Stradivari

Stradivari [Stradivarius]. Family of vn.-makers of Cremona, N. Italy. The greatest of them was Antonio Stradivari (b 1644; d Cremona, 1737), apprenticed as youth to Nicola Amati, continuing connection with Amati's workshop to 1684. Inserted his own label into vn. 1666 (signing himself, as always afterwards, by Maltese cross and initials A. S. enclosed within double circle). After 1684, his work developed experimentally towards perfection of design and balance, leading in 1690 to invention of the ‘Long Strad’. 1700–20 was Stradivari's ‘golden period’ during which he prod. a series of magnificent instr., inc. vcs. and vas., and those made in the last 17 years of his life show no decline in craftsmanship. He made his last vn. in 1737 at age 92. It is calculated in the standard work on Stradivari by the Hill brothers (1902, rev. 1909) that he made 1,116 instruments after 1666 of which over 600 are still in existence. Many are known by names e.g. La Pucelle, Viotti, Alard, Messie, Rode, etc. He paid vigilant attention to detail and personally designed pegs, fingerboards, tailpieces, inlaid patterns, and bridges; he designed the cases and also made bows. His application of the varnish was unsurpassed, soft in texture and shading from orange to red. The tone of the instrs. varies, of course, but is generally a sop. tone compared with the more cont. Guarneri. Stradivari was assisted by his sons Francesco (b Cremona, 1671; d 1743) and Omobono (b Cremona, 1679; d 1742) and by Carlo Bergonzi. These instruments bore the label ‘sotto la disciplina d'Antonio Stradivari’ but in many cases these were later unscrupulously removed and a label substituted attributing the instr. to Stradivari himself. Hence the controversies over the authenticity of certain ‘Strads’, important in view of the high prices the genuine instr. can fetch.