Antonio Stradivari (1644-1737) is arguably the most famous maker of stringed instruments of all time time. The sound of his violins and cellos is considered magical, almost mystical, and experts have argued endlessly about what exactly makes them so special. Around 650 of his instruments are known to survive today; most of these are the legendary violins.
Much rarer still are guitars made by Stradivari. Only five still survive. Of those five, only this one remains playable. Known as the Sabionari, the guitar dates from 1679. Here Rolf Lislevand, a musician who specializes in performing early music, plays a tarantela by Spanish composer Santiago de Murcia (1673-1739.) What a wonderful way to begin the weekend!
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Gayle V - According to my husband the guitarist, the number of strings on guitars wasn't standard at this time. This one appears to have eight strings. :)
I'm not sure what blows my mind the more: the beauty of this only surviving (playable) Stradivari guitar at over 300 years old, or Mr. Lislevand's skill in showing it at its best.
One of us -- Loretta Chase -- writes historical romance. One of us -- Susan Holloway Scott -- writes historical novels,and as Isabella Bradford, wrote historical romances, too.
There’s a big difference in how we use history. But we’re equally nuts about it. To us, the everyday details of life in the past are things to talk about, ponder, make fun of -- much in the way normal people talk about their favorite reality show.
We talk about who’s wearing what and who’s sleeping with whom. We try to sort out rumor or myth from fact. We thought there must be at least three other people out there who think history’s fascinating and fun, too. This blog is for them.
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5 comments:
How beautiful! What a lovely way to start the day. Is this a six-string guitar? I can't tell...
Wonderful!! Thank you.
Gayle V - According to my husband the guitarist, the number of strings on guitars wasn't standard at this time. This one appears to have eight strings. :)
Are any of us today making something that will still function this well 350 years from now? Lovely!
I'm not sure what blows my mind the more: the beauty of this only surviving (playable) Stradivari guitar at over 300 years old, or Mr. Lislevand's skill in showing it at its best.
Thanks VERY much for sharing this.
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