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Stradivari’s violas are particularly rare. The Archinto is among the earliest of the ten or so complete instruments known, and is certainly one of the most beautiful. With the exception of the 1672 “Mahler” and the 1690 “Medici”, all were built on the form in the Museo Stradivariano in Cremona marked “CV” (for contralto viola) and dated 4 ottobre 1690.
The “Archinto” clearly reflects the style of the Master’s other work in the decade from 1690 to 1700. The corners are long and graceful, the edges deeply fluted, and the arching low and strong, yet still retaining a trace of the Amatise counter-curve around the perimeter. The workmanship is throughout of an extremely high order, and the strong outline is further emphasised by the use of broader black veneers in the purfling. The wood too is characteristic of the stock used at this time. The front is of very tight-grained spruce similar to that of the “Arditi” violin, and the back and ribs of narrow-flamed maple which also appears on several other instruments of the period. The head is of lighter-figured maple, and is of a bold cello-like design which threatens to overbalance the delicacy of the rest of the instrument; adding to its striking appearance is the black edging around the pegbox and volute which was an innovation of these years. Further evidence of Stradivari’s rapidly developing mature style is the richness of colour in the varnish; it is a softly-toned orange-red, with great visual depth due to the golden tint of the ground coatings. The front is in particularly fine condition, and the varnish there can be appreciated in a very pure and state. Apart from the modern neck, the only real disturbance the viola has suffered is to the ribs. They are relatively shallow, a fact noted by the violin collector Count Cozio di Salabue early in the XIXth century. It is obvious from the condition of the interior that some 4 mm has been removed from the upper edges of the ribs, presumably at the whim of an earlier owner.
The viola has a long history. In 1800 it belonged to Count Carlo Gambara of Brescia. It was recorded by the XIXth century violin connoisseur Count Cozio di Salabue after it had been sold to Count Archinto of Milan, who also owned two Stradivari violins and a cello. The great French violinmaker and dealer J. B. Vuillaume bought Count Archinto’s collection in about 1860, and the viola was purchased by John Rutson, who became Director of the Royal Academy of Music in London. He left it to the Academy in 1906 as part of a generous bequest, which became the foundation of the Academy’s present collection. During its life at the Academy, the Archinto has been played by some of the finest violists of several generations, including Watson Forbes, Roger Bigley, Paul Silverthorne, Bruno Giuranna and Yuri Bashmet. It was also used by Maxim Venderov to record William Walton's viola concerto in 2003.
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