s seemingly unable to free himself entirely from the
proclivities common to his countrymen as Violin makers. There
remained, after all Stainer's changes, the German sound-hole and extra
arching, &c. Yet it must be readily admitted that the example which
Stainer put before his countrymen was of great value, and served to
engender an improved style throughout the Violin manufacture of
Germany. The exceptional merits of this famous German artist were soon
recognised, and his followers were legion. Among them were Sebastian
Kloz, George Kloz, Egidius Kloz, and other members of that, perhaps
the largest, family of Fiddle-makers the world has seen (had they been
as good as they were numerous, what stores of prized Violins would
have been bequeathed to us!); Reiss, of Bamberg; Rauch, of Breslau;
and Leopold Widhalm, of Nuremberg, who was one of Stainer's best
imitators; and others less known.

There were several German makers--led, possibly, by the example of
Stainer and Albani the younger--who turned their attention to Italy,
as furnishing models superior to their own, and thus combined the
styles of both countries; while they endeavoured to copy closely the
Italian masters, without attempting to be original. Niccolo Amati was
the maker whom these men chiefly copied, and most successfully did
they perform their task. These copies, however, did not meet the
success to which they were entitled, and the popularity of Stainer's
mode was then so great that the instruments made upon systems other
than his found no favour in the Fatherland. The makers who were
copyists of the Italian masters were Ruppert, Bachmann, Jauch, and
Eberle of Prague.

When we consider the long list of makers forming the German School, we
cannot fail to feel surprised that the number of really good artists
was not much larger; and our surprise increases when the close
proximity of the Tyrolese workers to the chief Italian centres of the
manufacture of Violins is also considered. If the names of Jacob
Stainer and Mathias Albani be excepted, the list is singularly
destitute of makers famous for originality. The Germans were certainly
great in the manufacture of the older stringed instruments, but seem
to have made a poor beginning in the making of Violins. The form
selected was bad, and they failed to improve upon it to any great
extent. It would be quite impossible to furnish anything approaching a
complete list of German makers, their number being so exte