The start of something BIG

The 1693 ‘Harrison’ violin represents a perfect example of Antonio Stradivari’s ‘Long Pattern’. Andrew Dipper shows how it signifies the start of a critical phase in the master luthier’s career

‘HARRISON’ PHOTOS BYRON PILLOW

The ‘Harrison’ Stradivari violin of 1693 was nicknamed after Richard L. Harrison, an English solicitor and amateur musician who owned the instrument in the 19th century. He, like many of his colleagues, was a classical music lover and played string quartets in his home on Sunday afternoons. He purchased the violin in 1892 from the famous Bond Street dealers W.E. Hill and Sons and kept it for 17 years, disposing of it in 1907. It is specifically mentioned and illustrated in the Hills’ book Antonio Stradivari: His Life and Work 1644–1737 and noted as being one of the finer examples of the ‘Long Pattern’ Stradivari. A short article on the instrument was published in the June 1985 edition of The Strad.

The ‘Harrison’ is one of only six Stradivari violins to survive with its original nailed-in neck, one that was reconfigured to modern specifications in the 19th century. Among its many famous owners were John Betts and Henry Hottinger, and more recently the virtuoso Kyung Wha Chung, from whom the National Music Museum purchased the instrument through the Chicago firm of Bein & Fushi. The instrument can be heard on modern recordings by the violinist.

The design development of Stradivari’s violins is very much tied to his most prestigious commissions. After the year 1680 everything in his life took a different turn. It could have been the commission for the Duke of Modena, or perhaps for the Grand Duke of Florence, that led him to a period of extreme creativity, but certainly it was the 1685 commission for a cello and two violins from Francesco Orsini, the future leader of the Dominican order (elected Pope Benedict XIII in 1724) that gave him needed patronage and protection to expand his business. In 1686 a personal letters patent from Cardinal Priest Orsini was obtained. This document guaranteed him the protection of the Dominican order and absolved him from its inquisitorial powers. The translation reads:

Considering the faithful service and kindly affection which Antonio Stradivarius, of Cremona, has shown us when opportunity offered, we have determined in return to show him our goodwill, and we desire to rank him among our familiar friends, in order that he may always be a partaker of the privileges, prerogatives and exemptions which those enjoy who are actually engaged in our service.

As a further sign to rivals of this important affiliation, he based the design of his own brand stamp on Orsini’s personal seal, exchanging Orsini’s figures flanking a cross framed within a double circle, with his own initials A.S. As a mark of patrician stature he also increasingly Latinised his name from ‘Stradivario’ to ‘Stradivarius’ as a mark of stature. Thus his career was set in motion. We might wonder at Stradivari’s drive to produce so many violins. Certainly, politically motivated commissions with high stakes are made evident through their details, noted by Don Desiderio Arisi, a contemporary biographer. An order for a viola da gamba for James II of England is noted, maybe in recognition of the repeal of the anti-Catholic Test Act in 1687. Another commission is for an inlaid decorative violin for the Howard family, one of the foremost recusant families of England. (Notably, the head of the family, Cardinal Philip Howard, had been a novice in the Dominican monastery of S. Domenico Cremona, and in 1675 was made a cardinal.)

A 1672 portrait of Francesco Orsini, aged 23

The back of the ‘Harrison’ is made from quarter-sawn Balkan maple with very long medullary rays

Stradivari’s competitor Nicolò Amati died in April 1684, and by 1690, with the loans on his house paid off and a residual legal problem of contested ownership of the property resolved, Stradivari embarked on a period of experimentation in violin design.

The new model was a break with the methods and processes of the Amati family. Its novel features must have been led by the availability of new wood sources and a concern with the shortcomings of the gut strings then available. By the late 17th century, advances in the processes of making strings and the introduction of overspun bass strings allowed for design changes to the old violin form and, importantly, to design possibilities for a cello with shorter string and body length. As if searching for a new paradigm Stradivari made notable and varied changes in the whole range of the Long Pattern design. Another interesting fact, noted by my colleague Ben Hebbert, is that the Long Pattern proportions can be seen not only in the full-size instruments but also the fractional-sized violins, as well as in the contralto viola of the 1690s, a model that Antonio continued to use throughout his career.

Stradivari fixed on a range of proportional options for these violins that was quite novel and had nothing to do with the established Amati design scheme. The body of the violin was made longer by degrees, while the lower bouts were enlarged. He amplified the length of the C-bouts that some writers have described as wasp-waisted. There seem to have been several iterations of the design, recorded in the existing Stradivari moulds and exemplified by the ‘SL’ model, and if we can believe the dating or originality of violin labels, these new-model violins were developed contemporaneously with the ordinary models, which points to special orders.

The C-bouts are long and less curvilinear, while the lines of the f-holes are composed and flowing in relation to the bouts

Antonio Stradivari’s design concept of the Long Pattern kept the line of equipoise of the plates at or near the soundpost position, but the enlargement of the lower bout had to be countered by other design changes because of the redistribution of mass. To achieve this, the central area of the plate was lengthened. This led, in the ‘Harrison’, to the diagonal measurement of the plate, corner to corner, being increased to 18.415cm (seen also in the 1718 ‘Maurin’ Stradivari, which has a back length of 355mm). The maximum height of the ribs is maintained at 32mm in the C-bouts, probably to conserve the mellowness of reverberation of the contained air mass. Certainly, the length extension of the C-bout of the violin and its straightened edge curves would have allowed Stradivari to utilise stiffer spruce and thinner graduation of the belly plate. In fact, narrower annual rings of the spruce bellies and the strict adherence to grain direction that we see in his violins are important factors in tonal quality and volume of sound, of which the ‘Harrison’ is a prime example.

The ‘Harrison’ is one of only six Stradivari violins to survive with its original nailed-in neck

PHOTOS BYRON PILLOW

AS IF SEARCHING FOR A NEW PA R A DIGM, STR ADIVARI MADE NOTABLE AND VARIED CHANGES IN THE WHOLE R ANGE OF THE LONG PATTERN DESIGN

The lower right-hand corner of the belly of the ‘Harrison’, showing purfling point details, varnish craquelure, filler, retouch and repairs to the spruce. Note the contrast in width of the ‘white’ of the C-bout purfling with that of the lower bout and the untouched portion of the border, indicating masterful control of its modelling on the softer spruce wood.

STRADIVARI ABANDONS THE LONG GOTHIC FORM OF THE INSTRUMENT’S CORNERS

Lower bass side corner of the ‘Harrison’. ‘A’ indicates the stucco fill and its adjustment of the ‘white’ band of purfling. ‘B’ indicates the original scribe line showing the direction of the bee-sting of the purfling mitre. ‘C’ marks the stucco fill on the C-bout side of the purfling

There are variations in the theme of the Long Pattern instruments: both the ‘Harrison’ and the 1694 ‘Benecke’ have two-piece instead of one-piece backs. Stradivari’s seeming search for an unknown principle shows a path of modification of the violin form starting in 1686 and ending in 1698–99. With each progressive iteration he endeavoured to lower the height and decrease the curvature of the arching of the back and belly, until he fixed on an absolute minimum of 13.5mm to 14mm. The bow curve of the typical Amati arch was abandoned in favour of a much flatter and more subtle architecture where the arch meets the edge border, almost in a nod of approval to the antique Brescian model of Maggini. The shape of the C-bouts, the height of the ribs and the arch are integrated in this new design, which leads to a rather beautiful dynamic form with an active flowing concept that is extremely pleasing to the eye. This architecture is carried out even to the exquisite fine detailing of the C-bouts’ corners.

Stradivari abandons the long Gothic form of the instrument’s corners, while his fine edgework moves towards a more Roman Vitruvian or Palladian concept of a geometric form, mirroring the discipline of a stone carver. In fact, the whole concept of the instrument from top to toe has been Romanised and modernised from the antique Amati wardrobe of possibilities. The difference between the Amati concept of form and that of Stradivari is as great as the difference between the architectural concepts of a Gothic cathedral versus St Peter’s in Rome. It is notable that at the same time as the appearance of the Long Pattern violins, we see the same approval of the Vitruvian method in the architecture of Christopher Wren in England, and in the new palaces of France. To me, this indicates a common abandonment of the old Gothic ideas and forms within the European psyche at this time.

Lower left back corner of the ‘Harrison’

ALL PHOTOS ANDREEW DIPPER

As noted previously, the ‘Harrison’ retains its original neck and, despite modern alterations, it is still possible to approximate its original neck stop of 12.35 to 12.45cm, a little shorter than the modern specifications of 13cm. This, combined with a body stop length of 19.3cm, gives an estimate of the range of string length between 31.85cm and 33cm depending on bridge height and thickness of the nut. The scroll, with its fine scribed centre line and residue of compass points, completely matches the ribs and sculpting of the back and belly of the violin. All the parts have ambition in their detail, in their exactly quartered grain, and wood choice, which can be seen by the direction of the maple and the spruce’s medullary rays. The discipline of the carving is extreme and the scroll’s weight and slightly narrow form (at just 39.45mm) do not overbalance the fine lines of the violin’s body.

The neck foot shows the new heel section and the addition wedge of wood used to lengthen the neck and cant it backwards at a higher angle than the Baroque standard. Its joint is marked C. The purpose of the small repair at the base of the original neck, marked A, was to fill the original cutaway of the neck which allowed it to overstep the border of the belly, a typical Baroque neck feature. Also visible at B is the dark stain caused by the iron salts of the nail points permeating and reacting with the maple wood.

Detail of point A of the above picture. I have marked the filler piece let into the fingerboard face of the original neck foot of the ‘Harrison’ with white arrows. This was set in at the same time that the modern neck angle was introduced. Below this fill is a noticeable ring of painted dots, enclosing a now-illegible sign, typical of the working practice of the 19th-century French luthier J.B. Vuillaume.

The ‘Harrison’ retains its top-block, which has been extended and encased in newer material by its restorer, while the traces of iron that have leached from the iron nails used to fix the neck in place are evident on the thumb-stop of the neck. In contrast to the earlier instruments of the Amati family, Stradivari has switched from native Italian maple (acer opalus) to Balkan maple (acer opalus ssp. obtusatum), a material of quite different properties from the traditional wood of old Cremonese violins. What’s more, his spruce seems to be from a different northern source, with its finer annular rings that indicate the slower growth of older trees from a more ancient forest, or from a higher elevation.

BYRON PILLOW. DETAILS ANDREW DIPPER

The f-holes of the ‘Harrison’ are petite in comparison with later models. They are precisely cut and their axis is rounded in its path to the upper eyes. They seem derivative of the Amati model. Their outline is far more integrated into the arching curve, a factor that does not make the f-holes appear as an afterthought. In fact, it is almost as if the arching and the outline have been designed from the f-holes outwards rather than being accommodated by the outline, as is often the case in lesser makers. Below and above the upper wings there are minute traces of overcutting this important line.

The varnish of the ‘Harrison’ seems quite transparent and made up of identifiable layers: a ground, and then a yellowish under varnish, with a much redder overcoat that is now somewhat faded. Under magnification, parts of the surface of the back appear spotted with brownish red which occasionally fills the pores of the wood, as though it has been very finely mouth-sprayed like a watercolour. This was a surprise because a faraway view completely conceals this important feature. Everything speaks of an athletic delight in precision. I can’t do better than quote W.E. Hill: ‘The thing that distinguishes Stradivari from other makers is the scrupulous quality of his production. The model has been deeply studied and is constructed of beautifully chosen materials, while the handwork is exquisite down to the finest details.’

For the purfling corners, a super-fine blade has been used to cut away a minuscule part of the ‘white’ of the lower bout, as it approaches the lower corners of the violin and this void has been filled with a thin line of black mastic, a move that ever so slightly narrows the ‘white’ and draws the eye towards its truncation with the mitre with the C-bout purfling. Not to be outdone, the C-bout purfling is also turned and points away from the lower inlay. The bee-sting of the mitre gains on this momentum and is steered away from the line of equal division of the corner. This small deviation of the C-bout purfling line is again filled with a tiny triangle of black mastic that enhances its visibility. The ‘white’, which shows the typical fleck of maple, is slightly wider than the ‘black’. This detail differs from the instruments made after 1700, where the ‘white’ is generally made of poplar whose quartered face creates a visible halo of radiating light as it curves around the edge of the plate. (This feature and associated edgework is named ‘aureola’ in Italian).

The f-holes are precisely cut and their axis is rounded in its path to the upper eyes

Lower centre-line locating pin of the back of the ‘Harrison’, truncated by the purfling line and the associated angled line of the purfling joint. The open centre seam joint on the edge border and the blackened pores of the wood were most likely caused by shrinkage due to salt damage from perspiration. No varnish is present in this tiny area. The purfling appears to be maple with dyed fruitwood black lines.

The purfling line of the back left-hand C-bout shows the yellow varnish primary coat with its red overcoat that has penetrated the pores of the wood. Note also the small grey areas of chipping of the varnish coat, as it has pulled away from the ground. The faint dye wash used to enhance the flame of the maple is also evident in the end grains of the wood’s rippled grain.

ALL PHOTOS ANDREW DIPPER

SCROLL PHOTOS BYRON PILLOW. VOLUTE PHOTO ANDREW DIPPER

Above The heel of the pegbox (third left) shows the fine finishing of the lines and the two marks remaining at its centre line from marking the curves with a compass

The instruments of this period, 1680–90, are conceived diversely, each distinct from the other. The backs and bellies are varied in their thicknesses and forms ‘as though Stradivari worked on an undiscovered wise principle’, in the Hills’ opinion, exactly according to a predetermined schema involving air volumes, balance, weight and proportion. Perhaps it was all allied to knowledge of the motivic power of gut strings and their ability to store energy and move the masses of air. All these attributes combine to overcome the stasis of equilibrium of the constructive and dynamic forces contained in the violin’s structure. The back plate has its characteristic locating pins, which are an artefact of the constructive method and geometry of the violin. They are neatly placed and precisely cut by the purfling, whose angled mitre joint is easily visible under magnification. Also visible are blemishes and damage from the years that the instrument has been used: small losses, abrasions and retouch as well as varnish craquelure and fading.

The late 17th century saw the occasional appearance of inlaid Stradivari violins whose decoration is in a somewhat retro Spanish style. One must ask: were the novel Long Pattern instruments following Spanish musical taste? Their artistic changes could arguably be part and parcel of Spanish cultural influence through music performance. By 1690 there arose a need for volume and power from the violin players for grand festival productions put on by the Spanish government of Naples and Lombardy. The Spanish Viceroy and consul in Rome, Luis Francesco de la Cerda, Duke of Medinacelli (1660–1711) was notable in the organisation of these festivities, being a patron of the violinist Corelli, and the end of his influence in Italy coincides with the retreat of the Long Pattern violin production. A further factor in the disappearance of this model is likely to have been the overwhelming Gallo–Sardinian influence in Cremona from 1699 to 1716, during the emerging War of the Spanish Succession.

The Long Pattern violins were a significant step on the path that led to the simple free grace of line that marks the excellence of the later Stradivari violins. They are based on numerical calculations and geometrical forms, yet with slight deviations in line such as those on the purfling, and those on the volute of the scroll that throw it forward towards the player. These give amazing life to what could otherwise fail to engage the eye. The flatter arch allowed faster production of the instruments, leaving time to spend on external details, each violin an independent creation and not a mechanical copy on a pre-designated recipe.

The left-hand eye of the ‘Harrison’ scroll with the typical Stradivari comma and associated tooling.

Many instruments made early in Stradivari’s life foreshadow the growth of those that he made later, and the Long Pattern’s influence, being far from unexplored, is seen in luthiers such as Vincenzo Rugeri and the Englishman Daniel Parker. There is a microscopic level of perfection in unexpected details. The Hills note that Stradivari ‘profited by experience and avoided, as he advanced in age, the shortcomings of his early years’, concerning which, the violin collector Count Cozio di Salabue once commented: ‘If ever Stradivari’s work could be criticised, it is in that ever so slight failure to leave behind the mannerisms of his teacher Nicolò Amati.’

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