Back in 2011 a violin known as the ‘Lady Blunt’ was sold at auction. The instrument fetched a little under £10m, just one of several instances of a violin fetching a high price. It was made by an Italian luthier (or violin maker) called Antonio Stradivari.
This remarkable craftsman was born, lived and worked in Cremona, northern Italy, from 1644-1737. But how much do we know of Stradivari, and exactly what is a Stradivarius violin?
Who was Antonio Stradivari?
Stradivari was taught by another master luthier called Nicolò Amati. He duly took his place as the go-to violin maker in Cremona when Amati died in 1684.
He made hundreds of instruments, many of which have not survived. It is this rarity and the craftsmanship that have given the surviving examples such value.
The violin featured high up in our list of hardest instruments to learn.
Why are Stradivarius violins so valuable?
Generations of people have searched for the secret of Stradivarius. Experts have attributed the sound of his violins variously to the shape, the wood, the varnish and even less probable things. The secret to their remarkable beauty of tone can be discussed at length. What is certain is that they have become some of the most sought-after and most expensive instruments of all time.
Stradivari was very much an experimenter and didn’t just make violins; he also crafted violas, cellos and guitars!
His two sons learned the craft and continued the family business until their own deaths a few years later, in 1742 and 1743 respectively.
How many Stradivarius violins still exist?
It’s not known how many Stradivari instruments are out there – and there are many fakes, too. However, some have been owned by (or loaned to) some of the greatest violinists of all time.
So, which violinists own a Stradivarius? These remarkable instruments are currently owned by, among others, Itzhak Perlman, Joshua Bell and Anne-Sophie Mutter.
Anne-Sophie Mutter on her Stradivarius violin
Joshua Bell performs JS Bach on his Stradivarius violin
