Some of the Most Expensive Instruments in the World
Today I have prepared a slightly different article for you, because the topic immediately caught my attention. I knew that instruments could be extremely valuable collectible items, but I had no idea that they could fetch such astronomical prices. Sometimes they conceal within themselves the entire history of a certain period, but sometimes they are so expensive because they are the product of the imagination of an exceptional master, or simply because they are perfect. It just goes to show that perfection does in fact exist, even in the world of classical music. Let’s begin.
Gasparo da Salò produced a very valuable series of violins, violas, cellos, lutes and other stringed instruments, carved in fine ebony and ornamented with Baroque and Rococo details, as was the custom at the time. One of his violas fetched more than $500,000 at an auction in the United States, mainly due to the craftsmanship displayed in the instrument, which is entirely handmade and extraordinarily beautiful. All of Gaspar da Salò’s instruments are richly decorated with inlays, arabesques and the finest bezels.
We certainly must not overlook Antonio Stradivari and his “Lady Tennant” violin, one of the most valuable and admired instruments in the music world. The handmade violin dates back to 1699 and is worth no less than two million dollars. The mystery that surrounds this fascinating instrument and its history involves the woman whom it is named after, Lady Tennant. It is said that the Stradivarius was purchased at an auction in 1900 by a mysterious Scottish businessman for one million dollars, most likely as a tribute to his wife. On this occasion, the violin was christened “Lady Tennant” in honour of the woman who received it as a gift.
Another violin made by the master Stradivari in 1707 is valued at 3.5 million dollars and was named after Christian Hammer, a nineteenth-century collector. It is said that Stradivari himself chose the best wood by listening to the trunk of the tree, as if in dialogue with nature. Stradivarius violins have been owned by some of the most famous musicians and celebrated figures of classical music, such as Niccolò Paganini and Gian Battista Viotti.
The “Lady Blunt” Stradivarius violin has won all of the medals: bronze, silver and gold. It is valued at about 16 million dollars and is named after the fifteenth Baroness of Wentworth, Lady Blunt, daughter of Lord Byron. This brings us to the fairytale context of a noble court, with a musical instrument that dates back to 1721.
As we climb higher and higher on the list of the most expensive and most valued musical instruments we come to an instrument worth 20 million dollars, the “Duport” Stradivarius cello. Constructed in 1711, it was owned by the collector Jean Pierre Duport in the early nineteenth century. A fascinating story surrounds this prestigious cello. It is said that Duport was a close friend of Napoleon Bonaparte and that he let him play the instrument at gala evenings. However, since the general was unskilled in handling musical instruments, he once made a small dent in the body with his boot. It is not known whether this harmed or increased the instrument’s value and reputation!
The first place on the list of the most expensive instruments in the world is occupied by the “MacDonald” Stradivarius viola, which is valued at over 45 million dollars. Why is this instrument so expensive? The reasons can be summarised in a couple of key points regarding Antonio Stradivari’s artistic production. Firstly, it is one of the few violas known to have been made by the master Stradivarius himself, and secondly, it was made during Stradivari’s “golden period”, between 1700 and 1720. The viola was owned by the famous Godfrey Bosville, the third Baron Macdonald, who purchased it around 1820. In 1964, it was bought by Peter Schidlof of the Amadeus Quartet. After the latter passed away, his heirs put the instrument up for auction.