ANTONIO STRADIVARI, Master Luthier

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                                    Is A Stradivarius Violin Better Than Other Violins?






ScienceDaily
(Nov. 22, 2008) —

Some sell for more than $3.5 million. Only 700 of them exist, and they’re stored in vaults, frequently stolen and often counterfeited.

The object in question? Stradivarius violins, constructed by famed Italian instrument-maker Antonio Stradivari between 1680 and 1720. Treasured for possessing sublime acoustic properties, these rare instruments have spawned dozens of theories attempting to explain their legendary tone, and luthiers, makers of stringed instruments, are still trying to reproduce it.

The question remains: Are Stradivarius violins worth all the fuss?

There’s no objective answer, said James Lyon, Penn State professor of music in violin. When Stradivari was crafting violins, most musicians performed in churches and courts. Rulers and the wealthy sponsored artists to enhance their prestige. As music moved away from this patronage system in the first half of the 19th century, Lyon explained, musicians’ careers became dependent on fitting more people into concert halls. Thus, although they were originally built for much smaller venues, almost every Strad still around today has been altered to sound best in a large concert hall setting.

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The violin world frequently stages blind tests of modern and vintage violins, including Stradivari’s, Lyon noted, and as often as not the audience prefers the sound of the modern instruments. But many musicians and luthiers argue that these tests are virtually meaningless. For one thing, the player usually knows which violin is the Stradivarius and could unintentionally bias the results by playing the fabled instrument differently. For another, even trained musicians can’t reliably pick out the sound of a Strad, he said.

Asking people to choose between modern and vintage violins, said Lyon, is like asking their favorite ice cream flavor. You never get complete agreement because people like different things. In addition, it takes a while to get to know an instrument, and the testing format doesn’t allow for this. Sometimes half a year after purchasing an instrument, Lyon explained, the player “is still learning how it wants to be played.”

Still, luthiers since Stradivari’s time have tried to reproduce the classic “Strad” sound. Some claim the secret lies in the craftsmanship, others the varnish, others the wood. Virtually every aspect of the violin has been touted as the key. Scientists, too, have tackled the question from various angles.

Some chemical analyses suggest that the smooth, mellifluous tones may have resulted, in part, from an application of an oxidizing mineral such as borax, often used in Stradivari’s day to prevent woodworm infestation. Dendrochronology, the study of annual growth rings in trees, suggests that the wood Stradivari used grew largely during the Little Ice Age that prevailed in Europe from the mid-1400s to the mid-1800s. Long winters and cool summers produced very dense wood with outstanding resonance qualities, the thinking goes. The dense wood also helps the instruments stand up over hundreds of years of use.

In light of the dozens of theories put forth to explain the Stradivarius reputation, Lyon can’t choose just one. “I think there’s likely no magic bullet here. Stradivari was just an incredibly consistent craftsman, and he was a real groundbreaker.” But given technological advances over the last 300 years, he added, it seems crazy to assume that the old luthiers knew everything there was to know about their trade.

The mystique remains, however. Asked if putting aside the monetary value of the instrument, he would like to have a Stradivarius to play, Lyon said, “Yes, I can’t imagine anyone who wouldn’t. Partly it’s the history that goes with them.”


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Adapted from materials provided by Penn State University.
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http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2008/11/081108164152.htm

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                            Decoding The Stradivarius: Chemically-Treated Violin Mimics The Masters






ScienceDaily
(Mar. 27, 1998) —

Can a modern era violin be chemically treated to sound nearly as perfect as an 18th century Italian classic?
Come listen and decide for yourself!

The secret of success about 17th and 18th century Italian violin artisans -- long a puzzle to music aficionados --
is the unique chemistry of the materials they used in their instruments. Texas A&M biochemistry professor and amateur violin maker Dr. Joseph Nagyvary will discuss and demonstrate
his findings on this topic at the national meeting of the American Chemical Society, the world's
largest scientific society, in Dallas March 31.

For years, Nagyvary has been examining samples of wood from string instruments made by northern Italian craftsmen of the 17th and 18th centuries, including cellos made by Antonio Stradivari. He has determined that
a key factor in the vibrant tonal quality of the instruments made by Stradivari and others is wood soaked in brine.

Based on his findings, Nagyvary has made several chemically treated violin,s and claims their tone is difficult to distinguish from many of the excellent instruments crafted by the early Italian masters. He cites compliments he
has received from several international concert violinists, including Elizabeth Matesky and Zina Schiff, who have performed using Nagyvary violins and have given high marks to the instruments.

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                             Scientists Dispel The Mystery Surrounding Stradivarius Violins






ScienceDaily
(July 13, 2005) —

Antonius Stradivarius violins are shrouded in more myths than any other instruments in world history.

At Mid Sweden University, researchers are using modern technology to uncover his secrets. At the international acoustics conference ICSV12, taking place in Lisbon on July 11-14, 2005, Associate Professor Mats Tinnsten will be presenting the latest research findings in the field.

"It's not possible to copy Stradivarius violins exactly, since wood is a living material with great natural variations. The results of new research indicate, however, that we will be able to overcome such difficulties with the aid of advanced computer support," says Mats Tinnsten.

The Italian Antonius Stradivarius, 1644-1737, introduced a geometry and design that became the exemplar for all violin-makers. Of the 1,100 instruments he built, some 650 still survive. The extremely high value of these instruments was demonstrated at an auction at Christie's in London in April. The 'Lady Tennant' Stradivarius violin sold for more than SEK 14 million, the auction record for a
musical instrument.

"His craftsmanship is still unexcelled. Few after the death of Stradivarius have managed to produce anything that even approaches his best work," says Mats Tinnsten, who, together with Associate Professor Peter Carlsson, is researching whether it is possible to copy Stradivarius violins with the aid
of modern technology and powerful computers.

What the Mid Sweden University scientists are trying to create is a violin with the same acoustic properties as a Stradivarius instrument. This work is progressing in stages, and it was decided that
the first stage would involve calculations based on the top of the violin.

"With the help of advanced mathematical optimization method, we can determine how a top should
be shaped to achieve the same properties as a top from a genuine Stradivarius," says Peter Carlsson.

The reason it is not possible to simply copy a top or an entire violin exactly is that it can never be assumed that the new top will have the same material properties as the old one.

During the 12th International Congress on Sound and Vibration, ICSV12 at the Lisbon University of Technology, Mats Tinnsten will show how far along he and Peter Carlsson have progressed in their pursuit of the perfect violin.

"Stradivarius violins were made of slow-growth spruce. Perhaps our research will help create a new instrument-making industry in northern Sweden," concludes Peter Carlsson.



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http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2005/07/050712233805.htm

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Dr. Joseph Nagyvary plays a violin he made in
his lab at Texas A&M University.

(Texas Agricultural Experiment Station photo
by Kathleen Phillips)








                         Mystery Solved: Chemicals Made Stradivarius Violins Unique, Says Professor








ScienceDaily
(Dec. 28, 2006) —

Answering a question that has lingered for centuries, a team of scientists has proved that chemicals used to
treat the wood used in Stradivarius and Guarneri violins are the reasons for the distinct sound produced by
the world-famous instruments.

The conclusions, published in the journal Nature, have confirmed 30 years of work into the subject by Joseph Nagyvary, professor emeritus of biochemistry at Texas A&M University, who was the first to theorize that chemicals -- not necessarily the wood -- created the unique sound of the two violins. Nagyvary teamed with collaborators Joseph DiVerdi of Colorado State University and Noel Owen of Brigham Young University on the
project.

"This research proves unquestionably that the wood of the great masters was subjected to an aggressive
chemical treatment and the chemicals -- most likely some sort of oxidizing agents -- had a crucial role in
creating the great sound of the Stradivarius and the Guarneri," Nagyvary says.

"Like many discoveries, this one could have been accidental. Perhaps the violin makers were not even aware
of the acoustical effects of the chemicals. Both Stradivari and Guarneri wanted to treat their violins to pre-
vent worms from eating away the wood. They used some chemical agents to protect the wood from worm infestations of the time, and the unintended consequence from these chemicals was a sound like none other,
" he adds.

The team tested several instruments, including violins and cellos, produced by Stradivari and Guarneri from
1717 to around 1741, using spectra analysis and other methods.

The results and those previously reported by Nagyvary showed that two specific areas of the instruments accounted for their unique sound -- chemicals used in the varnish and fillers of the instruments, and the
overall wood treatment process used by Stradivari and Guarneri.

"This is highly gratifying for me, because it proves what I first proposed 30 years ago -- that the chemicals
used to treat instruments and not the unadulterated wood itself -- were the reasons for the great sound of
these instruments," Nagyvary explains.

"I was criticized and ridiculed when I made these claims, and to have undeniable scientific proof that I was
correct is very satisfying, to say the least."

Antonio Stradivari (1644 to 1737) made about 1,200 violins in his lifetime and kept a large inventory of them,
and would only sell one when he was ready to part with it. Today, there are only about 600 Stradivarius
violins remaining and they are valued at up to $5 million each.

Although lesser known, Guarneri del Gesu was a contemporary of Stradivari and his instruments are considered
equal in quality and price by experts.

Nagyvary, a native of Hungary who learned to play the violin by using an instrument that once belonged to
Albert Einstein, has wondered for years how Stradivari, who could barely read and had no scientific training,
could have produced instruments with such a pristine sound.

"I started researching this in the early 1970s and from the beginning, I was convinced that the chemicals
used to treat the instruments were the real key, not the wood itself," he says.

There is still a missing piece of the puzzle, Nagyvary believes.

"The next step is to identify the chemical agents involved. To do that, more precious wood samples are
needed," he adds.

"But in the past, there has been a lack of cooperation from the antique violin business, and that has to be overcome. It may help us to produce violins and other instruments one day that are just as good as the
million-dollar Stradivarius. And this research could also tell us ways to better preserve instruments, too."


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Adapted from materials provided by Texas A&M University.
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http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2006/11/061129151126.htm

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                                Rings Tell Tale Of Stringed Historic Instrument's Origin






ScienceDaily
(Nov. 20, 2001) —
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. --

A University of Arkansas researcher and his colleagues used tree ring records to accurately date
the wood used in a famous violin purported to be made by Stradivarius and showed that the wood
was hewn during the violin maker's lifetime.

Malcolm Cleaveland, professor of geosciences, joined lead investigator Henri Grissino-Mayer of the University
of Tennessee in Knoxville and Paul Sheppard of the University of Arizona in reporting their findings at a recent meeting of the Violin Society of America in Carlisle, Pa.

The violin in question bears the name Messiah and is believed to be one of the instruments made
by the famous violin maker Antonio Stradivarius. After a colorful past, the instrument landed in
the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford, England, where it has remained on display -- enclosed in glass.

Four years ago an American expert declared the Messiah a fake. The controversy over the violin's
origin escalated as a British violin maker and tree ring researcher dated the instrument to the 1680s, while a
German tree ring expert put the date in the late 1730s -- too late to be an authentic Stradivarius. The British investigator measured the violin itself, while the German researcher measured the rings using photographs.

"The German researcher didn't have an instrument to measure, and the British expert presented no convincing graphical evidence or verifiable statistical evidence for his assertions," Cleaveland said.

The controversy continued in the violin world, where enthusiasts consider a Stradivarius to be almost priceless.
This particular instrument is prized because of its pristine condition.

Helen Hayes, the president of the Violin Society of America, put together a panel of American dendrochronolo-
gists led by Grissino-Mayer, who invited Cleaveland and Sheppard to measure the tree rings in the Messiah.
The researchers brought specialized microscopes and measuring equipment to the Ashmolean, where they
carefully teased out the tree rings lying beneath a coat of varnish on the front piece of the violin.

The front of the violin is made from Norway spruce from somewhere in southern Europe. It is made from two
pieces of the same tree joined together at the center in what is called a "butterfly." The oldest rings from the center of the tree would be found at the center of the violin's front, so the researchers were allowed to remove
the strings and use their microscopes and instruments to make measurements.

The researchers compared the rings to tree ring chronologies for Norway spruce found at high altitudes in the
Alps of Austria, Italy, Germany and France. They also compared the Messiah tree rings to those of another
famous violin, the Archinto, which they measured at the Royal Academy of Music in London. The Archinto, a confirmed Stradavarius dating back to 1696, had more rings for comparison -- 159 versus 109 in the Messiah.

They were able to determine, by comparing the Messiah to the Arhcinto and the Archinto to the tree ring chronologies, that the wood in the Messiah dates back to 1686 -- during the lifetime of Stradivarius.

"We can't confirm that this is a Stradivarius, but we can say that it's in the right time frame," Cleaveland said.


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Adapted from materials provided by University Of Arkansas.
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http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2001/11/011119072029.htm

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Thickness maps of the top (A) and back plates (B).

The contemporary violins are presented on the top row, and the antique on the bottom row.

The violins have been anonymised. Scales are given in mm.

The fourth instrument on the upper row is a viola, which typically is thicker than a violin
(image size has been reduced to match that of the violins).




(Credit: Stoel BC, Borman TM, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0002554)

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                                       Secret Of The Sweet-Sounding Stradivarius:


                             Wood Density Explains Sound Quality Of Great Master Violins






ScienceDaily
(July 2, 2008) —

The advantage of using medical equipment to study classical musical instruments has been proven
by a Dutch researcher from the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC). In collaboration with a re-
nowned luthier, Dr. Berend Stoel put classical violins, including several made by Stradivarius, in a
CT scanner. The homogeneity in the densities of the wood from which the classical violins are made,
in marked contrast to the modern violins studied, may very well explain their superior sound production.

Experts are fascinated by the fact that classical Cremonese violins from the famous masters such
as Stradivari (1644 -- 1737) and Guarneri del Gesu (1698 -- 1744) are still unparalleled in their abili-
ties of tonal expressiveness and projection. 300 years of technological advancement has not provided
substantial improvements towards paralleling the achievements of the classical Cremonese violin makers.

It is obvious to look for clues in the material properties of the wood from which these violins are made, however until now it was impossible to study this without risk of damage to these instruments, each valued at several million dollars.

A unique collaboration between the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) in the Netherlands and Terry Borman, luthier in the United States, led to new insights. Previously, at the Division of Image Processing, Department of Radiology, Dr. Stoel developed a computer program, in collaboration with pulmonologist Dr. Jan Stolk, that calculates lung densities in emphysema patients from Computed Tomographic (CT) scans, in order to demonstrate the efficacy of certain medical treatments.

Based on his knowledge of measuring lung densities non-invasively, Dr. Stoel designed a new computer program
to study wood densities from CT scans. Subsequently, he and Terry Borman scanned in New York five Cremonese and seven contemporary violins at Mount SinaiHospital, and analyzed the wood densities.

The average wood density of the classical and modern violins did not differ significantly. However,
the differences in wood density between early and late growth were significantly lower in the ancient violins.

Since differentials in wood density impact vibrational efficacy and thereby the production of sound,
it is possible that this discovery may explain the superiority of these violins. This insight offers new possibilities
into replicating the tonal qualities of these ancient instruments, as the researchers con-
clude in PLoS ONE.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------




Journal reference:

Stoel BC, Borman TM. A Comparison of Wood Density between Classical Cremonese and Modern Violins.
PLoS One, 3(7): e2554 [link]

Adapted from materials provided by Public Library of Science, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.
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 MLA Public Library of Science (2008, July 2). Secret Of The Sweet-Sounding Stradivarius: Wood Density Explains Sound Quality Of Great Master Violins. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 23, 2008, from




http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2008/07/080701221447.htm

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A Stradivarius violin known as "The Penny,"

is seen on display at Christie's Auction House
in New York March 27, 2008.

The 300-year-old Antonio Stradivari violin
named after its previous owner, the pianist
and violinist Barbara Penny, was auctioned
on April 4.



REUTERS/
Brendan McDermid

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STRADIVARI II

Palacio Real,
Madrid, Spain

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                 Antonio Stradivari, by Edgar Bundy, 1893

                 a romanticized image of a craftsman-hero









                                                    S T R A D I V A R I U S

 
A Stradivarius is a stringed instrument built by members of the Stradivari family, particularly
Antonio Stradivari.

The bowed instruments are famous for the quality of their sound, which has defied attempts
to explain or reproduce.

The name "Stradivarius" has also become a superlative applied to designate excellence.

To be called "the Stradivari" of any field is to be deemed the finest there is.

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ANTONIO STRADIVARI









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.


Stradivari is believed to have been born in the year 1644, although his exact birth date is not docu-
mented. 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.

In 1680 Stradivari settled himself in the Piazza San Domenico, Cremona, and his fame as an instrument-maker was quickly established.

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.



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.


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.

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In 1660, Antonio set up shop on his own in Cremona, though his early violins are generally considered inferior to those of his "golden age", between 1698 and 1720. While his techniques have long been fertile soil for debate, still not fully understood by modern craftsmen and scientists, it is known for certain that the wood used included spruce for the harmonic top, willow for the internal parts and
maple for the back, strip and neck. This wood was treated with several types of minerals, including potassium borate (borax), sodium and potassium silicate, and vernice bianca, a varnish composed of Arabic gum, honey and egg white.

A Stradivarius made in the 1680s, or during Stradivari's Brescian period from 1690-1700, could be
worth several hundred thousand dollars or more on auction, at today's prices. Depending on condition, instruments made during Stradivari's "golden period" from 1700 to 1720 can be worth several million dollars.

Though relatively rarely sold, the highest publicised price paid was at public auction for The Hammer, made in 1707, selling for US $3,544,000 on May 16, 2006. Private sales of Stradivari instruments have exceeded this price.

It is not uncommon for violins to be labeled or branded "Stradivarius", as the name has been used
since by other manufacturers. However, it is generally believed that there are fewer than 700 genuine instruments extant, very few of which are unaccounted for.



The fame of Stradivari instruments is not a modern phenomenon and they appear in numerous works
of fiction:

The fictional detective Sherlock Holmes is described as having owned a Stradivarius, with detail given
to how he purchased the instrument for fifty-five English shillings in the story The Adventure of the Cardboard Box.

A famous, if perhaps apocryphal story about the Duport Stradivarius claims the instrument's visible dent was made by the boots of Emperor Napoléon I of France, who tried his hand
at playing it.



One aspect of Stradivari's approach is illustrated in the BBC TV series 'Lovejoy', in the episode
"Second Fiddle", which notes that, while one would expect the 'f'-holes on the top of a violin to
be symmetrical, Stradivari often made his slightly offset.

The show credits this to him being less of a perfectionist than tradition holds, but, if true, it more
likely demonstrates an aural perfectionism preferred over the visual aesthetic.



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); for example, the Bath Iron Works'
unofficial motto is


                                    "A Bath boat is the Stradivarius of destroyers!"


In 1924, The Vincent Bach Corporation began releasing a line of trumpets which would later become known as Stradivarius Trumpets, in an attempt to capitalise on the Stradivari name.

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Berlin, Germany









These instruments are, of course, famous for the quality of their sound, and there have been many
attempts to explain and reproduce this quality, largely without success.

Over the centuries, numerous theories have been presented, and debunked, including an assertion that
the wood was salvaged from old cathedrals. Dendrochronology, or tree-ring dating, has proved this false.

A more modern theory attributes tree growth during a time of unusually low solar activity during the Maunder Minimum "Little Ice Age" from ca. 1645 to 1750. During this period, temperatures throughout Europe were much cooler causing stunting and slower tree growth with unusually dense wood. Further evidence for this "Little Ice Age theory" comes from a simple examination of the dense growth rings in the wood used in Stradivari's instruments.

Two researchers, Henri Grissino-Mayer, a University of Tennessee tree ring scientist and Lloyd Burckle, a Columbia University climatologist, published their conclusions supporting the theory on increased wood density
in the journal Dendrochronologia.

Yet another possible explanation is that the wood originated and was harvested from the forests of northern Croatia. This maple wood is known for its extreme density due to the slow growth from harsh Croatian winters. Croatian wood was a commodity traded by Venetian merchants of this era and is still used for crafting musical instruments by local luthiers to this day.

Some research points to wood preservatives being used in that day as contributing to the resonant qualities.

While the sound of Stradivari's instruments still has not been fully explained by modern research tools, devices such as the scanning laser vibrometer are aiding researchers in testing the theory that the careful shaping of belly and back plate, in order to "tune" their resonant frequencies, may be an important factor.

Glues and varnishes used by Stradivari have been analyzed extensively, and have also been attributed for the sound and quality of his instruments. There remains no consensus on the single most probable factor, and most likely, it is some combination of all, and something not yet recognized.


On July 2, 2008 it was reported that using a computed tomography scanner, a Dutch doctor and an Arkansas violin maker have found that the remarkably even density of the wood may hold the key to the intruments famous sound.

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Violinist So-Ock Kim performs
with a loaned Stradivarius









V I O L I N S





ex-Back 1666 Royal Academy of Music currently displayed as part of Royal Academy's York Gate Collection

Dubois 1667 Canimex Foundation on loan to Alexandre da Costa

Aranyi 1667 Francis Aranyi (collector) sold at Sotheby's London, 12 November 1986

ex-Captain Saville 1667 Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume;

Captain Saville (1901-1907) 

Amatese 1668  though listed in many reference books as one of Stradivari's earliest instruments,
the modern consensus is that it is not a Stradivari; it was sold Sotheby's New York 3 February
1982 as "an interesting violin."

Oistrakh 1671 David Oistrakh missing: stolen in 1996

Sellière 1672 Charles IV of Spain 

Spanish 1677 Finnish Cultural Foundation on loan to Elina Vähälä

Hellier 1679 Sir Samuel Hellier Smithsonian Institution

Paganini-Desaint 1680 Nippon Music Foundation  this violin along with the Paganini-Comte Cozio di Salabue violin of 1727, the Paganini-Mendelssohn viola 1731, and Paganini-Ladenburg cello of 1736, comprise a group of instruments referred to as the Paganini Quartet; on loan to Kikuei Ikeda of the Tokyo String Quartet

Fleming 1681   

Chanot-Chardon 1681 Timothy Baker;

Joshua Bell shaped like a guitar

Bucher 1683   

Cipriani Potter 1683   

Cobbett; ex-Holloway 1683  on loan to Sejong brokered by the Stradivari Society
 
ex-Croall 1684 WestLB
 
ex-Elphinstone 1684 Guarneri House
 
ex-Arma Senkrah 1685
 
ex-Castelbarco 1685
 
Goddard 1686 Miss Goddard; Antonio Fortunato

Ole Bull 1687 Ole Bull (1844);

Dr. Herbert Axelrod (1985-1997) donated to the Smithsonian Institution in 1997 by Axelrod
Mercur-Avery 1687  on loan to Jonathan Carney, concertmaster of the Baltimore Symphony
Orchestra since 2002

Auer 1689  on loan to Vadim Gluzman brokered by the Stradivari Society

Arditi 1689 Dextra musica AS, Norway on loan to Elise Båtnes, concertmaster, Oslo Philharmonic
Baumgartner 1689 Canada Council for the Arts on loan to Judy Kang
 
Spanish I 1689 Patrimonio Nacional, Palacio Real, Madrid, Spain  date range 1687-1689; part of a duo of violins (Spanish I and II) referred to as los Decorados, and los Palatinos; also collectively known as del Cuarteto Real (The Royal Quartet) when included with the Spanish Court viola (1696) and cello (1694).
 
Spanish II 1689 Patrimonio Nacional, Palacio Real, Madrid, Spain [19] date range 1687-1689; part of a duo of violins (Spanish I and II) referred to as los Decorados, and los Palatinos; also collectively known as del Cuarteto Real (The Royal Quartet) when included with the Spanish Court viola (1696) and cello (1694).

Bingham 1690   

Bennett 1692 Winterthur-Versicherungen on loan to Hanna Weinmeister

Falmouth 1692  on loan to Leonidas Kavakos
 
Gould 1693 George Gould

Metropolitan Museum of Art bequeathed by Gould to the Metropolitan Museum in 1955

Harrison 1693 Richard Harrison; Henry Hottinger; Kyung-Wha Chung in the collection of the National Music Museum

Baillot-Pommerau 1694
   
Ruston 1694 Royal Academy of Music on loan to Clio Gould
 
Fetzer 1695   

1697 Edvin Marton Dima Bilan, together with Evgeni Plushenko, and Edvin Marton playing his Stradivarius, won the Eurovision Song Contest 2008
Cabriac 1698 
 
Baron Knoop 1698  one of eleven Stradivari violins associated with Baron Johann Knoop

Joachim 1698 Royal Academy of Music
 
Duc de Camposelice 1699
   
Lady Tennant; Lafont 1699 Charles Phillipe Lafont;

Marguerite Agaranthe Tennant on loan to Xiang Gao brokered by the Stradivari Society; sold at Christie's auction US$2.032 million, April 2005
 
Longuet 1699 
 
Countess Polignac 1699  on loan to Gil Shaham.

Castelbarco 1699 
 
Kustendyke 1699 Royal Academy of Music
 
Crespi 1699 Royal Academy of Music 

Cristiani 1700   

The Penny 1700 Barbara Penny 

Dragonetti 1700 Nippon Music Foundation
 
Jupiter 1700 Giovanni Battista Viotti 

Taft; ex-Emil Heermann 1700 Canada Council for the Arts on loan to Jessica Linnebach
 
Dushkin 1701  on loan to Dennis Kim, concertmaster, Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra

Markees 1701 Music Chamber on loan to Leung Kin-fung

Irish 1702 OKO Bank, Finland on loan to Réka Szilvay

Conte de Fontana; ex-Oistrach 1702 David Oistrakh (1953-1963); Riccardo Brengola; Pro Canale Foundation Oistrakh's first violin; on loan to Mariana Sirbu

Lukens; Edler Voicu 1702 A.W. Lukens; Jon Voicu; Romania Culture Ministry on loan to Alexandru Tomescu through 2012

King Maximilian Joseph 1702 
 
Lyall 1702 
 
Antonio Stradivari 1703 Bundesrepublik Deutschland on exhibit at Musikinstrumentenmuseum, Berlin

La Rouse Boughton 1703 Österreichische Nationalbank [27] on loan to Boris Kuschnir of the Kopelman Quartet

Lord Newlands 1702 Nippon Music Foundation on loan to Toru Yasunaga
 
Allegretti 1703   

Alsager 1703 

Lady Harmsworth 1703 Paul Bartel on loan to Kristof Barati brokered by the Stradivari Society

Emiliani 1703 Anne-Sophie Mutter
 
Betts 1704 U.S. Library of Congress
 
Sleeping Beauty 1704 L-Bank Baden-Wurttemberg on loan to Isabelle Faust. One of the few Stradivari violins to have retained original neck.

ex-Marsick; ex-Oistrach 1705 David Oistrach acquired in trade by Oistrach for the 1702 Conte di Fontana

ex-Brüstlein 1707 Österreichische Nationalbank
 
La Cathédrale 1707   

Hammer 1707 Christian Hammer (collector) sold at Christie's New York on 16 May 2006 for a record US$3,544,000 (€2,765,080) after five minutes of bidding
 
Burstein; Bagshawe 1708 
 
Huggins 1708 Nippon Music Foundation on loan to Sergey Khachatryan
 
Ruby 1708  on loan to Chen Xi brokered by the Stradivari Society

Strauss 1708  on loan to Chee-Yun brokered by the Stradivari Society

Berlin Hochschule 1709   

Hammerle; ex-Adler 1709 Österreichische Nationalbank [27] on loan to Werner Hink

Ernst 1709  on loan to Zsigmondy Dénes through 2003

Engleman 1709 Nippon Music Foundation on loan to Lisa Batiashvili

Viotti; ex-Bruce 1709 Royal Academy of Music purchased in 2005 for GB£3.5 million

Marie Hall 1709 Giovanni Battista Viotti;

The Chi-Mei Collection named after the violinist, Marie Hall

ex-Kempner 1709  on loan to Soovin Kim

Camposelice 1710 Nippon Music Foundation on loan to Kyoko Takezawa
 
Lord Dunn-Raven 1710 Anne-Sophie Mutter
 
ex-Roederer 1710  on loan to David Grimal.

ex-Vieuxtemps 1710  on loan to Samuel Magad, concertmaster, Chicago Symphony Orchestra
 
Earl of Plymouth; Kreisler 1711 Los Angeles Philharmonic [30] found in store room on the estate of the Earl of Plymouth along with The Messiah and Alard violins in 1925; purchased by Fritz Kreisler in 1928 and subsequently sold by him in 1946

Liegnitz 1711   

Le Brun 1712 Niccolò Paganini; Charles LeBrun; Otto Senn; sold at Sotheby's auction November 13, 2001
 
Karpilowsky 1712 Harry Solloway missing: stolen in 1953 from Solloway's residence in Los Angeles
 
Schreiber 1713
 
Antonio Stradivari 1713   

Boissier 1713 
 
Gibson; ex-Huberman 1713 Bronisław Huberman;

Joshua Bell stolen twice from Huberman

Lady Ley 1713 Stradivarius family now bought by Jue Yao - Chinese violinist

Wirt 1713   

Dolphin; Delfino 1714 Jascha Heifetz;

Nippon Music Foundation on loan to Akiko Suwanai

Soil 1714 Amédée Soil; Yehudi Menuhin; Itzhak Perlman 

ex-Berou; ex-Thibaud 1714
 
ex-Foulis 1714 
 
Le Maurien 1714  missing: stolen 2002
 
Leonora Jackson 1714
 
Sinsheimer; General Kyd; Perlman 1714 Itzhak Perlman

David L. Fulton 

Smith-Quersin 1714 Österreichische Nationalbank  on loan to Rainer Honeck

Alard-Baron Knoop 1715   

Baron Knoop; ex-Bevan 1715 
 
ex-Bazzini 1715 
 
Cremonese; ex-Harold, Joseph Joachim 1715 Municipality of Cremona
 
Joachim 1715 Nippon Music Foundation on loan to Sayaka Shoji

Lipinski 1715  in private hands since 1962

ex-Marsick 1715  on loan to James Ehnes

Titian 1715 Jacob Lynam
 
Cessole 1716   

Berthier 1716
 
Booth 1716 Nippon Music Foundation on loan to Shunsuke Sato; formerly loaned to Arabella Steinbacher; formerly loaned to Julia Fischer

Colossus 1716  missing: stolen 1998

Duranti 1716 Mariko Senju
 
Monasterio 1716  Cyrus Forough
 
Provigny 1716
 
Messiah-Salabue 1716 Ashmolean Museum Oxford on exhibit at the Oxford Ashmolean Museum

ex-Windsor-Weinstein; Fite 1716 Canada Council for the Arts on loan to Jean-Sébastien Roy

Baron Wittgenstein 1716  on loan to Mincio Mincev
 
Gariel 1717
 
ex-Wieniawski 1717
 
Kochanski 1717 Pierre Amoyal reported stolen in 1987; recovered in 1991

Sasserno 1717 Nippon Music Foundation on loan to Viviane Hagner
 
Viotti; ex-Rosé 1718 Giovanni Battista Viotti;

Österreichische Nationalbank [27] on loan to Volkhard Steude
 
Firebird; ex-Saint Exupéry 1718 Salvatore Accardo name is taken from the colouration of the varnish and its brilliant sound.

Marquis de Riviere 1718 Daniel Majeske played by Majeske while concertmaster of the Cleveland Orchestra from 1969-1993
 
San Lorenzo 1718 Georg Talbot on loan to David Garrett; incorrectly reported as damaged on 27 December 2007.
 
Lauterbach 1719 Johann Christoph Lauterbach; J.B. Vuillaume; Charles Philippe Lafont
 
Madrileño 1720   

von Beckerath 1720 Michael Antonello
 
Antonius Stradivarius Cremonensis 1721  recovered in southern Germany in 2006
 
Lady Blunt 1721 Paolo Stradivari named after Lady Anne Blunt, daughter of Ada Lovelace,
granddaughter of Lord Byron.

Jean-Marie Leclair 1721 Jean-Marie Leclair; on loan to Guido Rimonda

Red Mendelssohn 1721 Mendelssohn Family;

Elizabeth Pitcairn inspiration for the 1998 film, The Red Violin

Artot 1722   

Jupiter; ex-Goding 1722 Nippon Music Foundation on loan to Daishin Kashimoto; formerly Midori Goto

Laub-Petschnikoff 1722   

Jules Falk 1722 Viktoria Mullova 

Elman 1722 Chi Mei Museum
 
Cádiz 1722 Joseph Fuchs on loan to Jennifer Frautschi; named after the city of Cádiz, Spain.
 
Kiesewetter 1723 Clement and Karen Arrison[38] on loan to Philippe Quint brokered by the Stradivari

Society Left by Quint in taxi on April 21, 2008, and recovered the following day.

Earl Spencer 1723  on loan to Nicola Benedetti

Le Sarasate 1724 Musée de la Musique, Paris  bequeathed to the Conservatory by
Pablo de Sarasate

Brancaccio 1725 Destroyed in an allied air raid on Berlin. owned by Carl Flesch, until 1928 where
it was sold to Franz von Mendelssohn, banker and amateur violinist.

Chaconne 1725 Österreichische Nationalbank [27] on loan to Rainer Küchel

Leonardo da Vinci 1725 Da Vinci family

Wilhelmj 1725 Nippon Music Foundation on loan to Baiba Skride; one of several Stradivari violins
with the sobriquet "Wilhelmj"
 
Greville; Kreisler; Adams 1726 Fritz Kreisler 

Barrere 1727  on loan to Janine Jansen brokered by the Stradivari Society

Davidoff-Morini 1727  missing: stolen in 1995;

ex-General Dupont 1727  on loan to Jennifer Koh

Holroyd 1727   

Kreutzer 1727 Maxim Vengerov one of four Stradivari violins with the sobriquet Kreutzer
(1701, 1720, 1731)

Hart; ex-Francescatti 1727 Salvatore Accardo
 
Paganini-Comte Cozio di Salabue 1727 Nippon Music Foundation this violin along with the Paganini-Desaint violin of 1680, the Paganini-Mendelssohn viola of 1731, and the Paganini-Ladenburg cello of 1736, comprise a group of instruments referred to as the Paganini Quartet; on loan to Martin Beaver of the Tokyo String Quartet

Halphen 1727 Angelika Prokopp Private Foundation on loan to Eckhard Seifert

Vesuvius 1727 Antonio Brosa

Remo Lauricella

Town of Cremona 

A. J. Fletcher; Red Cross Knight 1728 A. J. Fletcher Foundation on loan to Nicholas Kitchen of the Borromeo String Quartet; the instrument was made by Omobono Stradivarius

Artot-Alard 1728 Endre Balogh  a bench copy of this instrument was produced in 1996 by Gregg
Alf and Joseph Curtin, using modern materials and methods; Balogh performs on both the 1728
original and the replica.

Dragonetti; Milanollo 1728 Giovanni Battista Viotti on loan to Corey Cerovsek

Perkins 1728 Los Angeles Philharmonic named after Frederick Perkins, formerly owned by Luigi Boccherini

Benny 1729 Jack Benny;

Los Angeles Philharmonic bequeathed to the Los Angeles Philharmonic by Jack Benny

Solomon, ex-Lambert 1729 Murray Lambert;

Seymour Solomon sold at Christie's, New York for US$2,728,000 (€2,040,000)

Innes 1729  on loan to Eugen Sarbu; previously loaned to Wieniawski

Guarneri 1729 Canada Council for the Arts on loan to Yi-Ja Suzanne Hou in 2003

Lady Jeanne 1731 Donald Kahn Foundation on loan to Benjamin Schmid

Garcin 1731 Jules Garcin; Sidney Harth 

Royal Spanish 1730   

Heifetz-Piel 1731 Rudolph Piel;

Jascha Heifetz 

Duke of Alcantara 1732 an obscure Spanish nobleman described as an aide-de-camp of King Don Carlos; UCLA Genevieve Vedder donated the instrument to the University of California at Los Angeles' (UCLA) music department in the 1960s. In 1967, the instrument was on loan to David Margetts who left the Stradivarius on the roof of his car and drove off or claimed it was stolen from his vehicle. For 27 years the violin was considered missing until it was recovered from an amateur violinist. A settlement was made and the Stradivarius was returned to UCLA in 1995.

Herkules 1732 Eugène Ysaÿe missing: stolen in 1908

Red Diamond 1732   

Tom Taylor 1732  previously loaned to Joshua Bell

Des Rosiers 1733 Angèle Dubeau
 
Huberman; Kreisler 1733 Bronisław Huberman;

Fritz Kreisler 

Khevenhüller 1733 Yehudi Menuhin
 
Rode 1733   

Ames 1734  missing: stolen in the 1960s

Baron Feilitzsch; Heermann 1734 Baron Feilitzsch;

Hugo Heerman

Gidon Kremer
 
Habeneck 1734 Royal Academy of Music
 
Herkules; Ysaye; ex-Szeryng; King David 1734 Eugène Ysaÿe;

Charles Münch;

Henryk Szeryng;

State of Israel 

Lord Amherst of Hackney 1734 Fritz Kreisler
 
Lamoreux 1735  missing: stolen
 
SwisherSweets 1735 Raymond "Mox" Jahnke Private Owner

Muntz 1736 Nippon Music Foundation on loan to Arabella Steinbacher
 
ex.Roussy 1736 Chisako Takashima

Comte d'Amaille 1737
   
Lord Norton 1737
 
Chant du Cygne; Swan Song 1737 Ivry Gitlis