STRAD
(strad)
A
violin made by the Italian luthier, Antonio Stradivari
Common
clue: Fine fiddle; Valuable violin, for short; Cremona
collectible; Priceless instrument; Precious strings
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Antonio
Stradivari
(1644? - December 18, 1737) was an Italian luthier
(maker of violins and other stringed instruments), the most
prominent member of that profession. The Latin form of his
surname, "Stradivarius" - sometimes shortened to
"Strad" - is often used to refer to his instruments.
Antonio
Stradivari was born in the year 1644 (by some sources also in
1649 or 1650) in Cremona, Italy to Alessandro Stradivari and Anna
Moroni. Probably in the years 1667 through 1679 he served as a
pupil in Amati's workshop.
In
1680 Stradivari set up for himself in the Piazza
San Domenico,
and his fame as a instrument-maker was soon established. He now
began to show his originality, and to make alterations in Amati's
model. The arching was improved, the various degrees of thickness
in the wood were more exactly determined, the formation of the
scroll altered, and the varnish more highly coloured. His
instruments are recognized by their inscription in Latin:
Antonius
Stradivarius Cremonensis Faciebat Anno [date]
(Antonio Stradivari, Cremona, made in the year ...). It is
generally acknowledged that his finest instruments were
manufactured from 1698 to 1725 (peaking around 1715), exceeding
in quality those manufactured between 1725 and 1730. After 1730,
some of the instruments are signed sub
disciplina Stradivarii,
and were probably made by his sons, Omobono and Francesco.
Apart
from violins, Stradivari also made harps, guitars, violas, and
cellos — more than 1,100 instruments in all, by current
estimate. About 650 of these instruments survive today. Antonio
Stradivari died in Cremona, Italy on December 18, 1737 and is
buried in the Basilica
of San Domenico
in Cremona.
His
instruments are regarded as amongst the finest stringed
instruments ever created, are highly prized, and still played by
professionals today. Only one other maker, Joseph Guarneri del
Gesu, commands the same respect among violin soloists.
Other
famous Stradivarius instruments are the Davidov Strad, a cello
currently owned and played by Yo-Yo Ma, and the Duport Strad
cello owned by Mstislav Rostropovich. The Soil Strad of 1714 is
owned by virtuoso Itzhak Perlman, and many consider it among the
finest of all Strads.
The
world's two largest publicly-accessible collections of Stradivari
instruments belong to the King of Spain, consisting of two
violins, two cellos, and a viola, exhibited in the Music Museum
at the former Royal Palace (Palacio Real) in Madrid, and the U.S
Library of Congress' collection of three violins, a viola, and a
cello.
This
article is licensed under the GNU
Free Documentation License.
It uses material from the Wikipedia
article "Antonio Stradivari".
9
Th- >1 08 Fine fiddle AMATI
8
Tu+ >1 06 Valuable violin, for short
6
Th- >1 05 Valuable violin AMATI
5
We >1 08 Fine fiddle, for short
4
>1 97 Valuable fiddle
4
Th >1 04 Cremona product, for short
2
Tu >1 92 Famed fiddle
2
We CSy 01 Famous fiddle, familiarly
2
Th- >1 99 Fine violin AMATI
2
Th- >1 04 Expensive violin, for short
2
Th LAT 05 Priceless instrument AMATI
2
Th >1 00 Precious strings AMATI
2
Th WSJ 03 Fancy fiddle
2
Th >1 01 Pricey strings
2
Th >1 97 Cremona collectible
2
Sa- LAT 04 Dear fiddle
03
Fancy violin, for short
03
Fine instrument, familiarly
1
Mo NYT 87 Fine violin, for short
1
Tu NYT 06 Costly strings
1
Tu NYT 01 Expensive violin, briefly
1
Tu LAT 99 Rugged rock
1
Tu NYT 95 High-priced violin
1
We CSy 09 Finest of fiddles, for short
1
We CSy 09 Short violin?
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