Renowned “Golden Age” luthier Antonio Stradivari may never have dreamed that one of his violins would sell for more than the cost of 25 Steinway and Sons concert grand pianos.  Named after Christian Hammer, the 19^th Century collector who was its first recorded owner, this extraordinary violin was auctioned at Christie’s Auction house in May of 2006, to an anonymous bidder.  It is the highest price ever paid for an instrument at a public sale. 

So, what makes this violin so special?  Some say the wood, some say the varnish, others maintain that Stradivari made a deal with the devil.  But it’s likely, that even in the 1700′s, this fiddle was valued at more that a large home at the time.

Violin values are chiefly based on their antiquity and pedigree.  I have had the honor to play a Stradivarius once in a San Francisco dealership.  It was the eeriest feeling holding a violin of this value (list price $2M), but when I played it, I found no discernible difference to other fine instruments.  My opinion was validated when a San Francisco Symphony soloist played it after me in the next room.  When he finished an incredible cadenza I could hear him say from next door, “Nothing special.”