Arabella gets Szigeti’s violin
mainThe famous 1718 Benno Walter Stradivarius, formerly played by Joseph Szigeti, has come into the hands of Arabella Steinbacher.
She says: ‘I am extremely happy and grateful to play from now on the beautiful Stradivarius named »Ex Benno Walter« (1718)- generously provided by a Swiss Foundation.’
She previously played the 1716 Booth Stradivarius provided by the Nippon Music Foundation.
Lucky violinist! Szigeti played Bach sonatas on it in the steeply raked surgical theater of UC medical school on Parnassus in San Francisco after he had taped them for Vanguard in what he called his posthumous recordings.
He entered stooped and sly, and with the bow high in the air started his slow vibrato before lowering it onto the G string yo start the G-minor sonata.
No, that violin was played by Szigeti’s uncle, Deszo Szigeti.
Dezsö, sorry.
The junior Szigeti’s violin of choice was made by Pietro Guarneri of Mantua. Interesting side note: this member of the Guarneri clan is the only violin-maker of note who was also a player of note, as he held an appointment as a violinist in the ducal court in Mantua.
Thanks, Bill. I thought it sounded wirier than a Strad.
Not Deszo but Dezso. (Dezső, to be precise.)
Benno Walter was an important 19th century concertmaster, quartet leader, and teacher, mostly centered in Munich. He was famously given a violin by the King of Bavaria, but while one source says it was a Guarnerius, most others say it was this Strad. His most famous violin pupil was, somewhat ironically, Richard Strauss, and orchestral violinists and concertmasters who have struggled with Strauss violin parts ever since have Benno Walter to “blame/thank” for Strauss’s thorough understanding of what an expertly played violin is capable of.
Dezső Szigeti was a respected orchestral violinist in his time, and even made some solo recordings, but of course is totally overshadowed by his nephew. Both were pupils of Jenö Hubay. All sources I can find indicate that Bill is correct: this Strad was Dezső’s, but it has an aristocratic lineage.
Thank you! Very interesting!
For Deszo Szigeti and the Antonio Stradivari, Cremona, 1718, the ‘Szigeti, Benno Walter’, look here:
https://tarisio.com/cozio-archive/property/?ID=41479
Szigeti probably played on a few violins throughout his career, but the violin he spent nearly his entire career with was a Petrus Guarnerius of Mantua from the early 1700’s.
Who?
This Strad and Arabella Steinbacher seem to be a perfect match. Violin-expert Harald Eggebrecht wrote recently a phantastoc review in “Süddeutsche Zeitung” mentioning the warm sound and Arabellas “Silberton” …
By the way; it’s a shame that Nippon Music Foundation is on a “japan first” trip and gives all it’s great instruments to japanese musicians who have not the class of Steinbacher, Suwanai, Eberle etc …
That same NMF auctioned off the spectacular “Lady Blunt” Stradivari and DONATED the world-record proceeds to earthquake and tsunami relief efforts.
Besides, why shouldn’t they lend the instruments they purchase to the artists they choose? The Austrian National Bank lends its many instruments to Austrian musicians, some of whom do almost all of their playing as orchestral players. Other groups acquiring instruments and lending to “related” musicians include:
Chi-Mei Culture Foundation
Hayashibara Foundation
Samsung Foundation of Culture
Canada Council for the Arts
Good luck getting an instrument loan from any of them if you aren’t a member of the group they support.
One of the motivations for making your own fortune is the opportunity to spend it on supporting the people and things you care about.
IMHO, a violin with pedigree goes to a technically competent but otherwise unexciting playing frau. Could have been offered to so many more interesting artists, but no, they went for someone with ‘image’.
She’s a fantastic violinist on a technical level, but incredibly boring, really a shame!
When you have the means, acquire one or more fine instruments to loan to those you consider deserving.
Earning the discernment necessary to hear that Steinbacher is a musical non-entity clearly is more difficult than earning the riches necessary to provide better musicians with instruments
Looks like their opinion differed from yours. Funny how that happens.