A rare Stradivarius viola, famously owned by Baron MacDonald of the U.K. in the 19th century, will be auctioned by Sotheby's this spring. Sotheby's has set a starting price of $45 million for the instrument, a figure that is far higher than the sale price of any other orchestral instrument.
As all musicians know, the viola is an instrument that is frequently overshadowed by its more flamboyant and extroverted sibling: the violin. The viola is not as popular as a solo instrument, and has long been the target of musicians' jokes--but it looks like violists may get the last laugh now.
Rising star violist David Aaron Carpenter will give a performance on the rare instrument Thursday morning at Sotheby's New York, and will play the viola again at Sotheby's Paris on April 15. He describes it as "the most truly perfect viola ever made."
The instrument's quality is one reason it is valued so highly. It is also extremely rare--about 600 of Antonio Stradivari's violins exist today, but only about 10 of his violas are known to have survived intact.
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