Violin 2nd page
Except otherwise stated, all results include the premium.
In addition to Stradivarius.
See also : Musical instrument
In addition to Stradivarius.
See also : Musical instrument
Stradivarius
see dedicated page :
1690 Guarnerius Viola by Andrea Guarneri
2019 SOLD for $ 1.27M by Tarisio
The Casa Guarneri, workshop of luthiers in Cremona, begins with Andrea who had been until 1654 a pupil and collaborator to Amati. His eldest son Pietro settles in Mantua in 1683. His other son Giuseppe 'filius Andreae' stays with him in Cremona.
From the mid-1680s Giuseppe demonstrated an exceptional skill. Andrea continues to validate the instruments made in their workshop until his death in 1698. Giuseppe 'filius Andreae' is recognized as the best competitor to Stradivari.
The violas made by Guarneri are very rare. They are divided into two periods : four instruments known from 1660 to 1676 plus three from 1690 to 1697. The last three meet the tradition of bearing the name of performers who owned them : Josefowitz, Nobuko Imai, Primrose. They undoubtedly benefit from Giuseppe's know-how and are extremely similar to each other with dimensions considered as ideal.
The Primrose Guarneri viola was sold on July 5, 2012 by Tarisio in a private auction whose result was not disclosed. The Tarisio Auctions page in Wikipedia nevertheless announces a price above $ 4M for this transaction. It is famous for the power of its tone and William Primrose often used it in his recordings.
On May 16, 2019, Tarisio sold for $ 1.27M the Josefowitz Guarneri viola, lot 45. This instrument has the label of Andrea Guarneri in Cremona with the date of 1690 which is highly credible.
From the mid-1680s Giuseppe demonstrated an exceptional skill. Andrea continues to validate the instruments made in their workshop until his death in 1698. Giuseppe 'filius Andreae' is recognized as the best competitor to Stradivari.
The violas made by Guarneri are very rare. They are divided into two periods : four instruments known from 1660 to 1676 plus three from 1690 to 1697. The last three meet the tradition of bearing the name of performers who owned them : Josefowitz, Nobuko Imai, Primrose. They undoubtedly benefit from Giuseppe's know-how and are extremely similar to each other with dimensions considered as ideal.
The Primrose Guarneri viola was sold on July 5, 2012 by Tarisio in a private auction whose result was not disclosed. The Tarisio Auctions page in Wikipedia nevertheless announces a price above $ 4M for this transaction. It is famous for the power of its tone and William Primrose often used it in his recordings.
On May 16, 2019, Tarisio sold for $ 1.27M the Josefowitz Guarneri viola, lot 45. This instrument has the label of Andrea Guarneri in Cremona with the date of 1690 which is highly credible.
A rare Guarneri viola is up to $900,000 and in the first extension as bidding starts to close #AuctionUpdate https://t.co/vM6MPWFyBN pic.twitter.com/Wmb8ooKBjx
— Tarisio (@TarisioAuctions) May 16, 2019
GUARNERIUS DEL GESU Violin
1
1725 Guarnerius later Del Gesu
2012 SOLD for £ 1.5M by Tarisio
The followers of Amati maintained Cremona as the undisputed capital of violin making. Facing Stradivari who worked until over 90 years old, the Guarneri family has also created wonderful instruments. Maybe they used the same sources for the woods.
The popular image for Stradivari is that of a perfectionist craftsman taking care of every detail of the wood and shape. In contrast, the last of the Guarneri from Cremona, Giovanni son of Giovanni filius Andreae, is viewed as a more romantic figure. His violins reach the same power and the same quality of tone as the best Stradivarius instruments.
On June 25, 2012, Tarisio sold a Guarnerius violin for £ 1.5 M. Made around 1725 by the younger Giovanni, it is one of the earliest instruments of the master at a time when he left the workshop of his father to make his own instruments. It is in very good condition.
The popular image for Stradivari is that of a perfectionist craftsman taking care of every detail of the wood and shape. In contrast, the last of the Guarneri from Cremona, Giovanni son of Giovanni filius Andreae, is viewed as a more romantic figure. His violins reach the same power and the same quality of tone as the best Stradivarius instruments.
On June 25, 2012, Tarisio sold a Guarnerius violin for £ 1.5 M. Made around 1725 by the younger Giovanni, it is one of the earliest instruments of the master at a time when he left the workshop of his father to make his own instruments. It is in very good condition.
2
1731 The Baltic
2023 SOLD for $ 9.4M by Tarisio
The elder Giovanni Guarneri was disabled by an illness in 1731. From that date the younger Giovanni inscribed his labels with an acronym of Christ and a cross, possibly referencing a sign of his workshop. For this reason, he will posthumously be known as Guarneri Del Gesu, also applied to his instruments.
From then, typical features of the del Gesu violins include a shorter body, broader wings and special sound holes.
An early Del Gesu in excellent condition made in beautifully flamed, high-quality maple wood was named The Baltic by a violin dealer. Its label with the plausible date of 1731 is a facsimile from the 1930s. The dendrochronology analysis is consistent with that date.
Coming from the family of a Chinese American music patron who had acquired it in 1979, the Baltic was sold for $ 9.4M by Tarisio on March 16, 2023, lot 118. It is complete in all parts and covered in a deep red brown varnish. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
From then, typical features of the del Gesu violins include a shorter body, broader wings and special sound holes.
An early Del Gesu in excellent condition made in beautifully flamed, high-quality maple wood was named The Baltic by a violin dealer. Its label with the plausible date of 1731 is a facsimile from the 1930s. The dendrochronology analysis is consistent with that date.
Coming from the family of a Chinese American music patron who had acquired it in 1979, the Baltic was sold for $ 9.4M by Tarisio on March 16, 2023, lot 118. It is complete in all parts and covered in a deep red brown varnish. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
Rare violin crafted in 1731 expected to fetch over $10 million at auction https://t.co/EFew9UbTwA
— UPI.com (@UPI) March 9, 2023
3
1736
2022 SOLD for € 3.4M by Aguttes
In his short career, Giuseppe Guarneri only made violins. A collaborator to his father Giuseppe filius Andrea in the 1720s, he succeeded him in 1730 in Cremona. He began in 1731 to use the Christogram IHS and a cross fleury for which he will be known as Guarneri del Gesu.
Guarneri del Gesu reached his top maturity in the mid 1730s. His flamboyant style created instruments which were in their strong sonority the closest competitors of the Stradivarius.
On June 3, 2022, Aguttes sold as lot 1 for € 3.4M the Guarnerius del Gesu made in Cremona in 1736 that was played by Régis Pasquier in a great musical repertory for twenty years with a mean 70 concerts per year.
Its far away resonance and its superb sonority make it suitable for large concert rooms. Its small length of only 35.1 cm is typical for that master. The back is a monoxyl maple and the coating is a beautiful brown orange on gold background.
Guarneri del Gesu reached his top maturity in the mid 1730s. His flamboyant style created instruments which were in their strong sonority the closest competitors of the Stradivarius.
On June 3, 2022, Aguttes sold as lot 1 for € 3.4M the Guarnerius del Gesu made in Cremona in 1736 that was played by Régis Pasquier in a great musical repertory for twenty years with a mean 70 concerts per year.
Its far away resonance and its superb sonority make it suitable for large concert rooms. Its small length of only 35.1 cm is typical for that master. The back is a monoxyl maple and the coating is a beautiful brown orange on gold background.
□Notre vente Violons & archets du 3 juin 2022, comportant un violon fabriqué par le célèbre luthier Guarneri « Del Gesù », est dans @Forbes !
— Aguttes (@Aguttes_) May 16, 2022
Pour lire l'article en entier : https://t.co/v6KXc7RSq2
□Si le #violoniste est en quête de l’instrument parfait, c'est parce qu'il "vit, jours et nuits, avec son violon". Pendant 20 ans, Régis Pasquier ne s’est pas séparé de ce #Guarnerius, « Del Gesù ».
— Aguttes (@Aguttes_) May 23, 2022
VIOLONS & ARCHETS
Vente: 3 juin, 14h
Catalogue: https://t.co/BnFs5NHtXM pic.twitter.com/TuWPQ0BW5z
4
masterpiece
1743 il Cannone, ex Paganini
Palazzo Doria-Torsi, Genoa
From 1737 Guarneri Del Gesu took a lesser care to the quality of the finish.
His most desirable instruments nevertheless belong to that last period. They include Paganini's preferred violin, made in 1743 and an ex Menuhin made in 1742. Private sales have included the ex Vieuxtemps made ca 1741, sold for nearly $ 18M in 2013, and the Kochanski made in the same year and sold for $ 10M in 2009.
The ex Paganini was nicknamed il Cannone by the maestro for referring to the explosive sound that he was able to produce with it.
Del Gesu died in 1744.
The image is shared by Wikimedia with attribution Sailko, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
His most desirable instruments nevertheless belong to that last period. They include Paganini's preferred violin, made in 1743 and an ex Menuhin made in 1742. Private sales have included the ex Vieuxtemps made ca 1741, sold for nearly $ 18M in 2013, and the Kochanski made in the same year and sold for $ 10M in 2009.
The ex Paganini was nicknamed il Cannone by the maestro for referring to the explosive sound that he was able to produce with it.
Del Gesu died in 1744.
The image is shared by Wikimedia with attribution Sailko, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
GUADAGNINI
Intro
Giovanni Battista Guadagnini is the best luthier during the four decades following the death of Stradivari and of Guarneri del Gesu. His apprenticeship is undocumented and he was still recently considered as self-taught. He was born in a village near Cremona where his father Lorenzo was not a farmer but a subcontractor craftsman to Stradivari.
This new hypothesis is consistent with the fact that the structure of the instruments made by Giovanni Battista is very close to the Stradivarius. Probably advised by keen users, Guadagnini practices a continuous improvement as Stradivari had done. Slight changes in shape bring an intense sound that pleases music lovers of his time and of today and his reddish-brown varnish is one of the very best of all time.
This new hypothesis is consistent with the fact that the structure of the instruments made by Giovanni Battista is very close to the Stradivarius. Probably advised by keen users, Guadagnini practices a continuous improvement as Stradivari had done. Slight changes in shape bring an intense sound that pleases music lovers of his time and of today and his reddish-brown varnish is one of the very best of all time.
1
1743 Piacenza Cello
2016 SOLD for $ 1.5M by Tarisio
Giovanni Battista Guadagnini opens ca 1742 his workshop in Piacenza. His apprenticeship is not documented and he was still recently considered as self-taught. He was born in a village near Cremona where his father Lorenzo was not a farmer but a subcontractor craftsman to Stradivari. This new hypothesis is consistent with the fact that the architecture of the instruments made by Giovanni Battista is very close to the Stradivarius.
Guadagnini is listening the desires of the performers and changes from that early time the shape in a quest to improve the sound. Beyond the reform of the cello conceived by Stradivari, he creates shorter and broader instruments that delight the virtuosos by their easiness of use and their intense tone. His varnish is one of the very best of all time.
Piacenza has a significant musical culture. The Ferrari brothers were born here. Domenico Ferrari, violinist, had left for Cremona but his elder brother Carlo, cellist, lives in Piacenza. There is no documented evidence that Carlo Ferrari ever played an instrument made by Guadagnini but his influence is certain. When Ferrari moves to Milan in 1745, Guadagnini seems to become temporarily less interested in cellos. In 1749 he moves to Milan in his turn.
A cello made circa 1743 by Guadagnini was sold for $ 1.5M from a lower estimate of $ 800K by Tarisio on May 12, 2016, lot 40. This instrument is a good demonstrator of the precocious talent of the luthier, including a thick honey-colored varnish which prefigures his later achievements on the essential role of the coating in the sound quality of an instrument of the quartet.
Guadagnini is listening the desires of the performers and changes from that early time the shape in a quest to improve the sound. Beyond the reform of the cello conceived by Stradivari, he creates shorter and broader instruments that delight the virtuosos by their easiness of use and their intense tone. His varnish is one of the very best of all time.
Piacenza has a significant musical culture. The Ferrari brothers were born here. Domenico Ferrari, violinist, had left for Cremona but his elder brother Carlo, cellist, lives in Piacenza. There is no documented evidence that Carlo Ferrari ever played an instrument made by Guadagnini but his influence is certain. When Ferrari moves to Milan in 1745, Guadagnini seems to become temporarily less interested in cellos. In 1749 he moves to Milan in his turn.
A cello made circa 1743 by Guadagnini was sold for $ 1.5M from a lower estimate of $ 800K by Tarisio on May 12, 2016, lot 40. This instrument is a good demonstrator of the precocious talent of the luthier, including a thick honey-colored varnish which prefigures his later achievements on the essential role of the coating in the sound quality of an instrument of the quartet.
2
1753 Milan Violin
2016 SOLD for $ 1.25M by Tarisio
Giovanni Battista Guadagnini opened his own workshop in Piacenza circa 1742. His previous activities are not identified but he may have met the last great masters of Cremona. Stradivari's two sons and Guarneri Del Gesu die around the same period. An apprenticeship in Cremona should justify the otherwise surprising statement three decades later by his young patron Cozio designating Guadagnini as the ultimate successor to Stradivari.
Guadagnini moved three times his studio, to Milan in 1749 and much later to Parma and Turin. He had improved most of his know-how during his first phase in Piacenza, with slightly widened violins, sharp angles in the sides and his much effective reddish-brown varnish. Guadagnini's violins have a strong and harmonious sound and are the best concert instruments from the mid-eighteenth century.
His violins from the beginning of his Milanese period are already demonstrating his great maturity. One of them named the Berkova, made in 1755, was sold for $ 720K by Tarisio on May 2, 2013. Its original coating was not complete.
Tarisio sold on October 13, 2016 for $ 1.25M one of the best violins made by Guadagnini in Milan, dated 1753, lot 254. Despite a frequent use in concert, the instrument which has been carefully maintained is in an excellent condition. Its brilliant sound is demonstrated in a YouTube audio by Tarisio.
Guadagnini moved three times his studio, to Milan in 1749 and much later to Parma and Turin. He had improved most of his know-how during his first phase in Piacenza, with slightly widened violins, sharp angles in the sides and his much effective reddish-brown varnish. Guadagnini's violins have a strong and harmonious sound and are the best concert instruments from the mid-eighteenth century.
His violins from the beginning of his Milanese period are already demonstrating his great maturity. One of them named the Berkova, made in 1755, was sold for $ 720K by Tarisio on May 2, 2013. Its original coating was not complete.
Tarisio sold on October 13, 2016 for $ 1.25M one of the best violins made by Guadagnini in Milan, dated 1753, lot 254. Despite a frequent use in concert, the instrument which has been carefully maintained is in an excellent condition. Its brilliant sound is demonstrated in a YouTube audio by Tarisio.
Auction Update: 1753 #Guadagnini #Violin Sells for $1.2 Million at @TarisioAuctions https://t.co/se8hszKTMe #Tarisio pic.twitter.com/4G69gQpkGC
— Strings Magazine (@StringsMagazine) November 4, 2016
3
1773-1775 Turin Violin
2018 SOLD for £ 1.6M by Tarisio
Guadagnini's career takes place successively in four cities, simply because he endeavors to keep a direct or indirect relationship with the best violinists. He follows Ferrari from Piacenza to Milan and then to Parma where he is protected by the chief minister of Duke Philip of Bourbon. Political changes led him in 1771 to Turin where he probably wanted to get closer to Pugnani.
Count Cozio di Salabue is passionate about violins and especially with the achievements from Cremona. His father owned an Amati. Aged 16 in 1771, the Piedmontese is in Turin for a military period. He meets Guadagnini at that time.
Guadagnini is the most effective designer of violins of his time but Cozio admires Stradivari. Guadagnini is looking for customers. He agrees in 1774 to work almost exclusively for Cozio.
The young aristocrat designates his partner as the ultimate successor to Stradivari. This qualifier is consistent with the hypothesis that Guadagnini had learned his trade with the old master. His instruments made in Turin are identified by the label "Joannes Baptista Guadagnini Cremonensis fecit Taurini. alumnus Antoni Stradivari", to be however considered with caution because it also appears on posthumous pieces.
A violin from that first Cozio period, made in 1773-1775, was sold for £ 1.6M by Tarisio on June 25, 2018, lot 176.
Count Cozio di Salabue is passionate about violins and especially with the achievements from Cremona. His father owned an Amati. Aged 16 in 1771, the Piedmontese is in Turin for a military period. He meets Guadagnini at that time.
Guadagnini is the most effective designer of violins of his time but Cozio admires Stradivari. Guadagnini is looking for customers. He agrees in 1774 to work almost exclusively for Cozio.
The young aristocrat designates his partner as the ultimate successor to Stradivari. This qualifier is consistent with the hypothesis that Guadagnini had learned his trade with the old master. His instruments made in Turin are identified by the label "Joannes Baptista Guadagnini Cremonensis fecit Taurini. alumnus Antoni Stradivari", to be however considered with caution because it also appears on posthumous pieces.
A violin from that first Cozio period, made in 1773-1775, was sold for £ 1.6M by Tarisio on June 25, 2018, lot 176.
An exhilarating end to a very successful sale. The Guadagnini sells at a #WorldRecord Hammer Price of £1.4 million - double the high estimate! pic.twitter.com/J64kfN9isL
— Tarisio (@TarisioAuctions) June 25, 2018
4
1778 Turin Violin
2013 SOLD for $ 1.39M by Tarisio
Guadagnini has the mood of a creator and not of an imitator. His new contract with Cozio is in counter-employment for his designing skill. Cozio goes ahead and buys as early as 1775 to the heirs of Stradivari the violin in a sublime condition which will be later known as the Messiah.
The formal contract is broken in 1777 and Guadagnini can again diversify his production. A violin made in Turin in 1778 is a fine example of his personal art at the time of his better maturity. It was sold on October 17, 2013 by Tarisio for $ 1.39M from a lower estimate of $ 800K, lot 296.
This instrument was once owned by Dorothy DeLay, who was one of the most subtle violin teachers. She understood that the ideal instrument is not the same for each player and depends on the characteristics of their musical skills. This excellent reference attests to how this Guadagnini violin is close to perfection. It retains the thick red varnish so typical of his art.
Guadagnini continues in parallel to produce imitations of Stradivarius for the use of Cozio. He manages it with some freedom so that his Stradivarius models are not identifiable. These instruments are signed Joannes Baptista Guadagnini Cremonensis fecit Taurini on a label.
On February 22, 2018, Tarisio sold for $ 1.25M a violin dated 1779, in excellent condition, lot 157.
The formal contract is broken in 1777 and Guadagnini can again diversify his production. A violin made in Turin in 1778 is a fine example of his personal art at the time of his better maturity. It was sold on October 17, 2013 by Tarisio for $ 1.39M from a lower estimate of $ 800K, lot 296.
This instrument was once owned by Dorothy DeLay, who was one of the most subtle violin teachers. She understood that the ideal instrument is not the same for each player and depends on the characteristics of their musical skills. This excellent reference attests to how this Guadagnini violin is close to perfection. It retains the thick red varnish so typical of his art.
Guadagnini continues in parallel to produce imitations of Stradivarius for the use of Cozio. He manages it with some freedom so that his Stradivarius models are not identifiable. These instruments are signed Joannes Baptista Guadagnini Cremonensis fecit Taurini on a label.
On February 22, 2018, Tarisio sold for $ 1.25M a violin dated 1779, in excellent condition, lot 157.
5
1783 Turin Cello ex Rostropovich
2018 SOLD for £ 1.93M by Sotheby's
Like Stradivari before him, Guadagnini never stopped improving his instruments, seeking the strength of the violin and the voice of the cello. Carlo Ferrari, who was his most important patron in his first three residences, was a virtuoso cellist.
Arrived in 1771 in Turin which will be his fourth and last residence, Guadagnini agrees from 1773 to 1777 to work exclusively for Cozio who was a great admirer of Stradivari. At this time Guadagnini adds the information "Cremonensis alumnus Antonii Stradivari" on his labels. His cellos of this period are short, without loss of sound thanks to a modification of the shape which increases the surface of wood in the cavity.
Mstislav Rostropovich was one of the greatest performers of the cello. For his first success, the gold medal at the Soviet Young Musicians Competition in 1945, he had played a Guadagnini.
In exile from 1974, Rostropovich had appraised the cello of his first glory and learned that its label was apocryphal and that the instrument had nothing to do with a Guadagnini. He is therefore on the watch to acquire an excellent Guadagnini. He will wait a quarter of a century.
The Guadagnini cello bought by Rostropovich in 2000 is from the best period : made in Turin in 1783 three years before the death of the luthier, it is one of the last instruments of the master and has kept intact its dark intense red-brown varnish typical of that period. It was sold for £ 1.93M from a lower estimate of £ 1M by Sotheby's on November 28, 2018, lot 42.
An unlabeled cello made by Guadagnini in Turin ca 1780-1785 was sold for € 1.2M by Tarisio on October 24, 2022, lot 23. Please watch the video preview of the sale, shared by the auction house.
Arrived in 1771 in Turin which will be his fourth and last residence, Guadagnini agrees from 1773 to 1777 to work exclusively for Cozio who was a great admirer of Stradivari. At this time Guadagnini adds the information "Cremonensis alumnus Antonii Stradivari" on his labels. His cellos of this period are short, without loss of sound thanks to a modification of the shape which increases the surface of wood in the cavity.
Mstislav Rostropovich was one of the greatest performers of the cello. For his first success, the gold medal at the Soviet Young Musicians Competition in 1945, he had played a Guadagnini.
In exile from 1974, Rostropovich had appraised the cello of his first glory and learned that its label was apocryphal and that the instrument had nothing to do with a Guadagnini. He is therefore on the watch to acquire an excellent Guadagnini. He will wait a quarter of a century.
The Guadagnini cello bought by Rostropovich in 2000 is from the best period : made in Turin in 1783 three years before the death of the luthier, it is one of the last instruments of the master and has kept intact its dark intense red-brown varnish typical of that period. It was sold for £ 1.93M from a lower estimate of £ 1M by Sotheby's on November 28, 2018, lot 42.
An unlabeled cello made by Guadagnini in Turin ca 1780-1785 was sold for € 1.2M by Tarisio on October 24, 2022, lot 23. Please watch the video preview of the sale, shared by the auction house.
Take an unprecedented glimpse into the lives and loves of two of Russia’s greatest musical legends. Visit our London galleries to view the private collection of #Rostropovich and Vishnevskaya or click ahead to see highlights https://t.co/tDnS2NOICK #SothebysRussia pic.twitter.com/ymPge0oA5s
— Sotheby's (@Sothebys) November 23, 2018
1912 The Violin of the Titanic
2013 SOLD for £ 1.1M by Henry Aldridge and Son
The Titanic was a liner of high luxury and refined entertainment. She sank in her maiden voyage on April 14, 1912, taking the lives of 1,497 of the 2,209 people aboard.
The Titanic legend established a fortnight after the tragedy tells that the bandmaster Wallace Hartley convened the band on the deck and started playing the latest popular melodies in an attempt to calm the passengers and that they did not manage to save themselves while lifeboat places were still to be filled. This scene was staged in the 1997 Titanic movie.
Hartley's violin was retrieved in water beside his body on May 4, 1912. Found in 2006 in a British attic, it was connected to Hartley through an engraved silver plate. The auction house Aldridge and Son, leading specialists in Titanic artifacts, then spent six years investigating its authenticity including through an audio archive. The instrument is implayable with large cracks in its body. It was the centerpiece of dedicated exhibitions of the Titanic centennial.
It was sold for £ 1.1M from a lower estimate of £ 300K by Henry Aldridge and Son on October 19, 2013. Please watch the post sale video shared by On Demand News.
The Titanic legend established a fortnight after the tragedy tells that the bandmaster Wallace Hartley convened the band on the deck and started playing the latest popular melodies in an attempt to calm the passengers and that they did not manage to save themselves while lifeboat places were still to be filled. This scene was staged in the 1997 Titanic movie.
Hartley's violin was retrieved in water beside his body on May 4, 1912. Found in 2006 in a British attic, it was connected to Hartley through an engraved silver plate. The auction house Aldridge and Son, leading specialists in Titanic artifacts, then spent six years investigating its authenticity including through an audio archive. The instrument is implayable with large cracks in its body. It was the centerpiece of dedicated exhibitions of the Titanic centennial.
It was sold for £ 1.1M from a lower estimate of £ 300K by Henry Aldridge and Son on October 19, 2013. Please watch the post sale video shared by On Demand News.
