In this extract from the first of a two-part article, Terry Borman introduces the instrument’s most celebrated ownerAt 3pm on 28 August 1881 the small town of Verviers in Belgium became the centre of European attention, when the funeral procession of the late Henri Vieuxtemps began.
After Henri Vieuxtemps, a long line of famed violinists followed and became owners of the instrument, and even today it’s owned by a world famous musician.One of the thing’s that’s most outstanding about the Vieuxtemps Guarneri is how remarkably well made it was. Whoever purchased the Vieuxtemps Guarneri made sure to request that he or she remain anonymous, but what is known is that the buyer paid more than $16 million for the violin. If you continue without changing your settings, we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on this website (Currently the world’s most expensive violin, the 1741 ‘Vieuxtemps’ Guarneri ‘del Gesù’ is in a remarkable state of preservation, considering it has been in use for most of its life. Currently the world’s most expensive violin, the 1741 ‘Vieuxtemps’ Guarneri ‘del Gesù’ is in a remarkable state of preservation, considering it has been in use for most of its life. violin, the 1741 ‘Vieuxtemps’ Guarneri ‘del Gesù’ is in a remarkable state of preservation, considering it has been in use for most of its life. During our research we also studied the ‘Jarnowich’ Guarneri ‘del Gesù’ of 1741 and the 1707 ‘Cathedral’ Stradivari. One of the last models that he ever made was the Vieuxtemps Guarneri.This particular violin was most notably owned by Henri Vieuxtemps, the Belgian violinist who made a name for himself back in the 19th century.
Such an agreement is quite rare in the music industry, and it’s not known whether even Meyers is aware of who the mysterious donor is. Guarneri violins are also known by the extension of Giuseppe Guarneri's name, Del Gesù.
Here’s how to help As of 2016 it is the most expensive violin ever made, exceeding the then record breaking price of the Lady Blunt violin that sold for $15.9 million in 2011.In addition to Henri Vieuxtemps, the most expensive violin in the world once belonged to 20th century American violinist and conductor Yehudi Menuhin, Sir Isaac Wolfson, Ian Stouzker, Israeli violinist Pinchas Zukerman, and award-winning musician Itzhak Perlman.Today, the Vieuxtemps Guarneri is being used by Anne Akiko Meyers, and American violinist who is a classical soloist who has an extensive collection of pricey violins. That’s an incredible feat for an instrument of the Vieuxtemps Guarneri’s age.One factor that has allowed the instrument to withstand the test of time is how beautifully and precisely it was initially crafted.
He designed the Vieuxtemps Guarneri in 1741, and today it has the distinction of being the most expensive violin on the planet. However, she doesn’t technically own it.
In the second part of this article (The famous ‘Il Cannone’ Guarneri ‘del Gesù’ will be spending a week on display in Columbus, Ohio, for its first visit to the US in 15 years Sale of violin makes him the top earning Norwegian artist last year, but deal struck with investor sees him keep it for life Some of the most photogenic workspaces to have graced The Strad’s pages in the past few years Violinist and Metropolitan Opera concertmaster Benjamin Bowman has spent his entire playing career in search of ever more subtle and responsive bows.
This is what lent it its unmatched sound quality, gorgeous looks, and set the foundation for the Vieuxtemps Guarneri to age with little to no problems. He even has an asteroid named after him, called 19185 Guarneri, because he made such an impact in the world of instrument making and design. This site, like many others, uses small files called cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website.