Antonio Stradivari

Antonio Giacomo Stradivari , often called Stradivarius (1644 - December 18th 1737), is a Italian Luthier (manufacturer of Violon S, and others String instruments), most important of its profession. The form Latin E of its name, “Stradivarius” is often used to refer to its instruments.

Biography

Antonio Stradivari was born in 1644 1649 or 1650 according to certain sources)--> with Cremona in Italy, of Alessandro Stradivari and Anna Moroni; he died in his birthplace the December 18th 1737, with nearly 93 years. He was probably the pupil of Niccolò Amati of 1666 with 1679 though no document makes it possible to affirm it - and certain research suggests that he could be the pupil of the Ruggeri family. At all events, the label of the violin of 1667 Ashby Strad is marked alumnus Amati what attests at least influence of Niccolò Amati on its work.

The Amati family, whose ancestor - Andrea - invented the violin, starting from the Viole, towards 1560, is an big family of violin makers. Matted will also have as a pupil Andrea Guarneri, whose name also evokes a dynasty of prestigious violin makers.

Stradivarius was one of the most famous violin makers of the history. The best instruments were built between 1700 and 1720.

Its time is marked by an evolution of the requirements in stringed-instrument trade, the play in vast rooms requiring a powerful sound which was not the prerogative of the violins of Matted. Of 1670 with 1700, Stradivarius arrives for this purpose by lengthening the instrument and by bending it, creating the longuets (the profit in length is in fact only of approximately 5 mm). Between 1700 and 1710, it turns over to a more traditional model.

With its death, two of its sons (it had 11 children of two wives), Francesco and Omobono, will continue the company of their father.

Instruments

The explanation of the exceptional quality of these instruments remains discussed. Very many tracks of research were launched, but none is completely convincing. Indeed, the choice of wood, the varnish whose one does not find the composition exact… plays a part certainly considerable, but a Parisian violin maker, in the years 1960, manufactured a very good violin with slats of floor of his apartment, to show that certain extravagant assumptions did not hold upright (some spoke even about wood of castle-extremely that Stradivari would have recovered in good state of conservation, from where a great seniority). Moreover, several tests as a blind man show that, overall, the famous violins draw some well but the best are not systematically considered to be.

The most widespread assumption is that the great quality of these violins comes from the know-how of the Luthier, without any doubt excel, and of the good quality of the matters used. Indeed, Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume built instruments of very great value starting from the wood of the time of Stradivarius (tables, pieces of furniture) which it took care to collect in Suisse.

notebook in comment of the figure attached, A. Stradivarius written " Who would believe that, to build a violin, two should initially be traced pentagons in a circle? But laws of the harmony discovered by Plato president as well with the construction of the geometrical figures as to the musical design, this abstract design of the music-thought like to the establishment of the proportions of the instruments designed for the jouer". --> A recent assumption was formulated by Joseph Nagyvary, of the Texas A&M University. The use of the nuclear Magnetic resonance and the Spectroscopie near infra-red highlighted that the molecules of one of the component of wood, the Hémicellulose, were broken. According to Nagyvary, this phenomenon would result from the oxidation produced by a pesticide used at the time. The acoustic properties of the instruments would have thus changed without the knowledge of the violin maker. The instruments manufactured by Andrea Guarneri would present the same characteristic.

On the 1 100 instruments manufactured by Stradivari, 650 arrived to us of which some in an exceptional state of conservation with their original assembly, quite different from that which is represented on the page of notebook of Stradivari.

The prices of these prestigious instruments do not cease climbing. The sale, at Christie' S, with London, in 1998, of the Kreutzer - the name of sound interprets at the 19th century - reached the sum of 1,5 million euros. Maxim Vengerov was the purchaser. Another violin, named The Lady Holding , sold with the biddings on April 22nd 2005 beat this record while being sold with 2 032 000 dollars - for an estimate of 1,2 million dollars. In May 2006, the " Hammer" from 1707 the world records for an auction reached, that is to say 3,2 million dollars (2,7 million euros).

The most known violins

the '' Soil '' (1714), regarded by much as the best instrument of the world.
the Viotti (1709).
the Marylebone (1688).
the Emiliani (1703), played by AsSophie Mutter which also has the Lord Dunraven (1710).
the Marsick (1705).
the Hammer (1707).
the Virgin (1709).
the Gibson (1713).
the Dolphin (1714), played by Jascha Heifetz.
the Of the Rose trees , property of Angele Dubeau.
the Lipinski (1715), played in particular by Giuseppe Tartini.
the Kochanski (1717).
the Milanollo (1728), played by Viotti, Niccolo Paganini, Yehudi Menuhin, Christian Ferras and Pierre Amoyal.
the Count de Fontana (1712) having belonged to David Oïstrakh which also had the Marsick , *le Bérou (1714) and the Youssoupov (1736).
the Messiah , (1716) which remained in the workshop until the death of Stradivari; whereas Vuillaume, which hoped intensely that Luigi Tarisio would bring the instrument so much praised to him spoke about it with this one, Delphin Alard had this sentence: Ah, your violin is thus like the Messiah; it is always awaited, and it never appears . Tarisio will separate any besides never from alive sound, either that Vuillaume which could buy it with dead this one. Its authenticity was questioned. Ashmolean Museum of Oxford is the current owner.
the Rochester , (1720).

The most known violoncellos

the “Duport” (1711), the instrument of Mstislav Rostropovitch of 1974 with its death in 2007.
the “Davidov” (1712), the instrument of Karl Davidov, Jacqueline of the Pre, Yo-Yo Ma.
the “Served” (1701), (Adrien-François Servais, Belgian violoncellist) an instrument of very big size, of approximately 3 cm larger than the current violoncellos.
the “Romberg” (1728)
the “Batta” (1714)
the “Piatti” (1720)
“of Pre” (1673), thus called by its current owner Lynn Harrell, who has it one day forgotten in a taxi.
the “Suggia”
the “De Munck” (1730)
the “Markevitch”

“The” violin maker

External bonds

professional Database on the old string instruments
Another regularly updated very complete site
Stradivarisociety official site

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