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Guarnerius del Gesu, ex-Kubelik

Instruments: Jan Kubelik and Michael Rabin played this great sounding violin. Who else played this violin, especially today?

From Kevin Huang
Posted October 19, 2006 at 05:02 AM

Since a young boy, I've always been enthralled with the sound of Michael Rabin's violin tone.

As a young adult, I came to know and love the playing of the great Czech violinist Jan Kubelik. Then I heard later that Rabin and Kubelik concertized on the same violin.

The great Hungarian violinist Ference Vecsey stated that he bought a Guarnerius that formerly belonged to Kubelik but then switched to a Stradivarius that he kept. Kubelik himself was eventually to settle on the famed 1715 "Emperor" Strad that was inherited by his son Raphael, the conductor.

I understand that Kyung Wha Chung plays a Guarnerius known as the "ex-Kubelik". Is that the same violin Michael Rabin played?

Could it be that we've all been listening to this great violin and didn't even know it?

From Cheng Hooi Lee
Posted on October 19, 2006 at 06:09 AM
Kyung Wha Chung, yes. Probably the same violin.
From Sarah Vandemoortele
Posted on October 19, 2006 at 11:38 AM
From Mattias Eklund
Posted on October 19, 2006 at 11:26 AM
Chung plays the Ex. Kubelik (he only played on it for 4 years 1931-35, his main instrument was the Emperor) from 1735, so did Rabin. Hilsber owned and played on it for almost 20 years too.
There are atleast 11 Del Gesus from this year.
Ex. Viotti (Balliot...Parlow...),
Ex Lafont (Adolf Brodsky adn is now played by Kennedy)
Ex Odnoposoff
Chloe Hanslip plays one
So does Midori, the David
And there is the ex Zimbalist played by Daniel Heifetz.
So 1735 was a good year for GdG :)
From Kevin Huang
Posted on October 19, 2006 at 03:18 PM
Matthias, I didn't know that Daniel Heifetz played the ex-Zimbalist violin.

I thought that the ex-Zimbalist was a 1735 Stradivarius also known as the "Lamoreux". This is the violin Zimbalist used in Carnegie Hall when the big concert commemorating Stradivaris in the early 1900s was held.

Here's an article on Daniel Heifetz and his Stradivarius. Of course, I don't know what violin Heifetz plays today.

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1282/is_v38/ai_4251521

From Pieter Viljoen
Posted on October 19, 2006 at 03:56 PM
Kyung Wha Chung owns the Kubelik Del Gesu, along with another Del Gesu and I think a Strad.
From Allen Liang
Posted on December 24, 2008 at 04:16 PM

Ms. Chung has the Ex-Kubelik, Ex-Rode and the Harrison Strad.

Does anyone know if she recorded her first CD (Sibelius and Tchaikovsky) on the Kubelik Del Gesu?

From Bruce Bodden
Posted on December 24, 2008 at 04:52 PM

Someone (not necessarily in a position to know) told me once upon a time that she made that first recording on the Harrison.  No idea if it's true.

From Andres Sender
Posted on December 24, 2008 at 05:50 PM

The Harrison Strad is now at the National Music Museum.

http://www.usd.edu/smm/Violins/Stradivari3598/3598StradViolin.html

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