The back of this viola is made from two pieces of bird’s-eye maple cut on the slab, with a faint figure running more or less horizontally
Canimex has been loaning fine instruments to players for more than two decades. The Strad Calendar 2026 showcases twelve of these treasures, including five by Antonio Stradivari, two by Guarneri ‘del Gesù’, two by Giovanni Battista Guadagnini and – a first for the Calendar – a modern octobass.
1773–78 ‘Crafoord’ Guadagnini viola
Giovanni Battista Guadagnini is represented twice in the calendar, with instruments both made during his time in Turin – the last of the four major periods in which he worked, and when his instruments showed more of Antonio Stradivari’s influence.
The ‘Crafoord’ viola, made between 1773 and 1778, is an interesting example of his earlier Turin work, in that the back is made from two pieces of bird’s-eye maple cut on the slab, with a faint figure running more or less horizontally. The scroll is of plainer wood, and according to the Beare certificate, is the work of the aforementioned Nicolò Gagliano. With a back length of 415mm, the viola has been slightly reduced in size, and is currently being played by Victor Fournelle-Blain.
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Photos: Canimex
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