Messiah Stradivarius
Encyclopedia
The Messiah-Salabue Stradivarius of 1716 is a violin
made by Italian luthier
Antonio Stradivari
of Cremona
. It is considered to be the only Stradivarius
in existence in as new state.
The Messiah, sobriquet Le Messie, remained in the Stradivarius workshop until his death in 1737. It was then sold by his son Paolo to Count Cozio di Salabue in 1775, and for a time, the violin bore the name Salabue. The instrument was then purchased by Luigi Tarisio
in 1827. Upon Tarisio’s death, in 1854, French luthier Jean Baptiste Vuillaume
of Paris purchased The Messiah along with Tarisio's entire collection .
"One day Tarisio was discoursing to Vuillaume on the merits of this unknown and marvelous instrument, when the violinist Jean-Delphin Alard (Vuillaume's son-in-law), exclaimed: 'Then your violin is like the Messiah: one always expects him but he never appears' ('Vraiment, Monsieur Tarisio, votre violon est comme le Messie des Juifs: on l'attend toujours, mails il ne paraît jamais' ). Thus the violin was baptized with the name by which it is still known."
The Messiah was bequeathed
by the Hill family to the Ashmolean Museum
in Oxford
, England
for preservation for future violin makers to learn from. As a condition in the will of the former owner, the Museum can never allow the violin to be played.
The violin is in very good condition, as it has apparently never been played. It is one of the most valuable of all the Stradivari instruments.
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
made by Italian luthier
Luthier
A luthier is someone who makes or repairs lutes and other string instruments. In the United States, the term is used interchangeably with a term for the specialty of each maker, such as violinmaker, guitar maker, lute maker, etc...
Antonio Stradivari
Antonio Stradivari
Antonio Stradivari was an Italian luthier and a crafter of string instruments such as violins, cellos, guitars, violas, and harps. Stradivari is generally considered the most significant artisan in this field. The Latinized form of his surname, Stradivarius, as well as the colloquial, "Strad", is...
of Cremona
Cremona
Cremona is a city and comune in northern Italy, situated in Lombardy, on the left bank of the Po River in the middle of the Pianura Padana . It is the capital of the province of Cremona and the seat of the local City and Province governments...
. It is considered to be the only Stradivarius
Stradivarius
The name Stradivarius is associated with violins built by members of the Stradivari family, particularly Antonio Stradivari. According to their reputation, the quality of their sound has defied attempts to explain or reproduce, though this belief is controversial...
in existence in as new state.
The Messiah, sobriquet Le Messie, remained in the Stradivarius workshop until his death in 1737. It was then sold by his son Paolo to Count Cozio di Salabue in 1775, and for a time, the violin bore the name Salabue. The instrument was then purchased by Luigi Tarisio
Luigi Tarisio
This page refers to the violin dealer and collector. For the online string instrument auction house, see Tarisio Auctions.Luigi Tarisio was an Italian violin dealer and collector....
in 1827. Upon Tarisio’s death, in 1854, French luthier Jean Baptiste Vuillaume
Jean Baptiste Vuillaume
Jean Baptiste Vuillaume was an illustrious French violin maker. He made over 3,000 instruments and was also a fine businessman and an inventor.-Early life:...
of Paris purchased The Messiah along with Tarisio's entire collection .
"One day Tarisio was discoursing to Vuillaume on the merits of this unknown and marvelous instrument, when the violinist Jean-Delphin Alard (Vuillaume's son-in-law), exclaimed: 'Then your violin is like the Messiah: one always expects him but he never appears' ('Vraiment, Monsieur Tarisio, votre violon est comme le Messie des Juifs: on l'attend toujours, mails il ne paraît jamais' ). Thus the violin was baptized with the name by which it is still known."
The Messiah was bequeathed
Bequest
A bequest is the act of giving property by will. Strictly, "bequest" is used of personal property, and "devise" of real property. In legal terminology, "bequeath" is a verb form meaning "to make a bequest."...
by the Hill family to the Ashmolean Museum
Ashmolean Museum
The Ashmolean Museum on Beaumont Street, Oxford, England, is the world's first university museum...
in Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
for preservation for future violin makers to learn from. As a condition in the will of the former owner, the Museum can never allow the violin to be played.
The violin is in very good condition, as it has apparently never been played. It is one of the most valuable of all the Stradivari instruments.