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Antonio Stradivari

 
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Antonio Stradivari

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Dec 18, 1737. Celebrated Italian violin maker was born probably in the year 1644 and died at Cremona, at about age 93.

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Britannica Concise Encyclopedia:

Antonio Stradivari

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(born 1644?, Cremona, Duchy of Milan — died Dec. 18, 1737, Cremona) Italian musical-instrument maker. An apprentice of Nicolò Amati (from c. 1666), he established his own business in Cremona, eventually working with his sons Francesco (1671 – 1743) and Omobono (1679 – 1742). Though he made other instruments (including harps, lutes, mandolins, and guitars), few survive, and after 1680 he concentrated on violins. Moving away from the Amati style, he developed (c. 1690) the "long Strad." The Stradivari method of violin making created a standard for subsequent times; he devised the modern form of the violin bridge and set the proportions of the modern violin, with its shallower body that yields a more powerful and penetrating tone than earlier violins. The period 1700 – 20 is considered the peak of his productivity and quality.

For more information on Antonio Stradivari, visit Britannica.com.

Oxford Grove Music Encyclopedia:

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.


Gale Encyclopedia of Biography:

Antonio Stradivari

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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.

Columbia Encyclopedia:

Antonio Stradivari

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Stradivari, Antonio (äntô'nyō strädēvä'rē), or Antonius Stradivarius (ăntō'nēəs strădĭvâr'ēəs), 1644-1737, Italian violin maker of Cremona; pupil of Niccolò Amati. He was apprenticed to Amati c.1658 and may have remained with him until Amati's death in 1684. Stradivari's earliest extant label is dated 1666 and his last 1737. His finest instruments were made after 1700. He produced at least 1,116 instruments, of which 540 violins, 12 violas, and 50 cellos were known. He also made fine viols, guitars, and mandolins. His workmanship brought the violin to perfection, and later artisans have tried to imitate his instruments. His commissions included those from James II of England and Charles III of Spain. Many of his instruments have acquired names, often for buyers or players, e.g., the violins the Paganini (1680), the Viotti (1709), the Lipinski (1715), and the Khevenhüller (1733) and the cello the Davidov (1712), now played by Yo-Yo Ma. Two of Stradivari's sons, Francesco Stradivari (1671-1743) and Omobono Stradivari (1679-1742), worked with him and continued the craft after his death, producing a number of fine instruments.

Bibliography

See studies by A. E. and W. H. Hill (1902) and H. K. Goodkind (1973); T. Faber, Stradivari's Genius (2005).

AMG AllMusic Guide to Classical Music:

Antonio Stradivari

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Biography

The roughly 650 surviving instruments built by Antonio Stradivari -- harps, guitars, violas, cellos, lutes, and mandolins in addition to violins -- represent a level of musical craftsmanship and technology that has never been exceeded. "Stradivarius" instruments (the builder signed his creations with the Latin form of his name) resound from stages where classical music's greatest artists appear and they command multimillion-dollar prices at auction. Stradivari was born in Cremona, Italy, perhaps in 1644. Little is known with certainty of his early life, but he probably became an apprentice of Nicolò Amati, then the top Cremonese violin maker, in the 1660s. He apparently began to put his own stamp on instruments he made at the Amati workshop, and to experiment especially with various aspects of violin construction. Married to Francesca Feraboschi, Stradivari moved into a house on one of Cremona's central piazzas and opened his own business in 1680. The couple had six children, two of whom, Omobono and Francesco, became Stradivari's assistants; he later had five more children by his second wife, Antonia-Maria. After Amati's death in 1684, Stradivari was recognized as Cremona's preeminent builder, and his fame gradually spread among Italy's wealthy mercantile families.

At no point did he rest on his laurels or accept mere financial security; he continued to experiment with the materials used in the violin's construction, including varnish (the classic Stradivari instruments have a distinctive orange color that has proven difficult to duplicate), and even with the basic shape of the instrument. In the 1690s he sought greater power with the now so-called "long Strad," slightly less than a half-inch bigger than the usual violin, but he eventually returned to the original length. No aspect of the violin, from the scroll to the arch, remained untouched by his experiments. The greatest Stradivarius instruments appeared between about 1700 and 1725, after which his production declined somewhat and is thought to have been assisted by his songs Omobono and Francesco. The instruments of Stradivari's "golden age" were signed "Antonius Stradivarius Cremonensis Faciebat Anno [year], or Antonio Stradivari of Cremona, made in the year -- --. Later, many became known by the names of people who had owned them; the "Betts" Stradivarus of 1704, now in the collection of the U.S. Library of Congress, took its name from that of nineteenth century London instrument dealer Arthur Betts. Thousands of counterfeit Stradivarius instruments exist, however, and the presence of the inscribed Stradivarius name on an instrument indicates little about its provenance.

Debates about exactly how Stradivari imbued his instruments with such uncanny power and tonal beauty began early in the age of the virtuoso violinist and have never really abated. Speculation has encompassed every aspect of the violin but has focused on the combination of maple, spruce, and willow woods he used, and some think that the Little Ice Age, a cool climactic period beginning in the sixteenth century, played a role by making these woods unusually dense. Contemporary instrument makers attempting to recapture Stradivari's magic have worked closely with individual foresters in specific European wood-growing regions. Surely part of any explanation of Stradivari's greatness must reside in his unique combination of curiosity and almost unprecedentedly long life. Stradivari died in Cremona on December 18, 1737, which, if the 1644 birth year is correct, probably made him 93 years old. His instruments, rivaled only by those of Cremona's Guarneri family, were products of a mind and hands that accumulated arcane knowledge over decades, a process not easily susceptible to experimental reconstruction. ~ James Manheim, Rovi
Wikipedia on Answers.com:

Antonio Stradivari

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Antonio Stradivari

A romanticized print of Antonio Stradivari examining an instrument. No authentic portrait has been discovered.
Born 1644
Cremona, Italy
Died 18 December 1737 (aged 92–93)
Nationality Italian
Education Apprenticeship with Nicolò Amati
Spouse 1. Francesca Feraboschi
2. Zambelli Costa
Work
Engineering discipline Craftsman
Practice name luthier

Antonio Stradivari (1644 – 18 December 1737) was an Italian luthier and a crafter of string instruments such as violins, cellos, guitars, violas, and harps. Stradivari is generally considered the most significant and greatest 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. It is estimated that he made 1,000 to 1,100[1][2] instruments and that around 650 of these instruments have survived[3] including 450[1] to 512[2] violins.

Contents

Biography

Family background and early life

Panorama of Cremona, with the Torrazzo di Cremona visible

Stradivari's ancestry consisted of notable citizens of Cremona, dating back to at least the 12th or 13th century. The earliest mention of the family name, or a variation upon it, is in a land grant dating from 1188.[4] The origin of the name itself has several possible explanations; some sources say it is the plural of Stradivare, essentially meaning "toll-man" in a Lombard variety of Italian, while others say that the form "de Strataverta" derives from "Strada averta", which, in a Cremonese dialect of Italian, means "open road".[5]

Antonio's parents were Alessandro Stradivari, son of Giulio Cesare Stradivari, and Anna Moroni, daughter of Leonardo Moroni.[6] They married on 30 August 1622, and had at least 3 children between 1623 and 1628: Giuseppe Giulio Cesare, Carlo Felice, and Giovanni Battista. The baptismal records of the Parish of S. Prospero then stop, and it is unknown whether they had any children from 1628 to 1644.[7] This blank in the records may be due to the family leaving Cremona in response to war, famine, and plague in the city from 1628 to 1630,[8] or the records may have been lost due to clerical reforms imposed by Joseph II of Austria in 1788.[9] The latter explanation is supported by the word Cremonensis (of Cremona) on many of Stradivari's labels, which suggests that he was born in the city instead of merely moving back there to work.[10] Antonio was born in 1644, a fact deducible from later violins.[11] However, there are no records or information available on his early childhood, and the first evidence of his presence in Cremona is the label of his oldest surviving violin from 1666.[12]

Stradivari likely began an apprenticeship with Nicolò Amati between the ages of 12 and 14,[13] although a minor debate surrounds this fact. One of the only pieces of evidence supporting this is the label of his 1666 violin, which reads, "Alumnus Nicolai Amati, faciebat anno 1666".[14] However, Stradivari did not repeatedly put Amati's name on his labels, unlike many of his other students.[15] Stradivari's early violins actually bear less of a resemblance to those of Amati than his later instruments do.[11] M. Chanot-Chardon, a well-known French luthier, asserted that his father had a label of Stradivari's stating, "Made at the age of thirteen, in the workship of Nicolò Amati". This label has never been found or confirmed.[14] Amati would also have been a logical choice for Antonio's parents, as he represented an old family of violin makers in Cremona, and was far superior to most other luthiers in Italy.[13]

An alternative theory is that Stradivari started out as a woodworker: the house he lived in from 1667 to 1680 was owned by Francesco Pescaroli, a woodcarver and inlayer. Stradivari may even have been employed to decorate some of Amati's instruments, without being a true apprentice. This theory is supported by some of Stradivari's later violins, which have elaborate decorations and purfling.[16]

Assuming that Stradivari was a student of Amati, he would have begun his apprenticeship in 1656–58 and produced his first decent instruments in 1660, at the age of 16. His first labels were printed from 1660 to 1665, which indicates that his work had reached a quality sufficiently high enough for him to offer it directly to his patrons. However, he probably stayed in Amati's workshop until about 1684, so as to use his master's reputation as a launching point for his career.[17]

Marriage and early career

Antonio Stradivari's second house, the No. 2 Piazza San Domenico

Stradivari married his first wife, Francesca Feraboschi, on 4 July 1667.[18] Francesca was the young widow of the burgher Giacomo Capra, with whom she had two children, and who had been shot by Francesca's brother on the Piazza Garibaldi (formerly the Piazza Santa Agata).[19] After their marriage, Stradivari moved into a house known as the Casa del Pescatore, or the Casa Nuziale, in his wife's parish. The couple had a daughter, Giulia Maria, three to four months later.[20] They remained in this house until 1680, during which time they had four more children: Catterina, Francesco, Alessandro, and Omobono, as well as an infant son who lived for only a week.[21]

Stradivari did not "flash forth as a brilliant genius" as is often said, but more likely developed his own style slowly[neutrality is disputed]. His violins often used slightly smaller dimensions, and he obviously doubted whether the "Grand Amati" patterns actually led to a greater tone.[neutrality is disputed][citation needed] A notable exception to this is the 1697 Hellier violin, which had much larger proportions.[22] Stradivari's early (pre-1684) violins are in strong contrast to Amati's instruments from the same time period; Stradivari's have a stronger, more masculine build, and less rounded curves, with the purfling set farther in.[23][24]

By 1680, Stradivari had acquired at least a small, yet growing, reputation. In 1682, a Venetian banker ordered a complete set of instruments, to be presented to King James II of England.[25] The fate of these instruments is unknown. Cosimo de' Medici bought another five years later.[26] Amati died in 1684, an event which was followed by a noticeable increase in Stradivari's production.[25] The years 1684 and 1685 also marked an important development in his style — the dimensions he used generally increased, and his instruments were more in the style of Amati's work of the 1640s and 1650s.[27] Stradivari's instruments underwent no major change in the next five years,[28] although in 1688 he began cutting a more distinct bevel and began outlining the heads of instruments in black, a quite original improvement.[29]

Stradivari's early career is marked by wide experimentation, and his instruments during this period are generally considered of a lesser quality than his later work.[30] However, the precision with which he carved the heads and inserted the purfling quickly marked him as one of the most dextrous craftsmen in the world, a prime example of this being the 1690 "Tuscan" violin.[31] Pre-1690 instruments are sometimes termed "Amatisé" but this is not completely accurate; it is largely because Stradivari created many more instruments later on that people try to connect his early work with Amati's style.[32]

Stradivari moved out of the Casa Nuziale by 1680, and purchased a house now known as No. 1 Piazza Roma (formally No. 2 Piazza San Domenico).[20] The house was just doors away from those of several other violin making families of Cremona, including the Amatis and Guarneris.[33] Stradivari probably worked in the loft and attic, and he stayed in this house for the rest of his life.[34] Stradivari's wife Francesca died on 20 May 1698, and received an elaborate funeral five days later.[35]

"Golden" period and later years

In the early 1690s, Stradivari made a pronounced departure from this earlier style of instrument-making, changing two key elements of his instruments. First, he began to make violins with a larger pattern than previous instruments, which are usually dubbed "Long Strads".[36] He also switched to using a darker, richer varnish, as opposed to a yellower varnish similar to that used by Amati.[37] He continued to use this pattern until 1698, with few exceptions. After 1698, he abandoned the Long Strad model and returned to a slightly shorter model, which he used until his death. The period from 1700 until the 1720s is often termed the "golden period" of his production.[38] Instruments made during this time are usually considered of a higher quality than his earlier instruments. Late-period instruments made from the late 1720s until his death in 1737 show signs of Stradivari's advancing age. These late instruments may be a bit less beautiful than the Golden Period instruments, but many nonetheless possess a fine tone.

Stradivari married his second wife, Zambelli Costa, on 24 August 1699. They had five children from 1700 to 1708—Francesca Maria, Giovanni Battista Giuseppe, Giovanni Battista Martino, Giuseppe Antonio, and Paolo.[35] Stradivari died on 18 December 1737. He is buried in the Church of San Domenico.[39]

Stradivarius instruments

Main article: Stradivarius
See also: List of Stradivarius instruments
Antonio Stradivari, by Edgar Bundy, 1893: a romanticized image of a craftsman-hero

Stradivari's instruments are regarded as amongst the finest bowed stringed instruments ever created, are highly prized, and are still played by professionals today. Only one other maker, Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù, commands a similar respect among violinists. However, neither blind listening tests nor acoustic analysis have ever demonstrated that Stradivarius instruments are better than other high-quality instruments or even reliably distinguishable from them.[40][41][42][43]

Fashions in music, as in other things, have changed over the centuries, and the supremacy of Stradivari's and Guarneri's instruments is accepted only today. In the past, instruments by Nicolò Amati and Jacob Stainer were preferred for their subtle sweetness of tone.

While the usual label for a Stradivarius instrument, whether genuine or false, uses the traditional Latin inscription, after the McKinley Tariff Act of 1890, 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, which can be avoided by having an instrument authenticated.

Many violinists and cellists use Stradivari instruments in their work. Yo-Yo Ma currently uses the Davidov Stradivarius,[44] Julian Lloyd Webber employs the Barjansky Stradivarius,[45] and, until his death in 2007, Mstislav Rostropovich played on the Duport Stradivarius.[46] The Soil of 1714 is owned by virtuoso Itzhak Perlman.[47] The Countess Polignac is currently played by Gil Shaham.[48] The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra uses several Stradivari 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.

The London sales of The Mendelssohn at £902,000 ($1,776,940) in 1990[49] and The Kreutzer for £947,500 ($1,591,800) in 1998[50] constitute two top selling Stradivari. A record price paid at a public auction for a Stradivari was $2,032,000 for the Lady Tennant at Christie's in New York, April 2005.[51] On 16 May 2006, Christie's auctioned Stradivari's 1707 Hammer for a new record of US$3,544,000.[52] On 2 April 2007, Christie's sold a Stradivari violin, the 1729 Solomon, Ex-Lambert, for more than $2.7 million 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: $1 million to $1.5 million.[53] On 14 October 2010, a 1697 Stradivari violin known as "The Molitor" was sold online by Tarisio Auctions for a world-record price of $3,600,000 to renowned concert violinist Anne Akiko Meyers. The price was the highest on record for any musical instrument sold at auction. On 21 June 2011, a 1721 Stradivari violin known as "Lady Blunt" was bought by an anonymous bidder for £9,808,000 ($15,932,115) with all proceeds going to help the victims of the Japan earthquake. This was over four times the previous auction record for a Stradivari violin.

Publicly displayed collections of Stradivari instruments are those of the U.S. Library of Congress with three violins, a viola, and a cello, 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)[54] and the Royal Academy of Music's Collections with 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 (1666) violins, Ex Kux (1714), and the Archinto (1696) violas, the Marquis de Corberon (1726) and the Markevitch (1709) celli.[55][56]

The collection of 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[when?] 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,[57] and soloist instrument of the great Cuban 19th century virtuoso Joseph White.[58] 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,[59] 1694[60] and 1717.[61] The National Music Museum, in Vermillion, South Dakota, has in its collection one of two known Stradivari guitars,[62] 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.[63]

In fiction

In Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's stories, Sherlock Holmes owns and plays a Stradivari violin.[64][65]

In 1987, the Soviet detective television mini-series Visit to Minotaur used Stradivari's life story as a parallel to the main storyline, which featured an investigation into the theft of a Stradivari violin in Moscow in the early 1980s.[66] The original Stradivarius violin that appears in the series belonged to David Oistrach. Coincidentally, in May 1996, nine years after the series was made, this violin was stolen from Moscow's Museum of Musical Culture. It was successfully recovered in 2001.

The 1989, Italian TV movie biopic, Stradivari, was filmed in Cremona, directed by Giacomo Battiato, and starred Anthony Quinn as Antonio, Lorenzo Quinn as Young Antonio and Stefania Sandrelli as his second wife Zambelli.[67]

The film The Red Violin was inspired by one of Stradivari's violins, the Red Mendelssohn (1721),[68] which is currently played by Elizabeth Pitcairn, heiress to the PPG Industries fortune, whose grandfather purchased it for her 16th birthday for $1.7 million at auction at Christie's London. She is one of the few soloists who performs the Red Violin Chaconne composed for the film by John Corigliano. The notion that the fictional violin is red because it is painted with the blood of the maker's wife, who died during childbirth, is a creation of the filmmaker and is yet unsubstantiated. The real violin is called "The Red Mendelssohn" because of a unique red stripe on its top right side, but how the stripe came about is unknown.

In the Broadway musical Urinetown, a Stradivari instrument is briefly mentioned in a single line, "Play it on your / Stradivari / He's not sorry / Not a shred!" as a high-status, political symbol.

In the second installment of the Final Fantasy Tactics Advance video game series, Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift, Stradivari is a wood used to create the items Edaroya Scriptures, Sage's Robe, and Faerie Shoes.

In the video game Fallout 3, the player is tasked with retrieving the Soil Stradivari (Itzhak Perlman's current violin) from a vault.

Episode 36 of the anime series Detective School Q deals with a mystery involving a violin, which is mentioned to be 'Superior to the famed Stradivarius'.

Episode "Pulling Strings" of the television series White Collar has Neal Caffrey searching for a missing Stradivarius violin.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "The Big Question: Why do Stradivarius violins fetch so much, and are they worth it?". The Independent. 4 April 2007. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/the-big-question-why-do-stradivarius-violins-fetch-so-much-and-are-they-worth-it-443213.html. Retrieved 28 June 2011. 
  2. ^ a b "How many Antonio Stradivari instruments still exist in the world ?". 5magazine.wordpress.com. http://5magazine.wordpress.com/2010/01/24/stadivaldi-how-many-instruments-still-exist/. Retrieved 28 June 2011. 
  3. ^ Saunders, Emma (21 June 2011). "What makes the Stradivarius violin so special?". Entertainment & Arts (BBC News). http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-13856203. Retrieved 2011-06-21. 
  4. ^ Hill et al (1963), p. 3
  5. ^ Fuller-Maitland et al (1922), p. 707
  6. ^ Chapin, Anna Alice. The Heart of Music: The Story of the Violin. New York: Dodd, Mead and Co., 1921. 268.
  7. ^ Hill et al (1963), p. 4
  8. ^ Hill et al (1963), p. 6
  9. ^ Pollens (2010), p. 11
  10. ^ Pollens (2010), p. 12
  11. ^ a b Faber (2006), p. 26
  12. ^ Faber (2006) p. 25
  13. ^ a b Hill et al (1963), p. 27
  14. ^ a b Hill et al (1963), p. 26
  15. ^ Hill et al (1963), p. 25
  16. ^ Faber (2006), p. 27
  17. ^ Hill et al (1963), p. 28
  18. ^ Hill et al (1963), p. 8
  19. ^ Faber (2006), p. 28
  20. ^ a b Hill et al (1963), p. 10
  21. ^ Fuller-Maitland et al (1922), p. 708
  22. ^ Hill et al (1963), p. 33
  23. ^ Hill et al (1963), p. 34
  24. ^ Pollens (2010), p. 16
  25. ^ a b Hill et al (1963) pp. 36–37
  26. ^ Faber (2006), p. 41
  27. ^ Hill et al (1963), pp. 37–38
  28. ^ Hill et al (1963), p. 39
  29. ^ Hill et al (1963), p. 40
  30. ^ Faber (2006), pp. 29–30
  31. ^ Hill et al (1963), p. 41
  32. ^ Petherick (1900), p. 13
  33. ^ Pollens (2010), p. 22
  34. ^ Hill et al (1963), p. 12
  35. ^ a b Pollens (2010), p. 26
  36. ^ Hill et al (1963), p. 149
  37. ^ Hill et al (1963), p. 45
  38. ^ Hart (1875), p. 131
  39. ^ Faber (2006), p. 59
  40. ^ Beamen, John (2000). The Violin Explained: Components, Mechanism, and Sound. Oxford University Press. pp. 89–90. ISBN 0-19-816739-3. http://books.google.com/?id=WbW18PBXOEYC&pg=PA89. Retrieved 2009-01-23. 
  41. ^ Coggins, Alan (Feb. 2007). "Blind Listening Tests". The Strad: 52–55. http://www.westerlunds.se/stradeng.htm. Retrieved 2011-03-14. 
  42. ^ Violinists can’t tell the difference between Stradivarius violins and new ones, by Ed Yong, Discover, January 2nd, 2012.
  43. ^ Player preferences among new and old violins. Fritz, Curtin, Poitevineau, et al. PNAS 2011.
  44. ^ Weatherly, Myra (2006). Yo-Yo Ma: Internationally Acclaimed Cellist. Minneapolis, MN: Compass Point. p. 62. ISBN 0-756-51879-2. 
  45. ^ Woodstra, Chris, Brennan, Gerald & Allen Schrott (eds.) All Music Guide to Classical Music: The Definitive Guide to Classical Music. Berkeley, CA: All Media Guide, 2005. 758. ISBN 0-879-30865-6
  46. ^ Libbey, Ted. The NPR Guide to Building a Classical CD Collection, Second Edition. New York: Workman, 1999. 309. ISBN 0-761-10487-9
  47. ^ Kalbacker, Warren. "The Rotarian Conversation: Itzhak Perlman." The Rotarian 188.5 (Nov 2009): 48-51.
  48. ^ 21st Century Violinists. San Anselmo, CA: String Letter Publishing, 1999. 96. ISBN 1-890-49026-1
  49. ^ Granata, Charles L. Sessions with Sinatra: Frank Sinatra and the Art of Recording. Chicago, IL: A Capella, 2004. 126. ISBN 1-556-52509-5
  50. ^ Lee, Laura. The Name's Familiar II. Gretna, LA: Pelican, 2001. 199. ISBN 1-565-54822-1
  51. ^ Julie Carlson (May 2005). "Strad Mad". Artfact. http://www.forbes.com/2006/05/24/strad-violin-christies_cx_jc_0525pow.html. Retrieved 2007-04-07. [dead link]
  52. ^ Klein, Ellery. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Playing the Fiddle. New York: Alpha Books, 2008. 23. ISBN 978-1-592-57768-2
  53. ^ 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. 
  54. ^ "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. 
  55. ^ "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. 
  56. ^ "Stradivarius Exhibition". International Music Academy of Montpellier. http://www.aimm.tv/en/stradivarius-exhibition.html. Retrieved 14 October 2009. 
  57. ^ Malan, Roy. Efrem Zimbalist: A Life. Pompton Plains, NJ: Amadeus, 2004. 176. ISBN 1-574-67091-3
  58. ^ Bachmann, Alberto Abraham. An Encyclopedia of the Violin. Da Capo Press, 1966. 411. ISBN 0-306-80004-7
  59. ^ "Violin, 1693", "Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History", Metropolitan Museum of Art, accessed February 2, 2011.
  60. ^ "Violin: "The Francesca," 1694", "Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History", Metropolitan Museum of Art, accessed 2011-02-02.
  61. ^ "Violin: "The Antonius," 1717", "Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History", Metropolitan Museum of Art, accessed February 2, 2011.
  62. ^ Hunhoff, Bernie. South Dakota Curiosities: Quirky Characters, Roadside Oddities & Other Offbeat Stuff. Guildford, CT: Insiders' Guide, 2007. 171. ISBN 978-0-762-74336-0
  63. ^ "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" 
  64. ^ http://www.sherlock-holmes.com/featur5.htm
  65. ^ Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan. "The Adventure of the Cardboard Box". In The Original Illustrated 'Strand' Sherlock Holmes. Wordsworth Editions. 307-319. ISBN 1-85326-896-8.
  66. ^ Vizit k Minotavru at the Internet Movie Database. Accessed April 14, 2011.
  67. ^ Stradivari at the Internet Movie Database. Accessed April 14, 2011.
  68. ^ Klein, Ellery. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Playing the Fiddle. New York: Alpha Books, 2008. 7. ISBN 978-1-592-57768-2

Sources

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