Stradivari

7 Stories

300-Year-Old Wizard of Oz Violin Likely to Set Record

'Da Vinci' Stradivarius formerly owned by Toscha Seidel expected to fetch up to $20M at auction

(Newser) - An old violin, thought to be heard on the Oscar-winning score of The Wizard of Oz, might just become the most expensive Stradivarius ever sold at auction. The rare violin formerly owned by Toscha Seidel, "widely considered one of the greatest violinists of the 20th century," will hit...

Stradivarius No Match for New Violins, Test Finds

Soloists assess renowned instruments with surprising results

(Newser) - Musicians have long been captivated by the instruments of the Stradivari family; centuries after they were built, they've become the stuff of legend. Yet new blind tests seem to shatter the notion that a Stradivarius is actually superior to today's violins. In fact, the tests found expert violinists...

$20M Stradivarius Cello Broken in Accident

Report indicates it may have fallen off table during photo shoot

(Newser) - A Stradivarius cello housed at the Spanish Royal Palace was broken in an accident, an official said today. The instrument could be worth more than $20 million. The damage sustained: a piece that joins the neck of the 17th-century instrument to the body of it broke and fell off the...

Stradivarius Violin Sells for $16M

Violin built in 1721 has hardly been played

(Newser) - A Japanese music foundation has sold a renowned Stradivarius violin for $16 million at a London auction to raise money for tsunami disaster relief. Proceeds from selling the nearly 300-year-old violin known as the Lady Blunt will go to relief projects in northern Japan, the nonprofit Nippon Foundation said today....

The Secret of the Strad's Superiority

Scientist find mellow tone is in the wood

(Newser) - Stradivarius violins—300 years old and valued at least $3 million each—are universally recognized as producing the richest sounds. Now, the Daily Telegraph reports, scientists believe they know why. X-rays of several old and new instruments show the wood used by 17th-century violin makers has a more uniform density...

Stradivarius Market Hits High Note
Stradivarius Market Hits
High Note
Jan 6, 2008 2:10 PM CST

Stradivarius Market Hits High Note

Rush for 300-year-old violins sparks intrigue, drives price to millions

(Newser) - The price of violins by 18th century Italian master Antonio Stradivari has shot through the roof in recent decades, with the instruments now worth 500 times their weight in gold, reports Der Spiegel. Three powerful dealers control a shadowy worldwide market rife with intrigue where frenzied collectors seek out the...

Virtuoso Snubbed in Train Station
Virtuoso Snubbed in Train Station
Apr 15, 2007 1:10 PM CDT

Virtuoso Snubbed in Train Station

What Happens If A violinist Plays in The Subway And Nobody Hears It?

(Newser) - Washington Post reporter Gene Weingarten put world-renowned violinist, Joshua Bell, in a subway station in Washington DC one rush hour morning to see if people would notice him. Mostly, they didn’t.

7 Stories