The Stradivari ‘MacDonald’ Viola!!
One of only 10 surviving Stradivari violas, the ‘MacDonald’ is valued at $45 million. The viola went up for auction at Sotheby’s this spring, but bidders failed to meet the asking price.
If it had sold, it would have surpassed the current auction record of $15.9 million for Stradivari’s ‘Lady Blunt’ violin. The ‘MacDonald’ was owned and played by Peter Schidlof of the Amadeus Quartet until 1987. Now the Schidlof family is selling the instrument, and attempting to capitalize on its incredibly rarity and history.
Listen to violist David Aaron Carpenter play Bach’s Suite No.3 in C on this beautiful and pricey instrument:
Read this fascinating story about the ‘MacDonald’ in the NYT. And read about its chances of selling on BusinessWeek.