Update:
The violin, known as The Penny, was sold to unidentified buyer for $1.3 million.
Source: Bloomberg
Two years ago a 1729 Stradivari violin was sold at Christie’s auction house for $3.5 million, which was a record price for a musical instrument at the time. It still is.
On April 4, 2008 another Stradivari violin made in 1700 and known as The Penny, will be auctioned. This one has a rich history attached to it: it was owned by violinist and pianist Barbara Penny, “who was a first woman accepted in the string section of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra”. The estimated price is between $1 million and $1.5 million.
The Penny is described as “sweet and feminine” and has “…a good balance between the brightness and the sweetness”.
In his lifetime Stradivari made approx. 1,100 instruments and whereabouts of 650 of which are known.
Source: International Herald Tribune and Reuters
And now, since we are talking about musical instruments, I’d like to tell you about a very unusual orchestra: Vienna Vegetable Orchestra.
The Orchestra was formed in 1998 and consists of 11 musicians, a video artist and a sound engineer. For the duration of the performance they play with their food, and not only get paid by the watching audience in Europe and Asia, but have released 2 CDs as well.
The instruments sound as any instruments should, and the repertoire is consisting of jazz, classical and electronic/techno music.
“…the Vegetable Orchestra produce different categories of sound based on their shape and the method of playing them. There are percussion instruments: celeriac bongos, a clapper made from an eggplant, pumpkins to be pounded upon, and dry beans that are shaken to provide rhythmic effects. There are strings (a leek violin), woodwinds (a carrot recorder), and versions of brass instruments (a trumpet made from a red pepper)”.
What happens after the performance? I guess, the musicians get to eat their fresh instruments, er.. vegetables, every day.
For more details read Interesting Things of the Day.
