What makes a Stradivarius so expensive?
Supply and Demand: One reason the value of a Stradivarius violin is so dear is because there are so few of them left, and they are no longer being made. Simple economics dictates that when there is a demand but little supply, value increases.
The Stradivarius violin is the stuff of musical legend. Over the centuries the maker's instruments have graced concert stages, museums, private collections and recording studios. They have been praised for the clarity, richness and individual character of their sound.
According to Dr Whiteley, Stradivari experimented with various forms, including a longer model. By the early 18th Century, he had produced a violin that was "not as long but quite large, flatter but not so flat that you lose the resonance that makes the violin so magical".
Stradivarius violins sell for millions of dollars. Yes, millions with an S! The most recent sale of a Stradivarius happened just a few days ago on June 9, 2022. The auction house Tarisio sold a 308-year-old Stradivarius (made in his Golden Period) that once belonged to Toscha Seidel, a student of Leopold Auer.
There are two organizations that exist to be matchmakers between talented musicians and the owners of these extremely valuable instruments. These patrons loan the instrument to the musician. One such organization is The Stradivari Society, based in the Fine Arts Building on Michigan Avenue in Chicago.
Violins Bearing a Stradivarius Label
About 650 of these instruments survive today.
When the violinist Toscha Seidel stumped up for a Stradivarius in 1924 he boasted that its tone possessed “outstanding power and beauty” and that it was one of the greatest ever made.
The Messiah violin by Antonio Stradivarius is estimated to have a worth of $20 million and ranks among the most expensive violins in the world. Made in 1716, this historic instrument remains incredibly in almost perfect "like new" condition.
The results of the study showed that on average the listeners preferred the recent instruments to the Stradivarius violins and found that they had better projection. Furthermore, neither the violinists nor the listeners were able to systematically distinguish the two kinds of violin.
The woods used included spruce for the top, willow for the internal blocks and linings, and maple for the back, ribs, and neck. Stradivari and Giuseppe Guarneri's violins differ in their tonal quality, like red or white wine.
How many Stradivarius violins are missing?
Only about 650 surviving Stradivarius violins exist, and many of them are in the hands of private collectors, safely hidden from public view. There are even fewer cellos, about 55, and about 12 violas.
In The Italian Alps, Stradivari's Trees Live On : Deceptive Cadence The master luthier's violins and cellos include spruce from the Fiemme Valley. The forest still thrives, and its trees are still made into fine instruments.
Two Stradivarius violins were destroyed in plane crashes (in these accidents, which happened four years apart from each other, the world also lost legendary violinists Ginette Neveu and Jacques Thibaud).
About Me. Lining: 100% Polyester, Main: 100% Real Leather.
And thanks to the decomposition over time of a wood component called hemicellulose, the Stradivari and Guarneri instruments used in the study had 25 percent less water than modern instruments. "This is fundamentally important because the less moisture, the more brilliant the sound," Nagyvary told The New York Times.
Hundreds of thousands of replicas and an unknown number of forgeries exist today, varying in age and quality. A genuine Stradivarius sold at auction in 2011 for $16 million, so you can easily see why someone would be motivated to create a fake. Only some 650 true Stradivarius violins exist.
The heir of a wealthy American industrial family acquired the violin in 1990, before passing it down to his then 16-year-old granddaughter Elizabeth Pitcairn, who still owns it today.
MacDonald Stradivarius Viola – $45,000,000
In the number one spot for the most high-priced instrument of all time is the MacDonald Stradivarius. But surprisingly, it's not a violin, but a Viola and part of the reason it's so expensive is that there are reported to be only ten Stradivarius violas in existence today.
The Label – To really know if it's an original one you can always identify it in the instrument's label. Stradivari's violins always had a label that read “Antonius Stradivarius Cremonensis Faciebat Anno”, followed by the year they were made.
The hydraulophone is one of the rarest musical instruments in the world.
Who owns the most expensive Stradivarius violin?
The violin remained in the family of Gabriel Jean Joseph Molitor until World War One. The Molitor violin represents a golden period of Stradivari's work, therefore it reached the price of $3.6 million in 2010, which was the highest price for a violin at that time. The buyer and current owner is Anne Akiko Meyers.
BUT, it's probably what you have- an inexpensive and not very valuable German or Czech copy. Since Stradivarius's time, hundreds of thousands of violins have been copied using his name on the label. And, unfortunately, most of these "fake Stradivarius" are not very valuable.
Researchers have shown that recently-made violins have better sound projection than those built by the famous violinmaker Antonio Stradivarius. This study also shows that, despite the prestige of these old Italian violins, listeners prefer the sound made by recent instruments and cannot distinguish the two.
The Lady Blunt Stradivari
But until then, this noble violin remains at the top, since it reached the best price at auction: the "Lady Blunt" Stradivari from 1721. This masterpiece scored the princely sum of about 11.6 million euros at a charity auction. The proceeds went to the victims of the earthquake in Japan.
The violins of Antonio Stradivari are considered to be the world's best violins because of the tone which they are capable of producing. Even in a large concert hall with an audience of thousands of players, musicians playing on Stradivarius violins can be heard from even the furthest seats in the venue.
That violin last sold at auction in London in 1974 for 34,000 pounds (over $300,000 today). It is currently owned by the Japanese restaurant chain magnate Tokuji Munetsugu, who has amassed a collection of rare string instruments and sponsors an international violin competition in Japan.
Hundreds of years. Stradivarius violins, for example, are a 300 years old and still going. There's even older out there.
A Stradivarius violin has been "recreated" using an X-ray scanner normally used to detect cancers and injuries, according to researchers. The US-based group used a computerised axial tomography (CAT) scanner on the 307-year-old instrument to reveal its secrets.
Paganini is just one of the famous figures who's played a Stradivarius: this 1696 viola belonged to him for a time. Nowadays, they are on loan to a number of famous violinists including Nicola Benedetti, David Garrett and Janine Jansen.
It is currently owned by violinist Joshua Bell. Bell had played the violin, and Brainin jokingly told him it could be his for four million dollars. Shortly thereafter, by chance, Bell came across the violin again and discovered it was about to be sold to a German industrialist to become part of a collection.
Why are Stradivarius violins red?
Cochineal varnish became the signature appearance for instruments made in the Stradivari workshop. Stradivari was making instruments for the wealthy and powerful that were literally the colour of money – and he was the only maker to have this incredible varnish.
Of the more than 1,200 instruments built by Stradivari over his 60-year career, about 500 are still in circulation today. Most are violins, but there are also a few violas, cellos, guitars, mandolins, and harps.
The linseed oil varnish on Stradivarius violins seeps into the top layer of the instruments' wood cells, as seen by optical microscopy. The linseed oil varnish on Stradivarius violins seeps into the top layer of the instruments' wood cells, as seen by optical microscopy.
The oldest confirmed surviving violin, dated inside, is the "Charles IX" by Andrea Amati, made in Cremona in 1564, but the label is very doubtful. The Metropolitan Museum of Art has an Amati violin that may be even older, possibly dating to 1558 but just like the Charles IX the date is unconfirmed.
Only violins made only by Antonio Stradivari are Stradivari violins. We cannot make new Stradivari violins anymore because no one alive today is Antonio Stradivari the famed luthier, and the only maker of Stradivari violins, the famed luthier Antonio Stradivari, has been dead for more than 280 years.
The 18th-century instrument was snatched in 1980 from Totenberg's dressing room after a concert in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was recovered in 2015, after his death, among a former student's belongings.
The earliest known Stradivarius violin was made in 1666, when Stradivari was only twenty-two. Some believe that he was the apprentice of Nicolo Amati, the grandson of violin maker Andrea Amati (1511-1577).
The current findings of the research team show that borax, zinc, copper and alum – along with lime water – were used to treat the wood used in the instruments. “Borax has a long history as a preservative, going back to the ancient Egyptians, who used it in mummification and later as an insecticide,” Nagyvary said.
A brand that fits somewhere in the middle of Inditex's sartorial spectrum, Stradivarius is more affordable than Zara and has something to offer everyone, from bold shirts to denim jackets and satin dresses that that look like they belong on the runway.
It has fast fashion traits such as on trend styles and regular new arrivals. There is no evidence it minimises textile waste when manufacturing its products.
Who is Stradivarius aimed at?
Stradivarius is one of the Inditex Group's young fashion brands aimed at passionate and creative individuals.
Simply put, Guarneri violins have a slightly narrower F-hole, a more refined scroll and typically have a slightly rounder and wider lower bout than that of Stradivarius violins. Strads are more renowned publicly, with pretty much everyone knowing these are the most expensive violins in the world.
The Messiah violin by Antonio Stradivarius is estimated to have a worth of $20 million and ranks among the most expensive violins in the world. Made in 1716, this historic instrument remains incredibly in almost perfect "like new" condition.
It's incredible." Stradivari's violins are known for their exquisite craftsmanship. They cost between $8 million and $20 million, according to Leonhard.
The Label – To really know if it's an original one you can always identify it in the instrument's label. Stradivari's violins always had a label that read “Antonius Stradivarius Cremonensis Faciebat Anno”, followed by the year they were made.
One such example is a violin known as the 'Lauterbach Stradivarius' which was looted by Nazi occupiers in Poland from the National Museum in Warsaw in 1944. But 78 years later, there is a chance this long-lost, looted instrument has now been found.
Their analysis showed evidence of chemical treatments in the form of aluminum, calcium, and copper, among other elements. And thanks to the decomposition over time of a wood component called hemicellulose, the Stradivari and Guarneri instruments used in the study had 25 percent less water than modern instruments.