Most Expensive Violin in the World
Written by: tom Filed Under: Music, World on April 24th, 2006The violin is probably the most popular bowed and stringed musical instrument. The instrument comes from Italy during the 16th century and the oldest surviving violin dates to 1564.
One expensive violin, the Lady Tennant Stradivarius, was sold by Christie’s New York in April 2005 for $2.03 million US dollars. There have been private sales of similar violins crafted by Stradivari which probably exceeded this costly figure. This expensive violin was originally owned by Charles Lafont, and the name comes from Sir Charles Tennant who purchased it for his wife in 1900. Antonio Stradivari (1644-1737), the luthier who created the instrument, is believed to have created 1,100 violins in Cremona, Italy, and 650 of those are believed to still exist.
A Del Gesu
Even rarer than Stradivari instruments, however, are those created by Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù (1698-1744). Considered Stradivari’s only rival, Guarneri also worked in Cremona. One of his violins recently became not only the world’s most expensive violin but also the world’s most expensive musical instrument when it was purchased by Russian lawyer and violinist Maxim Viktorov.
The violin in question, a 250-year-old piece once owned by Tsar Alexander II’s court violinist, was sold to Viktorov at a Sotheby’s auction in New York for nearly $4 million USD. Viktorov only played it a little before purchasing it. After that, he refused to play it until Israeli virtuoso Pinchas Zukerman had performed with it.
Zukerman played two concerts with the world’s most expensive violin—one before a private audience of Moscow’s social elite and one public performance at the Moscow Conservatory.
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i have one violin joseph guarnnerius cremonae anno 1740
i am interesting to sale it
how to public it violin to sale
can you help about this
bye
i love violins very much. … just wanted everybody to know that.
[...] A nice violin start at $20,000 and goes up from there – The Lady Tennant Stradivarius violin was sold by Christie’s New York in April 2005 for $2.03 million US dollars. There have been private sales of similar violins crafted by Stradivari which probably exceeded this costly figure.Link [...]
violin…
it costs 2 million bucks??
i could live my whole life with that money!!!
my violin is cheap, can i have that one?
I love drums:X:X:X:X:X
@jetmir:
NOTE:
1. You spelled the name GUARNERIUS incorrectly! There is only one “N” in the name Guarneri!
( FAKE!)
2. A Genuine “Joseph Guarneri” label would not say “anno”! …
It would read: “……. Fecit Cremonae, fub Titulo Therefie 1740.
(FORGERY!)
4. There are only 3 known ‘labeled’ 1740’s (del Gesus’) Joseph Guarnerius’ examples in existance and all are accounted for…. yours in obviusly NOT one! (FRAUD!)
FAKE FORGERY FRAUD !!!
CaseTested…violinist
@ casetested
how do you know all that ?
are you a machine ?
Can I trade you mine for that one? PLEASE!!!!!!!
i agree with @jetmir. It is very common to find a fake violin for sale..ebay is a good example.
I am a violinistand have played for 12 yrs and als o have benn playing viola for a year
I’ve been playing the violin for 22 years, (I’m 27 now) I’ve had a couple of Strad and Guarneri copies. Although they’re not worth much they can be nice violins.
I should also point out that the luthiers who made these copies weren’t trying to defraud anyone. It was common practise in the early 1900’s for luthiers to make violins in “the style” of other famous makers.
Almost all of the “certified” Strads and Guarneris have been RUINED by modern luthiers who erroneously believe that they can “improve” the old instruments.
Many of the old untampered violins in attics and closets that end up on e-bay sound and play WAY BETTER than the multi million dollar monstrosities that are but scratchy sounding modernized SHELLS of their ancient glory.
my great aunt claims to have a strad…i cant wait to find out if it really is one. i know the odds are against me but i can still hope and wish. she has other violins that we can sell and get some money for. not 2 million but it would still be nice to have anything.
I bet Steinway violins are even better for way less scratch.
“on the fiddle” = someone who makes a fake violin
Re: the Guraneri, many 19th and 20th century european “cottage industry” makers used labels of the old masters in their instruments. They are neither rare nor of high quality. But many people mistakenly believe they have a rare instrument from one of the old masters. Lots of luck selling it, maybe you will find a bigger fool than yourself.
i recall that the 1718 firebird strad went for about $7.4M or so in 2004/2005.
it is for sale (again) at a dealer. just do a search on it.
my favorite violin by far. i dream that if i won a BIG lottery (sad it has to to be a big one), i would get it.
the ‘listed’ most valuable but unpriced violin is perlman’s soil strad. my guess is if it went on the market? $12 to $15 million…easy!
my violin is from jacek sikorski, it was $4500 but its appraised for $12000
I am very attached to my violin. It was made sometime in the fifties and was only 3,500, but It’s still really beautiful sounding .
-natalie, 13
my friend’s best friend claimed to have had a genuine strad with a castle carved in the back. I think she sold it though. I never met the person…
btw, I have a approx. 100 year old (well, we think 100 years, but are unsure…) violin that is unmarked. Is there anyway we can have it identified?
I guess you could try taking the violin and get the wood sampled or something, mabye that would work? I dunno, I’m a cello player actually, so I don’t know why I’m even on this conversation
One day I heard a violin player while waiting for my flight in Hethrow Airport. It was in an empty terminal and she was playing for a guy (husband or father or something) that was in a wheelchair. It was the most amazing sound I have ever heard. I have heard other violins as part of a whole orchestra but never alone like that. Does anyone know any music that is just the voilin only? Please let me know.
cool i love violins
tamer,check out j.s. bach’s partitas and sonatas,(solo violin),very beautiful
John;
Thank you very much that is what I was looking for exactly. Perfect.
Cheers
I have a John Juzek violin.
My grandmother gave it to me and I do not know how much it is worth.
Does anyone have any idea?
i think why stradivarius violins the uniqueness of their sound its because of the timber that made of them. the timbers were very old not just grown for a few decades that time. and dried for many years after the timbers were cut from the trees.
amm…i want a violin like this one:(
but i dont have money to buy it..:)
im so proud to have one of the most expensive violin in the world..i really do love strad violin..
I have an old violin with ivory bass pegs that point out the back of the scroll rather than the sides. There are gears for tuners, but not like the new ones that people install on them these days. These are original from the maker and the violin is so old it is almost blackened.
Anyone ever see anything like this??
Wow. And I thought my £1, 430 one was expensive!
Hello have just been given a violin by my father and I know nothing about them, it was given to him by his grand mother who had it in the early 1900’s I am going to take it to a music shop to get looked at just looking for any words of wisdom before I do it says on the inside looks to be on a paper lable Joseph Guarnerius fecit Cermonae anno 1709 I.H.S? Thanks p.s i dont need any smart remarks im just asking
i would like to know where i can get my violin appraised,
will need to carrier it to some large city?
chris,
Check out this thread. Look particularly at the entry from casetested Feb. 27, 2007. I’m afraid it’s not a real Guarneri, my friend.
i hate playing the violin but i just wanted to no the most expensive violin in th world hahahahahahahahah lol
wtf i know places where you can get a violin for £35 (about 60$) but mind you i dont think they would be as nice as this one P.S i dont play violin it is one of the only stringed instruments i dont play but one day i shall learn
Question
I have a 1923 Erush Heiurich Roth, Cremona,1924, copy of Antoinus Stradivarius. What could be the general value of this instrument?
In early 2006 I discovered a violin advertised as “Guarneri Label” , etc., in the internet catalog of Elderly Instruments, Lansing, Michigan. After studying the images for about 9 months I determined the instrument was made between 1740-42. I bought the violin on 5 Sept. 2006. When it arrived via UPS I took the case out of the box, removed the violin from the case, cleaned the grime off the label and found the date of 1741. The violin has now been certified as authentic by a highly competent, honest appraiser in the UK, who is none other than Mr. Gerard (Jed) Murphy! (Jed is one of the world’s top restoration experts and also makes very fine violins.)
So, the most expensive is Stradivarius and Cremona? Haha of course these two are beautiful.
Hi,
Please! be a little bit romantic, you hear a hevenlly sound that comes out of this misterious , noble and beutifull instrument which has roots in player’s hart.
hey i do play the voilin but not so good. Iv’e been playing for about four year but i just can get the hang of it. Do you have any tips for me?
To those of you interested in finding out the make and year of your violin, find a reputable luthier in your area and take the violin to him or her and ask for an appraisal. It will set you back some, but it would be worth it to find out if you have a worthwhile instrument, and whether you should have it repaired and insured.
I’m just here because I used to play violin and I just watched “The Red Violin” on DVD (again!) and I wanted to know what was the most paid for a violin. Love me some violin! Joshua Bell is awesome!
wow that’s the most expensive?
Wow, this price sounds outrageous! I wonder who would be willing to buy it…
Well i have a violin repaired and adjusted by D. Bolleir Almuiet in 1896. and on the tailpiece, it has this little seal, it looks like a shield with 3 tips and a star looking symbol in the middle of it, anyone know the type of violin it is??
this violin looks like crap its sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo not worth it!
I wondered if anyone knows any information & history on a violin, it looks like its been engraved or burned in wood with Joseph Guarneriusfecit (has a cross) Cremonae anno 1709 IHS, it is in that order inside of violin. It has 2 old cases with it, lined in red. Does anyone know how much its worth or someone I could contact about it.
Thankyou, Anne
If anyone has any info & how much this violin is worth please let me know or recommend someone to me, I would appreciate it. The name is engraved or burned in wood of violin. It says Joseph Guarnerius fecit (has a cross here) looks like a Catholic cross then Cremonae anno 1709 IHS.
Came with 2 very old cases. Thankyou Very Much, Anne
i have a violin and the brand is schindler,and i also play
The most amazing thing in this regard is where rare instruments are often found. My lack of knowledge regarding violins would preclude any commentary, however, last summer I purchased an electric guitar at a local flea market for $125; turns out that it is a Fender Broadcaster, the first production model which Leo Fender introduced in the early 1950’s, in virtual mint condition, with original hardshell case. It’s appraised value? $95,000 USD. So, there are incredible finds out there, You just have to look and pay close attention.
i LOVE violins SO much!!! i play it in school and i am only in sixth grade!!! and i am first violin third chair!!!