New Film Exploring the Life of Antonio Stradivari

The film is told through the perspective of violinist Janine Jansen, as she records an album using twelve of Stradivari’s most valuable violins, brought together for the project by J & A Beare

Titled "Janine Jansen: Falling for Stradivari," the film explores the histories behind each of the twelve unique instruments. Jansen had days to get acquainted with them before the recording process with Sir Antonio Pappano, music director of The Royal Opera House, playing with her on piano.

The film, by award-winning director Gerald Fox and produced by Asterisk Films, will have its premiere at the Curzon Mayfair in London on September 2, 2021. Decca Classics in partnership with J & A Beare will release the album "12 Stradivari" on September 10, 2021.

This film marks the first time that this many of the world’s most revered Stradivari violins are together in one place. Some of them had not been played for 200 years, while others had belonged to great virtuosos including Fritz Kreisler, Nathan Milstein, Ida Haendel, and Oscar Shumsky.

For many years, Steven Smith, Managing Director of J&A Beare, wanted to capture the diversity of sounds that Stradivari violins still produce today, three centuries after they were first made, he this week told The Violin Channel.

"By bringing together 12 Stradivari violins for this film and its accompanying album my ambition has been realised," he said.

"One of the hardest challenges was making this film during Covid, firstly getting to Sweden to film there and then getting the artists and priceless violins to London for the recording sessions," said Gerald Fox, the film's director.

"And that became even harder when Janine herself succumbed to Covid after only a few days of filming but picked herself up after three weeks to make the album. It is really moving to watch Janine triumph over adversity, healing herself through the sheer all-consuming power of music."

You can watch the film's trailer here: