Stradivari in Kuwait
‘Fiddler’s crime ?
Cremona
I was obliged to buy a violin — don’t misunderstand me I have not switched from piano to violin — and with me was my wife who also plays the piano. We had to find something fast and something light to carry on our trip and the violin seemed to be the best choice. My wife thought a violin would be a best gift for her elder brother who is a dentist by profession and does not play violin even as an amateur.
When he was a boy he tried to study violin. Unfortunately (or rather fortunately) his younger sister became a bit jealous about his ‘new toy’ and during his absence tried to ‘play’ on it.
Again unfortunately or fortunately, the attempt was disastrous — the violin broke and none of them went on to become the new Yehudi Menuhin. However, the parents decided to give my wife (the younger sister) piano lessons, because it is a much stronger instrument and not so easy to break.
The story was told many times during family gatherings as a joke but sans dramatic consequences. However, my wife lived the guilt of breaking her brother’s violin and - maybe destroying his (would be) brilliant career. At last she thought she was obliged to buy him a violin as a birthday gift — less as a compensation for the lost opportunity to become a violinist but more as a joke.
I began looking for a reasonable piece through my contacts, and of course, the Internet which has become omnipotent these days, the results were quite interesting and reminded me of some stories, including one of them — criminal, worthwhile to be narrated by Agatha Christie or Conan Doyle. I haven’t received any offer from the US, particularly from the Milwaukee. However, the details are enclosed below.
The first range of violin prices was impressive: from 200 PLN (Polish zloty, equal to 0.3 US dollars) to above 6,000,000 (yes, six million PLN). There were samples of contemporary ‘industrial’ mass production and handcrafted masterpieces a few hundred years old. There were all colors and sizes suitable for different age groups (as 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 and full size), of different origins — Polish, Czech, German, French and Italian, including two pieces marked ‘Cremona’ and ‘Stradivarius’.
The latest name is a sort of sanctity for music lovers in general and specifically for string players and collectors. The string instruments, particularly violins made by Stradivari (not only signed; because the presence of a Stradivarius label on a violin has no bearing on whether the instrument is a genuine work of Stradivari himself!) are recognized as the best and the most expensive in the world and music history.
It is even you find connoisseurs favored instruments made by other legendary violin masters as Stradivari teacher, Nicolo Amati (1596-1684) or the greatest rival Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesu (1698-1744) both from Cremona since during their time Cremona was known as the ‘City of The Best Violin Makers’.
Antonio Stradivari (1644-1737), of course also from Cremona was son of Cesare and Anna and their name comes from ‘Strada Averta’ (open road). He began apprenticeship with Nicolo Amati at the age of 12. His first violin was even labeled ‘Alumnus (student of) Nicolai Amati’. However Antonio started out as a woodworker and inlayer, employed to decorate Amati’s instruments. His later instruments have elaborate decorations and purfling. He stayed with his masters until 1684 although since the 1660s he had started to label himself his violins.
His reputation picked momentum in 1682 when a Venetian banker ordered from him a complete set of instruments for King James II of England. The next famous customer was Cosimo de Medici.
Instruments
Only about 650 original Stradivari’s instruments (except for violins, harps, guitars, violas and cellos) survive today. Thousands of violins have been made in tribute to Stradivari, copying his model and bearing labels that read Stradivarius on them. The original Stradivari’s instruments cost in millions. They are just priceless.
NB. Maybe the following information will interest the Kuwaitis. ‘Stradivari’ was in Kuwait for a few days, a few years ago, an excellent Japanese violinist, Atsuko Temma who played fantastic recitals at the Kuwait Chamber Philharmonia’s Al-Hashemi stage and at the Residence of the Ambassador of Japan on original Stradivari’s violin.
The great violinist was accompanied by a pianist but her violin was insured for millions of dollars. She was pro- tected by two bodyguards and a special turner technician. Some details below will assure you that the security measures were not too strict!
Editor’s
Priceless
The New York Times on March 25, 2014 announced the sale of Stradivari’s viola at the Sotheby’s auction. Asking price begins at $45 million when it is offered for sale this spring but it was held up with no hands. The viola was presented to audience by violinist David Aaron Carpenter played a virtuosic ‘Asturia’ by Isaac Albeniz. ‘I won’t go that crazy on this again,’ said Carpenter with a smile. ‘It is possibly the most expensive instrument in history, and I don’t want to break it.’
The instrument belonged to British player of the Amadeus Quartet, Peter Schidlof, who died in 1987 in England.
The previous top instrumental deal at Sotheby was done in 2011: also Stradivari violin ‘the Lady Blunt’ was sold for $15.9 million ‘only’. This year the deal shows that historical instruments are maybe the best investment. The $45 million tag is an equivalent of several hundred top-of-the-line concert-quality grand pianos, for example.
Strings
The same New York Times informed on January 28 this year about the ‘Priceless Stradivarius violin which was stolen in an armed robbery in Milwaukee’. The Milwaukee Symphonic Orchestra concertmaster, Frank Almond was attacked with a stun gun and robbed of the instrument shortly before 10:30 pm just after a concert of his Frankly Music series at Wisconsin Lutheran College.
As Almond lay on the pavement the robber fled to a nearby vehicle, described as a maroon (or burgundy) minivan driven by accomplice, which left the scene. The violin was known in musical circles as the ‘Lipinsky Stradivarius’, described as ‘one of the greatest violins ever made’.
As you must have noticed many of Stradivari’s instruments mostly carry the names of their owners, the 300 years old violin belonged to contemporary to Stradivari, Giuseppe Tartini (1692-1770), the great virtuoso and composer, known for his famous ‘Devil’s Trill’ Sonata. The instruments later also belonged to someone who was born twenty years after Tartini’s demise Polish violin virtuoso, Karol Lipinski (1790-1861) contemporary to Chopin and — Paganini.
True story
Young Karol, exposed and developed since early childhood in native Lvov, his great talent went to Italy to meet The Legendary Violin Virtuoso, Nicolo Paganini. He followed him in Hungary, Croatia, Italian Trieste, Venice and Milan and at last caught him at the concert in Padua. The two met during the intermission, at dinner, breakfast the next day and finally they performed together on April 17, 1818 Kreutzer’s Sonata for 2 Violins at the theatre of Piacenza. Paganini found him ‘truly excellent’ and suggested to join the tour of Italy.
The tour was really fruitful. This is what Lipinsky said: ‘I was recommended by German composer, Luis Spohr to elderly music lover, Signor Salvini. He received me very cordially and asked me to play something. However, suddenly he cried ‘Basta’ (stop) and said ‘Please, show me your violin.’ When I handed it to him I could not believe my eyes: he grasped firmly by the neck and with his entire might crashed the violin belly against the table corner, breaking the instrument into pieces. Next, as if nothing happened he opened the box and carefully produced a violin, saying ‘Try this instrument’ I took it and after I played Beethoven’s Sonata, Salvini extended his hand and deeply moved said: ‘You probably know that I was a pupil of Tartini’s’. It was he who, on one occasion gave me this grand, original Stradivarius of which I take great care in honor of his memory. You are the only one who knows how to handle this instrument on order to elicit from it all the beauty hidden inside.’
This is the perfect description of the secret of Cremona Luthiers!
However, the US police and Interpol are searching for Lipinsky Stradivari, priceless part of historical heritage belonging to all of us, music lovers. Good luck! Fiddler on the Roof PS. Finally I chose a simple violin made by German Luthier. My brotherin-law lives on the last floor of the local sly-draper and if he begins to play there he will become the ‘Fiddler on the Roof’?
Nonetheless, the beginners’ violin lessons can possible be compared to an old dentist’s drill machine!
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