Helen at her therapist's couch, "I dreamt I gave a musical soirée for four of my friends. Joshua rang the bell, I opened the door and in he walked with a stranger named Gibson, with the reddest head of hair I've ever seen. Gil came in next with another stranger, the Countess of Polignac. Next came Anne-Sophie, muttering sweet nothings to Lord Dunn-Raven and a Mr. Emiliani, both strangers to me. Finally, my old friend Itzhak walked in with a final stranger, Amadée Soil, who also had brilliant red hair. My friends claimed that they never traveled without these companions." The doctor is perplexed. Who were these strangers?

lanfranco

These are various Stradivarius stringed instruments. For example, the Lord Dunn-Raven is played by Anne-Sophie Mutter (and I've heard and seen her do it). See the list below: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stradivarius Aug 16 08, 9:01 PM

looney_tunes

The strangers are your friends' Stradivarius violins. Itzhak Perlman plays the Soil; Gil Shaham plays the Countess Polignac; Ann-Sophie Mutter plays both the Lord Dunn-Raven and the Emiliani; Joshua Bell plays the Gibson. A more complete list of Stradivarius violins with their owners and, in many cases, the performers to whom they are on loan can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stradivarius Aug 16 08, 9:07 PM

edmund80

Excellent work! All are valuable and irreplaceable Stradivarius violins, either owned or on loan to ( in the case of Gil Shaham ) some of the best violinists today. Some of my favorite pieces are below. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvlTuBnpKpc&feature=related ( Joshua Bell playing the Gibson Stradivarius ) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJXVPE2a19E ( Gil Shaham playing the Comtesse de Polignac ) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggKGD0QQ8Q0 ( Anne-Sophie Mutter playing the Emiliani Stradivarius ) http://hk.youtube.com/watch?v=Fbm8oPA7o1o ( Itzhak Perlman playing the Soil Stradivarius ) Aug 16 08, 9:13 PM