The ‘Abergavenny’ Stradivari 

The ‘Abergavenny’ Stradivari

Cremona 1724 - Violin

True Copy by Florian Leonhard Fine Violins. The Abergavenny is a very successful model because of its large pattern with arching which is elegantly fulsome but not high, typical for this period of Stradivari’s output. The scroll is strong and powerfully carved as would be expected from this phase of making. The f holes display typical features of the late period, where the wings are more angled off in contrast to Stradivari’s earlier work, deviating further away from the time of Amati when he first started making violins. The wood on the back, with strongly ascending flames on the top part, is not easy to find. It is a wonderful challenge to recreate this amazing sounding violin, which has been used in the last decade by Leonidas Kavakos and can be heard in many of his superb recordings; this has led to many people ordering a True Copy of this instrument.