Making Matters: A history of the ‘Il Cremonese’ Stradivari violin’s case

In 1961 the City of Cremona purchased Stradivari’s 1715 violin ‘Joachim’ violin. Now rechristened ‘Il Cremonese’, that violin is regarded as one of Stradivari’s most perfect instruments and has become a defining symbol of the city, as well as its pride and joy. A few years ago, it occurred to me that when it was purchased, such a priceless instrument must have been delivered to the city with some form of protection. So I applied to the Museo del Violino to be allowed to investigate its vaults. Sure enough, I discovered that ‘Il Cremonese’ had been sold by W.E. Hill & Sons in the case in which it had been originally presented to Joseph Joachim. For 65 years this magnificent case, arguably one of the finest examples of its kind to have ever been built, has lain disregarded, and it is my privilege to be able to bring it to popular attention once again…