A Prince at the Museum

The violin “Prince Doria” 173420150922_121035-001, Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù, joined the collections of the Museo del Violino.
The violin belongs to a private collection and it’s now displayed in the museum as part of the “friends of Stradivari” project, a worldwide web of people who love the Cremonese violinmaking tradition. It is now  displayed in the “Treasure box” room.

The restorer and historian of violin making Gregg Alf, member of the Museo scientific board, presented the history of the instrument.
The earliest historical document for the Prince Doria “ del Gesù” goes back to 1858 when it was sold by the leading French expert at the time, Jacquot, to the Doria Family.

The Prince Doria has had few owners in the past 150 years: Rembert Wurlitzer, Leopold Godowsky Jr., Lionel Perera (for Zui Zeitlin) and the current owners.

The Prince Doria Guarneri is widely regarded as one of the best sounding concert violin remaining by this maker. The outstanding tone qualities of the  instrument have been confirmed during Massimo Quarta , winner of the Paganini Award, short performance. The varied writings of ” Recitativo e scherzo”  by Kreisler gave the solist the chance to show the rich expressive polychromy of the Guarneri.

Two study meetings will take place at the Museo del Violino: Saturday 17 October in the morning there will be a study meeting with Fausto Cacciatori and Gregg Alf; Sunday 18, in the Auditorium Giovanni Arvedi, the violinist Lena Yokoyama and the piano player Diego Maccagnola will be the protagonist of a special performance.

The Cremonese debut of “Prince Doria” is  accompained also by an important scientific work, the publishing of the technical drawings of the instrument with all the measurements and big format pictures. The folder is on sale at the bookshop.