A Stradivarius Stradivari Violin, and details of inside label Antonius Stradivarius cremonensis. Cremona Horizontal 104951
A Stradivarius is a violin or other stringed instrument built by a member of the Stradivari family, particularly Antonio Stradivari. 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. To be called "the Stradivari" of any field is to be deemed the finest there is. It is not uncommon for violins to be labeled or branded "Stradivarius", as the name has been used since by other manufacturers. As the fame of Stradivari instruments is now wide-spread, they appear in numerous works of fiction. The fictional detective Sherlock Holmes is described as having owned a Stradivarius, with detail given as to how he purchased the instrument for fifty-five English shillings in the story "The Adventure of the Cardboard Box". A famous, if perhaps apocryphal, story about the Duport claims the instrument's visible dent was made by the boots of Emperor Napoléon I of France, who had tried his hand at playing it. The reputation of the Stradivarius is such that its name is frequently invoked as a standard of excellence in unrelated fields (such as ships and cars); for example, the Bath Iron Works' unofficial motto is "A Bath boat is the Stradivarius of destroyers!" A Stradivarius made in the 1680s, or during Stradivari's Brescian period from 1690–1700, could be worth several hundred thousand dollars or more at 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. Some reproductions – such as the Antonius Stradivarius cremonensis made in Czechoslovakia and Germany in the early and mid-1700s by a different maker – are said to be worth between two and three thousand dollars.
Size: 4752px × 3168px
Location: Stradivarii Musical instrument Cremona Italy
Photo credit: © Hire Image Picture Library / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: 1690-1720, 1711, antonio, antonius, bridge, clarity, close, concert, concertist, concerto, cremona, cremonensis, detail, expensive, instrument, italian, italy, maple, music, musical, musique, precious, pure, sound, spruce, strad, stradivari, stradivarius, string, strings, valuable, violin, violins, violonist, virtuoso, willow
