A rare Stradivarius viola, famously owned by Baron MacDonald of the U.K. in the 19th century, will be auctioned by Sotheby's this spring. Sotheby's has set a starting price of $45 million for the instrument, a figure that is far higher than the sale price of any other orchestral instrument.
As all musicians know, the viola is an instrument that is frequently overshadowed by its more flamboyant and extroverted sibling: the violin. The viola is not as popular as a solo instrument, and has long been the target of musicians' jokes--but it looks like violists may get the last laugh now.
Rising star violist David Aaron Carpenter will give a performance on the rare instrument Thursday morning at Sotheby's New York, and will play the viola again at Sotheby's Paris on April 15. He describes it as "the most truly perfect viola ever made."
The instrument's quality is one reason it is valued so highly. It is also extremely rare--about 600 of Antonio Stradivari's violins exist today, but only about 10 of his violas are known to have survived intact.
The previous highest price for a stringed instrument was set by the "Vieuxtemps" Guarneri "Del Gesù" violin, which was sold for somewhat more than $16 million in early 2013.
The asking price for the "MacDonald" Stradivarius viola is so much higher that it is likely to shift the entire global market for stringed instruments.
Carpenter is on a mission to keep the rare viola available to musicians. "It has always been played," he explains. "The most recent musician to own it was Peter Schidlof, violist of the Amadeus Quartet, and that's exactly as it should be."
"Stradivarius created instruments to be played and heard, but with prices going this high the danger is that new investors will swoop in and hide them away as commodities," he continued. "That would be a great shame. But when institutions buy them for or with musicians for performance, even if they are only played every so often, that is a huge service to society."
Carpenter has played on the MacDonald before, in private.
He describes the experience: "Perfect. It's a perfect viola. From both a musician's and a collector's perspective, the MacDonald Stradivari is a legendary instrument and it embodies true perfection in terms of how a viola should both look and sound. It is in almost perfect condition and the experience of playing it takes your breath away."
The sale, itself, will be completed in June this year.
Says Carpenter, "I am honored to have been invited by Sotheby's to play this instrument for the purposes of this historic sale. I hope that in the future I can continue to be involved in some shape or form with what is without a doubt my dream instrument. Now I've played it I'm not sure I can ever give it up!"
As a final thought, Carpenter can't resist humorously pointing out an irony that will not be lost on musicians.
"I have always been on a crusade for violas," he says. "They are gorgeous, exciting, beautiful instruments and I have always been bemused by the fact that other musicians habitually make jokes about them.
"Well, guys, guess what's the most valuable instrument of all time? And guess who's smiling now? That's one back for the violists!"
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