The Vieuxtemps Guarneri violin, made in 1741 by esteemed Guarneri del Gesù, is all set to become the most expensive musical instrument ever. It’s one of the last violins created by the renowned craftsman from Cremona in Italy. If it manages to sell for $18 million (£12 million) at Bein & Fushi of Chicago, it would become the most expensive musical instrument in the world. Some of the most famous names have played this violin in concert halls around the world. Recently, Yehudi Menuhin, Itzhak Perlman and Pinchas Zukerman tried their hands on this violin. Christened after Henri Vieuxtemps, a 19th century musician, the Vieuxtemps Guarneri is also hailed as the Mona Lisa of violins. The instrument is presently in the hands of a retired British financier and music philanthropist, Ian Stoutzker, who bought it from Sir Isaac Wolfson, founder of Wolfson College, Oxford.
Geoffrey Fushi, owner of Bein & Fushi in Chicago, told Guardian...
I believe it is a living entity, a living being. Musicians say the same thing — that the instrument dictates to them how they play the music.
Peter Quint, a soloist, who has played the instrument, said…
This instrument has the most unbelievable power, not just in loudness but in sound quality. It has a huge palate of colours that allow you to express a wider range of emotions.
In 1891, the London trader Arthur Hill, cited…
What a pity we are not rich enough to keep the violin ourselves as its tone and other merits are perfect.
The previous record price is held by another Guarneri, the Kochanski, which was sold for $10 million last October.
Via: Guardian
