VIOLINS

The most beautiful violins

" Music gives a soul to the universe, wings in the spirit, flight to the imagination and life to everything" Platon

It would be a long and arduous project for me to even try to offer you a detailed study
of the most beautiful violins of the world.
For some, there's the footnotes of history, for others, they have their own personnel history
and these are kept secret.
One knows to whom they used to belonged, who played them, and in most cases who were the happy owners,
but, the names are discretely kept silent.
Every violin has a name, either given to it by the stringed-instrument maker, or by its owner.

Nicolo Amati,
he is the sole stringed-instrument maker to have survived the plague and the famine
that ravaged Cremones, between 1623and1633.
He trained Andrea Guarneri and Antonio Stadivari,
and without him, the miracles mentioned below would not exist.

Andrea AMATI
1511-1580

	Girolamo AMATI 1561-1630	Antonio AMATI 1538-1595
	Nicolo AMATI 1596-1630
Andrea GUARNERI 1626-1698	Girolamo AMATI 1649-1740	Antonio STRADIVARI 1644-1737

Pietro GUARNERI
" Of Montua "
1655-1720

Giuseppe GUARNERI
" Son(sons,thread) of Andreas "
1666-1739

F. STRADIVARI
1671-1743

O. STRADIVARI
1679-1742

Pietro GUARNERI
" Of Venice "
1695-1762

Guiseppe GUARNERI
" Del Gesu "
1698-1744

The nickname " del Gesù " comes from the presence of a cross and the initials " I.H.S " found on the violon labels.
These initials could be the abbreviation of "Jesus" in Greek, or an acronym of "Iesus Hominum Salvator"
(Jesus the savior of men). Wheter that was the cae or not, we do know that IHS was a logo often used by the
Jesuits and the rfamilies residing in Cremones during the 18th century.
The fact that Giuseppe used these initials on his labels led generations of people to think that
he was an exceptionnaly devout man. Thus the name " del Gesù " (of Jesus) was added on to his name.
Today many people think that Giuseppe adopted "IHS" more as a mark distinguishing him
from his relatives rather than as a religious expression.

Let me show you some examples !

The "Brookings" - The "Betts"" - The "Kreisler"
Amati 1654 - Stradivari 1704 - Guarneri 1733

"Amati"

Andrea Amati - 1570

Antonio & Girolamo Amati - 1613

Guarnarius

A. Pietro Guarneri- 1698

Pietro Guarneri was the son of Andrea Guarneri and the uncle of del Gesù.
He was trained in his father's workshop along with his brother Guiseppe "Filius Andreas"
He left Cremones for Montua and altough he excelled as a violinist he was also a well known stringed-instrument maker.
In all, he made about fifty instruments.

"King Joseph"- 1737

"King Joseph" is one of Guarneri del Gesù's best violins.The back was made out of a beautiful wooden block.
Guarneri made several instruments from the same piece of wood. The violin began its existance in Italy,
then went to England and is the first Guarnerius to arrive in America.

"Kochanski"- 1741

Kochanski has a magnificent deep red varnish and is in a perfect state .
Mr Kochinsky's widow kept it for a long time and during this period it was never played once.
In 1858 she gave to Mr Rosand who constantly used it. The "Kochinski" is one of del Gesù best instrument...
The maple used of the back is an inverted image by "Ysaye" which was built the year before.
The wood used for the summit is the same as the one used for the "Vieuxtemps".
The tone of the " Konchinsky" is admirable and well-known well in concert halls and from recordings
Mr Rosand made in the last forty years. It was never restored !

"Il Cannone"- 1742

Il Cannone used to belong to the famous virtuoso Niccol ò Paganini. However he found it too powerful,
and too difficult to master. Today it belongs to the city of
Genoa which organizes the famous Paganini competition.
The first prize-winner is given the immense privilege of using this instrument.

The "Lord Wilton"- 1742

Lord Menuhin owned both this violin and Stradivari's " Soil " at the same time..
It's not rare for one person to own two violins of the Masters of Cremones.

"Sauret" 1740 or 1744

"Sauret" is an exceptionnal piece of work mostly due to the beauty of the back where the various parts are joined
to " the flames " ascending from the edges towards the centre.
It is named after Emile Sauret's whom we are told preferred it to the 1684.Stradivarius.
The date of manufacture is uncertain as it is indicated as being 1740 in some catalogs and 1744 in others.
Itzhak Perlman who already awned theStradivari's " Soil " acquired this violon in 1986.

Stradivarius

The "Sunrise"- 1677

Leader ornamented by Stradivari

"Marylebone"- 1688

Copy Detail

One of the rare instruments ornamented by Stradivari

"Countess Fontana"- 1702

For years this instrument belonged to rich Italian Princess.
A collector (Italian too) bought it to himself, and one of his descendants gave the instrument David Fiodorovich Oistrakh.
At present, "Fontana" belongs to a violinist.

"Marsick"- 1705
Was the name of a great Belgian violinist,
He was born in 1847 near Liège and died in Paris in 1924

"Marsick" and "Fontana" together when they were the companions
Of David Oistrakh.

" The Virgin "- 1709

This beautiful instrument is also known under the name of " The Virgo " or " The Girl ". It is the first of whatis called
" The golden period " of violins. It's almost in its original state, no piece of soul, no crack and almost all its original varnish.
All those who have had the oppotunity to seeing this instrument were struck by its grace and its beauty.
Not only is it beautiful to look at but its sound is exceptionally pure.
The experts consider it as being one of Stradivarius'best.

"Soil"- 1714

Mr Perlman acquired this violin in 1986 after a concert.He recalls; " I was drawn by this violin even before the first note was played.
Then lights on the scene were lit, illuminating the back of the instrument. From were we sat we could see the varnish and the maple.
When I heard the first not I was totally taken by it.
In 1950Yehudi Menuhin became the owner..
Many consider the "Soil" as one of the greatest Stradivarius. It is certainly one of the most beautiful.
Stradivari chose the best materials and joined the back part to " the flames "
descendant from the edges towards the centre.

The "General Kyd"- 1714

The "General Kyd" also belonged to Itzak Perlman's property, later on it was lent toNadja Salerno,
who was unable to buy when the owners separated. It then spent two or three years in the hands of the Italian violinist Uto Ughi.
One can hear its powerful silver and sensual sound in many of his recordings.

"Berthier"- 1715

"Cremonese"- 1715

This magnificent violin has been the property of the Provincial Committee of the tourism
in Cremones since 1961.

The "Messiah"- 1716

This was Stradivari's favorite. He never separated himself from it. He was also called "Salabue".
Luigi Tarisio, a famous collector bought it and kept it hidden from the rest of the world right up to his death.
Although everyone knew it was hidden...it was easy to boubt that it had even existed. Delphin Alard said that in
his opinion this instrument was like the Messiah, everybody heard about it, but nobody had ever seen it.
Alard's remark gave its name to the instrument. Later this violin was aquired by Vuillaume, who kept it right up to his death.
It was inherited by his son-in-law who offered it to the Museum Ashmolean in Oxford, where a special room had been prepared for him.

" SleepingBeauty "- 1720

Because of its close resemblance to the "Betts" it is believed that this instrument dates baqck to 1704.
It was bought by a noble German family, von Boeselager. It was soon relegated to the attic in their castle,
where it remained forgotten for over a century. Thus the name " Sleepinf Beauty".
The Baroness Wilma von Boeselager found it there at the end of the 19th century and a little played it a little before putting
it away in bank safe where it remained until 1990. In 1990 it was lent to a Zurich Maestro. In 1995,
Isabelle Faust fell in love with it and persuaded a bank to buy it for her. And so "Sleeping Beauty became the Prince charming !

The "Swan song"- 1737

Probably the last violin made by Antonio Stradivari

L'Amiral Kayserinov ( 1699 ), Sergeï Shahovsky ( 1707 ), Poliakin ( 1712 ),
Malakov ( 1713 ), Yousoupov ( 1736 )
Belong to the collection of e the Russian State.

"Kreisler"- 1740
Of Carlo Bergonzi
( Pupil of Guarneri or Stradivari, the opinions diverge)

Franz Kreisler used this violin for around 12 years.
Bergonzi's " Kreisler " is one of the best Cremonais instruments. It still has the neck of origin and practically all its varnish.
No retouch, no significant crack and a magnificent tone.
Probably the best Bergonzi to this day.
There's also Guarneri del Gesu's " Kreisler " dated on 1733.

Then there are the "mute" violins.
This is the case of these magnificent instruments which are in museums.
They rarely sing, sometimessing a famous violinist who is simply pasing by will give them life for
a short while and then they are returned to a far from deserved sleep !
It can only dream about the music for which they were made.

Ford museum

mesure d'audience