He just collected Strads but finally it got played by soloists - Story of Ray Chen Dolphin Strad

Has anyone else noticed that Ray's accent goes from Australian to American depending on who he is talking to?

One thing I've noticed is that Ray sounds way more Australian on your channel than on his own. Somehow on his own channel he mostly americanizes/internationalizes his accent, but when he's in town boy he's aussie to the core lol

When Ray gave us that small bit of Tchaikovsky, all I could think was please continue to play a bit longer, don’t stop🥰

Thank you Mr. Olaf Grawert for the history of the Strad violins. That's very impressive!!! Ray, you are favored to have the Dolphin Strad under your care. What a privilege to play in concerts using the Strad.

Ray certainly gives us his best to get the incredible sound of that Strad to come out. Wow. A treat to hear that Tchaikowsky snippet.

Heifetz performed at my mother's college when she was an undergraduate. Mom said that she saw Heifetz perform but that was all she had to say. For her generation no further comment was necessary. That might have been ten years before Heifetz bought "Dolffie".

I heared Ray playing that violin in Düsseldorf Germany. I think it was his first concert with this instrument. Best violin I ever heared, the sound was so massive and beautiful.

14:17 WOW, Heifetz played that Strad! His fingers played it and touched it!

Thank you. Cho-Ming Sin was a prolific vintage violin collector from Hong Kong. My kid's violin teacher actually visted Mr. Sin once during the 80's,, and saw some of his violins. I have read a story about Mr. Sin making the Dolphin available to an early recording of the Butterfly Lovers Concerto by the HK Philharmonic. AFAIK, the violinist preceding Ray Chen for receiving the loan of the Dolphin is Akiko Suwanai (fabulous violinist). The violin played by Arabella Steinbacher, Iona Brown, Julia Fischer, etc. should be the Booth, another Nippon Music Foundation instrument also once owned by Cho-Ming Sin.

I just don't understand how a violin lasts so long after going through so many collectors and players. Thank you Olaf...this was extra fun to listen to and to learn from. From an admirer who never got beyond playing Schumann's "The Happy Farmer" on the piano 🙄

11:41 - the notion of the soundpost crack on the back as opposed to the front - just look at the spruce grain! I'm sure anyone could break a violin front into about 40 pieces, but a maple back... maybe 5 or 6 or something but using A LOT more pressure to achieve that. I personally (again, as a luthier/repairer) have never seen a soundpost crack in the back plate because it is such a hard piece of wood and rarely less than 3mm in that area. I have heard of Czech and German antique violins with 1.5/2mm backs which might get this sort of crack. On those violins though - it was mainly warping and//or the gluing of the to two piece back coming apart. Thanks for the video of this amazing Dolphin Strad Olaf! (and Ray). What a treasure of a violin!

Ray is such a treasure. Wonderful man

Many artists and auctioneers yet still the same rich sound that's holds true through the years. I enjoyed the history of the Dolphin Strad being traveled throughout the world! Amazing that it traveled time (literally) to the present! ^o^

I'm 80 yrs old and been a fan of classical music of all venues. but love listening to the Violin. and I loved watching the joy in Ray's eyes when he plays. so nice to see the love appear vs stern seriousness. of each note. music is meant to be loved. and charished. not held in contempt. Of professional critique. Loved the history . One question for you Olaf. have you ever had the Dolphin in for service and had it apart? if so are your nerves still entact! just curious. thanks for sharing more more!. ECF

The comment by Fritz Kreisler, who was Heifetz’s idol, came after he heard the 11-year-old Jascha play the Mendelssohn concerto and then accompanied him at the piano in his own Schön Rosmarin at a private concert and dinner in Berlin in April 1912.

The legendary Dolphin! Been watching the black and white version of her with THE Heifetz since my childhood and now coloured version! I’m truly bless to witness this!

I’ve had a total of 2 violas in my life. My first was a 15” German from the early 1900’s-ish. Most likely factory made, but cost $500 in the mid 1970’s, so a fairly decent student viola. And my current handmade from a local luthier in Oregon made in 2006. It is a big step up from what I started with, but not what one would considered “pro” level instrument. It has its flaws, but I’m intimate with those flaws and have learned to adjust my technique around them over the decades. It fits me fairly well physically. I would love to play a high end viola one day before I die, but not soon before then since I know I’d end up disappointed with my daily player and be forever jaded and disappointed.

Thank you Olaf. That was a wonderfully interesting history. It gave me a new appreciation for the role Instrument Collectors have made in preserving instruments over the centuries. I just hope that more can be like the Nippon Foundation, and make sure that these wonderful instruments make their way into the hands of deserving musicians so we can all enjoy why they were created in the first place. Thanks Ray for treating us to it's strikingly big sound. 👏

So glad you did this about his violin. He is one of my favorite

10:37 love to see Olaf nerding out ❤