Why so few Stradivari violas survive: quick facts

Violas are the rarest of Stradivari's surviving instruments, with only around a dozen known today, compared with hundreds of violins. The viola was less in demand than the violin in his time, so he made fewer, and over the centuries some were altered or lost. The size of the viola was also unsettled in the period, and Stradivari experimented with proportions. The handful that survive, including instruments now in major collections, are extraordinarily valuable and seldom change hands. The famous 'Paganini Quartet' includes one. The scarcity of Stradivari violas makes them a special focus for collectors and scholars, and it explains why a complete matched Stradivari quartet is such a remarkable thing to assemble.

Full the scarcity of strad violas page →

Sources: Tarisio — Cozio Archive of stringed instruments; Library of Congress — Stradivari instruments / Whittall Collection; The Metropolitan Museum of Art — musical instruments collection. Educational information only — not financial, investment, or appraisal advice. See our sources & fact-check policy.