Theft alert: Gofriller cello is snatched on a Paris street
mainThe French cellist Ophélie Gaillard was on her way to rehearsal at the Musee de l’orangerie in Paris yesterday when a thief grabbed her precious 1737 Francesco Goffriller cello, together with her Jean-Marie Persoit bow and her phone.
The incident took place close to her home in Pantin. The thief held a knife to her so Ophélie did not resist.
She is unhurt, but distraught.
The cello is on loan from a bank. It was in a dark red flight case.
Please share this post as widely as you can. Stop that thief and get Ophélie’s cello back.
We can do it.
This article from a French newspaper says 1737, not 1837 : http://www.dna.fr/actualite/2018/02/16/musicienne-agressee-son-violoncelle-a-plus-d-un-million-d-euro-vole
Her message to me says 1837
The date must be 1737. Francesco Goffriller lived 1692-1750, and his father Matteo Goffriller 1659- 1742, so in any case it must be 1737.
No doubt about that. But France Musique also writes “1737” (https://www.francemusique.fr/actualite-musicale/ophelie-gaillard-se-fait-voler-son-violoncelle-en-pleine-rue-59112), as does Le Point (http://www.lepoint.fr/faits-divers/une-grande-violoncelliste-se-fait-voler-un-instrument-d-une-valeur-de-plus-d-un-million-d-euros-16-02-2018-2195434_2627.php). Since Francesco Goffriller died in 1750 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francesco_Goffriller), this seems correct!
Thanks.
Francesco Goffriller died in 1750…the cello would be from 1737.
It must be a case of commissioned theft for some collector. Thousands of people walk every day through Paris carrying cellos, going to or coming from their music lessons, for instance, and nothing happens to them! This victim and this instrument were surely targeted on purpose.
An inside job then?
A very lopsided cello with bad F holes.
Just heard from Ophélie’s manager who writes: “Just got the good news that the cello was brought back to her and left in front of the house in à very old stolen car… She was called anonymously and advised that the cello was back.”
That is a ghastly thought, because surely such a unique instrument would be impossible to sell. Ah, I see that last entry, apparently the thief found that out. Same with harps, each one has a unique serial number.