stradivarius

i went to a classical concert last night, which featured a solo violin piece by an artist who'd been lent a Stradivarius. the 'sleeping beauty', it's called. so i have now heard a Stradivarius play live. i know this means nothing to most people, but it is a rare event. although i must admit that to my untrained ear, it just sounded like a normal violin! that said, the music was great and we even got an encore.