when did stradivarius die

When did Antonio Stradivari die?

Antonio Stradivari was born in 1644, and established his shop in Cremona, Italy, where he remained active until his death in 1737. His interpretation of geometry and design for the violin has served as a conceptual model for violin makers for more than 250 years.

What is a a Stradivarius?

A Stradivarius is one of the violins, violas, cellos and other string instruments built by members of the Italian family Stradivari, particularly Antonio Stradivari ( Latin: Antonius Stradivarius), during the 17th and 18th centuries.

Where is Stradivari buried?

Stradivari died in Cremona on 18 December 1737, aged 93, after roughly 75 years of crafting instruments. He is buried in the Church of San Domenico. The tomb was acquired eight years prior to his death, having been bought from a Cremonese family, substituting his name for theirs in the tombstone.

When did Stradivarius start making violins?

Stradivari was probably apprenticed (worked to learn a trade) to Amati by the early 1660s and under Amati's direction learned the craft of violin making. By 1666 Stradivari was producing instruments independently as well as continuing to work at his mentor's (an advisor and guide) shop, which he probably did until Amati's death in 1684.

See more

When was Stradivari alive?

Antonio Stradivari, Latin Stradivarius, (born 1644?, Cremona, Duchy of Milan—died Dec. 18, 1737, Cremona), Italian violin maker who brought the craft of violin-making to its highest pitch of perfection.

How much is a real Stradivarius violin worth?

Stradivari's violins are known for their exquisite craftsmanship. They cost between $8 million and $20 million, according to Leonhard.

How many Stradivarius violins are left?

650 survivingOnly about 650 surviving Stradivarius violins exist, and many of them are in the hands of private collectors, safely hidden from public view. There are even fewer cellos, about 55, and about 12 violas. One of the biggest factors in price is how good they sound.

What's the oldest Stradivarius violin?

Early period: 1666–1699SobriquetYearNotesex-Sachs1666Historically important and one of the earliest known violins by Stradivari. In 2008 for sale by Poesis Fine Instruments.Back1666Dubois1667On loan to Alexandre Da Costa.Aranyi1667Sold at Sotheby's London, 12 November 1986.63 more rows

Who owns the most expensive violin?

Vieuxtemps Guarneri ($16,000,000) These include Itzhak Perlman, Yehudi, Menuhin, and Pinchas Zukerman. An anonymous buyer bought this violin at a whopping $16 million, making it the most expensive sold violin in the world. The owner donated the Vieuxtemps Guarneri to Anne Akiko Meyers, a famous violinist.

Are there any missing Stradivarius violins?

A Stradivarius belonging to violin virtuoso Roman Totenberg has been recovered, 35 years after it vanished. The violin vanished from Totenberg's office in 1980 while he was greeting well-wishers after a concert. The instrument surfaced in June when a woman had it appraised after inheriting it from her husband.

Who owns a real Stradivarius violin?

The real violin was linked to Felix Mendelssohn's family. The heir of a wealthy American industrial family acquired the violin in 1990, before passing it down to his then 16-year-old granddaughter Elizabeth Pitcairn, who still owns it today.

How much is a 300-year-old Stradivarius violin worth?

Korean-born classical musician Min-Jin Kym's 300-year-old Stradivarius violin was snatched in November 2010 when she stopped at a London restaurant to buy a sandwich. That instrument was found three years later and sold at auction for $2.3 million in December, according to the BBC.

What wood is a Stradivarius made of?

mapleThe woods used included spruce for the top, willow for the internal blocks and linings, and maple for the back, ribs, and neck. Stradivari and Guarneri's violins differ in their tonal quality, like red or white wine.

What is the most valuable violin in the world?

The Vieuxtemps Guarneri Violin This Guarneri del Gesù instrument is now the most expensive violin in the world, selling for an estimated $16million (£10.5million). Its new owner anonymously donated the historic instrument to violinist Anne Akiko Meyers on loan for the rest of her life.

How much is a Stradivarius copy worth?

Anywhere from $50 to $50,000 depending on its maker. The vast majority of violins are copies of some Stradivarius or another; most aren't marked as such. (In fact, I suspect many violin makers don't realize that the shapes they're using were created by careful measurement of a Stradivarius.)

How many violins did Antonio Stradivarius?

Antonio Stradivari (1644 –1737) made about 1,200 violins in his lifetime and sold them only to the very rich, including the royalty.

How much is a 300 year old Stradivarius violin worth?

Korean-born classical musician Min-Jin Kym's 300-year-old Stradivarius violin was snatched in November 2010 when she stopped at a London restaurant to buy a sandwich. That instrument was found three years later and sold at auction for $2.3 million in December, according to the BBC.

Who owns a real Stradivarius violin?

The real violin was linked to Felix Mendelssohn's family. The heir of a wealthy American industrial family acquired the violin in 1990, before passing it down to his then 16-year-old granddaughter Elizabeth Pitcairn, who still owns it today.

How can you tell if a Stradivarius violin is real?

The Label – To really know if it's an original one you can always identify it in the instrument's label. Stradivari's violins always had a label that read “Antonius Stradivarius Cremonensis Faciebat Anno”, followed by the year they were made.

What are Stradivarius copies worth?

New discoveries are almost never made. Experts think every surviving authenticated Stradivarius instrument is accounted for. Each is worth at least $2 million.

Who was Stradivari a pupil of?

Stradivari was still a pupil of Nicolò Amati in 1666 when he began to place his own label on violins of his making. These at first followed the smaller of Amati’s models, solidly constructed, with a thick yellow varnish.

What is the Stradivari method?

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.

When did the long model of the violin come out?

His “long” models, dating from 1690, represent a complete innovation in the proportions of the instrument; from 1700, after returning for a few years to an earlier style, he again broadened and otherwise improved his model. He also made some fine cellos and violas.

Is Stradivari a perfect violin?

It was long thought that the secret of Stradivari’s acoustically perfect violins lay in their varnish, the formula of which, though much debated, has never been discovered. However, modern research has isolated certain factors that influence the beauty of a violin’s tone.

What was the period of Stradivari's career?

The years from 1700 to 1720 were the greatest of Stradivari's career, and the era was often referred to as the craftsman's "golden period.". It was during this time that he perfected his violin design and created his finest instruments.

Where did the Stradivari family live?

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

What did Stradivari create?

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, moving away from Amati's design to create a more solid-looking violin made of 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.

How much did a Stradivari violin sell for?

In May 2000 a Stradivari violin sold at a New York City auction for $1.3 million. In September of that year experts laid to rest speculation that a Stradivari violin on display at the Ashmoleon Museum in England was a forgery (a fake).

What instruments did Stradivari make?

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.

Where was Antonio Stradivari born?

There is also little 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 one hundred 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 the time. Stradivari was probably apprenticed (worked to learn a trade) to Amati by the early 1660s and under Amati's direction learned the craft of violin making.

Who was Stradivari's second wife?

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.

Where was Antonio Stradivari born?

Antonio Stradivari was born in 1644, and established his shop in Cremona, Italy, where he remained active until his death in 1737. His interpretation of geometry and design for the violin has served as a conceptual model for violin makers for more than 250 years. Stradivari also made harps, guitars, violas, and cellos--more than 1,100 instruments ...

How many instruments did Stradivari make?

Stradivari also made harps, guitars, violas, and cellos--more than 1,100 instruments in all, by current estimate. About 650 of these instruments survive today. In addition, thousands of violins have been made in tribute to Stradivari, copying his model and bearing labels that read "Stradivarius.".

Who is the author of the violin iconography?

Goodkind, Herbert K. Violin Iconography of Antonio Stradivari, 1644-1737: Treatises on the Life and Work of the Patriarch of the Violinmakers. Larchmont, NY: published by the author, 1972.

Is your violin a genuine Strad?

The Smithsonian Institution, as a matter of legal and ethical policy, does not determine the monetary value of musical instruments. For such an appraisal, we recommend that you have your instrument examined by a reliable violin dealer in your area. Although we are not allowed to recommend a particular appraiser, we suggest you contact the American Federation of Violin and Bow Makers, Inc. to obtain a membership list. If there is no maker convenient to your area, you may elect to send to one of these members three black-and-white photographs of your violin showing straight-on front, side, and back views of the instrument.

When did Stradivarius die?

However, he continued to handcraft instruments until his death in 1737, including the 1733 Khevenhiiller. Today, artisans and scientists still try to recreate what can only be the beauty and sound of a Stradivarius instrument.

Where was Stradivari born?

Stradivari was believed to have been born in Cremona, Italy in 1644. Although the details of his childhood — including his birth place and how he managed to become the most skilled luthier in Cremona Italy — are not certain, one thing is: Stradivari dedicated his life to crafting and perfecting the violin.

What instruments did Stradivari make?

Along with violins, Stradivari also made other stringed instruments, including cellos, lutes, mandolins, guitars and harps.

What did Stradivari create?

During his golden period, Stradivari created violins whose sound boxes are unmatched even today. Along with the final redesign of the soundbox, his violins also introduced a unique deep red varnish, black edging, broad edges and wide corners.

How many violins did Stradivari make?

Stradivari designed and crafted more than a 1,000 violins and instruments during his lifetime, nearly 650 of which still exist today.

What did Stradivari do?

During the beginning of his career, Stradivari created violins in the classic Amati style handed down to him from previous generations.

Who were the two sons of Stradivari?

His two sons Francesco and Omobono joined the family business around 1698 but neither showed the same fervor or talent as their father.

How much is a Stradivarius worth today?

A Stradivarius made in the 1680s, or during Stradivari's "Long Pattern" period from 1690 to 1700, could be worth hundreds of thousands to several million U.S. dollars at today's prices.

What is a Stradivarius violin?

A Stradivarius is one of the violins, violas, cellos and other string instruments built by members of the Italian family Stradivari, particularly Antonio Stradivari ( Latin: Antonius Stradivarius), during the 17th and 18th centuries.

How many Stradivari instruments are there?

While only about 650 original Stradivari instruments (harps, guitars, violas, cellos, violins) survive, thousands of violins have been made in tribute to Stradivari, copying his model and bearing labels that read "Stradivarius".

What wood did Stradivari use?

It is clear from the number of forms throughout his career that he experimented with some of the dimensions of his instruments. The woods used included spruce for the top, willow for the internal blocks and linings, ...

What is Rhonheimer's violin made of?

One of Rhonheimer's violins, made with wood that the Empa (Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology) researcher Francis Schwarze had treated with fungi, received 90 of the 180 votes for the best tone, while the Stradivarius came second with 39 votes.

Where is varnish found on violins?

A lower layer of varnish is found within the topmost wood cells while an upper rests upon the wood. Echard's findings also suggest that Stradivari used a mixture of common Cremonese resin, oil, and pigment as a varnish, rather than making his own. Echard did not find traces of specialized ingredients such as protein materials, gums, or fossil amber.

When was the General Kyd Stradivarius stolen?

In recent years, the General Kyd Stradivarius was stolen in 2004. It was returned three weeks later by a woman who found it and handed it over to the police. The Sinsheimer/Iselin was stolen in Hanover, Germany in 2008 and recovered in 2009.

Where was Antonio Stradivari born?

Born sometime in the 1640s was an Italian named Antonio Stradivari in Cremona in Northern Italy. Little is known about his childhood until he was about 12 when he either apprenticed with violin maker Nicola Amati or worked as a woodmaker in Cremona where he decorated Amati’s violins.

Who was the violinist who developed his own style?

Stradivari began developing his own style while working for Amati and began to develop a growing reputation. When Amati died in 1684 Stradivari took in much of his business. He experimented with making different carvings to the wood, making a larger pattern and changing the varnish of the instrument. By 1700 he was producing the finest violins and continued to do so until his age began to take its toll around 1720. He continued producing high quality instruments until his death in 1737. His sons Francesco and Omobono worked in his shop and Francesco took over the business.

Was the violin alive during the Ice Age?

The Stradivarious Violin. There is a good possibility that the reclaimed wood that is in your flooring was alive during the Little Ice Age . The change in the global climate caused millions to starve and thousands to cross the ocean looking for a fresh start.

What did Stradivari look like?

Various pictures circulate on books and on the web showing the alleged features of the craftsman who lived in Cremona between the 17 th and 18 th centuries, creating the most extraordinary violins that ever existed.

How can you pick up the threads of an unsolved mystery?

By visiting Cremona with a CrArT tour guide. In search of Stradivari, at the Museo del Violino and along the streets of the city, among churches, squares and gardens.

Anna Adami

Archeology and art history, foreign languages, music: the ingredients of a Cremonese tour guide’s education, with a past experience as a museum educator at the worldly famous Violin Museum. A teacher, an editor of articles and essays, an author and…

Where is the Stradivarius bow?

A Stradivarius bow, The King Charles IV Violin Bow attributed to the Stradivari Workshop, is currently in the collection of the National Music Museum Object number: 04882, at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, South Dakota.

How many cellos did Antonio Stradivari make?

Antonio Stradivari built between 70 and 80 cellos in his lifetime, of which 63 are extant.

What violins did the Nippon Music Foundation own?

Paganini-Desaint. 1680. Nippon Music Foundation. This violin, and the Paganini-Conte Cozio di Salabue violin of 1727, the Paganini-Mendelssohn viola 1731 and the Paganini-Ladenburg cello of 1736, comprise the Paganini Quartet; the foundation owns more than a dozen Stradivari instruments.

How many Stradivari mandolins are there?

There are two known extant Stradivari mandolins. The Cutler-Challen Choral Mandolino of 1680 is in the collection of the National Music Museum at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, South Dakota. The other, dated ca. 1706, is owned by private collector Charles Beare of London.

How many strings does a Stradivari guitar have?

These guitars have ten (doubled, five-course) strings , which was typical of the era.

Why did Oistrakh never play with the violin?

He never performed with this instrument, constructed in the Nicola Amati style, because of the short scale, uncomfortable for his hand. Oistrakh's widow presented the violin to the Glinka Museum. It was stolen in May 1996, but recovered in 2001. Sellière.

When did the Kreutzer violin fail to sell?

One of four Stradivari violins with the sobriquet Kreutzer (1701, 1720, 1727). Failed to sell at Christie's in New York on 18 June 2014.

Violins Bearing A Stradivarius Label

See more on si.edu

Is Your Violin A Genuine Strad?

Stradivarius Instruments at The Smithsonian

Biographical References