The Violin and Old Violin Makers: Being a Historical & Biographical Account of the Violin, with Facsimiles of Labels of the Old Makers

In Short

This volume presents a compact historical and biographical overview of the violin, tracking its evolution from early multi-stringed viols to the refined instruments of the European masters. It examines how construction techniques shifted across national schools, profiles the premier Italian, German, French, and British luthiers through detailed entries and label reproductions, and charts the growth of classical string composition. Written as an accessible reference for students and enthusiasts, the text endures because it systematically connects the physical construction of the instrument to the expanding artistic demands of stringed music.

The Story

The narrative opens by tracing the shadowy origins of the violin, contrasting it with its predecessor, the viol family. During the sixteenth century, as complex sacred polyphony and secular instrumental music expanded, craftsmen began altering the shape and structure of viols. Early English and European luthiers gradually abandoned the flatter, guitar-like contours of older instruments, giving rise to the four-stringed violin. In England, the instrument initially faced societal ambivalence. Puritan rule drastically curtailed instrumental church music, closed theaters, and suppressed public music-making, driving the fiddle into taverns. However, the Restoration of Charles II dramatically altered the landscape; the King established a royal band of twenty-four violins modeled after the French court, prompting public concert life and elevating the instrument's status.

The historical focus then shifts across Europe to analyze the major geographic centers of violin making. Italy takes precedence as the undisputed cradle of high lutherie, pioneered by Gasparo da Salo and the Brescian school, then perfected in Cremona. The text outlines how Italian designs achieved ideal proportions, sound-hole placement, and arching, while France and Germany initially lagged behind due to regional conflicts like the Thirty Years' War. Over time, French making flourished under figures like Lupot and Vuillaume, while German makers adapted Italian patterns to local traditions.

Transitioning from general history to biographical survey, the text catalogs the great lutherie families. It details the work of the Gaglianos, Grancinos, Guadagninis, and Maggini, before arriving at Antonius Stradivarius. The narrative examines Stradivarius’s golden period, detailing his meticulous internal construction, reliance on lightweight willow for blocks and ribs, precise arching, and delicate varnishes, while noting the physical decline in his final years. The survey continues through German figures like Jacobus Stainer and the Klotz family, French masters, and British artisans such as William Forster.

Finally, the book links physical instruments to musical repertoire. It details how early, dry sonata forms evolved into expressive concertos under Corelli, Geminiani, Tartini, and Viotti. It concludes by showing how German masters—including J. S. Bach, Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven—unlocked the full emotional and technical potential of the violin family.

How It Unfolds

The emergence of the instrument The violin gradually departs from the older viol family during the sixteenth century as musical composition demands greater vocal range and expressiveness. Early English makers experiment with larger, clumsier frames, while Italian artisans swiftly establish refined patterns.

Puritan suppression and royal revival Under Oliver Cromwell, public performance and church organs are banned, pushing the violin into low-class taverns. The 1660 Restoration of Charles II reestablishes the art through a royal ensemble of twenty-four violins, sparking Britain's first public concerts.

The triumph of the Italian masters Brescia and Cremona become the world centers of lutherie as makers refine arching, wood selection, and varnish. Gasparo da Salo, Maggini, and Stradivarius establish standards of internal bracing and proportional dimensions that give their instruments unprecedented tonal power.

Regional schools take root French and German workshops adapt Italian principles to their own materials. While war initially delays German performance and manufacturing, makers across the continent eventually establish distinct national traditions and production methods.

Biographical cataloging of the makers The work systematically catalogs generations of luthiers across Italy, Germany, France, and Britain. Each entry documents workshop lineage, structural quirks, varnish qualities, and reproductions of original maker labels.

Evolution of string composition The focus shifts to performance history, tracing classical music from early madrigal arrangements to structured sonatas and concertos. Master composers continuously push the technical boundaries of the violin, cementing its place at the center of the orchestra.

The People

• Gaspar da Salo: Founder of the Brescian school, widely credited with building the earliest violins in their modern four-stringed form. He seeks to transform the old viol shape into a more powerful, resonant instrument.
• John Banister: The first prominent English violinist and leader of Charles II's royal band. He champions English musicianship over French imports and establishes the first public, advertised ticketed concerts in London.
• William Forster ("Old Forster"): A persistent British luthier who rises from extreme poverty and gun-stock carving to achieve royal patronage. He meticulously copies Stainer and Amati models, building violoncellos of enduring fame.
• Antonius Stradivarius: The undisputed master of Cremonese lutherie. He spends over seven decades experimenting with wood thickness, willow internal blocks, precise arching, and oil varnishes to achieve acoustic perfection.
• Arcangelo Corelli: Italian violinist and composer who fixes the structural form of the sonata. His melodic simplicity and harmonic clarity establish a baseline for all subsequent classical string composition.

In Its Own Voice

"The treble violin is a cheerful and sprightly instrument, and much practised of late, some by book, and some without; which of these two is the best way, may easily be resolved."

John Playford’s 1662 manual provides the earliest printed English commentary on violin instruction, weighing formal reading against playing by ear.

"The bar alone is too weak, in consequence of the gradual rise in the pitch, from the beginning of the eighteenth century; the inevitable result of which has been a considerable increase of tension..."

Fétis explains how modern pitch shifts required nineteenth-century restorers to dismantle and strengthen the internal bass bars of classic Cremonese violins.

"...he was forced to accept some employment offered him by a gun-stock maker. However, he did not forsake the art he loved, and his spare time was occupied in making violins..."

This note records the early privations of William Forster as he struggled to establish himself as a luthier in eighteenth-century London.

What It's Really About

Underneath its technical descriptions and maker catalogs, the text investigates how physical craftsmanship and artistic expression shape one another. An instrument's voice depends entirely on thin variations in maple thickness, internal willow blocks, and delicate oil varnishes. Yet those physical choices are driven by broader cultural movements: shifting performance spaces, changing court tastes, and complex musical compositions. When composers demand wider dynamic ranges and higher pitches, luthiers must adapt their wood and tension. Conversely, as makers produce instruments with richer tone and greater projection, performers unlock new expressive possibilities. The book shows that the modern violin is neither a pure invention nor a static relic, but the evolving product of continuous labor, trade, and musical experimentation.

Why Read It Today

This historical survey appeals to string players, instrument collectors, music historians, and readers curious about traditional woodworking crafts. It reads as a clear, unpretentious manual that balances historical anecdotes with physical analysis. The prose is straightforward and accessible, avoiding overly dense jargon while providing precise details regarding wood selection, label transcription, and structural dimensions.

Readers should note the period perspectives: the historical narratives reflect late-nineteenth-century English views, relying heavily on early antiquarian sources and antiquarian phrasing. The biographical entries are factual and encyclopedic rather than dramatic narratives, which means some sections function primarily as reference material. However, its value endures in its earnest appreciation for lutherie. The book leaves the reader with a deep respect for the generations of obscure woodworkers whose quiet labor at the workbench created the instruments that defined Western classical music.