Antonio Stradivari, Cremona, 1722, the 'Joachim, Elman'
Violin: 41503
Bearing its original label, but date is faded: "Antonius Stradivarius Cremonensis faciebat Anno 1722."
Back: Two-piece of faint broad figure sloping downwards from the joint
Top: of medium width grain at the centers, broadening towards the edges
Scroll: of medium figure
Ribs: of medium figure
Length of back: 35.7 cm
Upper bouts: 16.75 cm
Middle bouts: 11 cm
Lower bouts: 20.85 cm
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Notes:
Listed as an instrument of the year 1721 in Doring's book. Also conflates the provenance of different Stradivari violins with the 'Elman', including the 1722 'Laurie'How Many Strads?, Doring, Bein & Fushi, Doring, Bein & Fushi, How Many Strads? (1999 edition), Chicago
"[quoting Elman]: 'Of course, the instrument the artist uses is an important factor in making it possible for him to do his best. My violin? It is an authentic Strad -- dated 1722. I bought it of Willy Burmester in London. You see he did not care much for it. The German style of playing is not calculated to bring out the tone beauty, the quality of the old Italian fiddles. I think Burmester had forced the tone, and it took me some time to make it mellow and truly responsive again, but now. . ..' Mr. Elman beamed. It was evident he was satisfied with his instrument."
Violin Mastery: Talks with Master Violinists and Teachers, Frederick H. Martens, Violin Mastery: Talks with Master Violinists and Teachers, New York
"[quoting Nachez:] 'My violin? I am a Stradivarius player, and possess two fine Strads, though I also have a beautiful Joseph Guarnerius. Ysaye, Thibaud and Caressa, when they lunched with me not long ago, were enthusiastic about them. My favorite Strad is a 1716 instrument—I have used it for twenty-five years. But I cannot use the wire strings that are now in such vogue here. I have to have Italian gut strings. The wire E cuts my fingers, and besides I notice a perceptible difference in sound quality.'"
Violin Mastery: Talks with Master Violinists and Teachers, Frederick H. Martens, Violin Mastery: Talks with Master Violinists and Teachers, New York
Sotheby's catalogue 1970 incorrectly states: 'This is the instrument which David Laurie sold to Joseph Joachim on March 10th 1880 for the sum of £500'.
In fact this appears to be the 1722 Laurie Stradivari, not the Elman. David Laurie does not appear to have owned a second Stradivari dated 1722.
Sotheby's Important Musical Instruments Auction Catalog, October 22, 1970, London, Sotheby's, Sotheby's Musical Instruments Auction Catalog, October 22, 1970, London, London
Provenance
| until 1878 | Joseph Joachim |
| 1878-1893 | Dr. David Hausmann |
| 1893-1906 | Professor Leonhard Wolff |
| 1906-1907 | Emil Herrmann, Berlin |
| in 1907 | Willy Burmester |
| 1907-1953 | Mischa Elman |
| in 1953 | Sold by Rudolph Wurlitzer Co. |
| 1953-1970 | Sam Bloomfield |
| in 1970 | Sold by Sotheby's |
| from 1970 | Merryman |
| in 1973 | Rony Rogoff |
| ... | ... |
| 1981-1991 | Josef Suk II |
| from 1991 | Chi-Mei Culture Foundation |
Known players
Josef Suk (II), Mischa Elman
Certificates & Documents
Certificate: Henry Werro, Bern (1972)- Certificate: William Lewis & Son, Chicago, IL (1962)
Letter: Emil Herrmann, New York, New York, NY (1962)- Letter: Rembert Wurlitzer Inc., New York, NY (1957)
- Letter: William Lewis & Son, Chicago, IL (1953) Signed by R. A. Olson
- Letter: Rudolph Wurlitzer Co., Cincinnati, OH (1948) Signed by J. C. Freeman
- Certificate: Rudolph Wurlitzer Co., Cincinnati, OH (1943)
- Certificate: Rudolph Wurlitzer Co., New York, NY (1941) Signed by J. C. Freeman
- Letter: August Riecher, Berlin (1893)
- Letter: August Riecher, Berlin Undated.
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
Antonius Stradivarius (Volumes I-IV), Jost Thöne, Jan Röhrmann, Alessandra Barabaschi, Jost Thöne Verlag, Cologne, 2010 (illustrated)- Bongartz's Musical Instruments Auction Catalog, April 5, 1982, Cologne, Bongartz's, Bongartz's, Cologne (illustrated)
- Feine Streichinstrumente und Bögen, Geigenauktionen Bongartz, Aachen (illustrated)
- How Many Strads? (1999 edition), Doring, Bein & Fushi, Bein & Fushi, Chicago, 1999
Joseph Joachim, David Laurie, and Mischa Elman: revising the provenance, Nicholas Sackman, 2019- Private Archives - 10072
- Caressa & Francais Notebook (c1900 - 1936), part of the Jacques Francais Collection at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC
- Sotheby's Musical Instruments Auction Catalog, October 22, 1970, London, Sotheby's, Sotheby's, London (illustrated)
- World of Strings, Spring, 1958, William Moennig & Sons, Philadelphia
- The Chi-Mei Collection of Fine Violins, Jen-wu Chen, Chi-Mei Culture Foundation (illustrated)
- Violins & Violinists, March-April, 1954, Ernest N. Doring, William Lewis & Son, Chicago (illustrated)
- Violin Iconography of Antonio Stradivari 1644-1737, Herbert K. Goodkind, Larchmont, NY (illustrated)
- Violin Mastery: Talks with Master Violinists and Teachers, Frederick H. Martens, Frederick A. Stokes Co., New York