The ''Muntz Stradivarius'' is an antique
violin
The violin, sometimes known as a '' fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone ( string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument ( soprano) in the family in regu ...
crafted by
Antonio Stradivari
Antonio Stradivari (, also , ; – 18 December 1737) was an Italian luthier and a craftsman of string instruments such as violins, cellos, guitars, violas and harps. The Latinized form of his surname, '' Stradivarius'', as well as the collo ...
of
Cremona (1644–1737) in 1736. The label affixed to this instrument bears the inscription, “''d'anni 92''” (92 years old), possibly handwritten by Stradivari himself. It has also been suggested that
Count Cozio di Salabue, a subsequent owner, made this inscription. ''The Muntz'' which has a solid reputation for its excellent condition and tonal quality, takes its name from a man who owned it in the late 19th century,
H. M. Muntz. He was a collector and amateur violinist who lived in
Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1. ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. ''The Muntz'', among the last of the instruments made by Stradivari, is currently owned by the
Nippon Music Foundation
The Nippon Music Foundation (NMF) is an organisation under the supervision of the Arts and Culture Promotion Division, Agency for Cultural Affairs, a special body of the Japanese Ministry of Education. Established 3 March 1972, its stated purpose ...
.
Since 2007, the ''Muntz Stradivarius'' has been leased to
Yuki Manuela Janke, concertmaster of the
Staatskapelle Dresden.
References
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External links
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1736 works
Stradivari violins
Stradivari instruments
{{violin-stub