This fine example of Guarneri’s work has a back that may have been shaped by his father, Giuseppe Guarneri ‘filius Andreae’
Canimex has been loaning fine instruments to players for more than two decades. The Strad Calendar 2026 showcases twelve of these treasures, including five by Antonio Stradivari, two by Guarneri ‘del Gesù’, two by Giovanni Battista Guadagnini and – a first for the Calendar – a modern octobass.
1741 ‘Titan’ Guarneri ‘del Gesù’ violin
The 1741 ‘Titan’ violin by Guarneri ‘del Gesù’ is a fine example of the master luthier’s work. Among its illustrious earlier players were the Dutch–American violinist Kees Kooper, concertmaster of the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, and Alexandre Moskowsky, second violinist of the Hungarian Quartet. It is now played by Timothy Chooi, soloist and professor of violin at the University of Ottawa.
According to the Beare certificate, the violin has quite an unusual pattern, owing to the back having been shaped at an earlier date by Guarneri ‘filius Andreae’, father of ‘del Gesù’. However, the long f-holes, asymmetric scroll and red–brown varnish over a lighter ground are all hallmarks of the younger Guarneri. The back is of two pieces of quarter-cut maple with flames of medium width running more or less horizontally, while the scroll and sides are of similar wood. The top is made from two pieces of narrow-grain spruce broadening towards the flanks.
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Photos: Canimex
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