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This violin shows how quickly Stradivari’s tastes were changing during this decade. While only a few years later than the “Archinto” viola, it moves decisively towards the mature work of his so-called “Golden Period” in style, although its basic design belongs positively to an earlier phase, defined by its elongated pattern. It was built on the form marked “B” (presumably for buona or good model) and dated 3 giugno 1692 which is part of the collection of the Museo Stradivariano in Cremona. This is the “Long Pattern” to which many of Stradivari’s violins were built between 1692 and 1700, and is the most significant feature of this period of his work. Evidently looking for ways to improve the sonority of his instruments, he perhaps took inspiration from the large violins built in Brescia early in the century. The Cremonese violin had already evolved from the by now obsolete smaller size of Andrea Amati to the “Grand Pattern” used by his grandson Nicolo Amati, and now Stradivari sought to enlarge it further.
What makes this violin in some ways a transitional instrument is the arching, which is fuller and stronger around the edges than in Stradivari’s previous work, and far more so than the earliest Amatise violins. The corners are also reduced a little in length, giving slightly more weight to the outline in general, again strengthened by the purfling, which is like that of the “Archinto”; broader and sharper in the black lines compared with the lightly traced inlay of the “Arditi”. The soundholes are very open and broadly spaced, and sit quite low on the front to provide an extended string length. The front is of very close-grained spruce, very similar to that of the “Archinto”, and the maple too is similar in structure to that of the viola, although in this case the back is joined from two matched pieces. The scroll is indicative of the path which future work would follow. Although the black edging has now almost entirely worn away, the chamfer is broad and beautifully laid on, giving a strong focus to the regular spiral of the head. The varnish is not in such a pure state as that of the “Archinto”, and the deeper brown tint may be due in part to the accumulation of patina on the surface. Stradivari abandoned the long pattern around 1700, when he introduced a new model, only slightly reduced in length, but substantially increased in width. This evidently provided the sound he was looking for, and provided the basis for his subsequent work. Althoug the “Long Pattern” instruments now have a compromised reputation amongst players because of their size, the difference between the string length of the “Kustendyke” and the highly-prized “Golden Period” instruments is no more than two mm, and once this has been accommodated by he player, the tone produced suffers very little by comparison.
The history of the violin can only be reliably traced to 1927, when it was in the possession of Baron Von Kustendyke of Holland. It was sold through the London violin dealers Hart and son to Agnes Scott of Dublin, who bequeathed it to the Royal Academy of London in 1961. Since then it has been used extensively by Xue-Wei and Lydia Mordcovitch.
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