Guide to Stradivarius Violins: Characteristics of Stradivari Violins

A Stradivarius violin, or Strad violin, is a renowned stringed musical instrument built by members of the Stradivari family, namely Antonio Stradivari, during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in Italy. The Stradivari family were luthiers, or makers of stringed musical instruments like violas, cellos, and other members of the violin family. These instruments are known for a perceived sound quality superior to stringed instruments made by other violin makers.

• Sound quality tests: Though countless blind tests conducted from the nineteenth to the twentieth century have yet to conclusively prove that Stradivarius instruments sound better than other old Italian violins or even new instruments, scientists continue to examine the reason behind the instruments’ reputation. Even without definitive proof, Stradivari’s instruments remain the vanguard for impeccable craftsmanship and virtuoso sound quality.
• Museum collections: Approximately 650 of Stradivari’s violins and other instruments, including harps, guitars, and mandolins, still survive. Many are featured in museum collections, like the 1716 “Messiah” Stradivarius, which another famous luthier, Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume, once owned, now resides in the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, England. Others are used by major figures from the classical music world, like violinist Itzhak Perlman, who owns the “Soil” Stradivarius of 1714, and violinist Joshua Bell, who owns and plays the 1713 “Gibson ex-Huberman.”
• Auctions: The appearance of a Stradivarius violin at an auction house is a cause for international attention among collectors, who have paid hundreds of thousands and even millions of dollars for one of these Italian violins.

Here is a brief overview of Antonio Stradivari’s life and work as a master luthier:

• Beginnings. Antonio Stradivari, also known as Antonius Stradivarius, was born in the Italian city of Cremona to parents Alessandro Stradivari and Anna Moroni on an unconfirmed date in the seventeenth century. Though much isn’t known about his early life, he appears to have begun an apprenticeship with Cremonese master luthier Nicolò Amati in his early teens.
• The golden period. By 1680, Stradivari moved to his home at Piazza San Domenico, where he conducted much of his life and work. A decade later, Stradivari entered the “golden period” of his violin-making, during which he made what critics and historians consider his best violins.
• Notable changes. During this period, Stradivari made two key changes to his design: a larger pattern, known as a “Long Strad,” and a darker varnish. These refinements may have helped establish the exceptional sound projection and resonance associated with Stradivari’s instruments, especially in the nineteenth century, when musical performances moved from intimate quarters to larger concert halls.
• Legacy. Stradivari is estimated to have made more than 1,000 instruments, including 960 violins, before his death at 93 in 1739. Stradivari’s sons, Francesco and Omobono, may have helped him complete some of the work, as they both worked in his shop and even crafted a select few instruments on their own.

Several characteristics define a Stradivarius violin, including:

1. 1. Construction: The shape of a Stradivarius violin is one of its defining characteristics. Violins made before Stradivari’s work were often rounder and narrower in shape; his violins were longer, with sharper-edged corners and a clear definition between its upper and lower half. Scientists have yet to determine if these design elements had any impact on the instruments’ sound.
2. 2. Inscription: Stradivari’s instruments invariably featured a label with the words “Antonius Stradivarius Cremonensis Faciebat Anno,” followed by the year of the instrument’s creation. This label indicates the luthier’s name, where they made the instrument, and the year of its production. The surviving Stradivari instruments all bear these labels—as do thousands of violins made in imitation of or tribute to Stradivari, making authentication a challenge for historians and experts.
3. 3. Varnish and wood: Studies of Stradivari’s instruments have found many of them to feature unique varieties of wood and varnish. He used alpine wood, like spruce and maple wood, for various parts of his violins, and scientists have found traces of certain minerals, like copper and aluminum, in the varnish. It remains unclear if these elements had any impact on the instruments’ sound.

Stradivarius violins are among the most expensive antique violins globally, selling for millions of dollars privately and at auction. A sampling of instruments and their costs includes:

• Kreutzer: Four Stradivari violins bore the name “Kreutzer,” all made between 1701 and 1731. Violinist Maxim Vengerov bought the 1727 edition for $1.5 million in 1998.
• Lady Anne Blunt: Luthier Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume counted 25 Stradivari in his possession, including this 1721 instrument, which he sold to Lord Byron’s granddaughter and its eventual namesake, Lady Anne Blunt. Played very rarely except by a select few, including the violinist Yehudi Menuhin, the Lady Blunt was sold for $10 million in 2008. It later sold for $15.9 million in a charity auction to benefit the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami relief fund.
• Le Brun: The Le Brun Stradivarius of 1712 was once owned and played by legendary violinist Niccolò Paganini before passing to several collectors. Its sale price to philanthropist Maxim Viktorov in 2008 was kept private but is rumored to have exceeded the $35.4 million paid for another Stradivarius at an auction in 2006, making it one of the most expensive violins in history.
• Molitor: Napoleon Bonaparte is believed to be a previous owner of this 1697 violin named for one of his generals, Count Gabriel Jean Joseph Molitor. It passed through numerous hands and was at one point sold to benefit the Red Cross in 1988. Violinist Anne Akiko Meyers currently owns the Molitor.
• Red Mendelssohn: This 1721 violin was one of four owned by the Mendelssohn family, including composer Felix Mendelssohn. The family that owns PPG Industries purchased the violin for $1.7 million and passed it down to its heir, violinist Elizabeth Pitcairn.

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