Antonio Stradivari, Cremona, 1715, the 'David Hochstein, Nowell, Joachim'
Violin: 41390
Back: Two-piece
Varnish: Orange-red
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Notes:
Named after a promising young violinist who died while serving in World War I. In June, 1941, the instrument was used by Heifitz in an experiment with other instruments at Harvard University and proved to have the finest response curve of all the violins tested.How Many Strads?, Doring, Bein & Fushi, Doring, Bein & Fushi, How Many Strads? (1999 edition), Chicago
"This instrument is included in Doring..., as well as the works of Henley and Goodkind. Visually, it is one of the most beautiful Strads I have seen or owned. The table was extensively repaired, and the scroll, a point of inquiry during another of my sessions with Milstein, was later confirmed to have originated from a 1703 Strad. This fact was discovered by Max Moeller, who noticed a slight discrepancy in the size cited by the Hochstein's Hill document, when compared to other documents from the firm. After inquiring at Hill's, we discovered that a single, very relevant line had been cleverly deleted without noticeably altering the description. The sound has a beautiful quality, neither too dark nor too bright. The instrument offers a resilient tactile response, not overly soft or stiff, hides no wolf tones, and is very even..."
Fiddling With Life, Thane Lewis & Steve Staryk, Fiddling With Life, Oakville, ON and Niagara Falls, NY
"David Hochstein. Violin virtuoso and a Sergeant fn the headquarters company of the 306th Infantry is at his home in Rochester mourning the destruction of his Stradivarius violin, valued at $25,000, which was smashed to bits in an automobile accident at Mineola yesterday. The story of the mishap was told here today by members of the divisional vaudeville troupe when they returned from performances given In Rockville Centre yesterday for ·the benefit of the fund to pay the expenses ot the New York entertainers who came to this camp.
The troupe left the train at Minola, and fourteen of the soldiers, including Sergeant Hochstein. Crowded into a small auto bus, which was to take them to Rockville Centre. They had gone only a short distance when the front wheels of the car collapsed under the weight, and the windshield was smashed as it crashed into a telegraph pole.
Every one in the car was shaken up but the Depot Brigade Quartet began to sing. And the rest of the party recovered their composure and hurried off to find another car. A limousine was borrowed from a nearby estate and the journey to Rockville Centre was finished In good time. Shortly before the matinee commenced, Sargeant Hochstein in called to his accompanlst, Private Max Glaser, to rehearse one or two numberrs with him. When Sergeant Hochstein opened the soft leather case which held his violin he found the instrument in pieces. . ."
Camp Upton Soldier Ruins Strad Violin, The New York Times, New York
Provenance
from 1875 | Joseph Joachim |
1881-1893 | Ludwig Neuner |
1893-1916 | Willis Nowell |
from 1916 | George Eastman |
in 1919 | John Friedrich & Brothers |
until 1958 | Mrs. William Ellery |
from 1958 | Frederick E. Haenel |
until 1959 | Theodore Marchetti |
from 1959 | Steven Staryk |
in 1997 | Sold by Bein & Fushi, Inc |
in 1997 | Current owner |
References
- Bein & Fushi 1997 Calendar, Bein & Fushi, Inc, Bein & Fushi, Chicago (illustrated)
- The New York Times, New York, March 10, 1918
- Correspondence with owner, 5-23-2003 (illustrated)
- Fiddling With Life, Thane Lewis & Steve Staryk, Oakville, ON and Niagara Falls, NY
- How Many Strads? (1999 edition), Doring, Bein & Fushi, Bein & Fushi, Chicago, 1999
- Friedrich Brothers Rare Old Violins (1919), Ernest N. Doring, John Friedrich & Brothers, New York (illustrated)
- The Jacques Français Rare Violins, Inc. Photographic Archive and Business Records, 1844-1998, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC (illustrated)
- Violin Iconography of Antonio Stradivari 1644-1737, Herbert K. Goodkind, Larchmont, NY (illustrated)