Antonio Stradivari, Cremona, 1733, the 'Huberman, Kreisler'
Violin: 40687
Bearing its original label, "Antonius Stradivarius Cremonensis faciebat Anno 1733."
Back: One-piece of medium curl ascending from left to right
Top: of fine to medium grain in the center, opening out towards the flanks
Scroll: of medium curl
Ribs: of curl similar to back
Varnish: Red-brown
Length of back: 35.7 cm
Upper bouts: 16.8 cm
Middle bouts: 11.3 cm
Lower bouts: 20.6 cm
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Notes:
From the Hill letter of January 12: "It [the violin] was first seen by Mr. Alfred Hill in 1910 in the possession of Monsieur Gherault, an organist who lived in Rouen, who stated that he had inherited this violin from his uncle and that it had been owned by his family for nearly a century. He declined an offer made for the violin and kept it until his death in 1912, when the violin passed into the hands of his niece, Madame Demange, from whom Mr. Hill bought it in 1913.Owing to this violin having a rather exceptional quality of tone it was offered to Kreisler, who readily purchase it. At this time the violin did not possess an original Stradivari head, but Mr. Hill acquired one a few years afterwards which he fitted to the instrument.
Enquiries made subsequently revealed that this violin had belonged to an amateur by the name of Uthoff in the early part of the last centruy.
Kreisler retained this violin until 1936, when he acquired another example by the same maker [the Lord Amherst of Hackney]. He had used this instrument when making his most famous records. It was sold shortly afterwards to Mr. Bronislaw Hubermann who retained this violin until his death."
Sotheby's Highly Important Musical Instruments Auction Catalog, May 3, 1979, London, Sotheby's, Sotheby's Highly Important Musical Instruments Auction Catalog, May 3, 1979, London, London
Provenance
Uthoff | |
Pierre Cauvin | |
in 1910 and until 1912 | Monsieur Gherault |
1912-1913 | Madame Demange |
1913-1914 | W. E. Hill & Sons |
1914-1936 | Fritz Kreisler |
1936-1937 | W. E. Hill & Sons |
1937-1947 | Bronislaw Huberman |
... | ... |
from 1956 | Daniel Tschudi |
in 1979 | Sold by Sotheby's |
Known players
Bronislaw Huberman, Fritz Kreisler, Johanna Martzy
Certificates & Documents
- Certificate: Rudolph Wurlitzer Co., New York, NY (1948)
- Certificate: W. E. Hill & Sons, London (1937)
Cozio holds copies of many certificates and other documents, some of which are available to view on request. Please contact us if you wish to view a particular document. (Note that we do not always have permission to share documents.)
References
- Antonio Stradivari and His Instruments, William Henley, Amati Publishing, Ltd., Sussex, 1961 (illustrated)
- Cubic Circle home page
- How Many Strads? (1999 edition), Doring, Bein & Fushi, Bein & Fushi, Chicago, 1999
- Kreisler’s Violins, Cozio Carteggio feature, Tully Potter, 2017
- Meister Italienischer Geigenbaukunst (8th Edition), Hamma & Co., Florian Noetzel Verlag, Wilhelmshaven (illustrated)
- Private Archives - 10842
- Sotheby's Highly Important Musical Instruments Auction Catalog, May 3, 1979, London, Sotheby's, Sotheby's, London (illustrated)
- The Strad, May, 1979, London (illustrated)
- The Jacques Français Rare Violins, Inc. Photographic Archive and Business Records, 1844-1998, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, Box 43 (illustrated)
- Violin Iconography of Antonio Stradivari 1644-1737, Herbert K. Goodkind, Larchmont, NY (illustrated)
- W. E. Hill & Sons Photographic Archive (illustrated)