUSIANO PANORMO, or as appears in many of his labels, “Vincent,” from whose son, Francis, were obtained the dates of his birth and death. He was born at Monreale, near Palermo, according to the story, in 1734, and died in London in 1813. Owing to the wide range of dates seen in labels (genuine or otherwise) it has been surmised that there were two Vincents, and one enthusiast claims to have discovered three. Various traditions are current as to his early life and training. According to one of them he worked with Carlo Bergonzi in Cremona. Nothing, however, seems to be definitely known except that in certain years he worked in Paris, that most of his life was spent in London, and that he was also for a time in Ireland. A large number of his works survive, the best of them being magnificent copies of the different types of Stradivari. As copies these specimens have never been surpassed, and but rarely equalled by any other maker; their tone is of Italian character, and far superior to that of the French copies, and they are covered with beautiful varnish, mostly of varying shades of yellow, but more rarely red. Panormo was a consummate workman, and given the material and the opportunity he was capable of building, as few others could, any instrument of the fiddle tribe, from a superb double-bass to a violin. His violoncellos are very fine. Unfortunately he did much work for the trade, which does him little credit, although far better than one is accustomed to see in work of its class. His best fiddles are handsomer and less heavy looking than those of Lupot. His son JOSEPH is best known as a violoncello maker. His violins look rather heavy in style as a rule, but there are exceptions. GEORGE LOUIS, usually known as Louis, died in London in or before 1845. He is said to have been the second son. The octagon bows bearing his stamp are frequently very fine. He specialised as a guitar maker, but turned out a good many violins. These vary in merit, but some are decidedly handsome. He was a good scroll-cutter.

PAQUOTTE.--Paris; nineteenth century. A Mirecourt family. The business in Paris was founded by SEBASTIEN, who died in 1863. There were three or four makers, all good workmen.

PARIS, CLAUDE.--Paris; late eighteenth century.

PARKER, DANIEL.--London; eighteenth century. An excellent maker, whose work has in recent years risen rapidly in value. He seems to have worked from quite early in the century until after 1770. He shares with John Hare the merit of having turned attention to the pattern of Stradivari, and it is much to be regretted that other British makers of the period did not do the like. Some of his fiddles are upon lines more or less like those of Amati, but his reputation chiefly rests on those which are evidently in imitation of the “long Pattern” of Stradivari. They are not exact copies, but in design and dimensions are very similar to Stradivari fiddles of that type. Varnish red, of good quality, wood frequently handsome, and tone large and brilliant. A good example was not long ago in the possession of M. Kreisler. It is said that Parker worked much for the trade. Writer has seen one or two labels in manuscript.

PASTA.--Brescia; late seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. A Milanese family, two or three of whom worked in Brescia, and the founder, BARTOLOMEO, in Milan. In his labels he calls himself pupil of Niccolò Amati. GAETANO PASTA, who was in Brescia until about the middle of the eighteenth century, calls himself a pupil “dell Amati,” and is supposed to have worked with Hieronymus Amati II. Instruments are said to have a fine tone, and to be rather flat, with outline resembling G. B. Rogeri.

PATHAN, VINCENZ.--Vienna. Died 1894. Worked some time with Zach. Made good copies of various Italian makers, particularly Maggini.

PATZELT.--Nineteenth century. Makers of the name date from Dresden, Vienna, and Berlin.

PAULI.--Tachau; eighteenth century. Three or more makers of this name.

PAULUS.--Markneukirchen; nineteenth century. A numerous family, members of which have worked in the principal German cities (Berlin, Dresden, Leipzig) and elsewhere. One of the best of them, AUGUST, is, or was, a member of the Dresden firm, “Richard Weichold.” Another, ALBIN LUDWIG, of Markneukirchen, has made a large number of copies of the “trade class,” the better qualities are well-made useful instruments.

PAZZINI, GIOVAN GAETANO.--Florence; 1630-70. Calls himself a pupil of Maggini. High built. Dark varnish. Work scarce.

PECCATTE.--Mirecourt, Paris. A celebrated nineteenth century family of bow-makers. DOMINIQUE, the best known, was born in 1810, and died in 1874. Some of his finest bows are unstamped. He worked for several years for J. B. Vuillaume. FRANÇOIS, his younger brother, born 1820, died Paris 1855, was, when he chose, almost, if not quite, as good a workman as Dominique. He also worked with Vuillaume for three years, having previously worked on his own account in Mirecourt for ten years. Latterly he again worked for himself, but in Paris. Much confusion has existed in distinguishing the bows of the two brothers. François bows are frequently stamped “Peccatte” in a similar way to those of Dominique, and attempts have been made to distinguish their respective stamps--a very uncertain test. The best means of identification is in the heads: the bows of Dominique have a sharper appearance towards the peak than those of “Peccatte jeune.” CHARLES PECCATTE, son of François, was at work in Paris in quite recent years, and is a maker of very fair ability.

PEDRINELLI, ANTONIO.--Crespano. Died 1854. Began life as an undertaker. Studied acoustics, and became a copyist of more than average capacity. Orange-red varnish.

PELLIZON, GÖRZ.--Eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. A family who have been at work until very recent years. Instruments not frequently seen in England. The best known is ANTONIO, the founder, who died in 1850.

PEMBERTON, EDWARD.--London; seventeenth century. Name appears in most books on the violin. Varnish said to be good. Work indifferent.

PENZE, IGNATIO.--Schönbach; _circa_ 1760. Appears to have been a German named Penzl. The name is spelt in different ways, and occasionally is quoted as Ponze or Ponzel. According to labels to which writer’s attention has been drawn, the violins are dated from Cremona. They have little or nothing in common with Cremonese work. The tone is described as of good quality. Yellowish red varnish.

PEREGRINO, or PELEGRINO. _See_ ZANETTO.

PÉRON, NICOLAS.--Paris; latter half of eighteenth century. Yellow-brown fiddles. Fairly good average work.

PERRIN.--Mirecourt; middle nineteenth century. Useful instruments. Dated from Paris.

PERRY, THOS.--Dublin. Died 1818. The violins bearing his stamp vary enormously, some being very fine works of art, and others quite indifferent. A considerable number were made after his death. Wilkinson, his son-in-law and partner, was a poor workman, and continued the business for several years, so that the stamp appears on fiddles dated well into the “thirties” of the last century. Perry’s earliest examples date from about 1760 or a little later. The best specimens of his violins are somewhat after the Amati style, and the varnish on them is clear and of fine quality. What is known as his own model is far from handsome, and the sound-holes are frequently placed too high in the belly. The tone of a decently preserved specimen is generally very good. His instruments have lately attracted considerable attention. The colour varies from dark brown to amber, the darker shades occurring chiefly on his earlier work. He made a number of viols. The violoncellos are generally good. He is said to have learnt his business in London with Duke. The original name was “Pierray,” and he seems to have been a relative of Claude Pierray, a well-known Paris maker (_q.v._). Two other Perrys worked in Ireland. One dates from Kilkenny, and is said to have been a cousin of Thomas. Another was named Joseph, but the relationship (if any) does not seem to be ascertained.

PERSOIS.--Paris; to about 1850. The name is usually spelt “Persoit.” A clever bow-maker. Worked for Vuillaume and on his own account. Bows stamped P.R.S.

PETZ.--There were several makers of the name. One named JACOB dates from Vienna about 1830. Labels bear the two-headed eagle. An earlier maker in Vienna, MARIANUS PETZ, died in 1781. Two others, FRANZ and JACOB, date from Vils in the Tyrol. The former died in 1772, the latter in 1824.

PEZZARDI.--Brescia; 1660-90. There seems to be some confusion as to this maker’s dates. Like Mariani, his working period has been antedated about 100 years. Double purfled instruments.

PFAB, FRIEDRICH AUGUST.--Hamburg. Died 1904. Received a gold medal in Hamburg in 1889. Another in Vienna, 1873.

PFRETZCHNER.--Markneukirchen; eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Another huge family of workmen. Twenty-two or more are enumerated. In very recent years one or two of them have become well known as bow-makers. Two of them, JOHANN GOTTLOB and CARL FRIEDRICH, who worked in the eighteenth century, date their labels from Cremona. The style of the work is poor, and gives no countenance to the claim.

PIATTELLINI, GASPERO.--Florence; eighteenth century. Instruments said to resemble those of Gabbrielli.

PICHON.--Lyons; nineteenth century.

PIEGENDORFER, GEORG.--Augsburg. Died 1906.

PIERRARD, LOUIS.--Brussels; contemporary. Worked with Mougenot. Violin maker to the Ghent Conservatoire. A clever workman. Published a book in 1902 on “The Violin: Its History and Origin.”

PIERRAY, CLAUDE.--Paris; late seventeenth century to about 1726. Whether or not this excellent maker worked in Italy, as has been surmised, the varnish seen on his instruments is of excellent quality. The colour a light red or deep yellow. There is a look of Amati about the pattern, but they are not exact copies of Amati. The sound-holes have an appearance at their upper turns which is difficult to describe without the assistance of specimens. The work is neat and the tone of fine quality. The fiddles, like those of Boquay, were made in two sizes. Wood varies, but is sometimes handsomely marked. He seems to have made many instruments, but in this country they are by no means common.

PIÈTE, NOËL.--Paris; eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.

PILAT, PAUL.--Budapest. Born 1860. Worked with Zach. Has received several medals. Instruments branded inside with initials within a circle.

PILLEMENT, F.--Paris; eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. A very unequal workman. Instruments branded.

PIQUE, FRANÇOIS LOUIS.--Paris. Born near Mirecourt, 1758. Died 1822. One of the best known Paris makers, he early acquired a good reputation, and has left a great many instruments of varying merit. The best violins are large examples of Stradivari pattern. Their general appearance is massive, and the scrolls, though well cut, are inferior to those of Lupot, who made a number of instruments for him. The quality of the varnish is unequal, and he appears to have made two or more grades, presumably according to the price he was to receive. The wood of the backs is often in one piece, and of handsome figure. Sound-holes very well cut. Colour of varnish commonly, but not always, a deep red or red-brown. Labels commonly written, but he also used an engraved ticket. He retired from business in 1816.

PIROT, CLAUDE.--Paris; about 1800-30. An exceptionally good workman. The instruments are of Stradivari character, but less stereotyped and more Italian looking than the average French violin of the period. Varnish red or red-brown. He used a small label with a neatly engraved border. Writer has seen examples branded under the tail pin. Some of his work has been ascribed to Pressenda.

PIZZURNO, DAVID.--Genoa; _circa_ 1750-65. Specimens scarce. Mediocre work.

PLACHT.--Schönbach; eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Well over a score of makers of this name are enumerated.

PLANI, AGOSTINO DE.--Genoa; second half of eighteenth century. Very commonplace work.

PLATNER, MICHAEL.--Rome; 1735-50. His was probably of German origin. His work belongs to the school of Tecchler, and it is not unlikely he worked for that maker. He used pretty red and golden yellow varnish, and was a good scroll cutter. The arching of his violins is rather full, and the general appearance of the instruments is of German character.

PLUMEREL, CHARLES.--Angers; nineteenth century; first half. A clever workman. Instruments somewhat resemble those of J. B. Vuillaume in style and finish.

POIRSON, ELOPHE.--Lyons. Born 1840. Began as an amateur maker. He invented a varnish which is supposed to impart an improved quality of tone. Uses a label with his portrait upon it. The workmanship of his instruments is well finished.

POISON, JUSTIN.--Paris. Born 1851. A wellknown bow-maker.

POLLER, ANTON.--Vienna; contemporary. Stradivari pattern. Reddish yellow varnish.

POLLER.--Mittenwald; eighteenth century. A family of makers. In the labels the name is usually spelt “Boller.”

POLLUSCA, ANTONIO.--Eighteenth century. Tecchler school of work.

POSCH (BOSCH), ANTONY.--Vienna; 1677-1742. A son, also named ANTHONY, died in 1749. Violins generally high built. Both makers exhibit the Austrian double eagle on their labels.

POSTACCHINI, ANDREAS.--Fermo. Two makers of this name dated from Fermo. The earlier died between 1820-30. The instruments are somewhat of Gagliano type and appearance, and are rising in value. The second Andreas died about 1857.

POSTIGLIONE, VINCENZO.--Naples. Born 1835. A very neat workman. Has made some handsome and well-finished violins of Guarneri del Gesù pattern.

PRESSENDA, GIOVANNI FRANCESCO.--Turin, Alba, Carmagnola. Born 1777. Died 1854. One of the most important Italian makers of the nineteenth century. His violins date chiefly from Turin, but he also worked in Alba and Carmagnola, and possibly for a short period in Marseilles. A well-known repairer told the writer that three instruments by Pressenda dating from the last-named place had passed through his hands. He learned his business in Cremona with Storioni, and went to Turin about 1820. Early specimens of his work are more or less after the pattern of Stradivari, but later he designed a pattern of his own in which he somewhat changed the character of the sound-holes and the style of the arching. The wood of his instruments is nearly always handsome, the majority of the backs in one piece, cut on the quarter. The varnish is lustrous and varies in tint, some of the finest being of a deep mahogany red. A large number of his violins and those of Rocca and other followers were imported into this country by Gioffredo Rinaldi, who wrote a brochure on Pressenda, and violin making in Piedmont. This maker has had a number of clever imitators besides Rocca, who rivals or surpasses him in popularity amongst modern players. Amongst them may be mentioned Fagnola (_q.v._).

PSENNER, JOHANN GEORGE.--Eighteenth century. Two makers of this name, both of whom were fair workmen, date from Innsbruck.

PUPUNAT, FRANÇOIS MARIE.--Lausanne; _circa_ 1830-60. Originally a cabinet maker he became a neat workman. A violin of his make is in the Paris Conservatoire.

RAMBAUX, CLAUDE VICTOR.--Paris. Born 1806. Died 1871. Worked with Moitessier and later with Thibout and Gand. Began business on his own account in 1838, and was a most skilful repairer of old instruments. His violins and other instruments are finely finished and generally of Stradivari pattern, but he does not seem to have been a very prolific maker. He was the recipient of several medals.

RAMFTLER, FRANZ.--Munich; nineteenth century. Chiefly a dealer.

RASTELLI.--Genoa; nineteenth century.

RAU, AUGUST.--Markneukirchen; contemporary. A good bow-maker. Worked for a time with Weichold of Dresden.

RAUCH.--Chiefly eighteenth century. Some fourteen or fifteen makers of the name worked in Komotau (Bohemia), and in different German towns. JACOB RAUCH worked in Mannheim, and it is said that his instruments are high built and clumsy looking but possess a good tone.

RAUT, JEAN.--Rennes; eighteenth century.

RAWLINS.--London; eighteenth century. Practically unknown, but the name appears in most books on the violin.

RAYMAN, JACOB.--London; 1620-57. A Tyrolese. German looking fiddles. The varnish is the best feature about them.

REICHEL.--As there were about fifty or more makers of this name, principally in Markneukirchen, detailed notice of their work is out of the question.

REMY.--Paris and London; eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. There were five or more members of this family engaged in fiddle making. MATHURIN FRANÇOIS, the founder, worked _circa_ 1760-1800. Guersan style of work. Yellow varnish. JEAN MATHURIN, his son, died in 1854, and is reputed a better workman. Two of the latter’s sons, HIPPOLYTE and JULES, died in 1876 and 1869. A maker of the name better known in this country was the REMY who worked in London about the middle of the last century. Hart says that he spoilt his fiddles by artificially maturing the wood. However that may be he was a clever imitator of Italian work. The writer has seen examples which were much above the average of such things; in particular one or two copies of Guarneri del Gesù. He also copied Maggini with success. His relationship to the Paris family is not stated.

RENAUDIN, LEOPOLD.--Paris. Born Mirecourt 1749. Guillotined during the French Revolution 1795. He used various labels; one of large size with an engraving representing a musical performance. He is best known as a double-bass maker, but his work generally is not plentiful. The violins high built and clumsy looking. Yellowish varnish, some of which is much oxydised.

RENAULT, SEBASTIEN B.--Paris; _circa_ 1755-1811. Firm Renault and Chatelain. They were musical instrument makers, and the violins are not often seen.

RÉSUCHE, CHARLES.--Lyon, Bordeaux. Born 1858. Worked with Gand and Bernardel. A good copyist of Italian instruments.

RICHTER, CHRISTOPHER ADAM.--Markneukirchen; eighteenth century.

RIECHERS, AUGUST.--Hanover, Berlin. Died Berlin 1893. Moved about a great deal, but settled in Berlin in 1872. He was a clever workman, and made a large number of instruments of various patterns. Writer has seen violins by him resembling those of “didier” Nicolas. Published a book on violin making. He was also a noted repairer and patronised by Joachim.

RIEDEL, JOSEPH ALEXANDER.--Meseritz, Danzig. Died 1866.

RIEF.--Eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Vils. Seven or eight makers of the name.

RIEGER.--Mittenwald. From seventeenth century to present time. At least a dozen names are mentioned.

RIESS, ANDREAS.--Bamberg. Died 1777. High built. He was also a professional musician and organ builder. Another Riess named JOSEPH also worked in Bamberg.

RINALDI, GIOFFREDO BENEDETTO.--Turin; 1850-88. Worked with Pressenda, but is best known as a dealer and importer into this country of Italian fiddles, chiefly by Pressenda and Rocca, with other makers of that school and period.

RIVOLTA, GIACOMO.--Milan; _circa_ 1820-35. One of the better makers in Italy in the last century. The violoncellos and violas are well made, and in appearance and varnish somewhat resemble work of the Neapolitan school. Varnish golden yellow. He received a gold medal, and on some of his tickets states that it was awarded “for having revived the celebrated school of Stradivari.”

ROCCA.--Turin; nineteenth century. A maker named Joannes is mentioned as having been at work about 1809, but it is not unlikely that he is identical with Joannes Rotta, the ticket cited being a written one. GIUSEPPE ANTONIO ROCCA was born, probably in Turin, about 1800, and died in Genoa, according to the story, in 1867 or 1868, his body being recovered from a drain or cesspool. His labels date from about 1830 or a year or two earlier. He was employed for some time by Pressenda, whose instruments he imitated so closely that they have frequently passed as that maker’s work. His initials were frequently stamped upon the blocks and elsewhere in his instruments, and this has sometimes led to their identification in cases where Pressenda labels have been found in them. But Rocca did not confine himself to imitating Pressenda, and made numbers of fine fiddles of other patterns. His best copies of Stradivari are very valuable, and he was also successful with the del Gesù model. The varnish on early work is sometimes rather thin, and hard looking, but in this detail he seems to have improved as time went on. The colour varies a good deal, from a rich dark red of mahogany hue, to yellow of different shades. Double purfled instruments are sometimes seen, and he occasionally used mahogany for his backs. The Stradivari copies are generally, but not always, similar in pattern to the violin known as the “Messie.” His work is sought after by concert performers, and the prices paid for good specimens have in recent years been very high. He obtained several medals, and has been cleverly imitated by Fagnola and other makers. A good many counterfeit Roccas have found their way into the market. ENRICO ROCCA, a son, worked in Genoa and Turin, and died in May, 1915.

ROGER, G.--Montpellier; nineteenth century. Nicolas type of work.