Category: Entertainment

J.S. Bach’s Time at the Collegium Musicum

 

 

Based in Minnesota, Michael “Mike” Antonello collects fine art and has performed with multiple orchestras as a violinist. Michael J Antonello has been a featured soloist with groups such as Milano Classica and has played works by composers such as Tchaikovsky and Bach.

In 1729, Johann Sebastian Bach was given a director position at Collegium Musicum, a private society founded by Georg Phillip Telemann. The society enabled university students with a strong interest in music to interact, share ideas pertinent to music, and hone their musical skills. Twice a week, they performed two-hour concerts in a local coffeehouse. It is likely that Bach violin concertos were performed during those sessions.

Prior to joining the , Bach already had written a series of church cantatas. However, in the new setting, Bach demonstrated unquenchable joyfulness and an overwhelming sense of vitality in his violin concertos. Joining the Collegium Musicum also likely enabled Bach to become well-acquainted with concertos by Antonio Vivaldi, including The Seasons. Bach also dedicated time studying and transcribing many other composers’ music.

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A Brief History and Overview of Stradivarius Violins

Stradivarius Violins
Image: Stradivarius.org

Saint Paul, Minnesota, resident Michael J. Antonello (michaelantonello.com) is a professional concert violinist who has produced 18 highly acclaimed CDs. Michael J. Antonello purchased two of the most famous violins ever made, the 1742 Guarneri del Gesu and 1720 golden period “Ex-Rochester” Stradivarius violin.

Stradivari violins were created by Antonio Stradivari in his Cremona, Italy-based shop in the late 1600s and early 1700s. For over 250 years, Stradivari’s interpretation of design and geometry has served as a model for others who make violins. Thousands of violins have since been created as a tribute to Stradivari and are labelled as Stradivarius violins.

Violins made by Stradivari himself are typically marked with a date and have a Latin inscription, which says “Antonius Stradivarius Cremonensis Faciebat Anno”. In the 19th century, copies of the products produced by Italian masters of the 17th and 18th centuries also came onto the market. Though these instruments are marked with the name of the master, they actually indicate which original model the instrument was designed after. With that said, the authenticity of a violin can only be recognized by making a comparative study of the instrument’s specific wood characteristics, design, and varnish texture.