Stradivarius
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- For the Stradivarius brand of brass instruments, see Vincent Bach Corporation.
PalacioReal_Stradivarius1.jpg
A Stradivarius (or "Strad") is a stringed instrument built by members of the Stradivari family, especially by Antonio Stradivari.
The playable instruments are highly prized by world-class musicians, and others who can afford them. Their individual qualities are considered worth distinguishing, and a Strad is often identified by the name of someone (often a famous musician) who formerly owned it, or regularly performed on it.
A Stradivarius made in the 1680s or during Stradivari's Brescian period (1690-1700) could be worth several hundred thousand dollars or more at today's prices in auction. If it was made during Stradivari's "golden period" (1700 to 1720), depending on condition, the instrument can be worth several million. They rarely come up for sale and the highest price paid for a Stradivarius at public auction was 'The Lady Tennant', made in 1699 which sold for US$2,032,000 in 2005. It is believed that private sales of Stradivari instruments may have exceeded this price.
The world's only complete set of Stradivarius instruments (string quartet) belongs to the Spanish Government and consists of two violins, two cellos, and a viola. They are exhibited in the Music Museum at the Royal Palace (Palacio Real) of Madrid. Another important collection is the collection of the Royal Academy of Music (York Gate Collections) in London.
Many people find violins labeled or branded as "Stradivarius," and believe them to be genuine. It is believed that there are fewer than 700 genuine Strads left in existence, very few of which are unaccounted for.
These instruments are famous for the quality of their sound and there have been many attempts to reproduce the sound quality. Recent studies indicate that Antonio Stradivari may have used wood from an old cathedral for its construction which might be a reason for its sound quality. The fame of Stradivarius Violins is not a modern phenomenon; the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes is supposed to have owned one. Another famous story is about a Stradivarius Cello, known as the "Duport" which has the spur marks of Emperor Napoleon, who scratched the cello when he tried to play it.
The reputation of the Stradivarius is such that its name is frequently invoked as a standard of excellence in other, unrelated fields (such as ships and cars).
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Named Strads and their Namesakes
- The Paganini Quartet
Violins
- Kreutzer
- Taft - brother of William Howard Taft
- Viotti
- Aranyi 1667
- ex Captain Saville 1667
- Amatese 1668
- Oistrakh 1671 - David Oistrakh. Stolen in 1996, it is still missing.
- Spanish 1677
- Bucher 1683
- Cipriani Potter 1683
- Cobbett ex Holloway 1683
- ex Arma Senkrah 1685
- ex Castelbarco 1685
- Arditi 1689
- Baumgartner 1689
- Auer 1690
- Bingham 1690
- Bennet 1692
- Baillot-Pommerau 1694
- Fetzer 1694 - currently owned by the Stradivari Society of Chicago, on extended loan to Ruggero Allifranchini
- Cabriac 1698
- ex Baron Knoop 1698
- The Lady Tennant 1699 [1] (http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200504/s1352033.htm)
- Longuet 1699
- Countess Polignac 1699
- Castelbarco 1699
- Cristiani 1700
- Habeneck 1734 owned by the Royal Academy of Music
- The Irish 1702
- Conte di Fontana 1702
- Lyall 1702 - owned by the The Canada Council for the Arts Musical Instrument Bank
- La Rouse Boughton 1703 – owned by the Austrian National Bank, on loan to Boris Kuschnir of the Kopelman Quartet
- Allegretti 1703
- Alsager 1703
- Emiliani 1703 - currently owned by Anne-Sophie Mutter
- Betts 1704
- ex Brustlein 1707
- Cathédrale 1707
- Duc de Camposelice 1708
- Ruby 1708 - owned by the Stradivari Society, occasionally used by Leila Josefowicz
- Berlin Hochschule 1709
- Ernst 1709
- Lord Dunn-Raven 1710 - currently owned by Anne-Sophie Mutter
- Liegnitz 1711
- Boissier 1713
- Gibson ex Huberman 1713 - Currently owned by Joshua Bell
- Cremonese ex Joachim 1714 Owned by the Royal Academy of Music
- Soil 1714 - Currently owned by Itzhak Perlman
- ex Berou ex Thibaud 1714
- Le Maurien 1714 - Stolen in 2002, it is still missing.
- Lipinski 1715 - Missing since 1962.
- Titian 1715
- Alard 1715
- ex Bazzini 1715
- Cessole 1715
- ex Marsick 1715 - Currently played on by James Ehnes
- Berthier 1716
- Booth 1716
- Colossus 1716 - Stolen in 1998, it is still missing.
- Monasterio 1716
- Provigny 1716
- Messiah 1716
- ex Wieniawski 1717
- Windsor-Weinstein 1716 - owned by The Canada Council for the Arts Musical Instrument Bank
- Madrileño 1720
- ex Beckerath 1720
- Artot 1722
- Jupiter 1722
- Laub-Petschnikoff 1722
- Jules Falk 1723 - currently owned by Viktoria Mullova
- Le Saraste 1724 owned by the Real Conservatorio Superior de Música in Madrid, Spain
- Brancaccio 1725
- Davidov-Morrini 1727 - Stolen in 1995, it is still missing. [2] (http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cid/arttheft/northamerica/us/music/10181995/10181995.htm)
- ex General Dupont 1727
- Holroyd 1727
- Benny 1729 - Jack Benny, bequeathed to the Los Angeles Philharmonic
- Herkules 1732 - belonged to Eugène Ysaye. Stolen in 1908, it is still missing.
- Des Rosiers 1733
- Rode 1733
- Ames 1734 - Stolen, still missing.
- ex Baron von Feilitzsch 1734
- Lamoureux 1735 - Stolen, still missing.
- Muntz 1736
- Lord Norton 1737
- Comte D'Armaille 1737
- ex Vieuxtemps 1739
Violas
- Archinto 1696 Owned by the Royal Academy of Music
Cellos
Antonio Stradivari built between 70 and 80 cellos in his lifetime, about 50 of which are extant.
- ex Bonjour 1691
- Lord Aylesford 1696 - owned by the Nippon Music Foundation. Played by Janos Starker from 1950-1965.
- Castelbarco 1697
- Servais 1701
- Duport 1711 - currently owned by Mstislav Rostropovich
- Davidov 1712 - Karl Davidov, Russian "Czar of Cellists" (as described by Tchaikovsky). Formerly owned by Jacqueline_du_Pré. Currently owned by Yo-Yo Ma.
- Batta 1714
- Becker 1719
- Piatti 1720
- Baudiot 1725
- De Munck ex Feuermann 1730 - Emmanuel Feuermann. Owned by the Nippon Music Foundation, on extended loan to Steven Isserlis
- Braga 1731
Guitars
There are two complete Stradivari guitars in existence, as well as several fragments of guitars. Both guitars have ten (doubled) strings.
- Hill 1680 or 1688
- Rawlins 1700es:Stradivarius