The Golden Period 1715 Stradivari "ex-Joachim" is considered perhaps the most priceless of all Strads. Made during the Cremonese maker’s maturity with the famous “G” pattern that represents the pinnacle of his production, this instrument first took center stage a century later in the hands of the German virtuoso Joseph Joachim, for whom Brahms wrote his violin concerto.

Of great beauty, proportion and sound quality, the 1715 “ex-Joachim” led a pampered life, reaching the second half of the 1900s in still perfect condition. In 1961 it was purchased by the City of Cremona and now is the star of the Civic Collection, one of the most important collections in the world.

  Cremona’s ambassador to the world, since 1996 the 1715 “ex-Joachim” (or “il Cremonese” as it is also known now) has travelled to concerts and exhibitions on five continents in a custom-made Musafia Master Series Exclusive case with special safety features such as Tropicalization and reinforced spec frame.

On February 26^th 2005 we delivered a new series of cases to the township of Cremona, and traded this one back. It is now property of a private musician in the U.S.. The case is in like-new condition, which is not at all surprising since as one can imagine it was used with the utmost care and diligence. A memoir of one of it’s travels, a lead seal from the Milan Customs, is still affixed to the handle.

  The interior is in olive green Royale with dark green silk velvet padding, and the cover is in black Cordura® with an additional “carrying pouch” on the bottom. The interior features a small brass plate inscribed with Antonio Stradivari 1715 “ex-Joachim”. There is also a padded blanket with satin quilting, and the case looks virtually unused except for some very slight marks left in the velvet padding by the borders of the instrument.

	Official presentation of the case in 1996, in Cremona's City Hall with the mayor Dr. Bodini and the 1715 Stradivari.
The case as it appears today, virtually as new (click on image to enlarge).

"A precious 'dress' for the violins of the Civic Collection. The stylist Dimitri Musafia [...] one of the most accredited violin case makers in the world, provided yesterday a violin case with the highest technology available to the City of Cremona. It will be used for the transport of the Stradivari Cremonese 1715 and the other masterpieces of the Civic Collection. It has a suspension system to guard against bumps, a control system for temperature and humidity, and is "tropicalized", in other words decreases inside temperature changes by 60%. [...] Precious also aesthetically, [the case] has lining in silk velvet and Alcantara, while the metal fixtures are in gold-laminate. [...] Musafia cases with the same characteristics have been ordered by violinists as famous as Accardo, Ughi, Mintz and Stern."

  This is how the Cremona daily “La Provincia” described, on October 3, 1996, the Musafia Master Series Exclusive case that we provided the City upon request of the curator of the Civic Collection Prof. Andrea Mosconi: the same case you see pictured on this page.

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