Stradivarius 1717 Violin "Sasserno"

Stradivarius 1717 Violin "Sasserno": Interview with Viviane Hagner

My first meeting with “Sasserno” was in 1999 when it was loaned to me from the Nippon Music Foundation. At the time it hadn’t been played in over 100 years, but was in excellent condition and so beautiful that it did not look like it was made 300 years ago. The tone continuously evolved for the first six months, and after that, I learned to make the sound by carefully adapting to its natural voice.

“Sasserno” has a very strong personality, there is a real richness to the sound. I have been learning a lot as a player, and I really feel that it is helping me with my expression. It also has very rich overtones with sonority and volume, so no matter how big the hall the sound resonates throughout the entire space.

Compared to the Guarneri I played before, I feel that Stradivarius instruments are not meant to be played with as much pressure. Guarneri feels very sturdy, but Stradivarius is delicate, and in order to make the sound resonate well, you need to handle it with extraordinary care.

(Excerpt from the “Sarasate” String magazine interview in May 2006)