A Stradivarius at Château Fombrauge

www.stradivarius-fombrauge.com

Château Fombrauge has indeed just acquired one of these rare violins created by the famous stringed-instrument maker, Antonio Stradivari (1644-1737).

Born in Cremona in Italy in 1644, Antonio Stradivari, also known as Stradivarius, was and remains the best stringed-instrument maker of all time.
His genius was to find the ideal balance between the proportions of the instrument and a perfect polish that increases sound quality. He died at the age of 93, leaving 1100 instruments in his workshops. 500 of them can still be found today throughout the world, and 100 of them are played regularly.
Now called "Château Fombrauge", the violin purchased by the Château was produced during the "golden age" of the production of this great stringed-instrument maker (1700-1720), the period that witnessed the making of all the mythical instruments that bear his signature.

This beautiful violin is a very interesting example of the great Antonio Stradivari’s talent.
It has a richer and deeper tone and character than many other Stradivarius instruments. Of course, this inherent quality stems mainly from the work of the great master.
Designed during the "golden age" of Stradivari, the "Fombrauge" was made from the very best materials, particularly this beautiful flame maple on the back of the violin.
Since the early 19th century, the instrument had belonged to the same European family, but before that, its story is little known to the point that unlike other Stradivarius violins, it was never given a name.
Its recent acquisition finally gave it the opportunity to be called the “Fombrauge”.
Schmitt, one of the greatest stringed-instrument makers in the world, believes that its sound is better than that of the instrument owned by the Bolshoi, which is widely held to be one of the best.

The acquisition of this Stradivarius is directly in line with Bernard Magrez’ policy of cultural patronage, i.e. supporting talented young musicians by offering them the opportunity to play in the best possible conditions and with the very best instruments.
Château Fombrauge thus intends to host artists in residence, including a few talented violinists who will have the extraordinary opportunity to play the “Château Fombrauge” Stradivarius and enjoy its unique sound.

« In my mind, cultural and artistic patronage is logical because it embodies the moral virtues which are most important to me. When one is fortunate enough to have succeeded in life, one must share this success. So the time has now come for me to give: to provide opportunities and promote talented artists, to give them the time and resources to support their projects by supporting the production of original works. »
Bernard Magrez