Televet Posted May 7, 2017 Report Share Posted May 7, 2017 (edited) Probably most of you have already looked at this, but given the spirited bidding for the three Storioni's offered in London recently, this Storioni being offered by Tariso in New York looks interesting. The condition report is encouraging, even if it did start out life as a Viola. If anyone is going to the viewing I would be fascinated by your comments about how it sounds. Anybody here seen or handled it? Opinions? Edited May 7, 2017 by Televet to add images Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dwight Brown Posted May 7, 2017 Report Share Posted May 7, 2017 Isn't there a famous violinist that plays a converted viola? I think it may even be the same maker. DLB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herman West Posted May 7, 2017 Report Share Posted May 7, 2017 Arnold Steinhardt (formerly 1st of the Guarneri Qt) wrote an excellent book called 'Violin Dreams' about his quest for the violin that would become his. It's a Storioni that started life as a viola, and I don't think Steinhardt has parted with it yet. Here's a story from his blog about his panicking occassionally when he's traveling without his Storioni. http://keyofstrawberry.com/separation-anxiety/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dwight Brown Posted May 7, 2017 Report Share Posted May 7, 2017 3 hours ago, Herman West said: Arnold Steinhardt (formerly 1st of the Guarneri Qt) wrote an excellent book called 'Violin Dreams' about his quest for the violin that would become his. It's a Storioni that started life as a viola, and I don't think Steinhardt has parted with it yet. Here's a story from his blog about his panicking occassionally when he's traveling without his Storioni. http://keyofstrawberry.com/separation-anxiety/ That's it exactly! I could not remember it for the life of me! This one has got to be at leadt worth a try. A Storioni violin that was not a conversion should be worth 5 or 10 times what this one seems to want to go for. DLB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herman West Posted May 7, 2017 Report Share Posted May 7, 2017 or the conversion is not as succesful as in Steinhardt's case, 'cause it seems awfully cheap for an instrument of that vintage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmmm Posted May 7, 2017 Report Share Posted May 7, 2017 It has a rich, but somewhat muted sound...a warm, chamber music kind of instrument, imho. I'm sure more can be gotten out of it. It also feels a little big and clumsy in the hand, to me... Still, a very compelling instrument! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martin swan Posted May 7, 2017 Report Share Posted May 7, 2017 28 minutes ago, mmmm said: I'm sure more can be gotten out of it. On that particular rock were so many hopes dashed ...! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Televet Posted May 7, 2017 Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2017 Martin, I am curious what you would have to say about this instrument from the perspective of a dealer in fine instruments. My interest is largely academic with the brutal exchange rate currently making cross border shopping eye wateringly expensive for Canadians. Does this kind of adaption usually reduce value by over 90% compared to a normal violin of comparable pedigree, or is the sample size too small to comment? Certainly if I were able to shop in US dollars I might want to take a closer look at this as a rank amateur who knows nothing... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martin swan Posted May 7, 2017 Report Share Posted May 7, 2017 I think the sample size is too small to comment! It's more usual to see a small viola turned into a bigger viola - if the job has been done well then the value can be doubled. In the case of a small viola made into a violin, it would surely depend on the quality of work. I haven't seen this Storioni in the flesh, but it appears from the photos that the arching has been heavily bastardized and thinned down rather crudely from the outside. There are beautiful examples of re-sizing, it's a real artform, but this doesn't appear to be one of them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dwight Brown Posted May 8, 2017 Report Share Posted May 8, 2017 I can't imagine the conversion was done anytime recently (I hope anyway) I would love to try the thing. About the only way I would ever be able to have an instrument from a major maker of that period. I always hope I will get lucky someday though. DLB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poptart Posted May 9, 2017 Report Share Posted May 9, 2017 I thought it sounded beautiful. I played it for a few minutes. But it is rather ugly to look at. There was something wrong with the neck and fingerboard which made it very uncomfortable to play. We'll see how much it fetches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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