Stradivarius

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Stradivarius

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

Antonio Stradivari

Antonio Stradivari 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....
. According to their reputation, the quality of their sound has defied attempts to explain or reproduce, though this belief is controversial. The name "Stradivarius" has also become a superlative applied to designate excellence.

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Background

Born in Italy in 1644, Antonio Stradivari is believed to have been a disciple of Nicolo Amati

Nicolò Amati

Nicol? Amati was an Italy luthier from Cremona, a member of the Amati.The founder of the Cremona school was Andrea Amati , whose earliest violins date from about 1564....
, of the Amati

Amati

Amati is the name of a family of Italy violin makers, who flourished at Cremona from about 1549 to 1740.Family membersAndrea Amati...
family of luthier

Luthier

A luthier is someone who makes or repairs stringed instruments. The word luthier comes from the French language word wikt:en:luth#French which is French for "lute"....
s of Cremona

Cremona

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 . It is the capital of the province of Cremona and the seat of the local City and Province governments....
. 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 and not fully understood by modern craftsmen and scientists, it is known for certain that the wood used included spruce

Spruce

A spruce is a tree of the genus Picea, a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the Family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal regions of the earth....
for the harmonic top, willow

Willow

Willows, sallows, and osiers form the genus Salix, around 400 species of deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere....
for the internal parts and maple

Maple

Acer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as Maple. Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or included in the family Sapindaceae....
for the back, strip and neck. There has been conjecture that this wood was treated with several types of minerals, including potassium borate (borax

Borax

Borax, also known as sodium borate, sodium tetraborate, or disodium tetraborate, is an important boron compound, a mineral, and a salt of boric acid....
), sodium and potassium silicate, and vernice bianca

Vernice bianca

Vernice bianca is a type of sealer varnish used in violin making. It is mainly prepared with a mix of egg white and gum arabic....
, a varnish composed of Arabic gum, honey

Honey

Honey is a sweet fluid produced by honey bees , and derived from the nectar of flowers. According to the United States National Honey Board and various international food regulations, "honey stipulates a pure product that does not allow for the addition of any other substance?this includes, but is not limited to, water or other sweeteners...
and egg white

Egg white

File:Chicken egg01 monovular.jpgEgg white is the common name for the clear liquid contained within an Egg . It is the cytoplasm of the egg, which until fertilization is a single Cell ....
. He made his instruments using an inner form, unlike the French copyists, such as Vuillaume, who employed an outer form, and it is clear from the number of forms extant that he experimented with some of the dimensions of his instruments throughout his career.

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. After the passing of the legendary cellist and conductor

Conductor

Conductor or conduction may refer to:*Conductor , an album by indie rock band The Comas*Conductor , a senior Warrant Officer appointment in the Royal Logistic Corps and its predecessors...
Mstislav Rostropovich

Mstislav Rostropovich

Mstislav Leopoldovich Rostropovich Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire , , known to close friends as ?Slava,? was a Russians cellist and conducting....
in 2007, his cello, one of the greatest cellos in existence, the Duport Stradivarius
Duport Stradivarius

The Duport Stradivarius is a violoncello made in 1711 by Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona. The instrument is named after Jean-Pierre Duport, who played it around 1800....
of 1711, was acquired by the Japan Music Foundation for $20,000,000. A Russian collector also recently paid a record $9,500,000 for the Barrow violin of 1715.

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

Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes is a fictional character of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, who first appeared in publication in 1887. He is the creation of Scotland-born author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle....
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
The Adventure of the Cardboard Box

"The Adventure of the Cardboard Box" is one of the 56 short Sherlock Holmes stories written by British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It is the second of the twelve The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes in most British editions of the canon, and second of the eight stories from His Last Bow in most American versions....
. A famous, if perhaps apocryphal, story about the Duport
Duport Stradivarius

The Duport Stradivarius is a violoncello made in 1711 by Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona. The instrument is named after Jean-Pierre Duport, who played it around 1800....
claims the instrument's visible dent was made by the boots of Emperor Napoléon I of France

Napoleon I of France

Napoleon Bonaparte later known as Emperor Napoleon I, was a military and political leader of France whose actions shaped European politics in the early 19th century....
, who tried his hand at playing it.

One aspect of Stradivari's approach is illustrated in the BBC TV series Lovejoy
Lovejoy

Lovejoy is a TV series about the adventures of Lovejoy, a British antiques dealer based in East Anglia whose scruples are not always the highest....
, 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 his 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

Bath Iron Works

Bath Iron Works is a shipyard located on the Kennebec River in Bath, Maine. Since its foundation in 1884 by Thomas W. Hyde, Bath Iron Works has built private, commercial and warship....
' unofficial motto is "A Bath boat is the Stradivarius of destroyer

Destroyer

In navy terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a Naval fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, short-range but powerful attackers ....
s!" In 1924, The Vincent Bach Corporation

Vincent Bach Corporation

The Vincent Bach Corporation was an United States manufacturer of brass instrument.The company was founded in 1918 by the trumpeter Vincent Bach...
began releasing a line of trumpet

Trumpet

The trumpet is a musical instrument with the highest Register in the brass instrument family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BC....
s which would later become known as Stradivarius Trumpets, in an attempt to capitalise on the Stradivari name.

Objective comparisons

Above all, these instruments are famous for the quality of sound they produce. However, the many blind tests from 1817 to the present (as of 2000) have never found any difference in sound between Stradivariuses and high-quality violins in comparable style of other makers and periods, nor has acoustic analysis. In a particularly famous test on a BBC Radio 3

BBC Radio 3

BBC Radio 3 is a national radio station operated by the BBC within the United Kingdom. Its output centres on European classical music, but jazz, world music, drama and the arts also feature....
program in 1977, the great violinists Isaac Stern

Isaac Stern

Isaac Stern was a Jewish violin virtuoso born in the Ukraine.He was renowned for his Sound recordings and for discovering new musical talent....
and Pinchas Zukerman

Pinchas Zukerman

Pinchas Zukerman is a noted Israeli violinist, viola, and conducting who was appointed Music Director of Ottawa's National Arts Centre Orchestra in April 1998....
and the violin expert and dealer Charles Beare tried to distinguish among the "Chaconne" Stradivarius, a 1739 Guarneri

Guarneri

Guarneri is the family name of a group of distinguished luthiers from Cremona in Italy in the 17th and 18th centuries, whose standing is considered comparable to those of the Amati and Stradivari families....
del Gesú, an 1846 Vuillaume, and a 1976 British violin played behind a screen by a professional soloist. The two violinists were allowed to play all the instruments first. None of the listeners identified more than two of the four instruments; two of the listeners identified the 20th-century violin as the Stradivarius.

Theories and reproduction attempts

Nonetheless, some maintain that the best Stradivariuses have unique superiorities. Various attempts at explaining these qualities have been undertaken, most results being unsuccessful or inconclusive. Over the centuries, numerous theories have been presented, and debunked, including an assertion that the wood was salvaged from old cathedrals. Dendrochronology

Dendrochronology

Dendrochronology or tree-ring dating is the method of scientific dating based on the analysis of tree-ring growth patterns. This technique was developed during the first half of the 20th century originally by the astronomer A....
, 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

Maunder Minimum

The Maunder Minimum is the name given to the period roughly from 1645 to 1715, when sunspots became exceedingly rare, as noted by solar observers of the time....
"Little Ice Age

Little Ice Age

The Little Ice Age was a period of cooling occurring after a warmer North Atlantic era known as the Medieval Warm Period or Medieval Climate Optimum....
" 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.

In 2008, Dutch researchers announced that they had discovered further evidence for wood density as the cause of the high quality of these instruments. After examining the violins with X-rays, the researchers found that these violins all have extremely consistent density, with relatively low variation in the apparent growth patterns of the trees which produced this wood.

The change in climate caused trees to grow uniformly in both summer and winter, creating the renowned quality of the wood used in Stradivariuses. Through the years, various other causes had been hypothesized, including varnishes, boiling or other treatments.

Yet another possible explanation is that the wood originated and was harvested from the forests of northern Croatia

Croatia

Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a Central European country at the crossroads of Pannonian Plain, Balkans, and the Mediterranean Sea....
. This maple

Maple

Acer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as Maple. Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or included in the family Sapindaceae....
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.. Joseph Nagyvary, a professor Emeritus at Texas A&M University has always held the belief that a wide range of chemicals improve the sound. In a 2009 study co-authored with Drs. Renald Guillemette and Clifford Spiegelman, Nagyvary burned minute quantities of the violins and measured their chemical composition. The authors concluded that the smoky remains of the wood shavings consisted of "borax, fluorides, chromium and iron salts."

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.

Stradivari instruments

Violins

Sobriquet Sobriquet A sobriquet is a nickname or a fancy name, usually a familiar name given by others as distinct from a pseudonym assumed as a disguise, but a nickname which is familiar enough such that it can be used in place of a real name without the need of explanation....	Year	Provenance Provenance Provenance, from the French provenir, "to come from", means the origin, or the wiktionary:Source, of something, or the history of the ownership or location of an object, The term was originally mostly used of works of art, but is now used in similar senses in a wide range of fields, including science and computing....	Notes
ex-Back	1666	Royal Academy of Music Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a college or university school of music, Britian's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999....	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 David Oistrakh David Fyodorovich Oistrakh , David Fiodorovic Ojstrah; – October 24, 1974) was a Russian violin virtuoso who made many recordings and was the dedicatee of numerous violin works....	missing: stolen in 1996
Sellière	1672	Charles IV of Spain Charles IV of Spain Charles IV was list of Spanish monarchs from December 14, 1788 until his abdication on March 19, 1808....
Spanish	1677	Finnish Cultural Foundation	on loan to Elina Vähälä
Hellier Hellier Stradivarius The *Hellier Stradivarius* of circa 1679 is a violin made in by Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona. It derives its name from the Hellier family, who might well have bought it directly from Stradivari himself....	1679	Sir Samuel Hellier	Smithsonian Institution
Paganini-Desaint	1680	Nippon Music Foundation Nippon Music Foundation The Nippon Music Foundation is an organisation under the supervision of the Agency for Cultural Affairs a special body of the Japanese Ministry of Education....	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 Paganini Quartet The *Paganini Quartet* is the name given to a collection of four instruments made by luthier Antonio Stradivari. There are two violins, one viola, and one cello in the group.... ; on loan to Kikuei Ikeda of the Tokyo String Quartet Tokyo String Quartet The Tokyo String Quartet, is an internationally renowned string quartet.They formed the group in 1969 at the Juilliard School of Music. The founding members attended the Toho Gakuen School of Music in Tokyo, where they studied with Professor Hideo Saito....
Fleming	1681
Chanot-Chardon	1681	Timothy Baker; Joshua Bell Joshua Bell Joshua David Bell is an American Grammy Award-winning violinist....	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
ex-Arma Senkrah	1685
ex-Castelbarco	1685
Goddard	1686	Miss Goddard; Antonio Fortunato
Ole Bull	1687	Ole Bull Ole Bull Ole Borneman Bull was a Norway violinist, often called Norway's first international star.A testament to his fame was his funeral procession, perhaps the most spectacular in Norway's history.... (1844);	Donated to the Smithsonian Institution Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its Financial endowment, contributions, and profits from its shops and its magazine.... in 1997 by Herbert R. Axelrod Herbert R. Axelrod Herbert Richard Axelrod is a tropical fish expert, publisher of pet books, and entrepreneur. In 2005 he was sentenced in U.S. court to 18 months in prison for Tax avoidance and tax evasion.... . Now part of the Axelrod quartet Axelrod quartet The Axelrod quartet is a set of four Stradivarius instruments collected by Herbert R. Axelrod. The collection consists of the Greffuhle Stradivarius, Axelrod Stradivarius, Ole Bull Stradivarius, and Marylebone Stradivarius.... .
Mercur-Avery	1687		on loan to Jonathan Carney, concertmaster of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Baltimore Symphony Orchestra The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is a major United States symphony orchestra based in Baltimore, Maryland.... 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 Concertmaster The concertmaster/mistress, or concertmeister is the leader of the first violin section of an orchestra. Any violin solo in an orchestral work is played by the concertmaster .... , Oslo Philharmonic
Baumgartner	1689	Canada Council for the Arts	on loan to Judy Kang Judy Kang Judy Kang is a Canada violinist.Kang was born and raised in Canada. Taking up the violin aged four, she was performing solo recitals and winning local competitions that same year....
Spanish I	1689	Patrimonio Nacional Patrimonio Nacional Patrimonio Nacional is a Spain state agency, under the jurisdiction of the Prime Minister of Spain, that administers the sites owned by the Spanish state and used by the King of Spain and the Spanish Royal Family as residences and for state ceremonies.... , 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 Patrimonio Nacional Patrimonio Nacional is a Spain state agency, under the jurisdiction of the Prime Minister of Spain, that administers the sites owned by the Spanish state and used by the King of Spain and the Spanish Royal Family as residences and for state ceremonies.... , 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).
Bingham	1690
Bennett	1692	Winterthur-Versicherungen Winterthur Group AXA Winterthur Group is a multinational insurance company. The original company named Winterthur was founded in Winterthur, Switzerland, in 1875....	on loan to Hanna Weinmeister
Falmouth	1692		on loan to Leonidas Kavakos Leonidas Kavakos Leonidas Kavakos is a Greek violinist. He has established himself as one of the most sought after young virtuoso violinists and appears regularly with leading orchestras and in recital throughout the world....
Gould	1693	George Gould Metropolitan Museum of Art Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art is an art museum located on the eastern edge of Central Park, along what is known as Museum Mile, New York City in New York City, USA....	bequeathed by Gould to the Metropolitan Museum in 1955
Harrison	1693	Richard Harrison; Henry Hottinger; Kyung-wha Chung Kyung-Wha Chung Kyung-wha Chung is a Korean people violinist....	in the collection of the National Music Museum
Baillot-Pommerau	1694		Formerly owned by Arthur Catterall Arthur Catterall Arthur Catterall was an English concert violinist, orchestral leader and conductor, one of the best-known English classical violinists of the first half of the twentieth century.... , then by Alfredo Campoli Alfredo Campoli Alfredo Campoli was an Italian-born English violinist. He was noted for the beauty of the tone he produced from the violin.His father taught the violin at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome, and his mother was a retired concert performer....
Rutson	1694	Royal Academy of Music Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a college or university school of music, Britian's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999....	on loan to Clio Gould
Fetzer	1695
	1697	Edvin Marton Edvin Marton Edvin Marton is a Hungary composer and violinist. His original name is Lajos Csury. He became known as the violinist of the skaters, mainly because Evgeni Plushenko, St?phane Lambiel, and other famous skaters often skated to his music....	Dima Bilan Dima Bilan Dima Bilan is a Russian pop music artist. Bilan represented Russia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 with "Never Let You Go ", finishing second, and he won the Eurovision Song Contest 2008, with the song "Believe ".... , together with Evgeni Plushenko, and Edvin Marton Edvin Marton Edvin Marton is a Hungary composer and violinist. His original name is Lajos Csury. He became known as the violinist of the skaters, mainly because Evgeni Plushenko, St?phane Lambiel, and other famous skaters often skated to his music.... playing his Stradivarius, won the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 Eurovision Song Contest 2008 The Eurovision Song Contest 2008 was the 53rd edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, which was hosted by Serbia. The semi-finals were held on 20 May and 22 May, and the final was held on 24 May 2008 in the capital, Belgrade....
Cabriac	1698
Baron Knoop Baron Knoop Stradivarius The *Baron Knoop Stradivarius* of 1698 is an antique violin made by luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona ....	1698		one of eleven Stradivari violins associated with 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....
Joachim	1698	Royal Academy of Music Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a college or university school of music, Britian's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999....
Duc de Camposelice	1699
Lady Tennant; Lafont Lady Tennant Stradivarius The *Lady Tennant-Lafont Stradivarius* is an antique violin made by the Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona in 1699, one year before the beginning of his so-called 'golden' period....	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 Gil Shaham Gil Shaham is an award-winning violinist of Israeli descent. He was born in Urbana, Illinois Illinois, during a short academic visit to the University of Illinois by his parents, both Israeli scientists - the astrophysicist Jacob Shaham and the cytogeneticist Meira Diskin.... .
Castelbarco	1699	Library of Congress Library of Congress The Library of Congress is the de facto national library of the United States and the research arm of the United States Congress. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and holds the largest number of books....	Presented by Gertrude Clarke Whittall
Kustendyke	1699	Royal Academy of Music Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a college or university school of music, Britian's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999....
Crespi	1699	Royal Academy of Music Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a college or university school of music, Britian's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999....
Cristiani	1700
The Penny	1700	Barbara Penny
Dragonetti	1700	Nippon Music Foundation
Jupiter Jupiter Stradivarius The *Jupiter, ex-Goding Stradivarius* is a violin constructed in 1722 by the famous luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona. It is one of only 700 extant Stradivari instruments in the world today....	1700	Giovanni Battista Viotti Giovanni Battista Viotti Giovanni Battista Viotti was an Italy violinist whose virtuosity was famed and whose work as a composer featured a prominent violin and an appealing lyrical tunefulness....
Taft; ex-Emil Heermann	1700	Canada Council for the Arts	on loan to Jessica Linnebach Jessica Linnebach Jessica Linnebach is a Canadian classical violinist. She is a founding member of the Zukerman Chamber Players, as well as a first violinist in the National Arts Centre Orchestra....
Dushkin	1701		on loan to Dennis Kim, concertmaster, Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra
Markees Markees Stradivarius The Markees is a violin made by Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona. It was created in 1701.It is currently on loan to Leung Kin-Fung of the Music Chamber of Hong Kong....	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 David Oistrakh David Fyodorovich Oistrakh , David Fiodorovic Ojstrah; – October 24, 1974) was a Russian violin virtuoso who made many recordings and was the dedicatee of numerous violin works.... (1953-1963); Riccardo Brengola Riccardo Brengola Riccardo Brengola was an Italy violinist.Brengola was born in Naples. A child prodigy, he made his first studies with his father, and got his violin diploma in the Casablanca Conservatory at the early age of 11.... ; 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	on loan to Boris Kuschnir of the Kopelman Quartet Kopelman Quartet The Kopelman Quartet is a Russia string quartet founded in 2002 by Mikhail Kopelman , Boris Kuschnir , Igor Sulyga and Mikhail Milman ....
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 Anne-Sophie Mutter Anne-Sophie Mutter is a Germany violin virtuoso....
ex-Foulis	1703		on loan to Karen Gomyo
Betts Betts Stradivarius The *Betts Stradivarius* is an antique violin made in 1704 by the Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona. It is one of only 700 known extant Stradivari instruments....	1704	U.S. Library of Congress Library of Congress The Library of Congress is the de facto national library of the United States and the research arm of the United States Congress. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and holds the largest number of books....	Presented by Gertrude Clarke Whittall
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 Hammer Stradivarius The *Hammer Stradivarius* is an antique violin made by Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona. The back measures 36 cm, bearing the label inside: "Antonius Stradivarius Cremonensis/Faciebat Anno 1707"....	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 Sergey Khachatryan Sergey Khachatryan is an Armenian violinist. He was born in Yerevan in 1985.2000: 1st Prize at the International Louis Spohr Competition for young violinists ...
Ruby	1708		on loan to Chen Xi brokered by the Stradivari Society
Strauss	1708		on loan to Chee-Yun brokered by the Stradivari Society
Greffuhle	1709		Donated to the Smithsonian Institution Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its Financial endowment, contributions, and profits from its shops and its magazine.... in 1997 by Herbert R. Axelrod Herbert R. Axelrod Herbert Richard Axelrod is a tropical fish expert, publisher of pet books, and entrepreneur. In 2005 he was sentenced in U.S. court to 18 months in prison for Tax avoidance and tax evasion.... . Now part of the Axelrod quartet Axelrod quartet The Axelrod quartet is a set of four Stradivarius instruments collected by Herbert R. Axelrod. The collection consists of the Greffuhle Stradivarius, Axelrod Stradivarius, Ole Bull Stradivarius, and Marylebone Stradivarius.... .
Berlin Hochschule	1709
Hammerle; ex-Adler	1709	Österreichische Nationalbank	on loan to Werner Hink
Ernst	1709		on loan to Zsigmondy Dénes through 2003
Engleman	1709	Nippon Music Foundation	on loan to Lisa Batiashvili Lisa Batiashvili Lisa Batiashvili is a Georgia violinist, the daughter of a violinist father and a pianist mother. Her father was her first teacher from age 4....
Viotti; ex-Bruce	1709	Royal Academy of Music Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a college or university school of music, Britian's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999....	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 Kyoko Takezawa is a prominent Japanese-born violinist. She has recorded on both the BMG and RCA labels.She started her training in Japan as a part of the Suzuki Method program and was part of a tour of the United States....
Lord Dunn-Raven Lord Dunn-Raven Stradivarius The *Lord Dunn-Raven Stradivarius* of 1710 is an antique violin fabricated by luthier, Antonio Stradivari of Cremona . It is one of only 700 known extant Stradivarius instruments in the world today....	1710	Anne-Sophie Mutter Anne-Sophie Mutter Anne-Sophie Mutter is a Germany violin virtuoso....
ex-Roederer	1710		on loan to David Grimal David Grimal David Grimal is a France violinist.Considered one of the most interesting musicians of his generation, he is invited to perform all over the world.... .
ex-Vieuxtemps	1710		on loan to Samuel Magad, concertmaster, Chicago Symphony Orchestra Chicago Symphony Orchestra The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Chicago, Illinois. It is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five "....
Earl of Plymouth; Kreisler	1711	Los Angeles Philharmonic Los Angeles Philharmonic The Los Angeles Philharmonic is an United States orchestra based in Los Angeles, California, California, United States. It has a regular season of concerts from October through June at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, and a summer season at the Hollywood Bowl from July through September....	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 Niccolò Paganini Niccol? Paganini was an Italy violinist, viola, classical guitar, and composer. He was one of the most celebrated violin virtuosi of his time, and left his mark as one of the pillars of modern violin technique.... ; Charles LeBrun; Otto Senn;	sold at Sotheby's auction 13 November 2001
Karpilowsky	1712	Harry Solloway	missing: stolen in 1953 from Solloway's residence in Los Angeles
Schreiber	1713
Antonio Stradivari	1713
Boissier	1713
Daniel	1713		on loan to Jhon Paul Reynols
Gibson; ex-Huberman Gibson Stradivarius The *Gibson ex-Huberman Stradivarius* of 1713 is an antique violin fabricated by Antonio Stradivari of Cremona. The Gibson, while owned by Bronislaw Huberman, was stolen twice....	1713	Bronislaw Huberman Bronislaw Huberman Bronislaw Huberman was a Jewish Poland violinist. He was known for his individualistic and personal interpretations and was praised for his tone color, expressiveness, and flexibility.... ; Joshua Bell Joshua Bell Joshua David Bell is an American Grammy Award-winning violinist....	stolen twice from Huberman
Lady Ley	1713	Stradivarius family	now bought by Jue Yao - Chinese violinist
Wirt	1713
Dolphin; Delfino Dolphin Stradivarius The *Dolphin; Delfino Stradivarius* of 1714 is an antique violin made by Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona. This violin was once owned and played by the virtuoso Jascha Heifetz ....	1714	Jascha Heifetz Jascha Heifetz Jascha Heifetz was a Jewish violin virtuoso born in Lithuania . He is hailed as the greatest violinist of the 20th century.Early life ... ; Nippon Music Foundation	on loan to Akiko Suwanai Akiko Suwanai is a Japanese classical violinist.She was the youngest winner of the International Tchaikovsky Competition in 1990. In addition, she won second place in the Queen Elisabeth Music Competition in 1989 and is a laureate in the International Japan Competition....
Soil Soil Stradivarius The *Soil Stradivarius* of 1714 is an antique violin made by Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona . A product of Stradivari?s golden period, it is one of his finest....	1714	Amédée Soil; Yehudi Menuhin Yehudi Menuhin Yehudi Menuhin, Baron Menuhin, Order of Merit, Order of the British Empire was a violinist and conducting who spent most of his performing career in the United Kingdom.... ; Itzhak Perlman Itzhak Perlman Itzhak Perlman is an Israeli-United States of America violin virtuoso, conducting, and teacher....
ex-Berou; ex-Thibaud	1714
Le Maurien	1714		missing: stolen 2002
Leonora Jackson	1714
Sinsheimer; General Kyd; Perlman	1714	Itzhak Perlman Itzhak Perlman Itzhak Perlman is an Israeli-United States of America violin virtuoso, conducting, and teacher.... David L. Fulton
Smith-Quersin	1714	Österreichische Nationalbank	on loan to Rainer Honeck
Alard-Baron Knoop	1715
Baron Knoop; ex-Bevan Baron Knoop; ex-Bevan Stradivarius 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 , 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...	1715
ex-Bazzini	1715
Cremonese; ex-Harold, Joseph Joachim Joseph Joachim Joseph Joachim was a Hungarian people violinist, conducting, composer and teacher. He is regarded as one of the most influential violinists of all time....	1715	Municipality of Cremona
Duke of Cambridge; Ex-Pierre Rode	1715	NPO "Yellow Angel"	on loan to Ryu Goto Ryu Goto is a Japanese concert violinist and the younger brother of Midori Goto. He made his professional debut in Japan at the age of seven playing Paganini's Violin Concerto No....
Joachim	1715	Nippon Music Foundation	on loan to Sayaka Shoji
Lipinski Lipinski Stradivarius The *Lipinski Stradivarius* is an antique violin constructed in 1715 by the Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona, during Stradivari's "golden period" between 1700 and 1720....	1715		on loan to Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra is an orchestra based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Its primary performing venue is the Marcus Center. Founded in 1959, the MSO presents more than 150 Classics, Classical Connections, Pops, and family concerts annually for more than 200,000 people during a season that starts in early September and continues throug... concertmaster, Frank Almond
ex-Marsick	1715		on loan to James Ehnes James Ehnes James Ehnes is a Canada concert violinist.The son of Alan Ehnes, a trumpeter and music teacher, James Ehnes began playing violin by the age of five....
Titian	1715	Jacob Lynam
Cessole	1716
Berthier	1716	Baron Vecsey de Vecse; Franco Gulli
Booth Booth Stradivarius The *Otto Booth; Cho-Ming Sin Stradivarius* of 1716 is an antique violin fabricated by Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona.The Booth receives its name after former owners, Otto van Booth and Cho-Ming Sin....	1716	Nippon Music Foundation	on loan to Shunsuke Sato; formerly loaned to Arabella Steinbacher Arabella Steinbacher Arabella Steinbacher is a Germany violinist.... ; formerly loaned to Julia Fischer Julia Fischer Julia Fischer is a German violinist. By training she is also a professional pianist, but she rarely appears as such in public.Biography...
Colossus	1716		missing: stolen 1998
Duranti	1716	Mariko Senju
Monasterio	1716		Cyrus Forough
Provigny	1716
Messiah-Salabue Messiah Stradivarius The *Messiah-Salabue Stradivarius* of 1716 is a violin made by Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona.The Messiah, sobriquet Le Messie, remained in the Stradivarius workshop until his death in 1737....	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 Kochanski Kochanski is a surname, and can refer to:* Adam Adamandy Kochanski, Polish mathematician* Kristine Kochanski, fictional character from the Red Dwarf TV series...	1717	Pierre Amoyal	reported stolen in 1987; recovered in 1991
Sasserno	1717	Nippon Music Foundation	on loan to Viviane Hagner Viviane Hagner Viviane Hagner is an internationally-renowned violinist. She was born in Munich, Germany in 1977, to a German father and Korean mother.Hagner made her international debut at the age of 12, and one year later performed as soloist at the historic "Joint Concert" in Tel Aviv with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and Israel Philharmonic Orche...
Viotti; ex-Rosé	1718	Giovanni Battista Viotti; Österreichische Nationalbank	on loan to Volkhard Steude
Firebird; ex-Saint Exupéry	1718	Salvatore Accardo Salvatore Accardo Salvatore Accardo is an Italian violin virtuoso and conductor.He is highly regarded for his interpretations of Niccol? Paganini, Johann Sebastian Bach, contemporary works, chamber music, and opera conducting....	name is taken from the colouration of the varnish and its brilliant sound.
Marquis de Riviere	1718	Daniel Majeske	played by Majeske while concertmaster Concertmaster The concertmaster/mistress, or concertmeister is the leader of the first violin section of an orchestra. Any violin solo in an orchestral work is played by the concertmaster .... of the Cleveland Orchestra Cleveland Orchestra The Cleveland Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Cleveland, Ohio, Ohio. It is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five ".... from 1969-1993
San Lorenzo	1718	Georg Talbot	on loan to David Garrett David Garrett (violinist) David Garrett is a classical violinist and recording artist.... , while his Guadagnini Giovanni Battista Guadagnini Giovanni Battista Guadagnini was an Italy luthier, regarded as one of the finest craftsman of string instruments in history. His violins are often referred to as "poor man's Strads" which alludes to the work of Antonio Stradivari, who is generally considered to be the greatest violin maker of all time.... is repaired. Initial news reports erroneously stated it was the San Lorenzo he had smashed.
Lauterbach Lauterbach Stradivarius The *Lauterbach Stradivarius* of 1719 is an antique violin fabricated by Italy luthier, Antonio Stradivari of Cremona . The instrument derives its name from previous owner, German virtuoso, Johann Christoph Lauterbach....	1719	Johann Christoph Lauterbach; J.B. Vuillaume; Charles Philippe Lafont Charles Philippe Lafont Charles Philippe Lafont was a France violinist and composer....
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 Lady Anne Blunt Anne Isabella Noel Blunt, n?e King-Noel, 15th Baroness Wentworth , known for most of her life as Lady Anne Blunt, was co-founder with her husband the poet Wilfrid Scawen Blunt of the Crabbet Arabian Stud.... , daughter of Ada Lovelace Ada Lovelace Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace , born Augusta Ada Byron, was the only legitimate child of George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron. She is widely known in modern times simply as Ada Lovelace.... , granddaughter of Lord Byron.
Jean-Marie Leclair	1721	Jean-Marie Leclair Jean-Marie Leclair Jean-Marie Leclair, also known as Jean-Marie Leclair the Elder, was a Baroque violinist and composer. He is considered to have founded the French violin school.... ;	on loan to Guido Rimonda
Red Mendelssohn	1721	Mendelssohn Family; Elizabeth Pitcairn Elizabeth Pitcairn Elizabeth Pitcairn is an United States classical music violinist. She has concertized widely as a soloist and is noted for performing on the Antonio Stradivari violin that is said to have inspired the film The Red Violin....	inspiration for the 1998 film, The Red Violin The Red Violin *The Red Violin* , is a 1998 Canada drama film. It spans three centuries and five countries as it tells the story of a violin and its many owners....
Artot	1722
Jupiter; ex-Goding	1722	Nippon Music Foundation	on loan to Daishin Kashimoto; formerly Midori Goto Midori Goto is a violinist born on October 25, 1971 in Osaka, Japan.She is usually referred to simply as Midori. She was first taught the violin by her mother, Setsu Goto....
Laub-Petschnikoff Laub-Petschnikoff Stradivarius The Laub-Petschnikoff Stradivarius of 1722 is an antique violin fabricated by Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona . It is one of only 700 known extant Stradivarius instruments in the world today....	1722
Jules Falk Jules Falk Stradivarius The *Jules Falk Stradivarius* is an antique violin made in 1723 by Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona . The instrument is currently owned and played by Russian violinist, Viktoria Mullova....	1722	Viktoria Mullova Viktoria Mullova Viktoria Mullova is a Russian violinist. She is best known for her performances and recordings of a number of violin concerti, compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach, and her innovative interpretations of popular and jazz compositions by Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, The Beatles, and others....
Elman	1722	Chi Mei Museum
Cádiz Cádiz Stradivarius The *C?diz Stradivarius* of 1722 is an antique violin fabricated by Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona. The instrument is named after the city C?diz, Spain where it resided for eighty years....	1722	Joseph Fuchs Joseph Fuchs Joseph Fuchs was one of the most important American violinists and teachers of the 20th century, and the brother of Lillian Fuchs.Born in New York, he graduated in 1918 from the Institute of Musical Art in New York where he studied with Franz Kneisel....	on loan to Jennifer Frautschi; named after the city of Cádiz, Spain.
Kiesewetter Kiesewetter Stradivarius The *Kiesewetter Stradivarius* of circa 1723 is an antique violin fabricated by Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona . The instrument derives its name from its previous owner, German composer and violinist Christophe Gottfried Kiesewetter ....	1723	Clement and Karen Arrison	on loan to Philippe Quint Philippe Quint Philippe Quint is a Russian-born American violinist. His debut album, William Schuman received two Grammy Award nominations including Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Soloist Performance .... brokered by the Stradivari Society Left by Quint in taxi on 21 April 2008, and recovered the following day.
Earl Spencer	1723		on loan to Nicola Benedetti Nicola Benedetti Nicola Benedetti is a Scotland violinist....
Le Sarasate	1724	Musée de la Musique Cité de la Musique The Cit? de la Musique is a group of institutions dedicated to music and situated in the La Villette quarter, XIXe arrondissement, Paris, France.... , Paris	bequeathed to the Conservatory by Pablo de Sarasate Pablo de Sarasate Pablo Mart?n Melit?n de Sarasate y Navascu?s...
Brancaccio	1725	Destroyed in an allied air raid on Berlin.	owned by Carl Flesch Carl Flesch Carl Flesch was a violinist and teacher.Born in Moson in Hungary, Flesch began playing the violin at six years of age. At 10, he was taken to Vienna, and began to study with Jakob Gr?n.... , until 1928 where it was sold to Franz von Mendelssohn, banker and amateur violinist.
Chaconne	1725	Österreichische Nationalbank	on loan to Rainer Küchel
Leonardo da Vinci	1725	Da Vinci family
Wilhelmj	1725	Nippon Music Foundation	on loan to Baiba Skride Baiba Skride Baiba Skride is a Latvian violinist, who has received considerable acclaim.Selection disc of the month ? Shostakovich/Janacek, The Strad, June 2006 She was the winner of the Queen Elisabeth Violin Contest in 2001, and has performed around the world.... ; one of several Stradivari violins with the sobriquet "Wilhelmj"
Greville; Kreisler; Adams	1726	Fritz Kreisler Fritz Kreisler Fritz Kreisler was an Austrian-born violinist and composer; one of the most famous violinists of his day.He is noted for his sweet tone and expressive phrasing....
Barrere	1727		on loan to Janine Jansen Janine Jansen Janine Jansen is a Netherlands violinist.... brokered by the Stradivari Society
Davidoff-Morini	1727		missing: stolen in 1995;
ex-General Dupont	1727		on loan to Jennifer Koh Jennifer Koh Jennifer Koh is an United States violinist, born to Koreans parents.Jennifer Koh earned a B.A. in English Literature from Oberlin College, as well as a Performance Diploma from the attached Oberlin Conservatory....
Holroyd	1727
Kreutzer	1727	Maxim Vengerov Maxim Vengerov Maxim Alexandrovich Vengerov is a russian violin virtuoso who was born in the Soviet Union....	one of four Stradivari violins with the sobriquet Kreutzer (1701, 1720, 1731)
Hart; ex-Francescatti	1727	Salvatore Accardo Salvatore Accardo Salvatore Accardo is an Italian violin virtuoso and conductor.He is highly regarded for his interpretations of Niccol? Paganini, Johann Sebastian Bach, contemporary works, chamber music, and opera conducting....
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 Paganini Quartet The *Paganini Quartet* is the name given to a collection of four instruments made by luthier Antonio Stradivari. There are two violins, one viola, and one cello in the group.... ; on loan to Martin Beaver Martin Beaver Martin Beaver is a Canada violinist. As a part of the Tokyo String Quartet he plays the Paganini-Comte Cozio di Salabue violin circa 1727. The violin is a part of the Paganini Quartet collection of instruments made by Antonio Stradivari.... of the Tokyo String Quartet
Halphen	1727	Angelika Prokopp Private Foundation	on loan to Eckhard Seifert
Vesuvius	1727	Antonio Brosa Remo Lauricella Remo Lauricella Remo Lauricella was a United Kingdom composer and concert violinist.He was born in London in 1912, his parents hailing from Catania in Sicily.... Town of Cremona Cremona 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 . It is the capital of the province of Cremona and the seat of the local City and Province governments....
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 Artot-Alard Stradivarius The *Artot-Alard Stradivarius* of 1728 is an antique violin made by luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona ....	1728	Endre Balogh	a bench copy of this instrument was produced in 1996 by Gregg Alf Gregg Alf Gregg T. Alf is a prominent contemporary American violin maker based in Ann Arbor, Michigan.Alf made his first violin in 1975. Later, he spent 8 years in Cremona, Italy, where he graduated from the International Violin Making School and established a growing reputation for his work.... and Joseph Curtin Joseph Curtin Joseph Curtin is a contemporary violinmaker.Established in Ann Arbor, co-founder with Gregg Alf of the legendary Curtin & Alf.He was a 2005 recipient of a MacArthur Fellows Program "genius grant".... , 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 Los Angeles Philharmonic The Los Angeles Philharmonic is an United States orchestra based in Los Angeles, California, California, United States. It has a regular season of concerts from October through June at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, and a summer season at the Hollywood Bowl from July through September....	named after Frederick Perkins, formerly owned by Luigi Boccherini Luigi Boccherini Luigi Rodolfo Boccherini was an Italian classical music era composer and cello whose music retained a courtly and galante style while he matured somewhat apart from the major European musical centers....
Benny	1729	Jack Benny Jack Benny Jack Benny was an American comedian, vaudeville, and actor for radio programming, television, and film.Widely recognized as one of the leading American entertainers of the 20th century, Benny was known for his comic timing and his ability to get laughs with either a pregnant pause or a single expression, such as his signature exasperated "... ; Los Angeles Philharmonic Los Angeles Philharmonic The Los Angeles Philharmonic is an United States orchestra based in Los Angeles, California, California, United States. It has a regular season of concerts from October through June at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, and a summer season at the Hollywood Bowl from July through September....	bequeathed to the Los Angeles Philharmonic by Jack Benny
Solomon, ex-Lambert Solomon ex-Lambert Stradivarius The Solomon, Ex-Lambert Stradivarius of 1729 is a violin fabricated by Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona . The instrument derives its name from previous owners Seymour Solomon, co-founder of Vanguard Records, and British violinist, Dorothy Mary Murray 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
Royal Spanish	1730	Anne Akiko Meyers Anne Akiko Meyers Anne Akiko Meyers is celebrated as one of the world's premiere concert violinists known today for her impassioned performances, dedicated artistry and inspiring musicianship....	once owned by the King of Spain
Lady Jeanne	1731	Donald Kahn Foundation	on loan to Benjamin Schmid
Garcin	1731	Jules Garcin Jules Garcin Jules Auguste, Garcin [Salomon] was an illustrious France violinist, conductor and composer of the 19th century.He was born in Bourges. His maternal grandfather, Joseph Garcin, was director of a travelling company playing op?ra comique in the central and southern provinces of France.... ; Sidney Harth Sidney Harth Sidney Harth is an American violinist and conductor. He studied with Joseph Knitzer, Michel Piastro and Georges Enesco.Harth has performed with major orchestras across the world, and was the first American to receive the Laureate Prize in the 1957 Wieniawski Violin Competition, Poland....
Heifetz-Piel	1731	Rudolph Piel; Jascha Heifetz
Duke of Alcantara	1732	an obscure Spanish nobleman described as an aide-de-camp Aide-de-camp An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state.... 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 Eugène Ysaÿe File:Eug?neYsa?e.jpgEug?ne Ysa?e was a Belgium violinist, composer and conducting. His brother was pianist and composer Th?o Ysa?e . He was regarded as "The King of the Violin", or, as Nathan Milstein mentioned, "tzar"....	missing: stolen in 1908
Red Diamond	1732	Louis Von Spencer IV
Tom Taylor	1732		previously loaned to Joshua Bell
Des Rosiers	1733	Angèle Dubeau Angèle Dubeau Ang?le Dubeau, Order of Canada, National Order of Quebec is a Qu?b?coise violinist.Dubeau is a graduate and First Prize winner of the Montreal Conservatory of Music....
Huberman; Kreisler	1733	Bronislaw Huberman Bronislaw Huberman Bronislaw Huberman was a Jewish Poland violinist. He was known for his individualistic and personal interpretations and was praised for his tone color, expressiveness, and flexibility.... ; Fritz Kreisler Fritz Kreisler Fritz Kreisler was an Austrian-born violinist and composer; one of the most famous violinists of his day.He is noted for his sweet tone and expressive phrasing....
Khevenhüller	1733	Yehudi Menuhin Yehudi Menuhin Yehudi Menuhin, Baron Menuhin, Order of Merit, Order of the British Empire was a violinist and conducting who spent most of his performing career in the United Kingdom....
Rode	1733
Ames Ames Stradivarius The *Ames Stradivarius* of 1734 is an antique violin, made by the Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona. It is one of only 700 known extant Stradivarius instruments in the world today....	1734		missing: stolen in the 1980s
Baron Feilitzsch; Heermann	1734	Baron Feilitzsch; Hugo Heerman Gidon Kremer Gidon Kremer Gidon Kremer is a Latvian violinist and conducting. In 1980 he left the USSR and settled in Germany....
Habeneck	1734	Royal Academy of Music Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a college or university school of music, Britian's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999....
Herkules; Ysaye; ex-Szeryng; King David	1734	Eugène Ysaÿe Eugène Ysaÿe File:Eug?neYsa?e.jpgEug?ne Ysa?e was a Belgium violinist, composer and conducting. His brother was pianist and composer Th?o Ysa?e . He was regarded as "The King of the Violin", or, as Nathan Milstein mentioned, "tzar".... ; Charles Münch Charles Münch Charles Munch was an Alsace symphonic conducting and violinist. Noted for his mastery of the French orchestral repertoire, he is best known as music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.... ; Henryk Szeryng Henryk Szeryng Henryk Szeryng was a violin virtuoso of Poland and Jewish heritage.He was born in Zelazowa Wola, Poland. Henryk started piano and harmony training with his mother when he was 5, and at age 7 turned to the violin, receiving instruction from Maurice Frenkel.... ; State of Israel Israel Israel officially the State of Israel , is a country in the Middle East located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its relatively small area....
Lord Amherst of Hackney	1734	Fritz Kreisler Fritz Kreisler Fritz Kreisler was an Austrian-born violinist and composer; one of the most famous violinists of his day.He is noted for his sweet tone and expressive phrasing....
Lamoreux	1735		missing: stolen
Muntz Muntz Stradivarius The *Muntz Stradivarius* is an antique violin crafted by Antonio Stradivari of Cremona in 1736. The label affixed to this instrument bears the inscription, ?d'anni 92? , possibly handwritten by Stradivari himself....	1736	Nippon Music Foundation	on loan to Arabella Steinbacher Arabella Steinbacher Arabella Steinbacher is a Germany violinist....
ex.Roussy	1736	Chisako Takashima
Comte d'Amaille	1737
Lord Norton	1737
Chant du Cygne; Swan Song	1737	Ivry Gitlis Ivry Gitlis Ivry Gitlis is an Israeli violinist and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador.Born in Haifa, British Mandate of Palestine to Russian parents, Gitlis studied violin at the Conservatoire de Paris....

Violas

There are thirteen known extant Stradivari viola

Viola

The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.The casual observer may mistake the viola for the violin because of their similarity in size, closeness in pitch range , and nearly identical playing position....
s.

Sobriquet	Year	Provenance	Notes
Tuscan-Medici	1690	Cosimo III de' Medici	commissioned by Cosimo III de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany Cosimo III de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany Cosimo III de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany was Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1670 to 1723 and the husband of Marguerite Louise d'Orl?ans.... ; currently on loan to the U.S. Library of Congress
Axelrod	1696		Donated to the Smithsonian Institution Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its Financial endowment, contributions, and profits from its shops and its magazine.... in 1997 by Herbert R. Axelrod Herbert R. Axelrod Herbert Richard Axelrod is a tropical fish expert, publisher of pet books, and entrepreneur. In 2005 he was sentenced in U.S. court to 18 months in prison for Tax avoidance and tax evasion.... . Now part of the Axelrod quartet Axelrod quartet The Axelrod quartet is a set of four Stradivarius instruments collected by Herbert R. Axelrod. The collection consists of the Greffuhle Stradivarius, Axelrod Stradivarius, Ole Bull Stradivarius, and Marylebone Stradivarius.... .
Archinto	1696	Royal Academy of Music Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a college or university school of music, Britian's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999....
Spanish Court	1696	Patrimonio Nacional Patrimonio Nacional Patrimonio Nacional is a Spain state agency, under the jurisdiction of the Prime Minister of Spain, that administers the sites owned by the Spanish state and used by the King of Spain and the Spanish Royal Family as residences and for state ceremonies.... , Palacio Real, Madrid, Spain	collectively known as del Cuarteto Real (The Royal Quartet) when included with the violin duo, los Decorados (Spanish I and II, 1687-1689), and the Spanish Court cello of 1694.
Kux; Castelbarco	1714	Royal Academy of Music Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a college or university school of music, Britian's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999....	converted from viol to viola by Jean Baptiste Vuillaume Jean Baptiste Vuillaume Jean Baptiste Vuillaume was an illustrious France violin maker. He made over 3,000 instruments and was also a fine businessman and an inventor....
The Russian	1715	Russian State Collection
Cassavetti	1727	U.S. Library of Congress Library of Congress The Library of Congress is the de facto national library of the United States and the research arm of the United States Congress. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and holds the largest number of books....	Presented by Gertrude Clarke Whittall
Paganini-Mendelssohn	1731		this viola along with the Paganini-Desaint violin of 1680, the Paganini-Comte Cozio di Salabue violin of 1727, and the Paganini-Ladenburg cello of 1736, comprise a group of instruments referred to as the Paganini Quartet Paganini Quartet The *Paganini Quartet* is the name given to a collection of four instruments made by luthier Antonio Stradivari. There are two violins, one viola, and one cello in the group.... ; on loan to Kazuhide Isomura of the Tokyo String Quartet

Celli

Antonio Stradivari built between 70 and 80 cellos in his lifetime, of which 63 are extant.

Sobriquet	Year	Provenance	Notes
ex-Du Pre; ex-Harrell Du Pré Stradivarius The Du Pr? Stradivarius is an antique cello fabricated in 1673 by Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona . It has also been known generically as the 1673 Stradivarius, as it is the only cello made by Stradivari in that year....	1673	Jacqueline du Pré Jacqueline du Pré Jacqueline Mary du Pr? Order of the British Empire was an English cello, acknowledged as one of the greatest exponents of the instrument. She is particularly associated with Edward Elgar Cello Concerto ; her interpretation of this work has been described as "definitive" and "legendary".... Lynn Harrell
General Kyd; ex-Leo Stern General Kyd Stradivarius The *General Kyd; ex-Stern Stradivarius* is an antique cello crafted in 1684 by Italy luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona. This cello, currently owned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic and played by Peter Stumpf , was stolen from Stumpf's porch in 2004....	1684	Los Angeles Philharmonic Los Angeles Philharmonic The Los Angeles Philharmonic is an United States orchestra based in Los Angeles, California, California, United States. It has a regular season of concerts from October through June at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, and a summer season at the Hollywood Bowl from July through September....	the instrument was stolen in 2004 and later recovered.
Marylebone	1688		Donated to the Smithsonian Institution Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its Financial endowment, contributions, and profits from its shops and its magazine.... in 1997 by Herbert R. Axelrod Herbert R. Axelrod Herbert Richard Axelrod is a tropical fish expert, publisher of pet books, and entrepreneur. In 2005 he was sentenced in U.S. court to 18 months in prison for Tax avoidance and tax evasion.... . Now part of the Axelrod quartet Axelrod quartet The Axelrod quartet is a set of four Stradivarius instruments collected by Herbert R. Axelrod. The collection consists of the Greffuhle Stradivarius, Axelrod Stradivarius, Ole Bull Stradivarius, and Marylebone Stradivarius.... .
Barjansky Barjansky Stradivarius The *Barjansky Stradivarius* of 1690 is an antique cello fabricated by the Italy Cremona luthier Antonio Stradivari . The Barjansky is named after Russian cellist Alexandre Barjansky, who played the instrument during the first half of the twentieth century....	1690	Julian Lloyd Webber Julian Lloyd Webber Julian Lloyd Webber is one of the world's most renowned solo cellists....
ex-Gendron; ex-Lord Speyer	1693	Edgar Speyer Edgar Speyer Sir Edgar Speyer, 1st Baronet was an American-born financier and philanthropist. He became a British subject in 1892 and was chairman of Speyer Brothers, the British branch of his family?s international finance house, and a partner in the German and American branches.... ; Kunststiftung NRW Kunststiftung NRW Kunststiftung NRW is a foundation created by the government of the Germany state North Rhine-Westphalia. It was established on September 12 1989 and started operation in spring 1990....	on loan to Maria Kliegel Maria Kliegel Maria Kliegel is one of the leading cello virtuosos of our time. Her international career began when she won the "Grand Prix" of the :Concours Rostropovich" in 1981 in Paris.... ; previously loaned to Maurice Gendron (1958-1990)
Spanish Court	1694	Patrimonio Nacional Patrimonio Nacional Patrimonio Nacional is a Spain state agency, under the jurisdiction of the Prime Minister of Spain, that administers the sites owned by the Spanish state and used by the King of Spain and the Spanish Royal Family as residences and for state ceremonies.... , Palacio Real, Madrid, Spain	collectively known as del Cuarteto Real (The Royal Quartet) when included with the violin duo, los Decorados (Spanish I and II 1687-1689), and the Spanish Court viola of 1696.
Bonjour Bonjour Stradivarius The Bonjour Stradivari cello was made by famous luthier Antonio Stradivari ca. 1696. The instrument is named after the amateur 19th-century Parisian cellist Abel Bonjour....	1696	Abel Bonjour Canada Council for the Arts	on loan to Soo Bae Soo Bae Soo Bae is a Korean-Canadian cellist who currently resides in New York. She was born in Seoul, Korea, and began her cello studies at six years of age....
Lord Aylesford	1696		on loan to Danjulo Ishizaka; previously loaned to Janos Starker János Starker J?nos Starker is a Hungary-born cello and one of the most famous cellists of the twentieth century. He has taught at the Indiana University Bloomington Jacobs School of Music since 1958, where he holds the title of Distinguished Professor.... (1950-1965)
Castelbarco	1697	Library of Congress Library of Congress The Library of Congress is the de facto national library of the United States and the research arm of the United States Congress. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and holds the largest number of books....	Presented by Gertrude Clarke Whittall
Servais Servais Stradivarius The *Servais Stradivarius* is an antique cello fabricated in 1701 by Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona . It is one of only sixty-three extant cellos attributed to his handicraft....	1701	National Museum of American History National Museum of American History The National Museum of American History collects, preserves and displays American heritage in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific and military history....	on loan to Anner Bylsma Anner Bylsma Anner Bylsma is a The Netherlands cellist who plays on both modern and authentic performance baroque style instruments. He took an interest in music from an early age.... ;
Paganini-Countess of Stanlein	1707	Bernard Greenhouse Bernard Greenhouse Bernard Greenhouse is an United States Cello and one of the founding members of the Beaux Arts Trio.He was born in Newark, New Jersey, and started his professional studies with Felix Salmond at Juilliard when he was eighteen....
Markevitch; Delphino	1709	Royal Academy of Music Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a college or university school of music, Britian's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999....
Gore Booth; Baron Rothschild	1710	Rocco Filippini
Duport Duport Stradivarius The *Duport Stradivarius* is a violoncello made in 1711 by Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona. The instrument is named after Jean-Pierre Duport, who played it around 1800....	1711	Mstislav Rostropovich Mstislav Rostropovich Mstislav Leopoldovich Rostropovich Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire , , known to close friends as ?Slava,? was a Russians cellist and conducting.... (1974-2007)
Mara	1711	Heinrich Schiff Heinrich Schiff Heinrich Schiff is an Austrian cello and conducting. He studied cello with Tobias K?hne and Andr? Navarra and made his solo debut in Vienna and London in 1971....
Davidov Davidov Stradivarius File:Jacquelinedupredavidoff.jpgThe *Davidov Stradivarius* , is an antique cello fabricated in 1712 by Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona....	1712	Karl Davidov Karl Davidov Karl Juljewitsch Davydov , was a Russian cellist of great renown during his time, and described by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky as the "tsar of cellists".... Jacqueline du Pré Jacqueline du Pré Jacqueline Mary du Pr? Order of the British Empire was an English cello, acknowledged as one of the greatest exponents of the instrument. She is particularly associated with Edward Elgar Cello Concerto ; her interpretation of this work has been described as "definitive" and "legendary"....	on loan to Yo-Yo Ma Yo-Yo Ma Yo-Yo Ma is a France-born Chinese Americans virtuoso List of cellists and composer and winner of multiple Grammy Awards. He is one of the most revered cello players of the 20th and 21st centuries.... .
Batta	1714	J. P. Thibout Alexander Batta; W.E. Hill & Sons; 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.... ; Gregor Piatigorsky Gregor Piatigorsky Gregor Piatigorsky was a Ukraine-USA cello....
de Vaux	1717		on loan to Adam Klocek.
Becker	1719
Piatti	1720	Carlos Prieto Carlos Prieto Carlos Prieto is a Mexico cellist and writer. He plays a Stradivarius cello named the "Piatti" after Carlo Alfredo Piatti, affectionatelly nicknamed "Chelo Prieto" by the current owner....
Cristiani	1720
Baudiot	1725	Gregor Piatigorsky
Chevillard	1725	Museu da Música (Lisbon)
Marquis de Corberon; ex-Loeb	1726	Royal Academy of Music Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a college or university school of music, Britian's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999....
De Munck; ex-Feuermann De Munck Stradivarius The *De Munck;* *Feuermann;* *Gardiner Stradivarius* of 1730 is an antique cello crafted by Italy luthier Antonio Stradivari....	1730	Emmanuel Feuermann Aldo Parisot Aldo Parisot Aldo Simoes Parisot is a Brazilian-born American cellist and cello teacher, was formerly a member of the Juilliard School faculty, and currently is serving as a professor of music at the Yale School of Music.... Nippon Music Foundation	on loan to Steven Isserlis Steven Isserlis Steven Isserlis CBE is one of the most renowned living cellists. He is distinguished for his diverse repertoire, distinctive sound and total command of phrasing....
Pawle	1730	Chi Mei Museum
Braga	1731		played by Myung-wha Chung Myung-wha Chung Myung-wha Chung is a distinguished Korean people cellist....
Stuart	1732	Steven Honigberg
Paganini-Ladenburg	1736	Nippon Music Foundation	this cello along with the Paganini-Desaint violin of 1686, the Paganini-Comte Cozio di Salabue violin of 1727, and the Paganini-Mendelssohn viola of 1731, comprise a group of instruments referred to as the Paganini Quartet Paganini Quartet The *Paganini Quartet* is the name given to a collection of four instruments made by luthier Antonio Stradivari. There are two violins, one viola, and one cello in the group.... ; on loan to Clive Greensmith of the Tokyo String Quartet

Guitars

There are two complete extant guitars by Stradivari, and a few fragments of others, including the neck of a third guitar which is owned by the Conservatoire de Musique in Paris. These guitars have ten (doubled) strings, which was typical of the era.

Sobriquet	Year	Provenance	Notes
Hill	1688	Ashmolean Museum Ashmolean Museum The Ashmolean Museum on Beaumont Street, Oxford, England, is the world's first university museum. Its first building is sometimes attributed to Christopher Wren, though there is no good evidence for this claim, and was built in 1678?1683 to house the collection or cabinet of curiosities Elias Ashmole gave Oxford University in 1677.... at Oxford University
Rawlins	1700	National Music Museum National Music Museum The National Music Museum: America's Shrine to Music & Center for Study of the History of Musical Instruments is a musical instrument museum in Vermillion, South Dakota, USA.... South Dakota

Harps

The only Stradivarius harp to survive today is the arpetta (little harp), owned by San Pietro a Maiella Music Conservatory
Music Conservatories of Naples

The Music Conservatories of Naples The current music conservatory in Naples is San Pietro a Maiella ....
in Naples, Italy.

Mandolins
There are two known extant Stradivari mandolins. The Cutler-Challen Choral Mandolino of 1680, is currently in the collection of the National Music Museum
National Music Museum

The National Music Museum: America's Shrine to Music & Center for Study of the History of Musical Instruments is a musical instrument museum in Vermillion, South Dakota, USA....
at the University of South Dakota
University of South Dakota

The University of South Dakota, the state?s oldest university, was founded in 1862 and classes began in 1882. Located in Vermillion, South Dakota, USD is home to South Dakota's only medical school and law school....
in Vermillion, South Dakota
Vermillion, South Dakota

Vermillion is a city in and the county seat of Clay County, South Dakota, in the southeastern corner of the U.S. state of South Dakota, and the tenth largest city in the state....
. The other, dated ca. 1706, is owned by private collector Charles Beare of London.

Further reading

Walter Hamma
Walter Hamma

Walter Hamma was a German violin maker.His father was the violin maker Fridolin Hamma. Walter Hamma was pupil of the violin making school in Mittenwald 1933-1935....
, Meister Italienischer Geigenbaukunst, Wilhelmshaven 1993, ISBN 3-7959-0537-0
Violin Iconography of Antonio Stradivari 1644-1737, Herbert K. Goodkind, Larchmont, New York, 1972.
How Many Strads?, Ernest N. Doring, William Lewis & Son, Chicago, 1945

External links

Online database of instruments by Antonio Stradivari.
Herbert R. Axelrod
Herbert R. Axelrod

Herbert Richard Axelrod is a tropical fish expert, publisher of pet books, and entrepreneur. In 2005 he was sentenced in U.S. court to 18 months in prison for Tax avoidance and tax evasion....
's Stravarius collection.]
for visualizing violin plate resonance patterns
A detailed study of Stradivari's molds and drawings kept in the Cremona Museum..
discusses the chemical techniques used to figure out what makes these instruments' unique sound. From