THE REPUTED GOLDEN PERIOD OF STRADIVARI LATE IN LIFE--HIS LATER
MODIFICATIONS OF DESIGN--SIGNS OF OLD AGE APPEARING--THE HELP HE
RECEIVED.
We can now return back to Cremona, where we left the master in what
might almost be termed the heydey of success, as he seems to have had
full obeisance as the reigning chief among liutaros. The amount of work
put forward--estimating carefully by what remains to us after the lapse
of some hundred and eighty years or more--must have been possibly larger
than is suspected and now might appear incredible if it were catalogued
in detail, were it not for the extreme probability that minor or mere
mechanical parts of the many instruments other than violins, violas, or
violoncellos were effectively carried out under the supervision of
Antonio Stradivari, his sons and assistants, of these probably what
under the circumstances might even be termed a numerous staff.
The period 1700 to 1725 has been referred to by some writers as "the
golden period" of Stradivari, not inaptly if we are to understand it in
a pecuniary sense, as his income at the time was no doubt of a very
satisfactory nature, but if taken from the standpoint of artistic
elegance and finish in detail the master himself seems to have had some
slight misgivings, as there are well-known indications in his latter
days of having used some of his early patterns, as if a desire had
arisen in his mind to return to his old love.
That some signs of advancing age should not be apparent in Stradivari's
work during the period of 1715 to 1725 would scarcely be expected. It is
just at this time, however, that he gives the strongest evidence of
being the extraordinary man that he was. In 1715 and thereabouts, a time
of all others, some critics might put it, when his most magnificent gems
of art were sent out into the world, he was a veteran seventy-one years,
a time of life that few people would look forward to as being
appropriate for executing unrivalled masterpieces, but rather as having
for some time retired for final rest after a full complement of working
days; here, however, was a peerless artist actually in his prime! and as
busy, possibly so, as at any early times.
At 1720 to 1725 a close student of his work of hand may discern some
signs of what was to follow, it might be said naturally. In the first
place the purfling gradually assumes a heavier aspect, it is a trifle
bolder or thicker in substance, although sent round the borders of the
instrument with apparently the same masterly handling and iron
nervousness of the preceding years. The edging is also a degree stouter.
Occasionally the corners are made to a more obtuse angle, adding to the
whole design a more stolid look, as if mere elegance was about to be
thrown aside and more simplicity and grandeur were being sought for.
This was not continued, the master seemed afraid of going too far
towards heaviness, he therefore cautiously withdrew to his own old
lines. Sometimes--possibly taking up and constructing upon some of his
old and early moulds--the corners are brought out more prominently, but
with more substance than in his early days; the result is delightful for
the connoisseur's eye. Accompanying these minute modifications there
will be noticed an increase slight and gradual in the expression of
heaviness in the sound holes. If possible there is more freedom from
mere symmetrical proportion, they are placed less accurately level, one
being a trifle higher than the other, this by the bye was common with
him at all times, although usually with a subtlety that left them
unnoticed by an ordinary observer. This slight irregularity has been
sometimes misinterpreted as one of the little secrets of the master
whereby he obtained his excellent sonority; "discovered" was the
exclamation, and a new rule laid down on Stradivari's lines--never place
your sound holes on the same level, always one a trifle higher and you
will get what the master was so famous for. The result, so far, has been
a disappointment which laid bare some evidence that these over zealous
enthusiasts were not sufficiently acquainted with the canons of Italian
art. There was another peculiarity creeping on with regard to these
sound holes--that of an enlargement of the curve opposing the lower
wing, at first it gave a more staid aspect to the part, there was less
sprightliness and youth about it, nevertheless it was fine at times,
even magnificent, there being still the same determination of purpose,
that of combining maturity of elegance with strength. Afterwards, the
change--and if all the works of these later years could be seen, saved
from the destructive ravages of time and wear, it would be pronounced
scarcely perceptible in its progressive degrees--came creeping on, old
age gradually insinuating itself in the mechanical part of the design.
From 1725 to 1737 was a time forming a proportion of Stradivari's career
during which, if he arouses less enthusiasm among his admirers for the
"work of hand," he outbalances it by far in exciting our astonishment at
the man himself. In the year 1725, he was then eighty-one years of age,
and his work, regarded from the standpoint of "periods" as given, or
arbitrarily laid down by critics of the first half of the present
century, was what is now known as just past the "golden" or "grand"
period; that is, some signs of decadence in the finish of the
instruments which he sent forth were for the first time becoming
apparent. It is generally believed that Stradivari was still
industriously engaged in constructing instruments of different kinds
and sizes as before, and that his time was occupied to the full in
producing works in rapid succession, as in an uninterrupted stream. That
the first part of this was probably quite true we can readily agree to,
also that the out-put was continuous. Both, however, will need a little
qualification when the surrounding circumstances are carefully weighed.
Allowing the master possession of unusual mental and physical powers,
with zeal unabated at the period included within the dates 1725 and
1735, it would be too much for us to believe him capable of working with
the certainty and celerity of former years; with all his extraordinary
abilities he would now be a less prolific worker.
This is in agreement with the number of works that have come down to us,
and as the time advanced it became less and less until a veritable
specimen of his latest period is extremely rare.
It has before been referred to that the sons of Stradivari worked with
him for many years. They must have, from continual practice, been able
to fit their own workmanship on to the designs of their father to a
nicety that could not be surpassed. Their own individual designs are
very seldom seen, consequent, no doubt, on so much of their time being
devoted to helping their father, and until his death they must have
rarely made on their own account.
There were other assistants who lent a helping hand in different
branches of the work, among whom we will not omit mention of Carlo
Bergonzi, a great master himself, but little inferior to Stradivari, and
a good deal better than either of the sons.
The circumstances under which Carlo Bergonzi worked in the Stradivari
establishment are not known; it is by no means certain that he received
his early tuition in the place, but that he became an influence of
considerable weight admits of no question. Whether he worked on the
premises, or--his own being at one time or other next door--was an
outside help no data is to hand that we can rely on, certain it is that
his talent must have been fully recognised by the younger Stradivaris as
their work declares.
Many years back there was some discussion about concerning the extent to
which Carlo Bergonzi helped, or what part he undertook, if it were
admitted that some of the Stradivari violins of the latest period were
not entirely the work of the master. There was much said for and against
the possibility or probability of there being any of Carlo Bergonzi's
handiwork to be seen on any of the late Strads. No one seems to have
questioned the presence of the influence of Bergonzi's style in the work
of Franciscus Stradivari, the eldest of the sons, who, after labouring
for many years on his father's moulds and patterns, might have
reasonably been tempted to take a "leaf from the book" of such a master
in designing as his friend and fellow-assistant, Carlo Bergonzi.
To take any sort of hint from that wonderful, although fitful genius,
Giuseppe Guarneri, working within earshot, was not to be entertained for
a moment, as the style of workmanship, the calibre and quality of tone
belonging to his manner, was quite opposed to Stradivarian teaching, and
besides which there are no records or traditions indicating even usual
social intercourse. We are therefore thrown upon our own resources in
estimating any connection of Carlo Bergonzi with the late work of
Antonio Stradivari. The instruments themselves will be the only guide
and, without doubt, in the face of other evidence, had it been present,
the best. Stradivari's work during the last ten or more years of his
life was showing exactly what we should expect of the man when working
at a patriarchal age. The stamp of the veteran handicraftsman may be
traced not unfrequently on the works of other eminent makers of Cremona,
including Andreas, Hieronymus, Nicolas, and his son Hieronymus and
others down to the latest period of Cremonese art, when Laurentius
Storioni was proving that if in its last struggles it was not quite
dead.
The distinguishing characteristics of old age work may be briefly
summed up in a few words--heaviness in design and uncertainty of
execution. Good, even brilliant, conceptions may be started on new work,
but the execution of them shows weakness, or even inability to carry
them out well. We will apply this as a kind of test when overlooking the
specimens handed down to us as being the production of the great
Cremonese master at the age of between eighty and ninety-three years of
age. If doing this simply from the connoisseur's point of view, without
admitting any such influences as present or past monetary value, former
ownership, in short, thrusting aside all considerations of pedigree, we
shall soon have to divide them into two sections, one of which will be
acknowledged by all connoisseurs to be really representative of the true
Stradivarian manner adhered to strictly through a long working career,
but with the only fault of not quite so well being said of it. Thus the
sound holes, as before referred to in the tracings, were becoming
heavier at the lower part and with a tendency in other details towards
ruggedness. The varnish has a thicker and less dainty aspect, although
of excellent quality still, but there is an impression of heaviness. In
the carving of the scroll the same character prevails, the edges of the
turns are stouter and at the back the grooves down to the shell are less
refined in their execution. All these little specialities of touch, but
no modifications, are the natural manifestation of the peculiar physical
condition of the master at a very advanced age.
Let us now turn to the other section, that over some of which there is
excellent reason for disputation, over others none.
It will be readily acceded that Stradivari at no time during his career
ever favoured any exaggeration of curve in the design of his sound
holes, there was always present the indication of a desire for a fine
balance of parts, in fact, his ideal seems always to have been that of
increasing, if possible, the elegance of the Amati sound holes while
adding to its substantial aspect.
In some of what we have called the second section we find a lively, fine
and rich transparent varnish such as Carlo Bergonzi was particularly an
adept at; on the same instrument will be sound holes, that a moment's
consideration will remove any hesitation as to the design being other
than Carlo Bergonzi. As this remarkable artist had several types of
sound holes, and no one knows how many subtypes, at his finger ends, a
little knowledge of his two most opposite ones will bring at once to
mind that he must have had a hand in no inconsiderable portion of what
is called Stradivari's late work, as here is found the inclining inwards
of his sound holes with the smaller upper part and heavier lower end.
This will be found accompanied by the square looking upper part of the
waist curve, the two things being alone almost sufficient to stamp the
whole as being by Carlo Bergonzi, but here pedigree has stepped in and
it was always called a Stradivari.
This is the one type of sound holes which has to be placed aside for a
moment; the other type is of an opposite kind and very often to be seen
accompanying the longer looking pattern of Carlo Bergonzi: it is free in
design, having the upper and lower wings fully developed, that is, the
straight cut of the wing is of full length, this individuality coming
from Stradivari.
It is this portion of the details of the design that has led so many
Students of the works of the Cremonese masters astray, they see the
Stradivarian design, or we may call it peculiarity, and too hastily
conclude as to its being the actual work of hand of the master. A little
further consideration of the adjoining portions of the sound holes would
bring to mind how little Stradivari was disposed towards any thinness of
the opening out of the part leading from the wing to the nicks: if he
had a tendency one way or the other, it would be towards more fulness,
but his ideal being a beautiful equilibrium of all parts, this is
clearly a point telling against the work as coming from his hand
entirely. There is another part, too, that Stradivari seems to have most
earnestly avoided, that of making the top portion of the sound hole
design reach over towards the centre, somewhat after the tendency of
Andrea Guarneri, this causes the lower part to seem turned up more
suddenly, it is, however, only by contrast between the two parts that
this is so. Carlo Bergonzi's sound holes are more sprightly and
vertical, and with their more mature style should not be confused with
those of the preceding maker. Here, then, are two distinct types of
sound holes independently of those referred to of earlier periods, to be
seen attached to violins that have perhaps through several generations
of owners been attributed to Antonio Stradivari, and in consequence been
sold again and again for large sums. Here is evidence of there being
something in a name. Had these instruments been carefully and properly
analysed, with a strict regard to the habit of the master in respect of
intention in design and execution at early and later periods, the
mistake would not have occurred. The conclusions rushed at seem to have
been that there was the proper age of the instrument, the varnish was of
fine Cremonese type, the pattern and sound holes thought to be
"Straddy," therefore it must be a Stradivari.
On the other hand, there is no obtainable evidence that these violins
did not issue in new condition from Stradivari's atelier; we have in
previous pages considered the amount of help at his elbow, and that this
would be more and more called into requisition is but a reasonable
conjecture: that it was actually the case is helped by the fact of
violins being extant in which the age of the master is stated on the
ticket--presumably written by himself. Possibly he felt some degree of
pride in having accomplished, at the patriarchal age of about ninety
years, work generally associated with the time and vigour of middle age.
The existence of these violins, there may have been several more made
than are known, has much significance, for the fact of his age being
inserted may be fairly taken as indirect evidence not to be lightly put
aside, that they were by himself looked upon as an accomplished work
quite out of his usual way. Had he been constantly putting forth
instruments made by his own hands, there would not have been anything
unusual about them, but these, with date and age marked, seem to be a
declaration of the master--see--I have made a violin at the age here
stated! In these there is present exactly what would be expected in such
work--indication of insufficiency of the physical powers for carrying
into execution the dictates of the mental. The intellect of this wonder
of humanity appears to have remained unclouded to the last.
The other violins of about the same epoch, and going under the master's
name, have a manner of work that ought to have been perceived as being
also distinct. Mere hastiness or slovenliness of work is not identical
with the effect of inability to achieve mechanical neatness. It is this
slovenliness of handiwork which Carlo Bergonzi gave way to so
frequently; he could, when in the humour, work beautifully; this, with
his fine perception of elegance of line, was possibly the secret of his
being admitted into the atelier of Stradivari and of his influence over
the sons. There may have been other special particulars regarding him
that helped in the matter of which there does not appear to be any
record.