All Historical articles – Page 22
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VideoRolf Lislevand plays a Stradivarius guitar
Norwegian early music specialist Rolf Lislevand plays the 1679 ‘Sabionari’ Stradivari, the only guitar by the maker which is currently playable. The piece is a Tarantela by Spanish Baroque composer Santiago de Murcia. Read: The ‘Sabionari’ Stradivarius guitar, 1679 [gallery]
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GalleryThe ‘Sabionari’ Stradivarius guitar, 1679
Of the five or six Stradivari guitars still extant, it is also, thanks to a recent restoration, the only one that is currently playable. Violinmaker Gregg Alf takes a closer look[click + to zoom]
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FocusFrom the archive: Violin by Santo Serafin c.1740
In the January 2013 issue, John Dilworth examined this fine example of the great Venetian craftsman’s work [click + to zoom in]
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VideoClarissa Bevilacqua plays Bach on the 1669 'Clisbee' Stradivarius
Seventeen-year-old violinist Clarissa Bevilacqua performs the Andante from Bach’s Sonata no.2 on the 1669 ‘Clisbee’ Stradivari from the collection of the Museo del Violino, Cremona. Clarissa Bevilaqua’s biography: She started playing the violin at age five, and debuted at the Pritzker Pavilion in Chicago in front of ten thousand people ...
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FocusFrom the archive: a 1717 Brescian cello by Pietro Giacomo Rogeri
Marked forever by Paganini and nearly lost in the snow by Piatti, this 1717 cello by Pietro Giacomo Rogeri has had a colourful history. Article by John Dilworth from the July 2009 issue
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NewsGallery: X-raying a Strad case
Dimitri Musafia shares what is likely the first X-ray of a case from the Stradivari workshop
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VideoRob Landes tries out a titanium violin
In this video, violinist Rob Landes experiments with a violin made out of sheet titanium. Its maker described some of the challenges invoveld in its construction: ‘The number one problem when working with titanium is it reacts with the oxygen in air anytime it is over 800 degrees F. The ...
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FocusFrom the archive: the 1697 'Molitor' Stradivarius
This article by Philip Kass was first published in the December 2010 issue, soon after the instrument had been sold to Anne Akiko Meyers for a then-record $3.6m
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NewsTen Stradivarius instruments brought together for D.C. concert
Library of Congress collection joined by ‘Paganini’ quartet for special event. Philip J. Kass reports
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FocusFrom the archive: a violin by Santino Lavazza, c.1720
In the January 2007 issue, John Dilworth took a close look at a violin by one of the lesser known Milanese makers of the 18th century
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FocusThe ‘Vieuxtemps’ Guarneri ‘Del Gesù’
Currently the world’s most expensive violin, the 1741 ‘Vieuxtemps’ Guarneri ‘del Gesù’ is in a remarkable state of preservation, considering it has been in use for most of its life. In this extract from the first of a two-part article, Terry Borman introduces the instrument’s most celebrated owner
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VideoWhy Stradivarius violins are worth millions
From Vox comes a video exploring some of the mystique behind Stradivari violins. Featuring violinists Philippe Quint and Michelle Kim, luthier Joseph Curtin. Produced and presented by Dean Peterson for Vox.com.
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FocusFrom the archive: the 1865 ‘Caraman de Chimay’ Vuillaume
In the February 2010 issue, Tim Ingles took a close look at a decorated violin which was part of a now separated quartet of instruments
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GalleryFrom the archive: a c.1720 violin by Carlo Bergonzi
John Dilworth examines an early violin by the Cremonese maker, which used to belong to Paganini. First published in the April 2006 issue
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FocusFrom the archive: a 1709 violin by Carlo Tononi
In the January 2009 issue, Simon Morris took a closer look at a violin from Tononi’s Bologna period, before the death of his father Giovanni
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FocusFrom the archive: a c.1845 violin by Pressenda
Recent research shows that Giovanni Francesco Pressenda worked as a farmer before turning his hand to instrument making. In this article from the April 2005 issue, Alberto Giordano examines a late c.1845 violin
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FocusFrom the archive: a 1759 viola by Antonio Bagatella
In this article from the February 2015 issue of The Strad, Jens Stenz takes a close look at a short but broad 18th-century viola made in Padua
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FocusJan Vogler's 1707 ‘Fau, Castelbarco’ Stradivarius
In this extract from an article published in the August 2017 issue, Jan Vogler discusses how he first encountered the cello that is now his constant companion
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FocusFüssen, Germany’s first lutherie capital, began as a hotbed of lute making
Nowadays best known for its neo-Gothic castles, this south German town has possibly the oldest lutherie tradition of any in the country. In this extract from the April 2018 issue of The Strad, Thomas Riedmiller traces its beginnings
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FocusFrom the archive: a c.1744 violin by Michele Angelo Bergonzi
In this article from the October 2010 issue, Christopher Reuning examines a violin by Carlo Bergonzi’s eldest son which has previously been misattributed as a Guarneri ‘del Gesù’ and Lorenzo Guadagnini
