Circle News

This violin was, with the "Castelbarco" cello of 1697, once a part of the quartet of Stradivaris owned by Count Cesare Castelbarco of Milan. After the count died, it was sold in London to Jean Baptiste Vuillaume. The violin later was sold to several other owners until it was purchased in about 1875 by John Mountford, who also owned the "Kreisler" Guarneri. Mountford owned this violin until his death, at which time it passed to the Hills of London and then to a Mrs. Renton of Guildford, Surrey. Nathan Posner bought this violin from Mrs. Renton and brought it to the United States. He in turn sold it to Mrs. Gertrude Clarke Whittall.

Stradivari's works from 1697-99 are especially interesting in that they reflect his relentless experimentation-notably a transition from the long form of the mid-decade to the elegant proportions of his post-1700 works. The "Castelbarco" is among the last of these long-form instruments--slightly longer in body length but also narrower across the bouts. The length of the back of this violin is 355.5 mm while the 1704 "Betts" measures 353.0 mm.