The ‘Macdonald’ Viola by Antonio Stradivari (1644 – 1737)
Estimated to Sell in excess of US$45 Million
Sotheby’s to sell a $45 million Stradivari viola Sotheby’s and Ingles & Hayday announced that they are to offer for sale the finest viola in existence – the ‘Macdonald’ Viola by Antonio Stradivari (1644 – 1737), with an estimated price in excess of US$45 million.]]>
March 28, 2014, source: Sotheby’s
Stradivari’s name has become synonymous with perfection in the field of musical instruments. Of all the instruments made by him, violas are by far the rarest – only ten survive, while his output during his long career included 600 violins and 50 cellos. A Stradivari viola is the ultimate prize for collectors and the ‘Macdonald’ of 1719 is one of only two violas made during Stradivari’s ‘Golden Period’ (1700 – 1720), which saw the production of his finest instruments. In terms of condition, beauty of 2 appearance and playing quality, the ‘Macdonald’ is without peer. The viola will be offered through a sealed bid process, with bids expected in excess of US$45 million.
The ‘Macdonald’ viola was purchased for Peter Schidlof of the Amadeus Quartet in 1964 and is being offered for sale by the family of the late musician, who died in 1987. The ‘Macdonald’ has a long documented history, passing through the hands of many titled owners. It was purchased by Godfrey Bosville, the 3rd Baron Macdonald – from whom its names derives – in the 1820s. Only two Stradivari violas, of which the ‘Macdonald’ is one, remain in private hands.
The craftsmanship of the ‘Macdonald’ viola is of incomparable quality. The front is of alpine spruce while the back is of a single piece of maple, and its almost complete coating of Stradivari’s famous varnish has remained in a remarkably pure and undamaged state. The consistent rippling flame of the maple slopes downward from left to right, providing a beautiful shifting pattern beneath the varnish. This unbroken figure emphasises the particular virtues of the instrument: a strength, weight and muscularity that proclaim the viola as a force of its own in the violin family.
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