Ames Stradivarius

The Ames Stradivarius of 1734 is an antique violin, made by the Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona. It is one of only 450–700 known extant Stradivari instruments in the world today.

The Ames receives its name from violinist George Ames who owned and performed with the instrument in the late nineteenth century.

The Ames Stradivarius was sold to Polish-born American violinist Roman Totenberg in 1943, for $15,000, and it was his only performance instrument for almost the next four decades. It was stolen from Totenberg in May of 1980, from his office at the Longy School of Music of Bard College, where he was then the director. Totenberg died in 2012. The violin was discovered by the thief's ex wife as part of his possessions he left her upon his death in 2010

In a formal ceremony by the US Attorney's Office on August 6, 2015, the recovered instrument was returned to Totenberg's daughters, Nina Totenberg, Amy Totenberg, and Jill Totenberg. The family stated that they plan to sell the instrument after it has been restored to playing condition. According to Nina Totenberg, “We’re going to make sure that it’s in the hands of another great artist who will play it in concert halls all over the world. All of us feel very strongly that the voice has been stilled for too long.”

Stradivarius

A Stradivarius is one of the violins, violas, cellos and other string instruments built by members of the Italian family Stradivari (Stradivarius), particularly Antonio Stradivari, during the 17th and 18th centuries. According to their reputation, the quality of their sound has defied attempts to explain or equal it, though this belief is disputed. The name "Stradivarius" has become a superlative often associated with excellence; to be called "the Stradivari" of any field is to be deemed the finest there is. The fame of Stradivarius instruments is widespread, appearing in numerous works of fiction.

Construction

The wood used included spruce for the top, willow for the internal blocks and linings, and maple for the back, ribs, and neck. There has been conjecture that this wood was treated with several types of minerals, including potassium borate (borax), sodium and potassium silicate, and vernice bianca, a varnish composed of gum arabic, honey, and egg white. Stradivari made his instruments using an inner form, unlike the French copyists, such as Vuillaume, who employed an outer form. It is clear from the number of forms throughout his career that he experimented with some of the dimensions of his instruments.

Roman Totenberg

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Roman Totenberg (1 January 1911 – 8 May 2012) was a Polish-American violinist and educator.

Early life

Born in Warsaw in a Jewish family, the son of Adam (an architect) and Slanislava (Vinaver) Totenberg, he spent his early childhood years (1914-1921) in Moscow, where the family relocated with the outset of the World War I.

Totenberg was a child prodigy, studied with Michalowicz in Warsaw, and made his debut at the age of eleven as soloist with the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra. He was also awarded the gold medal at the Chopin Conservatory/Warsaw and continued his studies with Carl Flesch in Berlin, where he won the International Mendelssohn Prize in 1931, and later with George Enescu and Pierre Monteux in Paris. In 1935, he made his British debut in London and his American debut in Washington, D. C. Three years later, he formally immigrated to the U.S. under the distinguished artist visa program.

Professional life

Totenberg toured South America with Artur Rubinstein, and gave joint recitals with Karol Szymanowski. He gave many concerts comprising the complete cycle of Beethoven sonatas and all Bach Brandenburg concertos. His diversified repertoire included more than thirty concerti. Among the many contemporary works he introduced are the Darius Milhaud Violin Concerto No. 2, the William Schuman Concerto, and the Krzysztof Penderecki Capriccio. He also premiered Paul Hindemith's Sonata in E (1935), the Samuel Barber Concerto (new version) and the Bohuslav Martinů Sonata, as well as giving the American premiere of Arthur Honegger's Sonate for violin solo. Under the patronage of the eminent violinist Yehudi Menuhin, and along with pianist Adolph Baller and cellist Gabor Rejto, Totenberg formed the Alma Trio in 1942–43 at Menuhin's Alma estate in California.