We’ve all heard of Stradivarius. Well, the millions of dollars worth of rare string instruments heard by a crowd at the Dekker Centre Sunday were made by a family to whom Stradivarius was an apprentice.
He obviously learned well, smiled violinist Marla Cole at the outset of the performance by the Amati Quartet of the University of Saskatchewan.
The quartet thrilled Sunday’s audience with a selection of music by Puccini, Tchaikovsky, Mozart and, of course, the creator of the string quartet genre – Joseph Haydn.
The quartet, now in its 14th year, performs on 17th century instruments crafted by the famous Amati family of Cremona, Italy. Over the course of two centuries and four generations, the Amati family crafted some of the most sought-after string instruments of all time. They were coveted by the wealthy and powerful – from popes to royalty. In fact, Queen Elizabeth II has an Amati viola, a rare item, in her possession.
How does Saskatchewan come to be the home of one of only three sets of Amati quartet instruments in the world? The two violins, cello and viola that make up the set, said Cole, were collected by the late Stephen Kolbinson, one of Saskatchewan’s first homesteaders. Kolbinson, who farmed in the Kindersley area, had a dream to acquire a quartet of Amati instruments, said Cole, and as a successful farmer was able to make that dream come true.
According to background written by Lorraine Omness, granddaughter of the collector, Kolbinson, he was able to acquire a violin made in 1627 that had been smuggled out of France during the Second World War. Next, he was first in a lineup of 300 to purchase a violin made in 1637 when its owner retired from the concert stage. His third Amati was a 1690 cello that had been languishing in a castle in England for decades. Finally, he bought a rare viola, sight unseen, over the telephone, to complete the quartet. The viola was built by the Amati brothers in 1607, commissioned by Pope Paul V, a member of the famous Italian Borghese family, and bears the coat of arms of the Borghese family on the back.
In 1959, the collector sold the instruments to the University of Saskatchewan for a nominal sum ($20,000) so they could be shared with people of Saskatchewan, said Cole.
They are among very few Amati instruments in the world that are used in performance, she said. Most are in private collections or in museums, she explained. However, she said, Amati instruments weren’t made to sit in a display case or a vault somewhere, they were meant to be played and the life of the U of S instruments will be lengthened by virtue of them being used in performance,
The quartet puts together about four concerts a year, often with guests artists, said Cole, but — in a perfect world — they’d happily embark on a 100-city tour for the sake of instruments.
The Amati Quartet made its international debut in 2005 with four concerts in the Netherlands during a festival celebrating the anniversary of the birth of Andrea Amati, and in 2006 was invited to perform in Rome and Cremona, Italy.
The Amati Quartet performed for Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip at a gala held in honour of Saskatchewan’s 100th anniversary and performed as guest artists with the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra celebrating their 75th anniversary. They have given premiere performances of commissioned string quartets and been recorded and broadcast by CBC radio.
The Amati Quartet champions the music of Joseph Haydn, the creator of the string quartet genre, and commenced their first season with the intention of performing all of Haydn’s string quartets and at about the half-way mark with the release last year of their CD, Passion for Haydn. All profits from the CD go to the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency to fund a music room for patients and family at the Cancer Centre in Saskatoon.
In 2013, the quartet’s annual Thanksgiving Monday concerts were established to provide talented young musicians living in Saskatchewan with solo opportunities and mentorship. North Battleford cellist Zaide Masich has been among the young musicians participating. At Sunday’s performance at the Dekker Centre, accompanied by Dianne Gryba, Masich provided pre-performance entertainment.
The Amati Quartet is made up of Marla Cole, violin, Rudolf Sternadel, violin, Terence Sturge, cello, and Geoff Cole, viola. Marla, who has performed chamber music throughout Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Hungary, Italy, Holland and Austria, and husband Geoff Cole, are founding members of the quartet. Geoff has toured England and Europe as a musician and was a member of the Saskatoon Symphony for seven years. He is currently working in the computer industry.
Rudolf Sternadel, violin, was born in Prague, and moved to Canada in 1980. He is currently the assistant music director and librarian of the South Saskatchewan Youth Orchestra, and a member of both the Regina Symphony and the Per Sonatori Baroque Ensemble. This is his fourth season with the Amati Quartet.
Terence Sturge, cellist, has performed throughout Canada and in the United States with orchestras, as chamber musician and recitalist. He enjoys a busy career as a freelance cellist and teacher. This is his seventh season with the Amati Quartet, and he also plays with violinist Marla Cole in Duo Virtuosi.
