December 18: On This Day in World History … briefly
Master violin maker Antonio Stradivari died aged 93 at his home in Cremona, after a lifetime spent bringing violin-making to perfection.
1737: Master violin maker Stradivari dies
Antonio Stradivari (1644 – 18 December 1737) was an Italian luthier and a crafter of string instruments such as violins, cellos, guitars, violas and harps. The Latinised form of his surname, Stradivarius, as well as the colloquial ‘Strad’ are terms often used to refer to his instruments. It is estimated that Stradivari produced 1 116 instruments, 960 of which were violins. Around 650 instruments survived, including 450 to 512 violins.
Born in 1644, Stradivari apprenticed to the great Amati, but by 1684 had diverged from his mentor and was producing larger violins with deeper coloured varnish, and was experimenting with small details. From 1690 his long models represented a complete innovation with regard to the proportions of the instrument. In the early 1700s, Stradivari broadened and improved his model and began making fine cellos and violas as well.
Stradivari created the standards by which violins can be judged and devised the current form of the bridge, also setting the proportions for today’s violin with its shallower body that yields a more powerful and penetrating tone than earlier violins.
Stradivari died in Cremona on 18 December 1737, aged 93. He is buried in the Church of San Domenico. The tomb was acquired 8 years prior to his death, having been bought from a Cremonese family, substituting his name for theirs in the tombstone.
Most notable historic snippets or facts extracted from the book ‘On This Day’ first published in 1992 by Octopus Publishing Group Ltd, London, as well as additional supplementary information extracted from Wikipedia.
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