Nearly everyone carries around a mental image of the famous Stradivari violins and those of the other makers from Italy's golden age of instruments, and some of us have been lucky enough to hear one of these instruments, or perhaps testimony from someone who has played one. The chance to immerse yourself in the sound of many of them, and to appreciate their individuality, is rare indeed, however. Canadian-born violinist James Ehnes offers listeners that chance here, and deserves kudos for what must have been a difficult ...
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Nearly everyone carries around a mental image of the famous Stradivari violins and those of the other makers from Italy's golden age of instruments, and some of us have been lucky enough to hear one of these instruments, or perhaps testimony from someone who has played one. The chance to immerse yourself in the sound of many of them, and to appreciate their individuality, is rare indeed, however. Canadian-born violinist James Ehnes offers listeners that chance here, and deserves kudos for what must have been a difficult project, both musically and logistically. He plays violins and violas from a single collection of instruments, that of former Microsoft vice president (and former University of Chicago Symphony Orchestra concertmaster) David Fulton. There are 12 instruments in all, nine violins and three violas, by Stradivari, three members of the Guarneri family, and two other builders from outside Cremona, an early example from Brescia by Gasparo Bertolotti and a late one from the Parmesan Giuseppe...
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