Muntz Stradivarius
Encyclopedia
The Muntz Stradivarius is an antique violin
crafted by Antonio Stradivari
of Cremona
(1644–1737) in 1736. The label affixed to this instrument bears the inscription, “d'anni 92” (92 years old), possibly handwritten by Stradivari himself. It has also been suggested that Count Cozio di Salabue, a subsequent owner, made this inscription. The Muntz which has a solid reputation for its excellent condition and tonal quality, takes its name from a man who owned it in the late 19th century, H. M. Muntz. He was a collector and amateur violinist who lived in Birmingham
, England
. The Muntz, among the last of the instruments made by Stradivari, is currently owned by the Nippon Music Foundation
.
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
crafted by 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...
of 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...
(1644–1737) in 1736. The label affixed to this instrument bears the inscription, “d'anni 92” (92 years old), possibly handwritten by Stradivari himself. It has also been suggested that Count Cozio di Salabue, a subsequent owner, made this inscription. The Muntz which has a solid reputation for its excellent condition and tonal quality, takes its name from a man who owned it in the late 19th century, H. M. Muntz. He was a collector and amateur violinist who lived in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The Muntz, among the last of the instruments made by Stradivari, is currently owned by the Nippon Music Foundation
Nippon Music Foundation
The Nippon Music Foundation is an organisation under the supervision of the Arts and Culture Promotion Division, Agency for Cultural Affairs a special body of the Japanese Ministry of Education...
.