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

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. Description: Antonio Stradivari Size: 464 &times 301 pixels Source: What We Hear in Music, Anne S. Faulkner, Victor Talking Machine Co. ... Description: Antonio Stradivari Size: 464 &times 301 pixels Source: What We Hear in Music, Anne S. Faulkner, Victor Talking Machine Co. ... // Events February to August - Explorer Abel Tasmans second expedition for the Dutch East India Company maps the north coast of Australia. ... is the 352nd day of the year (353rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events 12 February — The San Carlo, the oldest working opera house in Europe, is inaugurated. ... An engravers impression of Antonio Stradivari examining an instrument. ... A string instrument (also stringed instrument) is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. ... For the Anne Rice novel, see Violin (novel). ... For other uses, see Latin (disambiguation). ... Antonio Stradivari, by Edgar Bundy, 1893: a romanticized image of a craftsman-hero One of the violins in the Stradivarius collection of the Palacio Real, Madrid, Spain A Stradivarius is a stringed instrument built by members of the Stradivari family, especially by Antonio Stradivari. ...

Biography

Antonio Stradivari is believed to have been born in the year 1644, although his exact birth date is not documented. He was born in Italy to Alessandro Stradivari and Anna Moroni. It is possible that in the years 1658 through 1664 he served as a pupil in workshops of Nicolò Amati, though there is much evidence to dispute this fact. The Moroni family (Sometimes Morone) was a moderately powerful noble family in Italy. ... Nicolò Amati (1596 - April 12, 1684) was an Italian luthiers from Cremona, a member of the Amati family. ...

In 1680 Stradivari settled himself in the Piazza San Domenico, Cremona, and his fame as an instrument-maker was soon established thereafter. His originality began to show through 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. His instruments are recognized by a characteristic inscription in Latin: Antonius Stradivarius Cremonensis Faciebat Anno [date] (This was made by Antonio Stradivari of Cremona, in the year...) It is generally acknowledged that his finest instruments were manufactured from 1698 to 1725 (peaking around 1715), exceeding in quality to those manufactured between 1725 and 1730. After 1730, some of the instruments are signed Sotto la Desciplina d'Antonio Stradivari F. in Cremona [date] and were probably made by his sons, Omobono and Francesco. Cremona is a city in northern Italy, situated in Lombardy, on the left shore of the Po river in the middle of the Pianura padana (Po valley). ... For other uses, see Latin (disambiguation). ...

Apart from 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 survive today. For other uses, see Guitar (disambiguation). ... The viola (French, alto; German Bratsche) is a bowed string instrument. ... This article is about the stringed musical instrument. ... For other uses, see Harp (disambiguation). ...

Antonio Stradivari died in Cremona, Italy on December 18, 1737 and was buried in the Basilica of San Domenico, in Cremona. The church was demolished in 1868, During this time, the removal of later pavement resulted in the discovery of 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]} Cremona is a city in Italy, situated in Lombardy, on the left shore of Po river in the middle of Pianura padana (Po valley). ... is the 352nd day of the year (353rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events 12 February — The San Carlo, the oldest working opera house in Europe, is inaugurated. ...

Stradivarius instruments

Main article: Stradivarius

Stradivarius Palacio Real, Madrid

Stradivari's instruments are regarded as amongst the finest stringed instruments ever created, are highly prized, and still played by professionals today. Only one other maker, Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù, commands the same respect among violinists. Fashions in music, as in other things, have changed over the centuries, and the accepted supremacy of Stradivari's and del Gesù's instruments is only true today. In the past, instruments by Nicolò Amati and Jacob Stainer were preferred for their subtle sweetness of tone. Antonio Stradivari, by Edgar Bundy, 1893: a romanticized image of a craftsman-hero One of the violins in the Stradivarius collection of the Palacio Real, Madrid, Spain A Stradivarius is a stringed instrument built by members of the Stradivari family, especially by Antonio Stradivari. ... Download high resolution version (2560x1920, 1169 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (2560x1920, 1169 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Bartolomeo Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù (August 21, 1698 - October 17, 1744), more commonly known as Joseph Guarneri, is the only violin maker to rival Antonio Stradivari in the respect accorded to his instruments. ... Nicolò Amati (1596 - April 12, 1684) was an Italian luthiers from Cremona, a member of the Amati family. ... violin by J.Stainer Jacob Stainer (c. ...

On May 16, 2006, Christie's auctioned a Stradivarius called The Hammer for a record US$3,544,000. It is the most paid at public auction for any musical instrument.^[1] It was purchased by an anonymous telephone bidder. 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.^[2] 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.^[3] Private sales are often more accurate examples. is the 136th day of the year (137th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Christies auction house in South Kensington, London Christies American branch in Rockefeller Center, New York Christies is a fine art auction house, the largest and by some accounts the oldest in the world. ... The Hammer Stradivarius is an antique violin made by Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari (1644–1737) of Cremona. ... USD redirects here. ... The Lady Tennant is a violin made by Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona. ...

Other famous Stradivarius instruments are the Davidov Stradivarius, a cello currently owned and played by Yo-Yo Ma, and the Duport Stradivarius 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. The Davidov Strad (also: Davidoff or Davydov), or Stradivarius, is a cello built by Antonio Stradivari in 1712. ... This is a Chinese name; the family name is Ma Yo-Yo Ma (traditional Chinese: ; simplified Chinese: ; pinyin: ) (b. ... The Duport Stradivarius is a violoncello made in 1711 by Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona. ... Mstislav Leopoldovich Rostropovich KBE (Russian: Мстисла́в Леопо́льдович Ростропо́вич, Mstislav Leopoldovič Rostropovič, IPA: ), (March 27, 1927 – April 27, 2007), known to close friends as “Slava”, was a Russian cellist and conductor. ... The ‘Soil’ Strad, (pronounced shwah) or Stradivarius, of 1714 is a famous violin made by Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona. ... Itzhak Perlman (born August 31, 1945) is an Israeli-American violinist, conductor, and pedagogue. ... Gil Shaham Gil Shaham (born February 19, 1971) is an award-winning Israeli violinist. ... The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (in German: Wiener Philharmoniker) an orchestra in Austria, regularly considered as one of the finest in the world. ... The Oesterreichische Nationalbank (OeNB) is the central bank of the Republic of Austria and, as such, an integral part of both the European System of Central Banks (ESCB) and the Eurozone. ...

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. Forgery is the process of making or adapting objects or documents (see false document), with the intention to deceive. ... Violin Authentication is the process of determining the maker and date of a violin. ...

The world's two largest publicly accessible collections of Stradivari instruments belong to the Agency of National Estates of Spain, consisting of two violins, two cellos, and a viola, exhibited in the Music Museum at the Palacio Real de Madrid (Royal Palace), and the U.S. Library of Congress' collection of three violins, a viola, and a cello. 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. The Vienna Philharmonic uses four violins and one cello. The University of South Dakota, in Vermillion, South Dakota, has in its collection one of two known Stradivari guitars, one of eleven known viola de 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. The Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, England has on display a Stradivarius violin and a Stradivarius guitar. Palacio Real de Madrid The Palacio Real de Madrid (Royal Palace of Madrid) is the official residence of the King of Spain, located in the Spanish capital of Madrid. ... Construction of the Thomas Jefferson Building, from July 8, 1888 to May 15, 1894. ... Visit our website: [www. ... Herbert Richard Axelrod (b. ... The Vienna Philharmonic (in German: Wiener Philharmoniker) is an orchestra in Austria, regularly considered as one of the finest in the world. ... The University of South Dakota is the state’s oldest university founded in 1862, although classes didnt start until 1882. ...

See also

• W.E. Hill & Sons

W.E. Hill & Sons (1880-1992) was a London-based firm, specializing in string instruments and bows. ...

References

1. ^ "Stradivarius tops auction record", BBC News, 17 May 2006. Retrieved on 2007-04-07. 
2. ^ Julie Carlson (May 2005). Strad Mad. Artfact. Retrieved on 2007-04-07.
3. ^ Associate Press. "Stradivari violin goes for $2.7M", Yahoo! News, Apr 2007. Retrieved on 2007-04-07. 

• 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.
• Columbia University (Dec 2003). "Columbia University Researcher Links Climate to the Quality of the World's Most Cherished Violins". Press release. Retrieved on 2007-04-05.
• Sarah Kim (2003). "Stradivarius: Unsurpassed Artisan or Just Lucky?". Serendip; Bryn Mawr College. Retrieved on 2007-04-05.

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ... Encyclopædia Britannica, the eleventh edition The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911) is perhaps the most famous edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... For information on Wikipedia press releases, see Wikipedia:Press releases. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 95th day of the year (96th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 95th day of the year (96th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Nippon Music Foundation
• Stradivari Society
• Violin Making at The Violin Site
• The National Music Museum
• Real Conservatorio Superior de Música, Madrid