He is one of the most celebrated craftsmen in history. George Eliot said this about him, “Tis God gives skill, but not without men’s hands: He could not make Antonio Stradivari’s violins without Antonio.” 250 years later the world’s greatest musicians still play his instruments: YoYo Ma, Anne-Sophie Mutter and Itzhak Perlman to name a few.
Antonio Stradivari made over one thousand stringed instruments of which about six hundred survive today. He took the craft of violin-making to a level that no predecessor could have imagined. But when he died, his secrets went with him. Mysteries, unanswered questions and copies abound, but one thing is certain: the power, the projection, the beauty and that incredibly sweet sound have yet to be matched.
Guests:
Toby Faber, author of “Stradivari’s Genius”
James Buswell, violin soloist and chamber musician and
professor at New England Conservatory of Music
Chris Reuning, owner of Reuning & Son violins and partner of Tarisio auctions.