Chapter Four, Stradivari's Violoncellos

Stradivari continued thus without change until close upon 1700, constructing his violoncellos-we believe, without exception- upon the one form of large proportions. 1690 and the years immediately ensuing constituted a period of transition as regards his violins; but in the case of his violoncellos the master remained passive, apparently awaiting the moment when he would be called upon to direct all his energy and fertility of invention to devising an instrument answering more fully to the requirements of the new school of players.

The grandeur of Stradivari's violoncellos of this period is the more strongly brought home to us if we place an example such as the "Tuscan" bass beside those of similar proportions made by contemporary workers. We then see how he had outstripped all his fellow-craftsmen by the nobility of his conceptions; we note with what freedom, tempered by care, he treated even the smallest detail, and the consummate, unerring dexterity with which he must have handled his tools. His brother-workers could not have failed to be impressed by such skill, and must have whispered among themselves that a giant had arisen to whom all must sooner or later bow!

We are disposed to question whether the tonal merits of the type of violoncello which we are here concerned with, be it the work of Stradivari, his predecessors or his contemporaries, receive fitting recognition from many players of to-day: we are bound to recognise the growing tendency to subordinate, or even sacrifice entirely, beauty of quality to power of tone-a tendency perhaps even more apparent in relation to the violoncello than to the violin. The A or first string being the more easily rendered telling and effective, the habit has been acquired of treating the violoncello for solo purposes as an instrument of one, or at most two strings-the C or fourth string occasionally receiving some attention. Makers are therefore obliged, often against their better judgment, to seek to adjust fine violoncellos in such a manner that the tone of the A string shall be, above all, aggressive and trumpet-like, that of the C string loud and metallic to the utmost degree. The two middle strings, the D and G, are neglected: as long as they speak freely, their quality and volume of tone are ignored.

Now, as the instruments of which we are speaking do not lend themselves readily enough to the development of such a tone, they are passed by as interesting, yet hardly useful survivals of the past. Such beauty and distinction of tone as is revealed to us in the middle strings of the violoncello by an adequate artistic interpretation of the subject given to the instrument by Beethoven in the opening of the first Rasournowsky Quartet in F, and which depends for its true effect upon the peculiar richness and singing quality of the instrument, cannot be fully appreciated by those players who seek only to produce that kind of timbre of which we have been speaking. The broad appealing quality of the A string, the mellow weighty tone of the D and G, and the deep organ-like notes of the C, form a whole pre-eminently fitted for the interpretation of chamber music.

In 1699 we meet for the first time with a change of form, the earliest indication we have yet succeeded in tracing; and of the following year-1700-we have two representative examples made from the same design; these are, moreover, the only violoncellos known to us of that date. The 1699 bass has suffered severely; once it was a fine instrument; those of the year 1700 are both good examples;-the finer of the two, known as the "Cristiani," (Mdlle. Cristiani, born 1827, died 1853.) formerly belonged to that gifted lady-player to whom Mendelssohn dedicated his "Romance sans paroles" (for violoncello).

The other (pictured to the left) is the property of the Spanish Court, and is preserved in the Chapel of the Royal Palace in Madrid, where it is played upon by Senior Victor de Mirecki, an excellent artiste, who, after repeated solicitations, prevailed upon the Court authorities to allow the instrument to be sent to Paris in 1889 for sorely needed restoration. We have been unsuccessful in obtaining any information concerning the early history of this violoncello; it does not figure among the Court instruments recorded by Ascensio in his account-book as having been entrusted to him for necessary repairs, as the others were, between the years 1770 and 1790 (approximately).

The dimensions of these two instruments, which are practically the same, are of special interest, as they enable us to trace Stradivari's steps in developing the smaller-size cello: we see that the whole has been diminished, the length of string (the stop) is shortened by about three-quarters of an inch. The consistency of the outline is admirably preserved, the curves of the middle bouts being shortened in the same proportion as those of the top and bottom. The model is flat and in great measure reminds one of that of the violins of the period. The beauty of the maple wood of both these specimens as well as that of the famous "Servais" bass of the following year (1700) is remarkable; the back, sides, and head are marked by a strong and broad curl; in fact, nothing could be finer, and we know of no previously or subsequently dated examples which can vie with them in this respect.

The rich plum-red colour of the varnish covering the "Cristiani" is equally unique; that of the Spanish and "Servais" basses, of a more orange-brown tint, though fine, is less remarkable. At the death of Mdlle. Cristiani (which took place in 1853 at Tobolsk, in Siberia, during a professional tour in Russia) her violoncello was brought back to Paris, and a few years later became the property of M. Benazet, an amateur of Baden-Baden. In 1884, through the medium of Gand and Bernardel, of Paris, it passed into the hands of Herr Hugo Becker, the well-known player, from whom we purchased it in 1894. It now belongs to Mr. Charles Oldham.

The "Servais" violoncello, as far as we know, stands alone. It is not only the sole example of the year 1701, but we believe it to be the only example which combines the grandeur of the pre-1700 instrument with the more masculine build which we could wish to have met with in the work of the master's earlier vears. In wood, varnish, and general aspect it is the brother of the Spanish bass, but in form and dimensions it differs considerably from it-in fact, it takes us back to those of the "Tuscan" and "Aylesford" basses; but although the measurements of its outline are practically identical with those of the two instruments just cited, in other respects it is essentially different, notably so in the model and in the height of the sides, which latter are deeper than those of any previously made cello, nor did Stradivari ever subsequently exceed this limit.

This increased height of sides necessitated a less curved model, otherwise the tone would have been of a decidedly cavernous character-a fact which the maker doubtless recognised. The model rises in a very gradual curve from the edge to the highest point at centre, both back and belly being alike in this respect the edges, although of robust substance, are not too heavy the purfling is neat, and helps to impart a lighter appearance to the form. The sound-holes call for no special mention: that they are finely cut goes without saying. The outline of the head has a squarer aspect than those of earlier years; the bevel is more heavily treated, and this greatly influences its character. Looked at as a whole, its vigorous cut and proportions harmonise admirably with the body it adorns. The interior construction also shows that Stradivari sought to produce a different tone-result. He had hitherto considerably varied in that all-important point, the thickness -now making back and belly of stouter proportions, now thinner; but he appears to have at last decided that the increased substance was more favourable for producing a brighter and more strident tone.

After careful examination, and comparison with instruments of later date, we find that the master never again varied his thicknesses to any important extent. The opportunity of thus minutely examining the "Servais" bass was afforded us in 1888, when it was in our hands for the purpose of restoration. The history of this violoncello prior to the early part of last century is unknown. It belonged to a well-known Parisian amateur, M. Raoul (whence he obtained it we know not), at whose death, about 1845, it passed into the hands of Vuillaume.

Servais had only to see it to fall in love with it, as it was peculiarly suited to himself (he was a man of large frame and tall stature); but, alas! it was one thing to covet and quite another to possess, as at that time even the very moderate price fixed by Vuillaume (12,000 francs) was quite beyond the artist's reach. Thanks, however, to the generosity of a Russian admirer, the Princess Youssopow, the requisite sum was forthcoming, and Servais became owner of the bass. At his death, in 1866, the Stradivari passed to his son Joseph, also an eminent violoncellist, who died comparatively young in 1885. The family then sold it to M. Auguste CoUeaux, who presented it to his son Georges, then a student at the Brussels Conservatoire of Music. We understand that the price paid for it by M. Cofiteaux was 60,000 francs. Family troubles brought the instrument once more into the market in 1893, when it came into our hands; and two years later we disposed of it to the Prince Pierre de Caraman-Chimay, an excellent amateur, and a friend and pupil of the late Joseph Servais.

We have already observed that this violoncello was peculiarly suited to the elder Servais. Difficult to manage on account of its size, it required a man of his build and masterful power to bring out its admirable qualities. We learn from M. Van der Heyden, an intimate friend of the artiste, that Servais did not master it without a struggle. He communicated his disappointment to Vuillaume, who characteristically replied, "Qu'un artiste de sa trempe devait s'identifier avec son instrument et le dompter; en un mot, le faire valoir," and it cannot be gainsaid that he did so. Servais was an ideal bravura player, and the power of tone which he produced from the third and fourth strings of his famous bass was remarked by all who heard him. We may add that Servais, after repeated experiments, found that an exceptionally narrow bridge tended to add brightness to the tone-a feature which is always, to some extent, lacking in large-sized instruments.

The years between 1701 and 1707 are blank as far as violoncellos are concerned, not a single specimen being known to us. It may be that orders for violins more particularly monopolised the master's attention during this period, or possibly the price demanded for his violoncellos was considerably higher than that accepted by his contemporaries, several of whom have left a greater proportionate number of basses-notably Gofriller, Grancino, and Tecchler; or again, it may be that he saw fit to pause and reflect before entering in the near future upon that new path of violoncello construction which was to prove of such importance.

According to our present knowledge, the "Servais" is the latest dated existing violoncello built upon the early lines; if there be others of later date, they are still unknown to the world. We are certainly acquainted with several instruments of pre-1700 type having labels which bear a later date; but, quite irrespective of the pronounced early character of these instruments, the labels themselves fail to bear our scrutiny: the figures either clearly show signs of having been tampered with, or the whole inscription proves to be a forgery.

We are therefore disposed to assume that the day was at last at hand when the master was to break with past traditions and give to the world that incomparable form of violoncello which time has taught us to accept as the ne plus ultra of perfection. 1707 is the earliest date we have hitherto met with in an example of this form, and that notwithstanding our diligent research throughout Europe. Examination of Stradivari's forms and drawings throws no light upon this point. On a pattern which he drew for the sound-holes of one of these instruments he says: "Per far gli occhi della forma B. piccola dal Violoncello," but unfortunately gives no date. We do learn, however, from an inscription on the pattern of a violoncello head, that it was destined for the instrument made for the Contessa Cristina Visconti in 1707.

A similar pattern is marked "Violoncello da Venezia," but bears no date. On comparison we find that both these outlines were of heads of large size-hence destined for bodies of similar proportions; consequently the instrument made for the Contessa Visconti was not of the "forma B. piccola." We may mention that neither this violoncello nor that mentioned by Arisi under date 1702 as having been ordered by the Marquis Toralba and sent as a present to the Duke of Alba, has hitherto answered to the roll-call. We are not justified in absolutely asserting that Stradivari first gave to us his perfected violoncello in the year 1707 but we believe this was the case, having examined all the known specimens. Possibly the master was only now carrying out an early conception, strengthened by the fruit of ripened experience, and was imbued with the belief that the right moment had arrived for its production.

It is important to bear in mind that the development of the violoncello as a solo instrument had only just begun, consequently the demand for that of smaller size was still a limited one, although increasing year by year. If we give credence to the following statement of our ancestor, Lockey Hill, Stradivari as early as 1690 made an instrument of the smaller pattern.

He left on record that Frederick William, King of Prussia, who played the violoncello and was a pupil of Duport aine, consigned for sale to Betts, of the Royal Exchange, in the year 1806 a Stradivari violoncello. That it was an instrument of the first rank is evidenced by the fact that Betts requested Lockey Hill to take the necessary patterns and make some copies of it. These patterns are still in our possession, and the outline bears an inscription in Lockey Hill's writing: "King of Prussia's Stradivarius, 1690." It seems that the price asked-£500-was a prohibitive one, and Betts, failing to find a customer, returned the instrument to its Royal owner.

Whether or not Lockey Hill correctly recorded the date is the pith of the whole matter. Such an instrument, so dated, is quite opposed to our experience. We may add that all efforts on our part to trace its present whereabouts have hitherto proved unavailing. We fear that it may have been destroyed during the disastrous years Prussia was then passing through.

The supreme merit of violoncellos of this type, irrespective of their beauty of form, their purity of style, and finished workmanship, consists in the exactitude of proportions, which in their ensemble produce a tone result but rarely-we may perhaps say never-found in any other instruments of the many and various Italian makers. They stand alone in representing the exact dimensions necessary for the production of a standard of tone which combines the maximum of power with the utmost refinement of quality, leaving nothing to be desired: bright, full and crisp, yet free from any suspicion of either nasal or metallic tendency.

No authority can speak on the subject of their tone with more weighty knowledge than Piatti, who, during a long career, possessed many fine violoncellos-more, perhaps, than any other artiste. He says: "I have at times become enamoured at the sight of a fine instrument, have been impressed by its beauty, and when I have become its owner I have tried to believe that its tone equalled that of my Stradivari. Time, however, has invariably seen me return to my old friend with a feeling of satisfaction difficult to explain. True, the differences of tone between my Stradivari and other recognised fine instruments are subtle, but I can only say that I obtain from the former a depth and nobility of tone which ever affords me a sense of contentment; in fact, there is a something unattainable elsewhere."

The foremost players of the early part of the last century-amongst others, Brunetti, Boccherini, Baudiot, Crosdill, Duport, Mara, Romberg, and Vaslin-appear to have been convinced of this superiority, and they consequently sought to obtain, if possible, and to play upon Stradivari instruments of this form. Romberg writes in his "Method for the Violoncello," published in 1840: "The instrument upon which I play is an Antonio Stradivari, dated 1711, a small pattern. By the expression 'small pattern' is not meant that it is below the proper size, but it only signifies that Stradivari also made instruments of a larger size, which instruments are too large for the modern style of playing."

Whether or not Stradivari himself recognised the real superiority of these instruments over those of the past is highly problematical; we think he did not. They were simply the outcome of altered conditions of playing, and were doubtless not intended to fulfil the same duties as the true "Church bass." On the other hand, the master must have perceived that he had struck out an eminently successful form; he must have been warmly complimented by his patrons, otherwise it would be difficult to account for his so consistently keeping to this one form, and to it alone, until the closing years of his life; in fact, we know of no violoncello of other type, bearing its original label, dated between the years 1707 and 1730.

The exact number of these instruments which we can vouch for is twenty, but we cannot, of course, say that our total will never be increased-we hope the contrary; still, as we have diligently sought far and wide, we fear but few remain unaccounted for.

Examination and comparison of these violoncellos show that the size of the outline varies but slightly. The model Stradivari raised or lowered-often influenced, no doubt, by the thickness of the material of back and belly-as also the height of the sides; but, as in the case of his violins, we fail to discover any fixed idea or rule which guided him in deciding the relative proportions. Hence, at times, we find the lower sides and flat model together, and vice versa, whereas a different combination would have been preferable.

One is impressed by the general closeness of build, and the absence throughout of any superfluous wood; the interior blocks and linings are, for instance, of the smallest dimensions compatible with strength; the wood of the sides is planed as thin as possible, then, as a precaution against breakage, or more probably against the tendency to buckle, which is so often the case with the sides of Italian violoncellos, he reinforced them with small strips of canvas. Modern wiseacres have, of course, seen fit to remove these from certain of the instruments.

The "Duport" bass is thoroughly representative of the above remarks: the edges and the margin around the sides neat, purfling light, head and sound-holes closely knit; but perhaps the most striking feature of all is the model, which is exceptionally flat. Vuillaume accepted this instrument as his ideal, and the great majority of his violoncellos are copies of it. We cannot say they are absolutely faithful reproductions, as most often they lack that grace and lightness of build so very characteristic of the original.

Of the twenty known examples, the majority are notable instruments. Among the foremost stand (1) the "Duport," dated 1711, (2) the "Batta," 1714, and (3) the "Piatti," 1720. The others are those in the possession of--

4. M. Fau, ex Castelbarco, falsely dated 1697, approximately 1707-10
5. The Countess of Stanlein, ex. Paganini and Merighi dated 1707
6. M. Markovitch, ex Delphino 1709
7. Baron Rothschild, ex Gore-Booth 1710
8. Signor Pezze, ex Whitmore Isaac, Crosdill, and Mara 1711
9. M. Kuchler, ex Romberg. 1711
10. M. Goupillat, ex Davidoff and Wielhorsky, 1712
11. Mr. Franklin Singer, ex Adam 1713
12. M. Loeb, ex Marquis de Corberon 1717
13. M. Kuchler, ex Blair-Oliphant 1717
14. Mr. Holden, ex Bonamy-Dobree 1717
15. M. Hugo Becker, ex Duke of Marlborough 1719
16. M. Haussmann, ex Fountaine dated 1724
17. M. Loys, ex Gallay and Vaslin 1725
18. Mr. Brandt, ex Baudiot 1725
19. King of Portugal, ex Chevillard 1726
20. M. Mendelssohn, ex Ladenburg 1736

The history, as far as it is known, of several of these violoncellos is not without interest; and how much more interesting would it have been if their eighteenth-century owners had thought of recording all that was to be learned concerning them!

We cannot do better than give the history of the "Duport" in the words of the late M. Gallay, a distinguished amateur violoncellist, who was always deeply interested in the subject of old instruments, and who obtained this information from M. Poigne of Besancon, a pupil of Duport. He says: "This fine violoncello, the perfection of form and work, was made by Stradivari to the order of a doctor of Lyons on the return of the latter from a visit to Italy. The price quoted by Stradivari was his usual one, but in deference to the wishes of the doctor, who desired an instrument of the highest order-in fact, something finer than usual-the figure was doubled.

In due course the bass reached Lyons, and was doubtless worthily appreciated by the doctor. At his death it was sent to Paris to be sold, but submitted without result to the principal luthiers of the period, who apparently did not recognise the pearl that was offered to them. The owners finally decided to sell it by public auction, but, the reserve limit not being reached, it was withdrawn.

Duport was present in the auction-room, accompanied by two of his pupils (the Prince de Soubisse and Prince Guemenee), and, deeply impressed by the superiority of the Stradivari over his own Amati violoncello, he was more than once on the point of bidding himself, ashamed as he was at the want of enthusiasm displayed by the two noblemen; but alas! he lacked the necessary funds. Withdrawn from auction, the instrument was left on sale with Cousineau, the luthier, better known as a harp-maker, Rue Mazarin, Paris; and, no acceptable offer being forthcoming, there it remained for a considerable time.

Return to Chapter Four, Part One
Proceed to Chapter Four, Part Three

STRADIVARI HOME

Internet Edition ©2001 Marshall C. St. John
Free Service of Cello Heaven