All Historical articles – Page 14
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FocusMade when Stradivari was 90 years old, the ‘Willemotte’ is a fitting subject for our times
The 1734 ‘Willemotte’ bears all of Antonio Stradivari’s hallmarks including a deep, complex tone quality. Sam Zygmuntowicz examines the violin
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VideoSara Zeneli plays ‘il Cremonese’ Stradivari at the Museo del Violino
In this video the violinist Sara Zeneli plays Monti’s Csárdás on the 1715 A.Stradivari ‘il Cremonese’ in the Chamber Hall of the Museo del Violino in Cremona. Read: Innovative solutions: Postcard from Cremona Read: 1734 Stradivari violin ‘Willemotte’: Late… but worth the wait
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VideoThe Strad Calendar 2021: Antonio Stradivari 1707 ‘Rivaz, Baron Gutmann’ violin
The ‘Rivaz, Baron Gutmann’ is a powerful instrument, made from a beautiful single piece of deeply figured maple
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VideoThe Strad Calendar 2021: Gasparo da Salò double bass c.1580
The workmanship of this bass is typical of Gasparo, with the distinctive double purfling and long, widely set f-holes
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FocusThe Strad Calendar 2021: Giovanni Battista Rogeri cello 1695
The arching of the Rogeri is flat, unlike the bulbous forms of most of his contemporary makers
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VideoThe Strad Calendar 2021: Carlo Bergonzi ‘Kreisler’ violin 1735
The ‘Kreisler’s characteristically thin yet intensely coloured varnish is in abundance
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Premium ❘ FeatureThe viola d’amore: For a sympathetic ear
The viola d’amore is undergoing a resurgence in popularity among early music groups, with a wealth of repertoire still to be rediscovered. Rachael Durkin tracks the development of this unique instrument, examining its many precursors along the way
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VideoThe Strad Calendar 2021: Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume violin 1848-50
This Vuillaume is a mid-period ‘del Gesù’ copy, on which the f-holes of the ‘Ole Bull’ Guarneri have been imposed
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VideoThe Strad Calendar 2021: Giuseppe Guarneri ‘del Gesù’ violin 1744
Guarneri’s carving is free and energetic, the movements of the tools quick and deep
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FocusThe Strad Calendar 2021; Nicolas Lupot cello 1823
The Lupot cello is a wonderful piece of controlled craftsmanship, and bears his personal signature on the back
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Premium ❘ FeatureCarlo Bisiach: Dispatches from the front line
Gennady Filimonov examines the letters between Carlo Bisiach (1892–1968) and his American representative Leo D. Larsson, which provide a fascinating perspective on the violin trade in the 1930s and 40s, as well as an insight into the Italian luthier’s working methods
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Premium ❘ FeatureHollywood Bow Makers: Unsung heroes of the silver screen
Lasting from the late 1920s to 1960, Hollywood’s golden age was a boom time for musicians, and those who catered for them. Raphael Gold tells the stories of some of the era’s best-regarded LA bow makers, and reveals why their work should be better known today
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FocusWhat is it like to play Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s own violin?
Christoph Koncz, principal second violinist of the Vienna Philharmonic, shares his experience
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FocusThe Strad Calendar 2021: Francesco and Giovanni Grancino viola c.1665
The varnish of the Grancino is most beautiful and wonderfully well preserved
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VideoThe Strad Calendar 2021: Francesco Rugeri cello c.1680
This poplar-backed cello is clearly very similar in form and modelling to Amati patterns
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VideoCremonese makers launch video showcase
In response to the Covid-19 pandemic and its effect on Italian lutherie, a group of violin makers in Cremona have put together a video showcasing their working methods. The aim is to demonstrate the vibrancy and industriousness of today’s luthiers, as Antonio Stradivari wanders the streets of modern-day Cremona, viewing ...
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VideoThe Strad Calendar 2021: ‘Arditi’ Antonio Stradivari violin
This year’s calendar contains twelve masterpieces by Stradivari, Guarneri ‘del Gesù’, Rogeri, Vuillaume and many more
