Baron Knoop; ex-Bevan Stradivarius
Encyclopedia
The Baron Knoop, ex-Bevan Stradivarius is a violin made by the celebrated luthier
Antonio Stradivari
in Cremona
, Italy in 1715.
The instrument is named for Baron Johann Knoop
(1846–1918), a collector of dozens of great violins, violas, and cellos at one time or another including four violas representing more than a third of extant Stradivari violas. Upon the sale of the instrument to J.E. Greiner through the agency of Wurlitzer
in New York, the W. E. Hill firm in London, proposed that the violin be named for their customer, Baron Knoop. Several instruments by the great master luthiers bear the sobriquet Baron Knoop, including another Stradivari of 1715, the Alard-Knoop. In their 1902 publication of Antonio Stradivari His Life and Work, while in the possession of London banker F.L. Bevan, the violin was referenced by the name Knoop, commenting that the violin is of "the first rank."
In the letter provided to Greiner at the time of his purchase of the Baron Knoop, the Hills commented that it was the violin upon which Knoop most enjoyed playing. The instrument is currently owned by collector David L. Fulton
.
Provenance
Mr. Oechsner, c. 1870; C.G. Meier 1881; F.L. Bevan c. 1882; Richard Bennett 1913; J.E. Greiner, 1928; J. Frank Otwell, 1944; Raymond Cerf, 1954; Rony Rogoff, 1980; David L. Fulton, 1992.
Luthier
A luthier is someone who makes or repairs lutes and other string instruments. In the United States, the term is used interchangeably with a term for the specialty of each maker, such as violinmaker, guitar maker, lute maker, etc...
Antonio Stradivari
Antonio Stradivari
Antonio Stradivari was an Italian luthier and a crafter of string instruments such as violins, cellos, guitars, violas, 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...
in Cremona
Cremona
Cremona is a city and comune in northern Italy, situated in Lombardy, on the left bank of the Po River in the middle of the Pianura Padana . It is the capital of the province of Cremona and the seat of the local City and Province governments...
, Italy in 1715.
The instrument is named for Baron Johann Knoop
Baron Johann Knoop
Baron Johann Knoop , was a collector of musical instruments who possessed a total of 29 great violins, violas, and cellos at one time or another including some four Stradivari violas...
(1846–1918), a collector of dozens of great violins, violas, and cellos at one time or another including four violas representing more than a third of extant Stradivari violas. Upon the sale of the instrument to J.E. Greiner through the agency of Wurlitzer
Wurlitzer
The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, usually referred to simply as Wurlitzer, was an American company that produced stringed instruments, woodwinds, brass instruments, theatre organs, band organs, orchestrions, electronic organs, electric pianos and jukeboxes....
in New York, the W. E. Hill firm in London, proposed that the violin be named for their customer, Baron Knoop. Several instruments by the great master luthiers bear the sobriquet Baron Knoop, including another Stradivari of 1715, the Alard-Knoop. In their 1902 publication of Antonio Stradivari His Life and Work, while in the possession of London banker F.L. Bevan, the violin was referenced by the name Knoop, commenting that the violin is of "the first rank."
In the letter provided to Greiner at the time of his purchase of the Baron Knoop, the Hills commented that it was the violin upon which Knoop most enjoyed playing. The instrument is currently owned by collector David L. Fulton
David L. Fulton
David Fulton is the most important private collector of Cremonese instruments living today.Born in 1944, he grew up in Eugene, Oregon, playing the violin from a young age...
.
Provenance
Mr. Oechsner, c. 1870; C.G. Meier 1881; F.L. Bevan c. 1882; Richard Bennett 1913; J.E. Greiner, 1928; J. Frank Otwell, 1944; Raymond Cerf, 1954; Rony Rogoff, 1980; David L. Fulton, 1992.