Servais Stradivarius

The "Servais Stradivarius" is an antique cello fabricated in 1701 by Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona (1644-1737). It is one of only sixty-three extant cellos attributed to his handicraft. The cello takes its name from the nineteenth-century Belgian cellist, Adrien Francois Servais (1807-1866), who played this cello.

The "Servais Stradivarius" is currently owned by the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History. The instrument is famous for its remarkable state of preservation—retaining its original 1701 label—and musical excellence. The Russian Princess Yusupov purchased the cello for Servais ca. 1845, and was subsequently passed to his son. The cello was later donated to the Smithsonian Institute by Charlotte Bergen of New Jersey. Cellist Anner Bylsma used the Servais in his 1992 recording of the J. S. Bach: "Suites for Unaccompanied Cello".

References

*cite web| url=http://www.si.edu/resource/faq/nmah/stradv.htm | title=Stradivarius Violins | publisher=Encyclopedia Smithsonian | author=Division of Music, Sports and Entertainment | accessdate=2007-04-05
*cite news | url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A04EED81638F930A35756C0A967948260 | title=Rare Stradivarius Cello Given to Smithsonian | publisher=New York Times | author= | date=3 May 1981 | accessdate=2007-04-05