De Munck (Stradivarius cello)
The De Munck Stradivarius of 1730, also called the De Munck-Feuermann, is an antique cello crafted by Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari. It was notably owned and played by Ernest de Munck and Emanuel Feuermann.[1] Steven Isserlis has described the instrument as his "dream cello [...] it has everything."[2]
It is currently owned by the Nippon Music Foundation, who has loaned the instrument to a number of prominent cellists.[3]
Background
The De Munck-Feuermann, while labelled 1710, was made during Stradivari's "late period". It owes its nicknames to two notable owners and players of the instrument, cellists Ernest de Munck (acquired in 1869[3]) and Emanuel Feuermann (acquired in 1934[3]), the latter being considered one of the greatest cellists of the 20th century.[1] After Feuermann's death in 1942, the instrument was acquired by American collector Russell B. Kingman, and then sold to cellist Aldo Parisot in 1956.[3]
The instrument was sold by Parisot to the Nippon Music Foundation in December 1996.[3] It was on loan to Steven Isserlis until May 2011, then to Danjulo Ishizaka. On 24 September 2019, it was loaned to Camille Thomas for a period of one year.[4]
Measurements
The De Munck-Feuermann is characterised by its long narrow shape. Its detailed dimensions, as measured by calliper, are:[5]
Part | Measurement |
---|---|
Back length | 74.5 centimetres (29.3 in) |
Upper bouts | 32.35 centimetres (12.74 in) |
Lower bouts | 41.6 centimetres (16.4 in) |
Middle bouts | 21.3 centimetres (8.4 in) |
Depth of ribs | 11.6 centimetres (4.6 in) |
References
- "Emanuel Feurmann". The New Yorker. February 17, 2003. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
- "Famous Strads: the Davydov, the De Munck and the Duport". The Irish Times. January 29, 2008. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
- ""Feuermann"". Nippon Music Foundation. Retrieved 2020-04-20.
- "'De Munck, Feuermann' Stradivarius cello is loaned to Camille Thomas". The Strad. 24 April 2019. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
- Morreau, Annette (2008). Emanuel Feuermann. ISBN 0300183933. Retrieved 2 August 2019.