The finest and most sought-after violins were handcrafted by an Italian violin maker over 250 years ago. The man’s name was Antonius Stradivarius. He was born in 1644 and began his career 21 a violin maker’s apprentice (学徒). Working on his own by 1680, he became determined to make 22 that could reproduce tones as rich as those produced by the human voice. He 23 several shapes and styles for his violins until he arrived at a design that pleased him. During his career he crafted 1,100 violins. Those in 24 have become treasured possessions.
