Is that a Stradivarius in the Attic?

0 Conversations



Draft - work in progress



I inherited a painting and a violin which turned out to be a Rembrandt and a Stradivarius. Unfortunately, Rembrandt made lousy violins and Stradivari was a terrible painter.


- Tommy Cooper



Many people wish and hope that the violin they found in the attic is a long lost Strad and worth millions of pounds. It is highly likely that the fact that the fiddle has a label1 proclaiming it to be the work of Stradivari fuels the belief that this is indeed the genuine article.

What makes Stradivarius violins so valuable?



According to the legendary violinist Nicolo Paganini the secret to Stradivari’s success in instrument making was that he used only "the wood of trees on which nightingales sang". Whatever the secret the fact remains that his instruments are still the most sought after and regarded as the best in many circles. His violins sell for record amounts, 2 privately fetching much more than at auction, where they sell for seven figure sums.

The secret


What was the secret to the incredible sound that only Stradivarius violins are reputedly able to make? A common theory is that he had a secret varnish….



Another theory says it was the sun
Or an ice age
Joseph Nagyvary claims it was a treatment for woodworm

or
Wood from one side of the tree

Tuning of the table and back

Wood from a cathedral


Who was Stradivari?


Antonio Giacomo Stradivari 3 was born in 1644 and died on December 18, 1737, after a very long and fruitful life…

What are the chances of this being a valuable Strad?


It is estimated Stradivari made around 1,100 instruments. The majority were violins, but he also made guitars, violas, and cellos of which about 600 instruments survive today, so there are still quite a few about. However most of these are all accounted for and their provenance is well documented. The chances of an additional instrument, previously unknown, being found, is virtually impossible. However a few known and documented Strads have been stolen and their whereabouts are currently unknown4 So there is a slim 5
chance that it might be one of these.

But don’t get excited, if it is one of these there will be an insurance company somewhere, who paid out on the loss, who will claim it back.

But how do you explain the label?



Actually thousands of copies of Stradivari’s instruments bear the label6. Because his instruments were so well regarded violin makers world wide copied his models and labelled them with the details of the original they had copied. Of course they were never able to copy the secret, so these violins although having the same dimensions, will have an inferior sound. Some are so bad, they are not even known as violins but as VSOs 7.

I still think I have a Strad what do I do next?


Take the violin to a well respected dealer 8 who will appraise the instrument and give you some idea of its value and provenance. Then find yourself a teacher, and learn to play.





1 Antonius Stradivarius Cremonensis, Faciebat Anno [date] AS. 2 In New York in May 2006 an anonymous bidder paid $3.54 million for a Stradivarius violin made in 1707, making it the most expensive musical instrument ever sold at auction. The violin is known as the Hammer. 3 Stradivari is the name of the man, Stradivarius is the term given to any instruments made by either Antonio or his sons, Omobono and Francesco. 4 1671 "Oistrakh", stolen Russia May 1996
1714 "Le Maurien", stolen USA, NY April 9, 2002
1716 "Colossus",stolen Italy November 3, 1998
1716 stolen France June 1997
1719 stolen Germany June 1945
1727 "Davidoff-Morini", stolen USA, NY October 18, 1995
1732 "Herkules", stolen Russia 1908
1734 "Ames",stolen United Kingdom 1980s
1734, stolen Czechoslovakia November 22, 1945
1735 "Lamoureux",stolen USA, NY 1960s.
5 About as slim as me winning the lottery 6 weeks running. 6 Finding a violin that does NOT have a Stradivari label is probably rarer. 7 Violin Shaped Objects. 8 Make sure the dealer is honest and won’t offer you a pittance for what does actually turn out to be a real Strad, there have been plenty of dishonest dealers in the past who have done just this.

Bookmark on your Personal Space


Conversations About This Entry

There are no Conversations for this Entry

Entry

A31942785

Infinite Improbability Drive

Infinite Improbability Drive

Read a random Edited Entry


Written and Edited by

References

h2g2 Entries

Disclaimer

h2g2 is created by h2g2's users, who are members of the public. The views expressed are theirs and unless specifically stated are not those of the Not Panicking Ltd. Unlike Edited Entries, Entries have not been checked by an Editor. If you consider any Entry to be in breach of the site's House Rules, please register a complaint. For any other comments, please visit the Feedback page.

Write an Entry

"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a wholly remarkable book. It has been compiled and recompiled many times and under many different editorships. It contains contributions from countless numbers of travellers and researchers."

Write an entry
Read more