Str a dell a

(str a-del'-la), A le andro, compr. b. Naples, 1645; d. Genoa, June, between 6 and 16, 1681. Dates, places, and details of biography are all obscure: unauthenticated story that he doped with a Venetian lady whose lover hired a man to murder S.; the a a in, fascinated by S’s music, advised him to flee; a second murderer followed him to Genoa and there killed him; subject of Flotow's opera StradeUa; said to have been fine singer and harpist; composed about 150 works, operas, oratorios {San Giovanni Battista best known), cantatas, madrigals, etc., fluent, but not deep; his Serendta contains subjects which Handd used in Israel in Egypt; familiar Pieth Signore attributed to S., probably by Ro ini. Strad i var i (str a-di-va'-ri), or Strad i var i us, Antonio, vln -maker, b. Cremona, 1644; d. there, Dec. 18, 1736. Pupil of Amati; began to sign vlns. with own name 1666; early mstr. on Amati model, of rather poor materials; from 1684-1700 carried on 243 STRAKOSCH series of experimental alterations in shape and m cuttings; “ Long Strad ’* first made 1690; final period after 1703, attained highest point ever reached in vln.-making, carefully looking after smallest details himself, and making slight variations apparently to meet variations in material; his varnish also varies m color and defies analysis, the secret of it having been long sought in vain; many instruments are named Me ie, Dolphin, Pucelle, etc.; S. also made ’cellos and violas; authoritative life is that by W. H., A. F., and A. E. Hill (London, 1902).