class="center">CHAPTER IV.

Lesser Known Patterns of Stradivari—The Treatment of the Scroll by Him, the Individuality and Maturing of the Style—The Purfling.

DURING the period of 1690-1700 the modification of parts of the pattern and details was slight but nevertheless important. Occasionally the upper corners drooped a little more, and when they are now seen in fine preservation seem rather long in comparison with later ones, but they are not really so, it being in the expression no doubt arising from the greater robustness in the treatment of the corners which now were becoming in aspect more square, but with the usual peculiarities retained. There was also about this time another modification sent forth, a pattern that has the waist curve narrowed in a trifle at about two-thirds of the way upward, causing a slight suspicion of a wish to return to his old Nicolo Amati period, but it seems to have been only momentary, and beautiful as these violins are, they do not appear to have been repeated. They are in consequence very rare.

Accompanying these little variations there was a slight change in the treatment of the scroll; it became less massive, while all the principal features of detail were retained, the grooves at the back were deepened a little as they ran down to the shell, which last was made a degree less shallow. In the earlier part of this period the general contour has a little more flow in the disposition of line, but later on this was checked, as if not meeting with the full approval of the master, whose goal of ambition was kept steadily in view from the first—that of introducing a design that should worthily rank as classical, and in its details and execution be such, that no weak spot or point of failure should be discernable under the closest scrutiny. The sound holes now received further attention and, it might be almost said, for the last time, as they were continued to the end of Stradivari's career with no particular or intentional modification. In length there was no alteration, but the design seems more condensed, more compact, yet slightly wider in the opening. This is all accomplished without losing the smallest touch of grace, and although firm in the extreme it has the opposite of any tendency to hard geometrical form. Stradivari seems to have had some feeling of contentment with it, for although little differences of measurement in minute particulars occur afterwards, no modification in character is attempted. He was most exact in imparting his own individuality in every instance. It is in this department of the liutaro's art that the imitators or forgers of Stradivari's work have found such an insurmountable block in the way of success. The impossibility hitherto of imparting the requisite identical expression, notwithstanding the most careful examination and tracing, constantly adds force to an old saying among dealers that "to make a perfectly successful imitation of Stradivari he must be a Stradivari himself." In this view it is obvious that a maker having the sure consciousness of possessing the power of the master would no longer make tracings of him, but bring out his own originals. Among the scores and scores of imitators, some of them having achieved considerable renown as such, the best of them have not succeeded further than giving their own impress to their tracing of the master's work. This is quite apart from their failure to reproduce the master touch in other branches of the liutaro's art.

In the composition of his purfling he had been, before the periods under consideration, somewhat unsettled, but he now seemed to have come to a conclusion that the middle or light coloured portion, should be a trifle wider than the dark or outer portion. This was also for a permanency with but little variation. The three parts are probably of the same kind of wood, with the outer portion darkened by artificial means and not wood with its natural colour, as in so many early works. But there was no change in the manner of insertion. There was the same firm, upright handling of the purfling tool, which, as in his early period, was sent along with unerring precision and cut its way through hard and soft wood cleanly and equally well. In this respect of mechanical dexterity, the great master has had few rivals; he was apparently equally at home in subduing to his requirements a log of tough, curled maple, as in gently reducing the exquisitely refined growth of pine that was to act as a soundboard in throwing out the luscious quality of tone associated with his name. It was not always so among the most eminent of Italian liutarios. Many of them have left unmistakeable evidence of impatience when trying to overcome the resistance of the tortuously grained maple in turn with the much softer and straight threaded pine. There was a peculiarity connected with the purfling that must not be overlooked, and that is, its passing through the little pegs at the upper and lower part of the instrument, and which is most carefully attended to by modern close imitators, so that people should be convinced, if possible, that their's is the real thing. Stradivari, however, may not have conceived the idea of there ever being in the future the swarms of his imitators, who, for the last century, have been but too evident in consequence of the daily increasing admiration or even reverence for his work. It is not surprising, therefore, that for some reason known only to himself, he, on rare occasions, did not run the purfling through the peg, or to be more strictly correct, the peg was inserted clear of the purfling line. That this peg peculiarity is no point of recognition may be inferred from the fact that Stradivari's teacher, Nicolas Amati, treated it in like manner, besides several of his contemporaries.

CHAPTER V.

Stradivari's Great Success—His So-called "Grand Epoch"—His Patrons—His Violins Reputed for Tone when Quite New and Sought After—The Help He Received—His Assistants and Pupils—Parts of the Work Requiring His Individual Touch—The Members of His Family who may have Assisted Him—Stradivari's Varnish—His Imitators.

THE period 1700-15 or thereabouts, found Stradivari not only an acknowledged master of his craft but among his contemporaries recognised as the head. His business had been all along steadily flourishing, his patrons had been of high social position, some most illustrious, others actually royal. Among the latter the King of Poland stands out in relief as having specially sent an envoy to Cremona and that he had to wait three months before he could return with his commission fulfilled. Whether he ran in danger of being decapitated for "hanging about" Cremona so long is not known, but one thing is certain, that patrons royal, illustrious, of high social standing and refined tastes, wanted the newly made violins of Stradivari that could never have been played upon, almost in the absolute sense of the term, while they could have easily obtained well seasoned, well tried instruments of makers who had lived long before. Here is "a nut to crack" for those who persistently assert the necessity and efficacy of age and use to bring tone to maturity. If any further evidence should be thought necessary to support the assumption of the equal excellence of the new Stradivarius with those that remain with us at the present time, it is contained in the praise of those who heard and used them when quite fresh, declaring the agreeableness of the tone to be beyond rivalry.

Stradivari may be said to have been now in the enjoyment of the plentitude of his powers. Success was attendant upon him without