The Batta-Piatigorsky Stradivarius is a cello made in Cremona, Italy in 1714 by Antonio Stradivari. [1]
Antonio StradivariItalian pronunciation: [anˈtɔːnjo stradiˈvaːri]; was an Italian luthier and a crafter of string instruments such as violins, cellos, guitars, violas and harps. The Latinized form of his surname, Stradivarius, as well as the colloquial "Strad" are terms often used to refer to his instruments. It is estimated that Stradivari produced 1,116 instruments, 960 of which were violins. Around 650 instruments survived, including 450 to 512 violins.
The Batta-Piatigorsky was acquired by the Dutch cellist, Alexandre Batta, in 1836. It had also been played by the prominent French virtuoso cellist, Adrien-François Servais. In 1893, Batta sold the cello to W.E. Hill & Sons in London. Hill then sold it to collector Baron Johann Knoop, from whom the renowned Ukrainian-American virtuoso cellist, Gregor Piatigorsky, acquired it.
Adrien-François Servais was one of the most influential cellists of the nineteenth century. He was born and died in Halle, Belgium. He is one of the founders of the Modern Cellistic Schools of Paris and Madrid, which began with his friend Auguste Franchomme and his disciple Víctor Mirecki Larramat. His compositions are still being studied, performed and recorded all over the world.
W. E. Hill & Sons (1880) is a London-based firm that specialises in violins and other string instruments, and bows. It was also known as William Ebsworth Hill & Sons or William E. Hill & Sons.
Baron Johann Knoop, was a collector of musical instruments who possessed a total of 29 great violins, violas, and cellos at one time or another including some four Stradivari violas. Several instruments are named after him:
Of the Batta Stradivarius (as it was known at the time he acquired it), Piatigorsky wrote in his autobiography, Cellist:
"I played the Batta for a long time before appearing in concert with it. In solitude, as is befitting honeymooners, we avoided interfering company until then. . . While all other instruments I had played prior to the Batta differed one from the other in character and range, I knew their qualities, shortcomings, or their capriciousness enough to exploit their good capabilities to full advantage. Not so with the Batta, whose prowess had no limitations. Bottomless in its resources, it spurred me on to try to reach its depths, and I have never worked harder or desired anything more fervently than to draw out of this superior instrument all it has to give." [2]
The Batta-Piatigorsky Stradivarius is generally regarded as being among Stradivari's finest cellos, along with the Duport Stradivarius, the Davidov Stradivarius and the Servais Stradivarius. [3]
The Duport Stradivarius is a cello made in 1711 by Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona. The instrument is named after Jean-Louis Duport, who played it around 1800.
The Davidov Stradivarius, is an antique cello made in 1712 by Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona, Italy. It is very similar in construction and form to the equally famed Duport Stradivarius, built a year earlier and played by Mstislav Rostropovich until his death in 2007. The varnish is of a rich orange-red hue, produced with oil color glazes. Its owners have included Carl Davidoff and Jacqueline du Pré, and it is currently used by cellist Yo-Yo Ma.
The Servais Stradivarius is an antique cello crafted in 1701 by Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona (1644–1737). It is one of only sixty-three extant cellos attributed to his handicraft. The cello takes its name from the nineteenth-century Belgian cellist, Adrien Francois Servais (1807–1866), who played this cello.
