The Presidential Symphony Orchestra (CSO) performed under Finnish conductor, Jonas Pitkanen. Czech violinist Josef Spacek accompanied the orchestra, playing a Guarneri del Gesu violin from 1732. Pitkanen performed Czech composer Antonin Dvorak’s Violin Concerto with his nearly 300-year-old instrument, one of the rarest in the world, valued at millions of dollars.
M. Ferhat YÜKSEL
The concert took place in the Main Hall of CSO ADA Ankara. In the first part, Czech violinist Josef Spacek joined the orchestra to perform Dvorak’s Violin Concerto. He played with a 1732 Guarneri del Gesu violin. Spacek mentioned that the violin belonged to a Czech businessman and that he had been performing with it for eight years. He also expressed the great responsibility it brings.
ITS SOUND RESEMBLES 20 VIOLINS PLAYING AT ONCE
CSO’s master violinist, Zeynep Erkan, shared details about the Guarneri del Gesu violin on social media. She wrote:
“A magnificent instrument. Its sound is so powerful and rich that it feels like 20 violins are playing simultaneously. Owning such a valuable instrument is a great privilege and a huge responsibility. Every year, the insurance costs as much as a new violin. Guarneri del Gesu violins, crafted by 18th-century Italian luthier Bartolomeo Giuseppe Guarneri, are known for their deep and powerful tones.”
PUT UP FOR AUCTION AT 18 MILLION DOLLARS
Today, around 150 to 200 Guarneri del Gesu violins exist. These rare instruments fetch high prices at auctions and private sales. In 2010, a Guarneri del Gesu violin named ‘Vieuxtemps’ was listed for sale with a starting price of 18 million dollars and later sold for an undisclosed amount.
In the second half of the concert, CSO performed Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake Ballet Suite. The orchestra received a standing ovation for several minutes at the end.
