Word: stradivariuses
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Dates: during 1950-1959
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...century after that, five generations of Simpsons made good money by lending it against even better security. William, the fifth of the Simpsons, dealt with clients ranging from clever thieves to obsessive society belles, from broken-down prizefighters to muscular gigolos. Among their collateral were 18th century manuscripts, a Stradivarius, a Crusader's giant thumb ring, pornographic watches, Titian paintings and the Hope diamond. When Simpson arrived at the home of Mrs. Evalyn Walsh MacLean. who owned it and needed a little ready cash, it could not be found. Mrs. McLean finally had an inspiration and called: "Mike! Here...
...Italian government also sent one of its prize possessions, the "Tuscan" Stradivarius, which it bought this year for about $50,000 and lent to Violinist de Vito for life...
Playing the Franck F minor Quintet is bound to be risky. The work is so familiar to most chamber music enthusiasts that they can detect even the slightest mistakes. But Gregory Tucker and the Stradivarius Quartet gave a performance that came close to perfection in both technique and interpretation. The group wisely stressed the score's broad outlines, and lightly passed over some of its more distressing chromatic sections. The only real flaws were some late entrances by violinists Wolfe Wolfinsohn and Harry Kobialka, but these were fortunately infrequent...
Carrying his $30,000 Stradivarius cello like a toy, the hulking (6 ft. 3½ in.) master lunged onstage, plunked himself into a chair next to the piano. Then he launched into a program of Schumann, Bach, Milhaud, Debussy, Bloch and Ravel. He played them all with masterful technique and taste, though he was at his best when the music called for soaring rhapsody. All in all, he played with the freshness of a man who had taken time out to think things over...
After twelve years in Minneapolis, why has he come to New York? His answer shows his confidence and pride in his new orchestra. Says Mitropoulos: "I thought I owed myself a better instrument before I die. Would any artist refuse to have a Stradivarius...