The Barjansky is named after Russian cellist Alexandre Barjansky, who played the instrument during the first half of the 20th century. Barjansky was the dedicatee of Ernest Bloch’s Schelomo which he performed on this instrument. Barjansky premiered the Delius Concerto on the instrument in Vienna in January 1923.[1]
The catalogue date is 1684 and the label inside the cello says 1684. But before the sale I did some research on the instrument and found it listed rather erratically in Henley's book on Stradivari's instruments. It is listed there as the "Barjansky" Strad, 1736, the last cello he ever made. Dealers who know the cello think that it is certainly not so early as 1684 which is a good thing. According to the Henley book he didn't really establish his cello model until round about 1707 at which time the cello was only first becoming established as a solo instrument."[2]
The Sotheby's 1983 catalogue describes the Barjansky Stradivarius as being 29+7⁄8 inches (76cm) along the back, with a golden brown varnish.[2]
Barjansky was the previous owner when the Cremonese cello came up for auction at Sotheby's in 1983. It sold for a record price to British cellist Julian Lloyd Webber whose previous instrument was a Guadagnini of the 1700s. The purchase price was undisclosed.[2]
A comparable "Strad" (the "de Pawle") sold around that time for $650,000 in New York.[2]Itzhak Perlman bought the 1714 Soil Stradivari from Yehudi Menuhin for £600,000 in 1986 (equivalent to £2,220,623in 2023).[3]
Since then the Barjansky Stradivarius has been played by Lloyd Webber, who has made more than 30 award-winning recordings on the instrument, including a renowned version of Elgar Cello Concerto, conducted by Yehudi Menuhin.
Chapter Eight of Margaret Campbell's biography of Lloyd Webber, Married to Music, is called "The Barjansky" Strad.
The Barjansky Stradivarius has reportedly been offered for sale by the violin expert Florian Leonhard.
Works with orchestra
Edward Elgar - Cello Concerto, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Sir Yehudi Menuhin, r.1985, Philips Classics – chosen as the 'finest ever version’ by BBC Music Magazine and winner of ‘Best Classical Recording’ 1997 Brit Awards.
Victor Herbert - Cello Concerto No. 2, London Symphony Orchestra/Sir Charles Mackerras, r.1986, EMI Classics
Arthur Sullivan - Cello Concerto, (World Premiere Recording) - London Symphony Orchestra/Sir Charles Mackerras, r.1986, EMI Classics
Edward Elgar - Romance, (World Premiere Recording) - London Symphony Orchestra/Sir Charles Mackerras, r.1986, EMI Classics
Antonín Dvořák - Cello Concerto, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra/Vaclav Neumann, r.1988, Philips Classics. This recording is the subject of Tony Palmer's documentary Dvorak - in Love?, released on DVD in 2014.
Arthur Honegger - Cello Concerto, English Chamber Orchestra/Yan Pascal Tortelier, r.1990, Philips Classics
Philip Glass - Cello Concerto, (World Premiere Recording) Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra/ Gerard Schwarz, r.2003, Orange Mountain
Andrew Lloyd Webber - Phantasia for violin, cello and orchestra, (World Premiere Recording), w. Sarah Chang, violin, The London Orchestra/Simon Lee, r.2004, EMI Classics
Eric Whitacre - "The River Cam", (World Premiere Recording) London Symphony Orchestra/Eric Whitacre, r.2012, Decca
Vivaldi Concertos for Two Cellos, w. Jiaxin Lloyd Webber (World Premiere Recordings) European Union Chamber Orchestra, r.2014, Naxos
Piazzolla - Milonga, w. Jiaxin Lloyd Webber (World Premiere Recordings) European Union Chamber Orchestra, r.2014, Naxos
Howard Goodall - “And the Bridge is Love” (World Premiere Recording) English Chamber Orchestra, r.2015, Naxos
Works with piano
Malcolm Arnold - Fantasy for Cello, (World Premiere Recording) r.1986, ASV
Alan Rawsthorne - Cello Sonata, John McCabe (piano), r.1986, ASV
Benjamin Britten - Cello Sonata, John McCabe (piano), r.1988, Philips Classics
Sergei Prokofiev - Ballade, (World Premiere Recording) John McCabe (piano), r.1988, Philips Classics
Dmitri Shostakovich - Cello Sonata, John McCabe (piano), r.1988, Philips Classics
Frank Bridge - Scherzetto, (World Premiere Recording), John McCabe (piano), r.1991, ASV
Charles Villiers Stanford - Cello Sonata No. 2, (World Premiere Recording) John McCabe, r.1991, ASV
