George Gemunder's Progress in Violin Making Part 3

Dilettanti violin makers form a peculiar cla.s.s 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 30th, 1879: "Gemunder 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."

The writer of this notice made a statement without any foundation. Had he and his train a proper knowledge of the matter, they would be able to perceive that the material of my violins is not chemically prepared and the character of the wood has not undergone any change whatever. It is presumptuous in ignorant persons to make such statements 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 Vuilliaume in Paris. But such individuals manifest not only a prejudice against a better understanding, but also are impertinent, from which stupidity and meanness emanate; and thus they unmask themselves as false experts.

The cause for this a.s.sertion 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 acknowledged the only good instruments, they try almost anything to oppose what has proven itself so gloriously, rather than acknowledge it as a fact.

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 fragrant, and how many stately and celebrated men are heartless! Those, therefore, who are void of generosity are able to do evil. Those cla.s.ses 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 remains a secret to mortal man.

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 different 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 without being gifted with peculiar knowledge, while many others, in spite of all their knowledge and genius, endeavour in vain and do not see their efforts rewarded. It is, therefore, a matter of fact, 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 experiences 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 during the present century, but also an excellent 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 n.o.bility. 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 prejudice 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, Vuilliaume, 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 effect which persuades them into the belief that the best can be found only in him. If Vuilliaume had been a poor man he would have certainly remained poor, especially in America, where the art of violin making is still less understood 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 violins existed in America, in consequence of which dealers in old and new violins found their way hither. In disposing of these instruments 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 entertain the idea that they are surer of a genuine 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 requires 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 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 instrument by a person of thorough knowledge.

Sometimes I feel constrained to give an opinion by virtue of my knowledge, but it must not be expected of me to admire a thing that is not genuine, as those owners do in their ignorance.

If, however, a genuine and valuable Italian 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 esteemed 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 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 branches 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, 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 collection 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 instruments which were put in order by them are easily recognized.

This collection consisted mostly of all characters 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 expected 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 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 personal 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-ba.s.so, which should serve as models--undertook to gather such old Italian 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 interesting 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 fortunate that most of them have come into such hands, for violins of this kind are very delicate, and although those which are well kept produce a beautiful tone, most of them have not that power of tone which is necessary for concerts.

The solo player, however, believes he must produce the strong tone of a violin by force, which breaks the tone, and is not heard distinctly. In this manner such violins are tortured and ruined. When such well kept violins 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 n.o.bleman, as if it is more likely to be genuine in that case? What a foolish idea! Such whims are not entertained 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 thousands 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!

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 a.s.sist in the dissemination of knowledge and truthful views, which have only been obtained by a long experience.

OF THE MANNER OF PLAYING--TREATMENT OF BRIDGES ETC.

It has often occurred to me that violin players 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 correct method ascertained.

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 different 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 it, and in his method he became a master.

I. B. Poznanski played at one time on a violin 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 limited; for when it is too strong, the ear becomes disgusted with the tone, nay, a sc.r.a.ping and jarring tone is produced by too strong a pressure, because the G string touches the finger-board in this case, in consequence of which many violin players wish to have the finger-board very hollow. But it must not be believed 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 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 expect that the bow and the violin alone will do their service.

The most perfect condition of a violin requires 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 pa.s.sing 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.

Such knowledge should be taught to the pupils in conservatories of music; but it is generally 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 fact that students were forced into a certain position and fatigued, caused them to become nervous; but many parents who had no knowledge of it, sent their sons to that inst.i.tute, 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 conservatory in Europe. Thus it would appear that David pursued his own interest rather than that he cared for the good of his pupils.

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 student 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 learning and progress.

It is of the greatest importance that students 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 playing 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, that their ear may not be accustomed to a sickly tone. Alas!

This point is mostly disregarded 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 instrument. It is true that the virtuosoship is facilitated, but the strength of tone is impaired by such an arrangement.

The ingenious 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 accustomed to bridges that are very much curved towards the E string, because they did not know, when learning, how badly their violins were arranged.

A correct system must be the foundation of everything, but as the theories 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 impart 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 perfect 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 violin 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 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 consequences 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 _f_ 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 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 ba.s.s-bar displaced. This proves a want of correct theoretical 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 obtain 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.