RACCERIS, ---- Mantua, 1670, believed to have been a partner with one
of the Gaglianos, and made similar instruments.
RAF, ---- Bavaria.
RAMBEAUX, ---- Paris, a pupil of Gand, and an excellent workman.
RAPHAEL, NELLA, Brescia, 18th Century. This artiste was of the school
of Maggini, and his instruments are said to have the scrolls
sculptured, and to have inscriptions on the sides.
RAUCH, JAQUES, Mannheim, 1730 to 1740. Considered to be a very good
maker.
RAUCH, SEBASTIAN, 1742 to 1763.
RAUCH, ---- Breslau.
RAUCH, ---- Wurtzburg.
Otto praises the instruments of the two brothers of Breslau and
Wurtzburg. He says they are excellent violins but have a shape and
model peculiar to themselves and entirely different to the Italian or
Steiners, but possess when uninjured a full, round and powerful tone.
If Otto had told us what instruments were like instead of what they
were not like, his book would have been more valuable.
RAUT, JEAN, Bretagne. He was at Rennes till 1790. Made good instruments
after the Guarnerius school.
RAYMAN, JACOB, London, 1641. The instruments of this maker were very
highly valued formerly. He is considered one of our best old English
artistes.
REICHEL, JOHANN GOTTFRIED, Absom. An imitator of Steiner.
REICHEL, JOHANN CONRAD, Neukirch, 1779.
REISS, ---- Bamburg. A capital imitator of Steiner, and made excellent
instruments.
REMY, ---- Paris.
RENISTO, ---- Cremona, 1740, pupil of Carlo Bergonzi. His instruments
are very similar to those of his master, but rather higher modelled,
and the workmanship somewhat rougher.
RETANTINO, ---- No particulars of this maker.
RIMBOUTS, PETER, Amsterdam.
ROOK, JOSEPH, London, 1777 to 1852. A good workman, who imitated
Forster.
ROSS, JOHN, 1562. An early maker of lutes.
ROTH, CHRISTIAN, Augsburg, 1675.
ROVELIN, ---- 18th Century.
RUDGER, ---- Cremona--not one of the Ruggeri Family. Made some good
instruments of the high build, and deep sides, and used fine varnish.
RUGGERI, FRANCISCO, Cremona, 1640 to 1684. This celebrated maker is
considered to have been a pupil of Antonius Amati, and made many
excellent instruments which bear a high reputation. They rank next to
the Amati. Their quality is similar, and the style of work is easily
seen to belong to the same class. There are a few violins by this maker
of the same pattern as the Grand Amatis, which are said to surpass the
latter, having more wood in them, which was detrimental when they were
made, but which age has mellowed, and they now possess a strong and
free vibration. Many of the Ruggeris have varnish little inferior to
that of Stradiuarius and Guarnerius. This artiste ranks highest in the
family in the estimation of the connoisseur. His work is extremely
clean. The next is Giovanni Baptista, rather higher built and sound
holes rather broader. The scrolls are larger than those of Amati but of
the same type, There are many splendid violoncellos of these makers and
a few tenors. Some of the former are very large. Francisco Ruggeri is
mentioned by Spohr in his list of instruments to be sought for in the
absence of the three great makers, Nicholas Amati, Antonio Stradiuarius
and Joseph Guarnerius.
RUGGERI, GUIDO, Cremona, 1679.
RUGGERI, GIOVANNI BAPTISTA, son of Francisco. Brescia, 1690. Mentioned
above.
RUGGERI, PIETRO GIACOMO. Brescia 1700 to 1720. The celebrated
violoncellist Piatti plays on an instrument by this maker, and the tone
is uncommonly fine and sonorous as all who have heard him know.
RUGGERI, VINCENZIO, Cremona, 1700 to 1730.
RUPPERT, FRANCIS, Erfruth, made some excellent instruments of a very
flat model, but generally omitted the linings and corner blocks as well
us the purfling. They are nevertheless esteemed in Germany. They have a
dark brown amber varnish.