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Stolen Stradivarius recovered
18/05/2004 07:57 - (SA)
Los Angeles - A 17th-century cello made by master craftsman Antonio Stradivari that was stolen from a musician's home has been recovered, police said.
The 1684 cello, valued at $3.5m, was recovered over the weekend, but no arrests have been made, police spokesperson officer Eduardo Funes said Monday.
The cello belongs to the Los Angeles Philharmonic and a news conference was scheduled for Tuesday afternoon to release more details, Funes said.
The cello was played by principal cellist Peter Stumpf, who was out of town when it was stolen April 25. Grainy surveillance video from a neighbour's home showed a man riding away on a bicycle with a silver-coloured cello case in one hand, police said.
The instrument was one of only about 60 made by Stradivari and was purchased about 30 years ago by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association.
The cello was nicknamed the "General Kyd" for the man who brought it to England from Italy near the end of the 18th century. Cellist Leo Stern performed the British premiere of Dvorak's famous cello concerto on the instrument in 1896.
Stumpf started playing the instrument in October 2002 when he joined the orchestra.
An anonymous donor had offered a $50 000 reward for the return of the cello. It was not immediately known if anyone would be given the reward.
- AP
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