ANTONIO STRADIVARI, MANDOLINO, Cremona 1680

Mandolino and fleur-de-lis lined original case by Antonio Stradivari in Cremona 1680. Antonio Stradivari made several types of musical instruments in addition to the violin family, these included guitars, viola da gambas, lutes, pochettes, harps, mandolas, mandolini and possibly citterns. This mandolino, known as the Cutler-Challen, is one of two which the Stradivari family made for Venice’s Ospedale della Pietà where Antonio Vivaldi taught violin, instrumental performance and composition. Antonio Vivaldi wrote several works for mandolino, including: C major RV 425 (solo mandolino) and G major RV 532 (two mandolini). It is possible that Vivaldi both wrote and performed these concertos on this actual instrument. This mandolino is now on display in the National Music Museum of America, Vermillion, South Dakota, alongside several other instruments by the Stradivari workshop. The music here is the slow movement of the G major concerto by Antonio Vivaldi for mandolini performed by James Tyler and Robin Jeffrey and The English Concert, Director Trevor Pinnock on the following recording: The mandolino used by Robin Jeffry in this recording was copied from an instrument made in the early 1700s by Stradivari's two Sons (their father Antonio had died 1737 age 93) and was made in my workshop at West Dean, The Edward James Foundation.