General Kyd Stradivarius

The "General Kyd" is a nickname applied to several Stradivarius instruments crafted by Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona and owned for a time by British General Alexander Kyd (d. 1826).[1] They include a violin made in 1714,[2] a violin made in 1720,[3] and the General Kyd; ex-Stern Stradivarius antique cello crafted in 1684.[4] These instruments have been owned and played by some of the world's leading musicians. The 1714 violin was owned from about 1980 to 1990 by Itzhak Perlman, who made most of his early recordings using this instrument.[5][2] The 1720 violin's owners included composer Rebecca Clarke.[3]

The General Kyd cello was used by the English cellist Leo Stern in the premiere of Antonín Dvořák's Cello Concerto in B minor in London in 1896.

Noted owners of the General Kyd-Stern are its namesakes, General Kyd and Leo Stern, as well as Lord Amherst of Hackney, W.E. Hill & Sons and Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume.

At the time of Stern's death in 1904, the General Kyd was valued at US$6,000; its current value is US$9.5 million.[6][7]

This cello, currently owned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic and played by Robert deMaine, was previously played by Peter Stumpf, and was stolen from Stumpf's porch in 2004. The General Kyd was later recovered after narrowly escaping being turned into a fancy CD rack.[8] The "General Kyd" underwent 18 months of restoration by Rafael Carrabba Violins in Seattle and was returned in fine condition to the Los Angeles Philharmonic in March 2016.[9]

References
  1. "Alexander Kyd and Robert Kyd". Linda Hall Library. 25 November 2020. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  2. "Antonio Stradivari, Cremona, 1714, the 'General Kyd, Perlman'". Tarisio Auctions. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  3. "Antonio Stradivari, Cremona, 1720, the 'General Kyd'". Tarisio Auctions. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  4. "Antonio Stradivari, Cremona, 1684, the 'General Kyd, Leo Stern'". Tarisio Auctions. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  5. Helser, Sheila Barr. "Antonio Stradivari, 1714, "General Kyd"". Sheila's Corner. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  6. "Leo Stern Dead; The Noted Violoncellist Expires in London" (PDF). The New York Times. 12 September 1904. Retrieved 2008-02-09.
  7. "Cello by Antonio Stradivari, 1684 (General Kyd; ex-Leo Stern)". Cozio.com. Archived from the original on 2008-05-03. Retrieved 2008-02-09.
  8. "Rare cello escapes CD rack fate". BBC News. 15 May 2004. Retrieved 2008-02-09.
  9. "Strad on the run: Rare-instrument restorer accomplishes task of a lifetime". The Seattle Times. 21 April 2016. Retrieved 5 September 2023.


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