STRADIVARIUS.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 37, 13 February 1929, Page 6

STRADIVARIUS.

An air of romance lianas, over the rliMiiwrv uf iuiportant documents lejt by Antonio Stradi\ari at -Milan. Stradivari—better known it s Si radix a.riiis. for following the usual custom of his time lie Latinised his name as

Antonius Stra<]ivarius -was born at Cremona Italy, circa Itf44. He was apprenticed to Nicholas Amati, of the famous family of violin makers. At first he modelled his instruments on those of his master, hut about HiS4 he adopted Inrjji-r proportions and became more independent in methods. lie seems to have experimented for some time, but about the year 1700 his instruments show that he had arrived at a definite conclusion: as to the true proportion of a fine, violin.

Upon his instruments of that period rests lii< fame as the greatest violin maker the world known. The origin of the violin has been traced to tiie one-stringed ravanastron, the simplest of the Oriental-stringed instruments played with a bow. It was the invention, it is supposed, of Kavena. a mythical king of Ceylon, and is still played by the Buddhist begging monk.-.

In the 16th century the violin was developed from the viol, a variant of the ravanastron. The Amati family at Cremona for upwards of a hundred years produced violins whose tone and quality have been the wonder of succeeding time*, but tlie highest level of brilliance and richness was reached by Stradivari. Since his time tinviolin, which had varied in form from time to time at the hands of the Italian luthiers, has undergone no radical changes, either as to >izc. shape or proportions. Upon the instruments made by Stradivari, particularly at his mature period— for he lived a long life, and many of hi.* labelled instruments are still in existence, and it is said he made over a thousand—the famous violinists delight to play. Some of the most celebrated of his violins are distinguished by particular names, such as Le Messie, La Pucelle, the Dolphin, and so on. The finest specimens possess a rich, full tone, but not all his work is equally good. Some of his earlier instruments in particular are made from inferior material at a time when he could not afford to buy better. Stradivari died on December IS, 1737.

If. as recent cable* state, the documents ju>t discovered disclosed the secrets of the master's art in dealing with the wood, varnish and «lue of his instruments, the makers of musical instruments the world over will rejoice.