STRADIVARI, striV)16-vii'n% or STRAD'I VA'RIUS, ANTONIO (c.1644-1737). The most famous violin-maker of the Cremonese School. He was born in Cremona, and was probably ap prenticed at a very early age to Nicola Amati, who at that time was regarded as the greatest of all the Cremonese masters. His first instru ments were made between 1670 and 1635 and were largely of the Amati model, in consequence of which they are usually described as `Amatese Strads.' They are distinguished by their lack of symmetry compared with his later works, their plain wood, and generally squatty About 1685 his originality began to assert itself, and by the following year he had evidently ac quired his own peculiar style, which subsequent makers have largely used as a model. The period known as the 'long Strad' period was from 1690 to 1700, and incidentally it may be pointed out that the instruments made during that time were not any longer in design than those of the following years, from which they differed only in their treatment. For instance, the middle bouts, edges, and corners were longer and more graceful, and were possessed of a contour which has been described as a mingling of the feminine character of Nicola Amati's work and the mascu line massive style of Stradivari from 1700 to 1737. In 1684 Nicola Amati died and bequeathed all his wood, models, and tools to Stradivari, thus providing the latter with a large and choice stock of tempered and seasoned wood, which was more than anything else responsible for the im proved quality of his instruments dating from 1685. All the work of Stradivari was marked
by minuteness of detail; the high quality of the wood and varnish; and the beauty of tone, which has a sympathetic quality altogether dis tinct from the best work of any other maker. His violins must have numbered fully two thousand, although comparatively few speci mens are now in existence. He died at Cremona. —Fns NCESCO STRADIVARI ( 1671-1743), the second son of Antonio, was born at Cremona. He carried on his father's business, adopting Antonio's model of the period of 1700-1712. and produced instruments of a commanding style and an invariably gond tone. Like his father, he was exceedingly careful in the artistic finish of his work, using wood of the finest quality and a rich red-brown varnish.—OmonoNo STRADIVARI (1079 17.42), the fourth child of Antonio, was chiefly remarkable for his skill in repairing valuable instruments.
Consult: Fetis, Antoine Stradivari (Brussels, 1856) ; Niederheit mann, Cremona (Leipzig, 1897).