Antonio Stradivari :
The Complete Works
The most comprehensive collection ever made on the work of the master luthier.
A landmark publication
All known Strads
Spanning 6 volumes and 2000 pages, the publication gathers all known Stradivari instruments. All violins, violas and celli but also guitars, lutes, a viola da gamba, a bow and a harp offer an interesting insight into the life of the most famous Cremonese violin workshop.
Dendrochronology
For the first time, dendrochronological analysis has been applied systematically. This relatively new scientific tool dates the wood on the front of the instrument and provides valuable insights for expertise.
Unprecedented Scale
It took 9 years of meticulous research to gather and organise a phenomenal amount of data. Detailed provenances with dimensions, labels and certificate information for some 850 instruments. All accompanied by stunning photography.
Practical Design
Beautifully printed and bound in Italy, the volumes measure 300 x 360mm and offer an optimal reading experience. The elegant Parisian-grey slipcases, each housing two volumes, come equipped with ribbons for seamless handling.
PRODUCTION UPDATE
As of January 2024, Volumes 1, 2, 3 & 4 have been printed and are being bound. Work is underway on the remaining two volumes, as we near completion of the complete set.
A Word from the Authors
Simon Morris and Steven Smith
The creation of this publication has been as rewarding as it has been challenging. The scale of Antonio Stradivari’s achievement over his long and productive lifetime is staggering: over eight hundred instruments are recorded and the great majority of these are extant.
We see this publication both as our contribution to safeguarding the legacy of Antonio Stradivari and as a valuable service that we can provide to current and future custodians of these instruments. And to lead this once-in-a-lifetime undertaking we invited John Dilworth and Duane Rosengard, two remarkable scholars whose expertise in fine-stringed instruments and the Cremonese tradition spans some forty years across both sides of the Atlantic.
Clearly, the scale of work surpasses the capacity and resources of one dealer, so we are grateful to peers and institutions for their generosity in sharing information and expertise. We hope that you will enjoy this publication as a reference book, a testament to one remarkable man’s lifetime of work, and an inspiration to all craftsmen and craftswomen, as well as a work of beauty in its own right.
(Left) Simon Morris, the former co-Managing Director of J&A Beare. (Right) Steven Smith, owner and Managing Director of J&A Beare.
Our Institutional Partners
The publication benefitted from unprecedented support from major institutions worldwide
The publication also benefited from great support from collectors, dealers and colleagues who generously shared their records for this project.
Explore the Stradivari project through our short videos
A luthier who defined violin craftsmanship for all generations to come.
Antonio Stradivari (1644-1737) was a perfectionist and an innovator. From adolescence through his 93rd year, he constantly experimented with the shape, varnish and materials of the violin, seeking the perfect tone that could project a universe of sound to the farthest reaches of the largest concert hall. His prolific output includes some of the most beautiful stringed instruments ever made, whose craftsmanship has yet to be equalled even with modern skills and technology.
Today, his keen spirit and passion live on in his work and continue to inspire generation after generation of players and violin-makers.
