Antonio Stradivari, Cremona 1680 The Cutler-Challen Mandolino Corista

A mandolino and its original case made in 1680 by Antonio Stradivari in Cremona. Stradivari made several types of musical instruments in addition to the violin family, these included guitars, viola da gambas, lutes, pochettes, harps, mandolas, mandolini and possibly citterns. This mandolino is one of two which the Stradivari family made for Venice’s Ospedale della Pietà where Antonio Vivaldi taught violin, instrumental performance and composition. Vivaldi wrote several works for mandolino, including: C major RV 425 (solo mandolino) and G major RV 532 (two mandolini). It is possible that Vivaldi both wrote and performed these concertos on this actual instrument. This mandolino is now on display in the National Music Museum of America, Vermillion, South Dakota, alongside several other instruments by the Stradivari workshop. The music here is the slow movement of the G major concerto by Antonio Vivaldi for duo mandolini pe