Music Trade Review
Issue: 1917 Vol. 64 N. 7 - Page 51
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE
DEVELOPMENT^ THE VIOLIN
HARMONICAS FORJHE SOLDIERS
The Violin as We Know it Has Been Used
Since the Sixteenth Century
Small Size Makes Them Popular Musical Instru-
ments at Battle Front—Big Fund Raised
The violin is, in its primitive form, a de-
velopment of the lyre and the monochord. Its
history begins with the invention of the bow,
some time before the thirteenth century. Up
to the middle of the sixteenth century the devel-
opment underwent several stages—the rebec,
geige, fidel, and many kinds of viols and violas
—having appeared and undergone various
changes. At that time, however, the true violin
model appeared. Further notes on the histor-
ical development leading to the modern violin
are taken from the New International Encyclo-
pedia:
"The primitive violins really had no contour,
and it was not until the thirteenth century that
the body of the vielle was scooped out at the
ribs, forming a kind of waist. The corner
blocks were added about the fifteenth century,
and it is supposed they originated in Germany.
The foundation on which the violin was to rest
was the viol with the double corners. These
produced a new constructive feature, the bouts.
These rendered it possible for the first time for
the player to get at the strings. For nearly a
century the soundholes were shifted all over the
violin, sometimes crowding with the bridge near
the tailpiece. It was not until the violin model
had been some time in. use that they were cut
in their proper place and the bridge fixed be-
tween them. The bridge was the last point
perfected, and that by Stradivarius."
Antonio Stradivari (1644-1737), the greatest
of all violin makers, was the pupil of Nicolo
Amati, of Cremona, grandson of Andrea Amati,
who founded the most famous Italian school
of violin making, and greatest member of the
Amati family.
Giuseppe Antonio Guarneri
(1683-1745) was another great master whose in-
struments are regarded by many as equal to
those of Stradivari. The art of violin making
was at its height in Italy in the eighteenth cen-
tury, and the masters have been grouped into
four schools—Brescia, Cremona, Venice and
Naples. Interesting books on the subject are
G. Hart's "The Violin: Famous Makers and
Their Imitators" and H. Abele's "The Violin
and Its Story."
Reports from "Somewhere in France" are to
the effect that the British soldier's demand for
music to cheer the hours at the front has lead
him to adopt the humble harmonica as a means
to that end, owing to the fact that it is small
enough to be carried in his kit without trouble.
Great quantities of mouth organs have been
sent to the troops from England and at the
present time nearly 1,000 pounds ($5,000) has
been collected in a fund to purchase such in-
struments. At a shilling apiece the fund should
provide 20,000 harmonicas to drown the screams
of shells.
RONO
T H E OLDEST AND
LARGEST MUSICAL
MERCHANDISE HOUSE
IN AMERICA
Exclusively Wholesale
351-53FOURTHAVE.NEVYORKCITY
Victor Distributors
IMPROVED CORNET DEVISED
Chicago
AND
STEWART
Largest Wholesale
Musical Merchandise
House in America
Buegeleisen & Jacobson
113 University Place
NEW YORK
THE HARP BECOMING POPULAR AGAIN
Its Once Universal Popularity Is Rapidly
Being Regained—Royal Harpists
To-day the harp is "coming back" as a popular
home instrument. It bids fair not only to re-
WASHINGTON, D. C, February 13.—Patent No. gain its olden prestige, but to surpass it. Hun-
1,214,625 was last week granted to Henderson dreds of amateurs are taking it up. While it
requires much study and practice to play the
N. White, Cleveland, O., for a cornet.
large
concert harp artistically, the smaller and
The invention comprises a cornet involving
more particularly the bell tube and a slide there- simpler instruments that are now available are
comparatively easy to master. Certainly harp
for to connect with the first valve.
The object of the invention is to provide the music is most charming.
In England, during- the Victorian age, and on
bell tube of a cornet with a pitch-changing slide
and to relate and construct said tube and slide the continent, the harp was a favorite instru-
in a particular way to connect with the first ment, not only with the general public, but with
valve of the instrument, so that the playing of royalty. Marie Antoinette was an accomplished
the cornet is made sensitive and responsive, even harpist, and so were the royal princesses in
in scale, and capable of giving the maximum Paris in the heyday of royal France. So too
possibilities for delicate tone shading, especially were Queen Henriette of Belgium and her
in solo renditions. The relation of this slide to daughter, Princess Stephanie, former crown
the other parts of the cornet is such that the princess of Austria; and "Carmen Sylva," queen
weight of the instrument is perfectly balanced of Roumania.
and conveniently handled without strain or ef-
fort, giving the impression of exceptional light-
GUITARS IN DEMAND AT DITSON'S
ness as compared with other cornets and re-
In the musical merchandise department of
quiring no special effort to keep the mouth-
piece in sensitive touch with the lips. Free and C. H. Ditson & Co., 8 East Thirty-fourth street,
ample hand-room is also afforded for various New York, their new line of medium priced
comfortable grips and for convenient operation guitars are proving very popular. General busi-
of the instrument. The added length and taper ness in this department is brisk.
which is given to the bell tube by the double
crooks and the "A" slide therein and the direct
and unobstructed passage afforded thereby is a
feature which contributes materially to improved
tone results. By an improved arrangement of
parts the pitch-changing slide is also placed ap-
proximately at a central point in the line of the
air passage between the mouth-piece and the
bell ends of the instrument, and also on the
bell-communicating side of all the valves, there-
by providing a cornet which will play more per-
satisfy the most exacting buyers. Try
fectly in tune in the different changes effected
Helmet, II Trovatore and La Melodia
by the slide than if otherwise located in respect
Violin Strings.
to the said valves.
Musical Instrument
Strings
Send for a wholesale Musical String
and Accessory catalogue
OLIVER DITSON CO.
BOSTON, MASS.
Manufacturers
Importer* and Jobber* ol
MUSICAL
MERCHANDISE
ESTABLISHED 1834
Cincinnati
DURRO
Bell Tube With Pitch Changing Slide a Feature
of Recent Patent
Attractive Specialties
Modern Service
MUSICAL
Merchandise
51
REVIEW
woum
Superior Quality MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
Victor Distributors
1108 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa.
Established over half a century
Armour & Company /™
Chicago
Black Diamond
Strings
THE WORLD'S BEST
National Musical String Co.
New Brunswick, N. J.
THE MUSIC TRADE
DEVELOPMENT^ THE VIOLIN
HARMONICAS FORJHE SOLDIERS
The Violin as We Know it Has Been Used
Since the Sixteenth Century
Small Size Makes Them Popular Musical Instru-
ments at Battle Front—Big Fund Raised
The violin is, in its primitive form, a de-
velopment of the lyre and the monochord. Its
history begins with the invention of the bow,
some time before the thirteenth century. Up
to the middle of the sixteenth century the devel-
opment underwent several stages—the rebec,
geige, fidel, and many kinds of viols and violas
—having appeared and undergone various
changes. At that time, however, the true violin
model appeared. Further notes on the histor-
ical development leading to the modern violin
are taken from the New International Encyclo-
pedia:
"The primitive violins really had no contour,
and it was not until the thirteenth century that
the body of the vielle was scooped out at the
ribs, forming a kind of waist. The corner
blocks were added about the fifteenth century,
and it is supposed they originated in Germany.
The foundation on which the violin was to rest
was the viol with the double corners. These
produced a new constructive feature, the bouts.
These rendered it possible for the first time for
the player to get at the strings. For nearly a
century the soundholes were shifted all over the
violin, sometimes crowding with the bridge near
the tailpiece. It was not until the violin model
had been some time in. use that they were cut
in their proper place and the bridge fixed be-
tween them. The bridge was the last point
perfected, and that by Stradivarius."
Antonio Stradivari (1644-1737), the greatest
of all violin makers, was the pupil of Nicolo
Amati, of Cremona, grandson of Andrea Amati,
who founded the most famous Italian school
of violin making, and greatest member of the
Amati family.
Giuseppe Antonio Guarneri
(1683-1745) was another great master whose in-
struments are regarded by many as equal to
those of Stradivari. The art of violin making
was at its height in Italy in the eighteenth cen-
tury, and the masters have been grouped into
four schools—Brescia, Cremona, Venice and
Naples. Interesting books on the subject are
G. Hart's "The Violin: Famous Makers and
Their Imitators" and H. Abele's "The Violin
and Its Story."
Reports from "Somewhere in France" are to
the effect that the British soldier's demand for
music to cheer the hours at the front has lead
him to adopt the humble harmonica as a means
to that end, owing to the fact that it is small
enough to be carried in his kit without trouble.
Great quantities of mouth organs have been
sent to the troops from England and at the
present time nearly 1,000 pounds ($5,000) has
been collected in a fund to purchase such in-
struments. At a shilling apiece the fund should
provide 20,000 harmonicas to drown the screams
of shells.
RONO
T H E OLDEST AND
LARGEST MUSICAL
MERCHANDISE HOUSE
IN AMERICA
Exclusively Wholesale
351-53FOURTHAVE.NEVYORKCITY
Victor Distributors
IMPROVED CORNET DEVISED
Chicago
AND
STEWART
Largest Wholesale
Musical Merchandise
House in America
Buegeleisen & Jacobson
113 University Place
NEW YORK
THE HARP BECOMING POPULAR AGAIN
Its Once Universal Popularity Is Rapidly
Being Regained—Royal Harpists
To-day the harp is "coming back" as a popular
home instrument. It bids fair not only to re-
WASHINGTON, D. C, February 13.—Patent No. gain its olden prestige, but to surpass it. Hun-
1,214,625 was last week granted to Henderson dreds of amateurs are taking it up. While it
requires much study and practice to play the
N. White, Cleveland, O., for a cornet.
large
concert harp artistically, the smaller and
The invention comprises a cornet involving
more particularly the bell tube and a slide there- simpler instruments that are now available are
comparatively easy to master. Certainly harp
for to connect with the first valve.
The object of the invention is to provide the music is most charming.
In England, during- the Victorian age, and on
bell tube of a cornet with a pitch-changing slide
and to relate and construct said tube and slide the continent, the harp was a favorite instru-
in a particular way to connect with the first ment, not only with the general public, but with
valve of the instrument, so that the playing of royalty. Marie Antoinette was an accomplished
the cornet is made sensitive and responsive, even harpist, and so were the royal princesses in
in scale, and capable of giving the maximum Paris in the heyday of royal France. So too
possibilities for delicate tone shading, especially were Queen Henriette of Belgium and her
in solo renditions. The relation of this slide to daughter, Princess Stephanie, former crown
the other parts of the cornet is such that the princess of Austria; and "Carmen Sylva," queen
weight of the instrument is perfectly balanced of Roumania.
and conveniently handled without strain or ef-
fort, giving the impression of exceptional light-
GUITARS IN DEMAND AT DITSON'S
ness as compared with other cornets and re-
In the musical merchandise department of
quiring no special effort to keep the mouth-
piece in sensitive touch with the lips. Free and C. H. Ditson & Co., 8 East Thirty-fourth street,
ample hand-room is also afforded for various New York, their new line of medium priced
comfortable grips and for convenient operation guitars are proving very popular. General busi-
of the instrument. The added length and taper ness in this department is brisk.
which is given to the bell tube by the double
crooks and the "A" slide therein and the direct
and unobstructed passage afforded thereby is a
feature which contributes materially to improved
tone results. By an improved arrangement of
parts the pitch-changing slide is also placed ap-
proximately at a central point in the line of the
air passage between the mouth-piece and the
bell ends of the instrument, and also on the
bell-communicating side of all the valves, there-
by providing a cornet which will play more per-
satisfy the most exacting buyers. Try
fectly in tune in the different changes effected
Helmet, II Trovatore and La Melodia
by the slide than if otherwise located in respect
Violin Strings.
to the said valves.
Musical Instrument
Strings
Send for a wholesale Musical String
and Accessory catalogue
OLIVER DITSON CO.
BOSTON, MASS.
Manufacturers
Importer* and Jobber* ol
MUSICAL
MERCHANDISE
ESTABLISHED 1834
Cincinnati
DURRO
Bell Tube With Pitch Changing Slide a Feature
of Recent Patent
Attractive Specialties
Modern Service
MUSICAL
Merchandise
51
REVIEW
woum
Superior Quality MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
Victor Distributors
1108 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa.
Established over half a century
Armour & Company /™
Chicago
Black Diamond
Strings
THE WORLD'S BEST
National Musical String Co.
New Brunswick, N. J.
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).