Posted on 01/28/2014 2:37:27 PM PST by afraidfortherepublic
A rare Stradivarius violin on loan to Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra concertmaster Frank Almond was stolen during an armed robbery Monday night.
The instrument, known in musical circles as the Lipinski violin, was taken around 10:20 p.m. Monday in a parking lot in the rear of Wisconsin Lutheran College on W. Wisconsin Ave., police said. Almond had played a concert at Wisconsin Lutheran Monday evening as part of his Frankly Music series.
In a 2008 feature on the violin, Chicago violin dealer Stefan Hersh said the Lipinski violin was comparable in value to another Strad that sold for more than $3.5 million in a 2006 auction.
The instrument was on indefinite loan to Almond from its anonymous owners. Almond has characterized them as people with "strong ties to Milwaukee." It's a common practice in the music world for the owners of such exquisite instruments to loan them to virtuosi such as Almond.
The violin's early owners included the virtuoso Giuseppe Tartini (1692-1770), known to listeners for his "Devil's Trill" Sonata. The instrument has also belonged to Polish violinist Karol Lipinski (1790-1861), whose name has stayed attached to it.
Local music writer Elaine Schmidt, who held the instrument during a 2013 interview with Almond, described it as "light, far lighter than one would expect, and an absolutely gorgeous example of craftsmanship."
During that 2013 interview, Almond explained that the Lipinski, is "finicky" about temperature and humidity, responding differently some days than others.
(Excerpt) Read more at jsonline.com ...
BOLO at Ebay, that’s for sure.
LOL
It’s not like you can just fence that piece of artwork anywhere...
Something like that, that hot, would be for big spenders... probably overseas.
i wonder if the sound can be synthesized, given our ability to manufacture noise ..
I’m partial to the SAS assault in Patriot Games. Reminds me of the 3rd Mov. in Schostakovich’s 5th symphony.
Thank you for posting that video.
I have a friend whose daughter is a concert violist. A friend of theirs bought a “private dinner in a home” at a local charity auction and gave 2 of the tickets to my friend. My friends arrived at the address given without knowing the names of the hosts.
The lady of the house was busy in the kitchen, and cocktails and hors d’oevres were being served in the library. Suddenly, everyone hushed; and Frank Almond appeared at the top of the stairs and entered the room playing the Lipinski. This was just after it was discovered in a Milwaukee bank vault and loaned to the MSO for Almond’s use. He had not played it in public yet.
He entertained the 8 or 10 guests for an hour before dinner. My friends do not remember what was served for dinner.
Seems like two or three times every year, somebody acts careless with a Stradivarius or other extremely sensitive instrument. Are these musicians so into their craft that they forget to take precautions? One of my most favorite violin compositions, as I may have mentioned before, is Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op 64 by Felix Mendelssohn. It’s lively stirring, melodic and at times overwhelming.
In the expanded (since yesterday) article it says that Almond was attacked by a stun gun. He’s still recovering and will not perform in this weekend’s concerts.
Or just a musically inclined version of Doctor No. Trying to sell it would be like trying to pawn the Mona Lisa
Nope. Sure synths can do a credible violin. But a pro will never be fooled.. No way in hell can something that nuanced be faked.
When I carry my Les Paul Around, I also carry a Colt.
And the Les is not NEARLY as precious as the Strad.
Just hope that the thief doesn’t try to take it through United States Customs.
It’ll end up as matchsticks...
I hate a finicky violin. Almost as bad as a finicky violinist.
Maybe someone could 3-D print a new one.
He could still play an extended version of John Cage's 4'33".
It’s time to make that crook FACE THE MUSIC! LOL.
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