Antonio Stradivari

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(b ?Cremona, 1644; d there, 18 Dec 1737). Italian violin maker. Since the end of the 18th century he has been regarded as the greatest. He learnt his craft from Nicolo Amati, making his first violin in 1666 and, until 1680, plucked instruments (probably harps, lutes, mandolins and guitars). From 1680 to 1690 his work moved away from Amati's and his fame spread beyond Cremona; in the 1690s he worked on a new, longer design and adopted more robust features - wider purfling, bolder soundholes, stronger arching. (Though two of his sons worked with him from this time, they seem to have had no independent careers.) By c 1715 his instruments reached a peak of perfection both visually (his varnish took on the well-known orange brown colour) and tonally; outstanding examples include the ‘Betts’ (1704), the ‘Alard’ (1715) and the ‘Messiah’ (1716) violins, as well as the 20 or so surviving smaller cellos of this period, noted for their extraordinary sound quality. His instruments are unsurpassed; c 650 survive, many used by the world's leading players. Though his style had always been copied, imitations proliferated in the 19th century.

Italian violin maker Antonio Stradivari (c. 1644-1737) created instruments that are still considered the finest ever made. The new styles of violins and cellos that he developed were remarkable for their excellent tonal quality and became the basic design for all modern versions of the instruments.

Aentonio Stradivari, also known by the Latin form of his name, Antonius Stradivarius, was a master craftsman who revolutionized the design of the violin. The instruments that he crafted in the late 1600s and early 1700s are considered to be the finest ever made because of the unsurpassed quality of their tone. Of the approximately 650 of his violins known still to exist, many continue to be played by musicians today. Stradivari also accomplished a similar redesign of the cello, setting the standard for the styles of violins and cellos used in later centuries. But the exact qualities of Stradivari's creations have never been able to be reproduced, making the stringed instruments that bear his name the most valuable and sought after in the world.

There were no records of Stradivari's birth, but based on the documentation of his age that accompanied his signature on some of the instruments he created late in his life, it was assumed that he was born in 1644. There was also little that is known about his youth. He was probably born in Cremona, Italy, the city where his family had been established for five centuries, and he was the son of Alessandro Stradivari. Cremona was a town that had been renowned for its master violin makers for nearly 100 years. Its leading craftsman during Stradivari's early life was Niccolo Amati, who represented the third generation of his family to contribute to the development of the traditional violin style popular at that time. Stradivari was probably apprenticed to Amati by the early 1660s and under his direction learned the craft of violin making.

Experimented with Violin Design

By 1666, Stradivari was producing instruments independently as well as continuing to work at his mentor's shop, which he probably did until Amati's death in 1684. In 1667, he was married to Francesca Feraboschi and set up his own household and shop; the couple eventually had six children and two of their sons would follow in their father's footsteps as violin makers. In the decade or so before 1680, Stradivari created a wide variety of stringed instruments, including guitars, harps, lutes, and mandolins. He continued to follow Amati's basic design for violins, but during this time he began experimenting with improvements in tone and design. The small number of instruments he created were primarily sold in Cremona, and he was not well-known outside the city in these years.

The Stradivari family moved to a new house at No. 2, Piazza San Domenico in 1680, and the building would serve as the violin maker's home and workshop for the rest of his life. Here he matured in his art and created his greatest works, most notably the violins that set the standard for perfection in the music world. In the 1680s, he continued to develop his own style, deviating from Amati's design to create a more solid-looking violin that used new materials and finishes. The resulting instruments during this time created a more powerful sound than earlier violins, and musicians from outside Cremona began to seek out instruments from his workshop as his fame grew. Upon Amati's death in 1684, Stradivari was considered the city's greatest violin maker.

Despite his considerable success with his designs, Stradivari continued to look for ways to improve his violins. In the 1690s, he experimented with the length of the instrument, creating what was known as the "long pattern" or "long Strad" - a violin that was 5/16 of an inch longer than the traditional pattern. The result was a deeper, fuller tone that was quite distinct from the lighter sounds of other Cremona instrument makers. Stradivari's wife died in 1698, and she was honored with a large funeral. In the summer of the following year, the craftsman married his second wife, Antonia-Maria Zambelli. He had five more children from this marriage, but none of them ever entered the instrument-making business.

Created Finest Works in "Golden Period"

The years from 1700 to 1720 were the greatest of Stradivari's career and the era was often referred to as the "golden period" of the artisan. It was during this time that he perfected his violin design and created his finest instruments. He discontinued his work with the long pattern during this time, instead creating violins that blended the qualities of the dark, rich tones of his earlier instruments with the brighter, sweet sounds of the traditional Cremona violin. Not only was his design revolutionary, but the materials he used also helped to create his unique effects. He selected excellent wood, such as maple, for his violins and developed the orange-brown varnish that became a trademark of his work. His works from this period were so magnificent that some violins created at this time have developed individual identities and reputations. Some of the most famous include the 1704 "Betts" violin, now in the United States Library of Congress, the 1715 "Alard," which is considered the finest Strativarius in existence, and the 1716 "Messiah," an instrument that Stradivari never sold and is now in the best condition of any of his surviving pieces.

The cello also underwent a similar transformation at the hands of Stradivari during the golden period. Cellos before his time were larger than modern instruments and served primarily as an accompaniment instrument in the bass range. But performers seeking to use the cello for solo performances wanted a smaller instrument that was more expressive in tone. Stradivari became interested in this growing need among musicians and between 1707 and 1710 created a number of smaller cellos that became the models for modern instruments.

After 1720, Stradivari continued to produce violins and other stringed instruments, but the number of items decreased through the years. And while his work maintained a high level of quality, it began to show the effects of failing eyesight and a less steady hand. His sons, Francesco and Omobono, had become assistants of their father in his business, and they began to collaborate with him and another employee, Carlo Bergonzi, to produce instruments that bear the inscription of being created "under the discipline of Antonio Stradivari." But Stradivari also produced instruments on his own until his death at the age of 93 on December 18, 1737. His second wife had died just nine months earlier. They were both buried in a tomb located just across the street from their house at the Chapel of the Rosary of the Church of San Domenico. By the 1800s, the chapel had fallen into disrepair and was eventually demolished. All that remained of Stradivari's final resting place was the stone bearing his name that had appeared on his tomb; it was now located in the Cremona Civic Museum, which also housed personal items belonging to Stradivari, including original drawings and designs for his instruments.

Quality Instruments Remain Unequaled

Although Stradivari is best remembered for his exceptional violins, the patterns that he created have become the basis for instruments used today. Some of the secrets of his craft have never been completely unraveled, however, despite investigations into the materials that were used in Strativarius violins. While his accomplishments may never be duplicated, it was generally assumed that the beautiful sound of his instruments was due to the unique combination of design, materials, and workmanship that Stradivari had developed during his long and successful career. Many people felt that his instruments were the best ever produced, and their use by leading musicians hundreds of years after his death were a testament to the genius of Stradivari.

Further Reading

Balfoort, Dirk J., Antonius Stradivarius, translated by W. A. G. Doyle-Davidson, Continental Book Company (Stockholm), 1947.

Hill, W. Henry, Arthur E. Hill, and Alfred E. Hill, Antonio Stradivari: His Life and Work (1644-1737), William E. Hill and Sons, 1902.

Antonio Stradivari
Born	1644 Cremona, Italy
Died	December 18, 1737 (aged 93) Cremona, Italy
Occupation	Luthier

Antonio Stradivari (1644 – December 18, 1737) was an Italian luthier, a crafter of stringed instruments such as violins, cellos, guitars and harps. Stradivari is generally considered the most significant artisan in this field. The Latinized form of his surname, Stradivarius, as well as the colloquial, "Strad", is often used to refer to his instruments.

Contents 1 Biography 2 Stradivarius instruments 3 See also 4 References 5 External links 6 Historical Books

Biography

Antonio Stradivari examining an instrument, in a Romantic 19th-century print.

Stradivari is believed to have been born in the year 1644, although documentation of his exact birth date has not been found. He was born in Cremona, a small Italian city, to Alessandro Stradivari and Anna Moroni. It is possible that in 1658 — 1664 he served as a pupil in workshops of Nicolò Amati, though searches through the parish returns of Cremona have failed to verify any association.^[1]

Stradivari married in July 1667 to Francesca Feraboschim, a young widow. Together, they had six children. In 1698 Feraboschim died. He remarried in 1699 to Antonia Maria Zambelli, and had five more children with her.

In 1680 Stradivari settled himself in the Piazza San Domenico, Cremona, and his fame as an instrument-maker was quickly established. His originality was evident in his alterations of Amati's models; the arching was changed, the various degrees of thickness in the wood were more exactly determined, the formation of the scroll was altered, and the varnish was more highly coloured. The twelve violin forms currently housed in Cremona's Museo Stradivariano are evidence that, well into the 1700s, Stradivari continued experimenting with the proportions of his violins. It is generally acknowledged that his finest instruments were manufactured between 1698 and 1725, exceeding in quality those subsequently manufactured between 1725 and 1730. After 1730, some of the instruments are signed and were likely made by his sons, Omobono and Francesco.

The Spanish II Stradivarius, ca. 1687 on exhibit at Palacio Real, Madrid

In addition to violins, Stradivari also made guitars, violas, cellos, and at least one harp — more than 1,101 instruments in all, by current estimates. Approximately 650 of these instruments still survive^[2].

Antonio Stradivari died in Cremona, Italy on December 18, 1737, and was buried in the Basilica of San Domenico, in Cremona. When this church was demolished in 1868, the removal of recent pavement revealed the stone lid to the Stradivari family vault in the Chapel of the Rosary. It appears from contemporary accounts (Mandelli) that Antonio Stradivari's remains were unidentifiable.^{[citation needed]}

Stradivarius instruments

Main article: Stradivarius

Stradivari's instruments are regarded as amongst the finest bowed stringed instruments ever created, are highly prized, and still played by professionals today. Only one other maker, Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù, commands a similar respect among violinists. Fashions in music, as in other things, have changed over the centuries, and the accepted supremacy of Stradivari's and Guarneri's instruments is only true today. In the past, instruments by Nicolò Amati and Jacob Stainer were preferred for their subtle sweetness of tone.

The top five world record prices paid for any musical instrument are for Stradivarius violins and were all sold at auction by Christie's. On May 16, 2006, Christie's auctioned a Stradivarius called The Hammer for a record US$3,544,000. It holds the record for the most paid to date at public auction for any musical instrument.^[3] The previous record price paid at a public auction for a Stradivarius was US$2,032,000 for the Lady Tennant at Christie's in New York, April 2005.^[4] On April 2, 2007 Christie's sold a Stradivari violin for more than US$2.7 million, well above its estimate. The 1729 instrument, known as the Solomon, Ex-Lambert, went to an anonymous bidder in the auction house's fine musical instruments sale. Its price, US$2,728,000 including the Christie's commission, far outdid its estimated value: US$1 million to US$1.5 million.^[5] The London sales of The Mendelssohn at £902,000 ($1,776,940) in 1990 and The Kreutzer for £947,500 ($1,591,800) in 1998 constitute as the other two top selling Stradivari.

Other famous Stradivarius instruments are the Davidov Stradivarius, a cello currently played by Yo-Yo Ma, the Barjansky Stradivarius, a cello currently played by Julian Lloyd Webber and the Duport Stradivarius, a cello owned by Mstislav Rostropovich until his death in 2007. The Soil of 1714 is owned by virtuoso Itzhak Perlman. The Countess Polignac is currently played by Gil Shaham. The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra uses several Stradivarius instruments that were purchased by the Österreichische Nationalbank (Austrian National Bank) and other sponsors: Chaconne, 1725; ex-Hämmerle, 1709; ex-Smith-Quersin, 1714; ex-Arnold Rose, ex-Viotti, 1718; and ex-Halphen, 1727.

While the usual label for a Stradivarius instrument, whether genuine or false, uses the traditional Latin inscription, after the McKinnley Tariff Act of 1891, copies were also inscribed with the country of origin. Since thousands of instruments are based on Stradivari's models and bear the same name as his models, many unwary people are deceived into purchasing forged Stradivarius instruments, although this can be avoided by having an instrument authenticated.

The world's two largest publicly accessible collections of Stradivari instruments^{[dubious – discuss]} are those of the U.S. Library of Congress with three violins, a viola, and a cello, and the Agency of National Estates of Spain, with a quartet of two violins, the Spanish I and II, the Spanish Court cello, and the Spanish Court viola, exhibited in the Music Museum at the Palacio Real de Madrid (Royal Palace).^[6] The collection of the The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra had the largest number of Stradivari in its string section, purchased in 2003 from the collection of Herbert R. Axelrod, until it recently decided to sell them off. A collection assembled by Rodman Wanamaker in the 1920s contained as many as 65 stringed instruments by such masters as Stradivari, Gofriller, Baptiste and Giuseppe Guarneri. Included was "The Swan," the last violin made by Stradivari. The collection, known as The Cappella, was used in concerts with the Philadelphia Orchestra and Leopold Stokowski before being dispersed after Wanamaker's death. The Vienna Philharmonic uses four violins and one cello. The Metropolitan Museum of Art has three Stradivari violins dated 1693, 1694, and 1717. The University of South Dakota, in Vermillion, South Dakota, has in its collection one of two known Stradivari guitars, one of eleven known viola da gambas, later modified into a cello form, one of two known choral mandolins, and one of six Stradivari violins that still retain their original neck. In the interests of conservation, the Messiah Stradivarius violin—on display in the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, England—has not been played at all in recent years.^[7] The Royal Academy of Music's Collections include several instruments by Antonio Stradivari, including the 'Joachim (1698), Rutson (1694), the Crespi (1699), Viotti ex-Bruce (1709), Kustendyke (1699), Maurin (1718) and the Ex Back (1966) violins, Ex Kux (1714), and the Archinto (1696) violas, the Marquis de Corberon (1726) and the Markevitch (1709) celli.^[8][9]

See also

• Amati
• Giuseppe Guarneri
• W.E. Hill & Sons

References

1. ^ Pollens, Stewart (1992). The Violin Forms of Antonio Stradivari. London: Peter Biddulph. ISBN 0952010909. 
2. ^ Cosio data base of instruments by Antonio Stradivari
3. ^ "Stradivarius tops auction record". BBC News. 2006-05-17. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4988838.stm. Retrieved 2007-04-07. 
4. ^ Julie Carlson (May 2005). "Strad Mad". Artfact. http://www.forbes.com/work/feeds/ap/2006/05/16/ap2751697.html. Retrieved 2007-04-07. 
5. ^ Associate Press (April 2007). "Stradivari violin goes for $2.7M". Yahoo! News. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070403/ap_on_re_us/violin_auction. Retrieved 2007-04-07. 
6. ^ "Violins, violas, cellos & double basses owned by Royal Palace in Madrid". Cozio. 2008. http://www.cozio.com/Owner.aspx?id=698. Retrieved 2008-03-26. 
7. ^ "Violin: Antonio Stradivari". Highlights of the Ashmolean. Ashmolean Museum. http://www.ashmolean.org/collections/?type=highlights&id=96&department=2. Retrieved 2008-07-04. "In recent years, it has not been played at all owing to the demands of conservation." 
8. ^ "Royal Academy of Music Museum". Royal Academy of music. http://www.ram.ac.uk/emuweb//pages/ram/ResultsList.php?quicksearch=instruments. Retrieved 14 October 2009. 
9. ^ "Stradivarius Exhibition". International Music Academy of Montpellier. http://www.aimm.tv/en/stradivarius-exhibition.html. Retrieved 14 October 2009. 

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
• This article incorporates text from the entry Antonio Stradivari in the public-domain Catholic Encyclopedia of 1913.

External links

• Nippon Music Foundation
• Stradivari Society
• Violin Making at The Violin Site
• The National Music Museum
• Real Conservatorio Superior de Música, Madrid
• Information on Antonio Stradivari
• Secrets of the Stradivari
• The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Historical Books

• Antoine Stradivari, luthier célèbre connu sous le nom de Stradivarius By François-Joseph Fétis, Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume

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