Overview.

The Evora is the first product of a five-year plan started in 2006 to expand the Lotus line-up beyond its current track-specialized offerings, with the aim of being more of a practical road car that would appeal to the mainstream market. As such it is a larger car than recent Elise models and its derivatives (the Exige, Europa S, etc.), with an unladen weight of, with the automatic version weighing in at. It is currently the only Lotus model with a 2+2 configuration, although it has been announced that it will also be offered in a two-seater configuration, referred to as the "Plus Zero" option. The Evora, along with the BMW i8, are the only 2+2 mid-engine coupés on sale. This, however is the only one out of the two cars that has no hybrid system. The interior is larger to allow taller persons to fit, such as the then Lotus CEO Mike Kimberley, and two 6'5" (195.6 cm) tall people.  The cooled boot behind the engine is large enough to fit a set of golf clubs, although Lotus Design Head Russell Carr denies that this was intentional. Lotus intends the Evora to compete with different market sectors including the Porsche 911.

Nomenclature.

The name "Evora" keeps the Lotus tradition of beginning model names with an "E". The name is derived from the words Evolution, VOgue, and auRA. Other names considered were Eagle, Exira and Ethos; Exira was rejected as it was considered not good enough and the other two because it would be difficult for Lotus to claim them as a trademark. The name "Evora" sounds similar to Évora, which is the name of a Portuguese city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in Portugal.

Specifications.

The Evora is equipped with a mid-mounted, transverse, Toyota-sourced 3.5-litre 24-valve 2GR V6 engine. The Evora S uses the same engine but with a supercharger. Both versions are available with a 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic with "Intelligent Precision Shift" manufactured by Aisin. The Evora has a drag coefficient of. The Evora is constructed on a lightweight aluminum tub with an additional front crash structure also made from aluminum, along with a steel rear sub-frame which houses the drivetrain. The chassis was designed to utilize bespoke 6000 series alloy extrusions which are then bonded with an epoxy based adhesive, and subsequently riveted together in order to increase torsional rigidity. The Evora also utlises forged aluminium double wishbone suspension with Bilstein high-performance gas dampers and Eibach coaxial coil springs. A hydraulically assisted power steering is used for increased maneuverability.

Models.

Evora S.

In 2010, Lotus unveiled a high performance variant of the Evora called the Evora S. The "S" in the name stood for "Supercharged". The car had the same standard design but was more powerful, now rated at and of torque due to a new supercharger manufactured by Harrop. The exhaust of the car was also replaced with a single-tubed exhaust system. The suspension's dampers were re-calibrated to suit the vehicle's new suspension characteristics. The steering also received re-calibration.  The car was able to accelerate from 0- in 4.6 seconds, with a top speed of.  Lotus ceased production of the S in 2014 and later replaced it and the standard Evora with a new variant called the Evora 400 in 2015.  The Romanian Police have a Lotus Evora S in their line-up as of 2012.

Evora 400.

The Evora 400 is a new variant that replaces the Evora and the Evora S. The "400" in the name is a reference to the vehicle's horsepower rating. The improved engine output of and of torque is due to an intercooled supercharger developed by Edelbrock. The Evora 400 has an all-new body kit design, which helps produce an extra of downforce. The exhaust has a new driver-activated system which allows the driver to increase the roar of the exhaust. The interior was slightly revised, notably with narrower sills for simplified entry and exit, a new dashboard design and centre console design. The wheel set was also different, now having new forged wheels as an option. The wing was changed to a split rear wing. The car has a total weight of.  Acceleration from 0+ is at 4.1 seconds, 0.5 seconds faster than the S variant. The 400 can attain a top speed of.

Evora Sport 410.

At the 2016 Geneva Motor Show, Lotus unveiled the Evora Sport 410, a slightly enhanced version of the 400. The car's 3.5-liter Toyota-derived V6 received a power increase by, for a total of. The torque was also improved at.  The exterior received no modifications but weight was reduced to.  The performance figures were improved with the 0- acceleration time now at 3.9 seconds, and a top speed of. However, if the IPS automatic transmission system is used, top speed is reduced to.

Evora GT430.

In 2017, Lotus unveiled the most powerful variant of the Evora and in turn the fastest road legal Lotus ever made, the Evora GT430. It is the part of an entirely new range in the Evora family, called the performance range. The car's 3.5 liter Toyota-derived V6 has an increased power output of due to an Edelbrock supercharger and a titanium exhaust system. The torque figures were also improved at for manual transmission cars and for cars with automatic transmission due to launch control and fast gear change ratios. This version is also the lightest and weighs for manual transmission cars and for automatic transmission cars. The cars with automatic transmission weigh more due to the added weight of the gear box and its cooling system. Top speed also varies for manual and automatic cars due to added weight and gearbox differences and are rated at for automatic cars and for manual transmission cars. Due to the increased torque the automatic transmission cars are a little bit quicker than the manual transmission cars having a 0- acceleration time of 3.6 seconds (automatic) and 3.7 seconds (manual) respectively. It also generates more downforce (250 kg at 190 mph) than its previous variants. Only 60 units of the Evora GT430 will be produced. Exterior wise, the car has a new and aggressive body kit that features a bigger carbon fibre rear wing, bigger air intakes, forged aluminum wheels, polycarbonate lights and carbon fibre bodywork in order to keep the weight low. The interior is also stripped down in order to save weight and removes the rear seats along with the addition of carbon fiber components and racing seats, it also features a plaque signifying the car's production number. The creature comforts are retained with air-conditioning included as standard.

Evora GT430 and GT410 Sport.

Later in 2017, Lotus unveiled another variant of the Evora GT430 called the Evora GT430 sport. It features a more aero dynamic body and removes the GT430s rear wing for smoother airflow and to reduce drag. This helps increase the top speed to with the automatic version having a top speed of due to added gearbox weight. The GT430 is also lighter than the Evora 400 and weighs for the automatic version and for the manual version.  To celebrate its 70th anniversary Lotus unveiled the new Evora GT410 Sport. Available as a two-seater or 2+2 the GT410 Sport takes the GT430's basic shape and adds new composite front and rear body panels minus some of the 430's higher downforce pieces for a more-subtle shape. The revised front panel has bigger carbon fibre air ducts, the idea being to more-efficiently move air around the front wheels, cutting turbulence and drag. Deeper front and rear splitters and carbon ducts behind the rear wheels add downforce. In total downforce increases by 211 pounds. Other carbon pieces include the front access panel, roof panel and rear decklid. The car is powered by the same engine powering the rest of the Evora lineup, rated at and of torque, allowing for a 0-to-60 mph acceleration time of 3.9 seconds with the manual and four seconds with the six-speed automatic. The car weighs, less than the 410.

Evora GT.

In June 2019, for the 2020 model year, Lotus introduced the Evora GT for the North American market only. This car has a supercharged 3.5-liter V6 like the rest of the line up, but is rated at and for the manual and for the automatic; the manual gets a standard Torsen rear differential. Regardless of transmission choice the 0- acceleration time is estimated at 3.8 seconds. Top speed is different between the two with the automatic capable of and the manual having a top speed of. It uses some of the same aero bits from the Evora GT410 sport which helps it produce of downforce at maximum speed. This variant of the Evora weighs between and depending on which options are selected. The optional Carbon Pack includes a carbon fiber roof, rear tailgate, and front access panel which reduces weight by. The optional titanium exhaust reduces weight further by. Choosing the manual transmission over the automatic saves an additional.

Special editions.

Evora 414E Hybrid.

In 2012, Lotus produced a prototype hybrid Evora, called 414E. Developed as a demonstration project for the UK Government's Technology Strategy Board, the range-extended electric coupe emits 55 g/km and has an electric only driving range of 30 miles. When combined with the 3-cylinder 1.2-litre (1198 cc) petrol engine acting as a generator (as a similar manner to the Chevrolet Volt), the 414E has a range of 300 miles. The 414E formed the basis of the Infiniti Emerg-e concept car.

Evora S Carabinieri.

In July 2011, Lotus Cars donated two Evora S models with special equipment to the Carabinieri, the Italian gendarmerie. Lotus will take care of the maintenance of the cars and the training for the drivers.

Evora GTE Road Car.

The Evora GTE road version is a variant of the Evora that was built to permit its racing variant to be able to race under GT3 and LM GTE regulations. There were only 25 of these special editions built. The road car uses the race car's engine, and produces, making it the most powerful Lotus ever made. The weight of the car has been lowered drastically, and is now at.

Motorsport.

LM GTE.

During the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, Lotus announced the Evora Enduro GT concept, as a follow up to the Type 124 and GT4 race cars. Lotus is aiming for this car to enter into the LM GTE category by mid-2011, with a Toyota-supplied V8.  Lotus entered two Evoras at the 2011 24 Hours of Le Mans, which were run by the Jetalliance Racing team. Despite overheating issues during practice and qualifying, car No. 65 finished 22nd overall, completing 295 laps, whilst car No. 64 retired after 126 laps.  In 2012, Jetalliance Racing failed to negotiate a deal to run the cars in Europe; instead, Alex Job Racing chose to run a LM GTE in the American Le Mans Series. Alex Job Racing did not get a good outcome from this however, and the car was later replaced by a Ferrari 458 Italia GT2 as the main race car for the team.

Group GT4.

Ollie Hancock won the Nürburgring round of the 2010 GT4 European Cup season. A team including Johnny Mowlem, Stefano D'Aste and Gianni Giudici finished on the podium in the 2011 Dubai 24 Hour endurance race.  In 2011, Stefano D'Aste was the first Italian driver after Mario Andretti to win on Circuit Park Zandvoort with an official Lotus car and the car was the Evora GT4. D'Aste was in first position of the GT4 European Series till the last race but due to a problem that occurred to the engine he got a third position in the series, which was still good, considering that it was the first year that the official Lotus Evora GT4 took part to a full season competing with cars like the BMW M3, Porsche 911, Aston Martin Vantage GT4, and the Chevrolet Camaro; cars that are much more competitive than the Evora. The car proved capable of keeping up with these cars.  In 2012, Richard Adams, David Green and Martin Byford won the Britcar MSA British Endurance Championship in a Lotus Evora GT4.

GT300.

Mooncraft runs a Lotus Evora in the GT300 class of the Japanese Super GT series. However, the car isn't really an Evora but rather a silhouette racer using on the Dome-GTA M101 "Mother Chassis" with Evora lookalike bodywork and some Evora bits. As with all current Mother Chassis cars, it's powered by the Nissan VK45DE naturally aspirated V8.

Reception.

The Evora received several accolades at its launch from the British motoring press, including: Britain's Best Driver's Car 2009 from "Autocar" and Car of the Year 2009, from "Evo."  The car was reviewed by Jeremy Clarkson on the television show "Top Gear". Overall his review was positive: he was very happy with the performance, handling and comfort. He was extremely impressed with the ride comfort even after driving it into a field saying "Here, the suspension is taking the knocks, not me." and described the car as "the only car I've ever driven, ever, which is a killer attack dog and an old sofa". However, he considered the rear seats to have not enough legroom, the interior felt tinny and the satellite navigation was sub-optimal.

The Lotus Evora is a sports car produced by British car manufacturer Lotus. The car, which was developed under the project name "Project Eagle", was launched as the Evora on 22 July 2008 at the British International Motor Show. The Evora S was launched in 2010 with a supercharged 3.5-litre V6. A facelifted and more powerful Evora 400 model was unveiled at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, followed by a more powerful variant, the Evora GT430 which was unveiled in 2017.

Der Lotus Evora ist ein viersitziger Mittelmotor-Sportwagen des britischen Automobilherstellers Lotus Cars mit einem Motor des japanischen Herstellers Toyota. Er ist der offizielle Nachfolger des Lotus Esprits, der bis 2003 über 25 Jahre lang gebaut wurde.


Premise.

The series chronicles the relationship of Larry Appleton (Mark Linn-Baker) and his distant cousin Balki Bartokomous (Bronson Pinchot). Larry, a Wisconsin native from a large family, has just moved into his first apartment in Chicago, and is savoring his first taste of privacy when Balki, a hitherto-unknown cousin from a Mediterranean island, Mypos, arrives intending to move in with him.  Balki, who was a shepherd on Mypos, interprets what little he knows about the United States by relying on his own (often out-of-context) recollections of American pop culture ("America: Land of my dreams and home of the Whopper"). Balki's signature is his "Dance of Joy", a cross between the dosado and the hokey pokey that he performs (with Larry) to celebrate good fortune. It usually begins with Balki saying, "Now we are so happy. We do the dance of joy!" He debuts it in the second episode, "Picture This," when he and Larry reconcile after an argument.  After initially gently rebuffing his cousin's request to stay at his apartment, aspiring photographer Larry decides to take Balki under his wing and teach him about American life. However, the neurotic Larry frequently proves to be as inept as Balki, if not more so, and often gets the pair into situations that only Balki can set right. Major influences on the show include "buddy sitcoms" such as "Laverne & Shirley" and "Mork & Mindy", both of which were produced by the "Perfect Strangers" team.

Synopsis.

Development.

The series was the brainchild of Dale McRaven (co-creator of "Mork & Mindy") and producers Tom Miller and Robert Boyett. Miller claimed that the series' inspiration came in the wake of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, when America experienced a wave of renewed patriotic sentiment. Their idea for a comedy about an immigrant in America was initially rejected by all three major commercial television networks operating in the U.S. at the time (ABC, CBS, and NBC).  In December 1984, Bronson Pinchot garnered notice for his role in "Beverly Hills Cop" as Serge, an effeminate art-gallery employee with an unplaceable foreign accent. When Miller and company pitched Pinchot as the star of their immigrant show, ABC signed on to the project, originally entitled "The Greenhorn". By this time, however, Pinchot had become unavailable, as he had taken the role of a gay attorney in the NBC series "Sara" alongside star Geena Davis.  "Sara" failed to find an audience and was canceled by May 1985. With Pinchot now available, Miller and Boyett developed the show in earnest. By November it was retitled "Perfect Strangers" and comedian Louie Anderson was cast as the immigrant's American cousin. A pilot episode was put into production, but in the end Anderson was not considered right for the role.  Development was placed into overdrive when ABC President Brandon Stoddard offered the producers a prime tryout slot for the spring of 1986 between the hit shows "Who's The Boss?" and "Moonlighting" on Tuesday nights. After running through several actors for the part of Balki's cousin, the producers chose Mark Linn-Baker, whom they had recently seen in a guest appearance on "Moonlighting". Linn-Baker displayed immediate chemistry with Pinchot and the series raced into production. It premiered on ABC on March 25, 1986.

Season 1 (1986).

The series commences with Larry living alone in an apartment in Chicago. In the pilot episode, Balki unexpectedly shows up at Larry's door claiming to be his distant cousin. Balki soon joins Larry as a clerk at the Ritz Discount Store, located on the ground level of their apartment building. Their boss is Donald "Twinkie" Twinkacetti (Ernie Sabella), an unscrupulous miser who is also their landlord. Twinkacetti's incessant berating of his two employees (he calls Balki "Turnip" and Larry "Yo-Yo") is occasionally alleviated by his wife Edwina (Belita Moreno). In the first season, upstairs neighbor Susan Campbell (Lise Cutter) is Larry's platonic friend.  Airing in the coveted timeslot between "Who's The Boss?" and "Moonlighting", "Perfect Strangers" was an instant ratings hit in the spring of 1986, with five of the six episodes landing in the weekly Nielsen top 10 highest-rated programs.

Season 2 (1986–87).

For its second season, "Perfect Strangers" was moved to Wednesday nights at 8:00 p.m. as a lead-in to the new ABC sitcom "Head of the Class".  Susan's character was phased out early in this season. Larry began dating Jennifer Lyons (Melanie Wilson) and Balki began dating Mary Anne Spencer (Rebeca Arthur), after meeting them through a local gym. In later episodes, it is revealed that both women are flight attendants who live in Larry and Balki's building.

Seasons 3–4 (1987–1989).

The start of season 3 in late 1987 found Larry and Balki in a new, larger apartment where Balki had his own room instead of sleeping on a fold-out sofa. External shots clearly depict a new apartment building. The characters never made reference to the move, and Jennifer and Mary Anne were still co-tenants in the new surroundings.  Larry acquires a reporter job working out of the basement of the "Chicago Chronicle", a fictional metropolitan newspaper, and helps Balki get a job in the "Chronicle" mail room. They are overseen by demanding city editor Harry Burns (Eugene Roche). Burns is phased out of the show by the end of season 3; the paper's publisher, Mr. Wainwright (F.J. O'Neill) is introduced later in season 3, and takes over as Larry's boss after Eugene Roche leaves the show. Mr. Wainwright appears through season 7. Balki's immediate supervisor is mail room head Sam Gorpley (Sam Anderson, who had portrayed a bank clerk in the season one episode "Check This" in which Balki opens his first bank account). Gorpley never warms to Balki (he sometimes calls him "the Mypiot") and insults him regularly. Lydia Markham is the "Chronicle"'s thin-skinned, multi-phobic advice columnist; she is played by Belita Moreno, who had previously played Edwina Twinkacetti in the first two seasons. Although Larry physically remains at his typewriter in the basement, he joins the investigative team of Marshall and Walpole (loosely-based on the famed "Washington Post" duo of Woodward and Bernstein) in season 4. Larry's relationship with Jennifer matures as well.  Working as an elevator operator is Harriette Winslow (Jo Marie Payton-France). Her husband Carl (Reginald VelJohnson) is introduced in the fourth-season episode "Crimebusters", in which the couple moves into Larry and Balki's apartment building.  In March 1988, midway through the third season, ABC moved "Perfect Strangers" from its successful Wednesday-night slot to Friday nights at 8:00 p.m. before "Full House". This was a key development in the formation of the ABC Friday-night comedy block that would later become known as "TGIF". Later moving to the 9/8c slot on Friday nights in the fall of 1989, "Perfect Strangers" would remain an anchor of ABC's Friday-night programming until it was unsuccessfully moved to Saturday nights in February 1992.

Seasons 5–6 (1989–1991).

In the fall of 1989, after two seasons on "Perfect Strangers", Harriette's character was given her own spin-off series, "Family Matters". Joining "Perfect Strangers" in the TGIF lineup, "Family Matters" would eventually run longer than its parent show. Harriette was not seen again on "Perfect Strangers", although an early "Family Matters" episode explained that she had been fired as the elevator operator, only to be re-hired as chief of security at the "Chronicle". Carl became a main character on "Family Matters".  Shortly after the sixth season opened, the producers attempted to add a child character to the show. Tess Holland, as played by Alisan Porter (who had starred on ABC's short-lived "Chicken Soup" the previous fall), was introduced as the troublemaking-but-immensely-cute little girl who lived upstairs from Larry and Balki. Tess appeared in the season's second episode, "New Kid on the Block", when Balki agrees to babysit her, causing an uproar both at home and at the "Chronicle". While Porter was supposed to be on full-time, and even credited in the opening title sequence of the episode, she was suddenly dropped, never to be seen again. The experiment of adding a child to the cast was partially influenced by the network as well, since ABC's TGIF lineup was wishing to incorporate the child-and-preteen demographic into its audience. While the content of "Perfect Strangers" could often appeal to the family as a whole, it had never had children in the regular cast. A similar infusion happened a few months later on sister show "Going Places", which had also started with a more adult tone.  While Larry and Jennifer's romance blossomed, Balki and Mary Anne's relationship moved more slowly: the pair would get very close, but then back off after fleeting moments of passion, then drift back into affection. Many viewers' predictions came true near the beginning of season 6, when Larry proposed to Jennifer, after feeling competition from her old flame who was trying to woo her back. Jennifer accepted, and in the season finale they set a wedding date. As the 6th season (1990–91) closed, it was clear that despite Larry's impending marriage, he and Balki's relationship would somehow remain a focal point of the show.

Season 7 (1991–92).

At season seven's beginning (which premiered in September 1991), Larry and Jennifer's marriage meant that "Perfect Strangers" would move in a different direction. Larry and Jennifer move into a large Victorian house, then discover that they cannot afford the rent without additional roommates: Balki and Mary Anne. At midseason, Balki receives a promotion at the "Chronicle", drawing a weekly comic strip based on his stuffed sheep, Dimitri. Gorpley and Lydia make occasional appearances throughout the season, but are gradually phased out as they have little relevance to Larry and Balki's new career paths.  With Larry and Jennifer happily married, the series turns toward Balki and Mary Anne's relationship. In the season's last several episodes, Mary Anne stops seeing Balki and moves out of the house. In the April 1992 season finale, Balki and Mary Anne resolve their differences and suddenly marry; the episode and season conclude with the couple on their way to an extended honeymoon in Mypos—and with Jennifer telling Larry that they are expecting.

Season 8 (1993).

The first episode of season eight picked up several months after the end of season seven, by which time Jennifer is visibly pregnant. Balki and Mary Anne returned from Mypos, revealing that Mary Anne was also well into a pregnancy. For the eighth season, the "Chronicle" storylines were phased out, with the series shifting its full attention to the home life of the characters. The series ended with a two-part episode "Up Up and Away", with each heralding the birth of a baby (first Robespierre, son of Balki and Mary Anne, and then Tucker, son of Larry and Jennifer). The last scene segues in and out of a musical montage of memorable scenes from the series to the tune of "Unforgettable" by Nat King Cole. The closing credits showed the cast bowing before the studio audience with Mark Linn-Baker saying, "Thank you all for being with us. Good night." Though it was not shown in the episode, co-stars Pinchot and Linn-Baker then did the "Dance of Joy" for the studio audience one last time.

Cast.

Main cast  Recurring cast

Production notes.

"Perfect Strangers" was produced by Miller-Boyett Productions in association with Lorimar-Telepictures, which later became Lorimar Television in 1988. The show, for its entire run, was executive produced by Thomas L. Miller and Robert L. Boyett, and series creator Dale McRaven was executive producer with them for the first two seasons, becoming an executive consultant thereafter. William Bickley and Michael Warren, who became longtime associates of Miller and Boyett, were supervising producers during seasons one through four, elevating to co-executive producers in season five and finally executive producers with Miller and Boyett from seasons six through eight. Chip and Doug Keyes, who also served as producers on Miller and Boyett's first project under Lorimar, "Valerie" (later "The Hogan Family"), were producers on "Perfect Strangers" during its first season. Others who joined or remained on the production staff for several seasons included Paula A. Roth (who eventually became a principal showrunner in the seventh season alongside the senior executive producers), Alan Plotkin, Terry Hart, James O'Keefe, and the team of Barry O'Brien & Cheryl Alu.  Robert Griffard and Howard Adler, who joined the show in its third season as writers and executive story consultants, were promoted to co-producers in season five. At the end of the 1989–90 season, Griffard and Adler launched pre-production on their own series developed by Miller/Boyett, "Going Places", which followed "Perfect Strangers" on "TGIF" the following season. Later seasons saw the arrival of such producers as Shari Hearn and Tom Devanney.  In 1991, Bickley and Warren launched their own production plate, Bickley-Warren Productions, as associates to Miller/Boyett. The Bickley-Warren Productions entity oversaw "Family Matters", "Step by Step" and "Getting By" for Miller/Boyett, and alone were later the producers of "Hangin' With Mr. Cooper" and "Kirk", both of which were produced by Warner Bros. Television (which absorbed Lorimar Television in 1993). Despite the existence of the Bickley-Warren plate during the final two seasons of "Perfect Strangers", and the fact that Bickley and Warren were still active as producers on "Strangers", the Bickley-Warren logo was never added to the show's closing credits as an associate production company.  Within a year after "Perfect Strangers" finished production, many of its existing production staff (namely O'Brien & Alu, Plotkin, co-producer Michael J. Morris and executive story consultant Scott Spencer Gorden) were all assigned to sister series "Getting By" at the start of its second season (1993–94).

Theme song and opening sequence.

Theme song.

The show's theme song, "Nothing's Gonna Stop Me Now", was written by Jesse Frederick and Bennett Salvay, who had composed the themes for other Miller-Boyett series, including "Full House", "Step by Step," and "Perfect Strangers" spin-off "Family Matters". Frederick and Salvay also composed the show's musical score for the entire first two seasons; for the remaining seasons, the score compositions rotated between Frederick and Salvay, Steven Chesne and/or Gary Boren. The theme was performed by David Pomeranz. The music was rearranged and the lyrics re-recorded for season three and the music was rearranged slightly in season five. The full opening theme used for season one and most episodes of season two lasted 90 seconds. Starting with season three, the repeat of the second chorus near the end of the theme was cut to allow more airtime, reducing it to 72 seconds.  Two additional shortened versions were also used occasionally when episodes ran over the allotted time: the version used in a few episodes of season two cut half of the first stanza and the entire second, going directly to the first chorus following the verse, "Sometimes you just get a feeling/Like you need some kind of change...", reducing the length to 65 seconds, but the version used from season three onward used all but the second stanza, reducing the length to 48 seconds; the season four short version added a shorter harmonica portion near the end, which was absent in the season three short version. It has been a common misconception that the theme was reduced to the 48-second version from season three onward but that version was only used in syndicated reruns to allow stations added commercial time. The 72-second version was used for all episodes originally broadcast on ABC from seasons 3 to 8, with exceptions where ABC airings used the 48-second version when episodes ran over the allotted time. A shorter instrumental version of the theme, also composed by Frederick and Salvay, was also used as a closing theme in all but a few episodes (and was dropped entirely for season eight), which was rearranged in season three to sound nearly identical to the main theme, with another rearrangement for season five that saw it elongated from 30 seconds to 40 seconds.

Opening credits.

First version (seasons one and two).

During seasons one and two, the opening sequence begins with images of Balki and Larry wiping sideways from opposite sides of the screen to meet in the middle, with the series title superimposed on top. Larry is shown saying good-bye to his family as he leaves his home in Wisconsin, and drives to Chicago in his old red Ford Mustang. The sequence then shifts to Balki, who is shown making his own farewells on Mypos before being driven off on the back of a horsecart, sitting alongside a box mislabeled "America or Burst". Balki is next seen on the tramp steamer as he sights the Statue of Liberty, then on a bus, presumably making his way to Chicago. After a brief shot of Larry driving under a "Welcome to Chicago" sign (in reality, located on eastbound Interstate 190 leading out of O'Hare International Airport), the sequence ends with the same shot of Balki and Larry together that began the sequence. The first season featured a script font for the series title and credits. For the second season, the show's title appears more similar to later seasons, and the script font is replaced with the fonts similar to that used in the remaining seasons. The Lake Shore Drive footage is now shown correctly. Additionally, the Larry and Balki sequences are shortened so that brief clips from some of the early episodes could be shown.

Second version (seasons three through eight).

For season three, the opening sequence was overhauled. The sequence begins with a close-up on Larry and Balki on the back of a tour boat heading east down the Chicago River, then zooming out to show them traveling under the Irv Kupcinet Bridge (the Wrigley Building and the now-demolished Sun-Times building can be seen in the background). A much larger version of the second season series title is superimposed on this image. During the third season only, light sparkles across this title. The sequence briefly recaps Larry and Balki's journeys to Chicago using footage from the earlier seasons. When Larry passes under the "Welcome to Chicago" sign this time, the sequence cuts to new footage of Larry and Balki around Chicago, including jogging in Lincoln Park, braving a wind gust on a city street, attending a Chicago Cubs game at Wrigley Field, and messing around in a revolving door. After a view of an El train moving over the city street, the sequence concludes with Larry and Balki emerging from the subway to attend the Chicago Theatre. The theater marquee shows, appropriately enough, Neil Simon's "The Odd Couple". The new location shots were filmed on September 11 and 12, 1987. This sequence remained the same from season three through the end of the series in season eight.  As a brief salute to its parent series, in the early-season opening credits of the spin-off series "Family Matters", the Winslow family is shown riding bicycles over the Irv Kupcinet Bridge, as seen from exactly the same vantage point as in the opening "Perfect Strangers" sequence.

Exterior shot locations.

First apartment building.

The building used for the exterior shots of Larry and Balki's apartment for the first two seasons was the now non-existent Santa Rita Hotel, located at the south corner of S. Main St. and E. 11th St. in downtown Los Angeles, California. Since the series, the building has been remodeled and the upper stories removed. What remains of the building now houses several small shops and importers.

Second apartment building.

The apartment building seen in the exterior shots from seasons three through six (and two episodes of season seven) is located at the northwest corner of West Dickens Avenue and North Clark Street in Lincoln Park, Chicago, and little has changed in appearance today.

Chicago Chronicle.

The "Chicago Chronicle" building is in actuality known as the London Guarantee Building, located at 360 North Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago.

Episodes.

There were a total of eight seasons in the series. The first and last seasons were six episodes each. The second through fourth seasons had 22 episodes each, and the fifth through seventh each had 24 episodes. There were a total of 150 episodes in the series.  "Perfect Strangers"<nowiki>'</nowiki> ratings remained steady throughout its long run, usually ranking among Nielsen's top 40 programs for its first six seasons. It was never a massive hit, but consistently in a comfortable spot in the ratings, and it usually won its time slot on Friday nights.  By the fall of 1991, ABC had been reaping the rewards of the successful TGIF and wanted to capitalize on the preteen-and-younger demographic for Saturday nights as well, in order to decrease competition from NBC’s popular Saturday evening lineup of adult-oriented sitcoms "The Golden Girls", "Walter and Emily", "Empty Nest" and "Nurses." In late January 1992, the network rolled out plans to launch a similar family-friendly comedy block for Saturday, also helmed by TGIF creator Jim Janicek. It was announced that "Perfect Strangers" would move from TGIF to join this new lineup to help it take off. On February 1, 1992, "Perfect Strangers" began airing in the 9 p.m. slot of I Love Saturday Night, the new TGIF sister lineup (which included "Growing Pains", "Who's the Boss?", and "Capitol Critters"). The series experienced a drastic decline in ratings. It dropped to #65 for the remainder of the season. In July 1992, ABC moved "Perfect Strangers" back to Fridays at 9:30 p.m. ET to fill the timeslot with reruns until the new TGIF season began. The reruns that were aired won their timeslot as they had before.  ABC had initially ordered 13 episodes to be produced for the show’s eighth and final season, though the network ultimately shortened it to 6 episodes which were filmed during the summer of 1992, but broadcast from July 9 to August 6, 1993. The season was rated in the top 20 with its series finale attracting 15 million households and rated #11 for the week of August 1, 1993. The average Nielsen ratings for the entire run of eight seasons was #27. For the abbreviated eighth season, "Perfect Strangers" once again aired Fridays at 9:30/8:30c.

Syndication.

From August 28, 1989, to July 13, 1990, reruns of the first four seasons of "Perfect Strangers" aired on ABC's daytime program block. Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution (former sister company to series production company Lorimar Television) distributed the series for broadcast television syndication from September 1990 to September 1997. USA Network aired reruns of the show from September 1997 to September 11, 1998. The WB 100+ carried the series from September 17, 2001 to December 2002.  The series aired on Nick at Nite, first with a 6-episode marathon on July 14, 2000, and then a special airing in November 2000; the series aired regularly in late nights from February 3 to September 20, 2003. TV Land aired reruns from August 2, 2002 to September 28, 2002 and January 3 to February 1, 2003, as part of its now-defunct "TV Land Kitschen" weekend late night block, though special episodes aired on the channel in December 2000, April and December 2001, December 2002, January and December 2003, and June 2005. From October 1 to November 1, 2007, ION Television aired reruns of "Perfect Strangers" on its primetime lineup Monday-Thursday nights at 8:30 p.m. (ET/PT). It is not currently broadcast on either broadcast or cable television in the U.S..  Various episodes were seen on AOL's In2TV video-on-demand service starting in March 2006, though after AOL's June 2009 announcement of its split with Time Warner, the series was moved to the AOL Video site.  Outside of the United States, the series aired in the Netherlands by public TV, in Turkey by the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation dubbed in Turkish. In Pakistan, reruns were carried by Pakistan Television Corporation in its original form. In Bangladesh, reruns were carried by BTV in its original form. The series aired in the United Kingdom (on BBC1), Australia and New Zealand (on Channel 2, now called TVNZ 2) in its original form; reruns aired in Australia on 7TWO between March and October 2011 and in 2013. The series aired in Bulgaria by BTV and in the Bulgarian language; Bulgarians know Balki mostly as a Greek. It aired in the Philippines by RPN 9 in its original form, it aired with Arabic subtitles in Kuwait on KTV2 and in Lebanon on Télé Liban (TL). The series aired in Ireland by RTÉ on Network 2 in its original form.  The series aired in "Canada" on "DejaView" channel 636.  On September 29, 2017, "Perfect Strangers" became available for streaming on Hulu along with fellow Warner Bros. TV properties "Family Matters", "Full House", "Hangin' with Mr. Cooper" and "Step by Step", in addition to Disney-ABC TV properties "Boy Meets World", "Dinosaurs" and "Home Improvement".

Spinoff.

"Family Matters".

"Perfect Strangers" had a spin-off series, the highly rated, long-running family sitcom "Family Matters", which aired from September 22, 1989, to July 17, 1998. The series was centered around Harriette Winslow (Jo Marie Payton) in the role she originated on "Perfect Strangers" (Harriette was played by Judyann Elder for the second half of season nine after Payton's departure), and her cop husband Carl (Reginald VelJohnson; the character was initially introduced on "Perfect Strangers" in the fourth-season episode "Crimebusters") and their family. The series, which initially garnered modest ratings for most of its first season, became a ratings hit after the Winslows' annoying, accident-prone, budding inventor next-door neighbor Steve Urkel (Jaleel White), was introduced midway through the show's first season.  Neither "Family Matters" nor "Perfect Strangers" featured a direct crossover with the other, though Balki and Larry were originally scripted to appear in the pilot episode before the scene was cut from the broadcast. Mark Linn-Baker and Melanie Wilson each guest starred on the show, as a different character, and Linn-Baker directed another episode. Footage of the "Chicago Chronicle" building shot for "Perfect Strangers" appeared in the second episode of "Family Matters" and music originally written for "Perfect Strangers" would be used during the early seasons of "Family Matters", as well. Several premises from popular episodes of "Perfect Strangers" ("Just Desserts", "Pipe Dreams" and "Blind Alley") would also be recycled as first-season episodes of "Family Matters" ("Baker's Dozen", "Mr. Badwrench" and "Bowl Me Over").

Home media.

The season four episode "Maid to Order" was released as part of a limited edition bonus disc of the complete first season DVD of "Night Court" on February 8, 2005 by Warner Home Video.  In February 2008, Warner Home Video released seasons 1 and 2 of "Perfect Strangers" on DVD in Regions 1, 2 & 4. Further planned season releases ultimately did not materialize. In an article on TVShowsOnDVD.com regarding TV series with stalled DVD releases, it was mentioned that the main hold-up for any subsequent releases of "Perfect Strangers" is not poor sales but rather high music licensing costs. It is noted that the series sometimes featured popular songs within certain episodes, though the versions by the artists who originally performed them were usually not used; instead they were commonly sung a cappella by Mark Linn-Baker and/or Bronson Pinchot's characters whenever the script called for Balki and/or Larry to sing within the episode.  In July 2017, a representative for Warner Archive Collection indicated on a social media post that the remainder of the series would be released on DVD, with a formal announcement to be made in the near future. The complete third season was released on April 17, 2018, with the next three seasons being released later the same year, and the last two released in 2019.

Perfect Strangers is an American sitcom that ran for eight seasons, from March 25, 1986 to August 6, 1993, on the ABC television network. Created by Dale McRaven, the series chronicles the rocky coexistence of midwestern American Larry Appleton (Mark Linn-Baker) and his distant cousin from eastern Mediterranean Europe, Balki Bartokomous (Bronson Pinchot).

Ein Grieche erobert Chicago (Originaltitel: "Perfect Strangers") ist eine US-amerikanische Comedyserie. Am 25. März 1986 wurde die erste von 150 Episoden erstmals in den USA gesendet. Entwickelt wurde sie vom Drehbuchautor Dale McRaven. Zwischen 1986 und 1993 entstanden acht Staffeln.


Overview.

Just three crops - maize, wheat and rice - account for about 50% of the world's consumption of calories and protein. About 95% of the world's food needs are provided by just 30 species of plants. In stark contrast, at least 12,650 species names have been compiled as edible. Neglected and underutilized plants are those that could be - and, in many cases, historically have been - used for food and other uses on a larger scale.  Such crop species have also been described as "minor", "orphan", "promising" and "little-used".

Definition.

It is difficult to precisely define which attributes make a crop "underutilized", but often they display the following features:  Neglected crops are primarily grown by traditional farmers. These species may be widely distributed beyond their centres of origin but tend to occupy special niches in the local production and consumption systems. They are important for the subsistence of local communities, yet remain poorly documented and neglected by the mainstream research and development activities. Many staple crops, especially in the developing world, are poorly studied by researchers. For example, the Green Revolution saw massive changes in agricultural productivity in Asia, but African crops saw little benefit.  Underutilized crops are those marginalized by farmers and consumers due to agronomic, genetic, economic, environmental and cultural reasons, which were once important and major crop in the community.

Importance.

They continue to play an important role in the subsistence and economy of poor people throughout the developing world, particularly in the agrobiodiversity-rich tropics. Despite their potential for dietary diversification and the provision of micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals, they continue to attract little research and development attention.  Alongside their commercial potential, many of the underused crops also provide important environmental services, as they are adapted to marginal soil and climate conditions.

Constraints.

The following are frequent constraints:

Examples.

Determination of the underutilized status of a crop varies among researchers. Different criteria and approaches are used to define this particular group of crop. Neglect refers to the attention the crop has received from research and development and can be evaluated by how well national and international policy and legal frameworks and research and development programmes support the conservation and sustainable use of the crop. Underutilisation is particular to the geography and potential for a crop to contribute to better to diets and production systems. In any cases where exotic species or diversified species are underutilized at certain region, these are not necessarily underutilized in other parts of the worlds. Below is an example list of neglected and underutilized species that is not exhaustive.

Neglected and underused crops are domesticated plant species that have been used for centuries or more for their food, fibre, fodder, oil or medicinal properties, but have been reduced in importance over time. A wide range of terminology is used to describe these crops, including: orphan, abandoned, lost, underutilized, local, minor, traditional, alternative, niche, or underdeveloped; in recent fashion, these are often referred to as forgotten or smart food. Reductions in use may pertain to, among other things: supply or consumption constraints, poor shelf life, unrecognized nutritional value, poor consumer awareness, and reputational problems (famine food or "poor people's food", sometimes due to the modernization of agricultural practices). Some crops have been so neglected that genetic erosion of their genepools has become so severe that they are often regarded as lost crops.

In Vergessenheit geratene, vernachlässigte oder wenig genützte Kulturpflanzen werden oft als Neglected and Underutilized Crop Species (NUS) bezeichnet. NUS dienen traditionsgemäß entweder als Lebens- oder Futtermittel oder werden zur Faser- oder Ölgewinnung eingesetzt. Auch die medizinischen Verwendungsmöglichkeiten sind von großer Bedeutung. Das große Potential dieser Gruppe, zur Nahrungs- und Einkommenssicherheit beitragen zu können, ist noch nicht ausgenutzt. Zusätzlich sind NUS ein wichtiger Bestandteil intakter Agrar-Ökosysteme. Eine ausführliche wissenschaftliche Beschäftigung mit NUS wurde häufig vernachlässigt.


Playing career.

Eager was drafted in the first round, 23rd overall, by the Phoenix Coyotes in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. He was later traded by the Coyotes, with goaltender Sean Burke and forward Branko Radivojevič, to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for centre Mike Comrie.  The 2006–07 season would see Eager lead the NHL in penalty minutes, even though he only played 63 games. That same season, he also won the Pelle Lindbergh Memorial Trophy as the Flyer who has most improved from the previous season, as voted by his teammates.  Eager was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks on December 18, 2007 for Jim Vandermeer.  Eager scored his first Stanley Cup playoff goal in Game 2 of Chicago's victory against the Vancouver Canucks on May 2, 2009, in Vancouver. This led to the Blackhawks' first victory against the Canucks and evened the series at one game apiece. Eager scored his second playoff goal on May 31, 2010, in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals against his former club, the Philadelphia Flyers. His goal ended up being the game winner, as the 'Hawks won 2–1. On June 9, 2010, he and the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup, defeating the Flyers 4–3 in overtime in Game 6. On June 23, 2010, Eager was traded to the Atlanta Thrashers, alongside Dustin Byfuglien, Brent Sopel, and Akim Aliu, in exchange for the 24th and 54th overall picks in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, both previously acquired from New Jersey, Marty Reasoner, Joey Crabb and Jeremy Morin. During the 2010–11 season, Eager delivered a sucker punch to the Toronto Maple Leafs' Colby Armstrong. Eager received a five-minute major, a match penalty for intent to injure and was ejected from the game. The NHL further suspended him for four games due to the incident. Midway through the season, he was traded to the San Jose Sharks for a fifth-round pick in 2011.  Eager signed a three-year, $3.3 million contract as an unrestricted free agent with the Edmonton Oilers on July 1, 2011.  On October 20, 2012, Eager was charged with assault, assault with bodily harm and assault with a weapon after allegedly beating up the doorman at a pub in the Rosedale neighbourhood of Toronto.  On March 13, 2013, Eager was placed on waivers by the Oilers for assignment to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Oklahoma City Barons.  Eager left the Oilers organization as a free agent and on July 11, 2014, signed abroad on a one-year contract with CSKA Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He returned mid-season to America, signing for the remainder of the campaign with the Chicago Wolves of the AHL.  In November 2016, Eager was named to the Chicago Blackhawks alumni team to play in the annual NHL Winter Classic.

Benjamin Arthur Eager (born January 22, 1984) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He won the Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010.

Benjamin „Ben“ Eager (* 22. Januar 1984 in Ottawa, Ontario) ist ein ehemaliger kanadischer Eishockeyspieler, der im Verlauf seiner aktiven Karriere zwischen 2000 und 2015 unter anderem 454 Spiele für die Philadelphia Flyers, Chicago Blackhawks, Atlanta Thrashers, San Jose Sharks und Edmonton Oilers in der National Hockey League auf der Position des linken Flügelstürmers bestritten hat. In Diensten der Chicago Blackhawks gewann Eager, der den Spieltyp des Enforcers verkörperte, im Jahr 2010 den Stanley Cup.


Biography.

Family and early life.

Antonio Stradivari's birthdate, presumably between 1644 and 1649, has been debated amongst historians due to the numerous inconsistencies in the evidence of the latter. The 1668 and 1678 censuses report him actually growing younger, a fact explained by the probable loss of statistics from 1647–49, when renewed belligerency between France's Modenese and Spain's Milanese proxies led to a flow of refugees that included Stradivari's mother.  Stradivari's ancestry consisted of notable citizens of Cremona, dating back to at least the 12th or 13th century. The earliest mention of the family name, or a variation upon it, is in a land grant dating from 1188. The origin of the name itself has several possible explanations; some sources say it is the plural of "stradivare", essentially meaning "toll-man" in Lombard, while others say that the form "de Strataverta" derives from, which in Cremonese dialect means "open road".  Antonio's parents were Alessandro Stradivari, son of Giulio Cesare Stradivari, and Anna Moroni, daughter of Leonardo Moroni. They married on 30 August 1622, and had at least three children between 1623 and 1628: Giuseppe Giulia Cesare, Carlo Felice, and Giovanni Battista. The baptismal records of the parish of S. Prospero then stop, and it is unknown whether they had any children from 1628 to 1644. This gap in the records may be due to the family leaving Cremona in response to war, famine, and plague in the city from 1628 to 1630, or the records may have been lost due to clerical reforms imposed by Joseph II of Austria in 1788. The latter explanation is supported by the word "Cremonensis" (of Cremona) on many of Stradivari's labels, which suggests that he was born in the city instead of merely moving back there to work. Antonio was born in 1644, a fact deducible from later violins. However, there are no records or information available on his early childhood, and the first evidence of his presence in Cremona is the label of his oldest surviving violin from 1666.  Stradivari likely began an apprenticeship with Nicola Amati between the ages of 12 and 14, although a minor debate surrounds this fact. One of the few pieces of evidence supporting this is the label of his 1666 violin, which reads, "Alumnus Nicolai Amati, faciebat anno 1666". However, Stradivari did not repeatedly put Amati's name on his labels, unlike many of Amati's other students. Stradivari's early violins actually bear less resemblance to Amati's than his later instruments do. M. Chanot-Chardon, a well-known French luthier, asserted that his father had a label of Stradivari's stating, "Made at the age of thirteen, in the workshop of Nicolò Amati". This label has never been found or confirmed. Amati would also have been a logical choice for Antonio's parents, as he represented an old family of violin makers in Cremona, and was far superior to most other luthiers in Italy.  Some researchers believe there is a closer educational association between Antonio Stradivari and Francesco Rugeri than has previously been recognized. Despite the long-held belief that Antonio Stradivari was the pupil of Nicolò Amati, there are important discrepancies between their work. Some researchers believe early instruments by Stradivari bear a stronger resemblance to Francesco Rugeri's work than Amati's. Additionally, the utilization of a small dorsal pin or small hole, invariably used not just by Nicolò Amati but all of his recognized pupils—with the exception of Antonio Stradivari, adds further evidence that Stradivari may have learnt his craft apart from Amati. This pin or hole was fundamental in the graduation of the thickness of the plates and was obviously a technique passed on through generations of pupils of the Amati. This dorsal pin is also not found in any of the instruments of the Rugeri family, suggesting Antonio Stradivari may have actually learnt his craft from Francesco Rugeri, although both being influenced by Amati. W.E. Hill & Sons concede that they fail to find the hand of Stradivari in any of Nicolo Amati's work, although the unmistakable hands of Andrea Guarneri and Francesco Rugeri are evident.  An alternative theory is that Stradivari started out as a woodworker: the house he lived in from 1667 to 1680 was owned by Francesco Pescaroli, a woodcarver and inlayer. Stradivari may even have been employed to decorate some of Amati's instruments, without being a true apprentice. This theory is supported by some of Stradivari's later violins, which have elaborate decorations and purfling.  Assuming that Stradivari was a student of Amati, he would have begun his apprenticeship in 1656–58 and produced his first decent instruments in 1660, at the age of 16. His first labels were printed from 1660 to 1665, which indicates that his work had sufficient quality to be offered directly to his patrons. However, he probably stayed in Amati's workshop until about 1684, using his master's reputation as a launching point for his career.

First marriage.

Stradivari married his first wife, Francesca Ferraboschi, on 4 July 1667. Francesca was the young widow of the burgher Giacomo Capra, with whom she had two children. Francesca's brother had shot Giacomo with a crossbow on the Piazza Garibaldi (formerly the Piazza Santa Agata) in 1664. He was later exiled, though allowed to return to Cremona many years later. After their marriage, Stradivari moved into a house known as the Casa del Pescatore, or the Casa Nuziale, in his wife's parish. A clue to how they would have met lies in the 1659 Easter census, which lists the Ferraboschi family four houses away from the Amati residence. The couple had a daughter, Giulia Maria, three to four months later. They remained in the house until 1680, during which time they had four more children: Catterina, Francesco, Alessandro, and Omobono Stradivari, as well as an infant son who lived for only a week. An age difference of four to nine years was uncommon between wedded couples at the time.  Stradivari purchased a house now known as No. 1 Piazza Roma (formerly No. 2 Piazza San Domenico) around 1680 for the sum of 7000 lire, 2000 of which he paid at the time of the purchase. The totality of the house was paid for by 1684. The residence was just doors away from those of several other violin-making families of Cremona, including the Amatis and Guarneris. Stradivari probably worked in the loft and attic, and he stayed in this house for the rest of his life.  Stradivari's wife Francesca died on 20 May 1698, and received an elaborate funeral five days later.

Second marriage.

Stradivari married his second wife, Antonia Maria Zambelli, on 24 August 1699. The only information known about her is that she was 35 at the time of the marriage. They had five children from 1700 to 1708—Francesca Maria, Giovanni Battista Giuseppe, Giovanni Battista Martino, Giuseppe Antonio, and Paolo.

Death.

Stradivari died in Cremona on 18 December 1737, aged 93. He is buried in the Church of San Domenico. The tomb was acquired eight years prior to his death, having been bought from a Cremonese family, substituting his name for theirs in the tombstone.

Will.

Stradivari generated substantial wealth in his lifetime. His will, dated 1729, counted eight living heirs, including his wife. Zambelli was left with her clothing, bed linens, household items, and half of her jewelry. Antonia would become the responsibility of his two eldest sons. Annunciata Caterina was left her jewelry, clothing, linens, and income on loans. Paolo, the youngest child, would get six finished violins—valued at 1,000 lire—as well as some household effects and cash. Three other children who had joined religious orders were left with their share of inheritance: Maria, a nun, would get an annuity; Alessandro, a priest, would get fixed income on a home mortgage loan; and Giuseppe, another priest, would get some income on half a share from a pastry shop. There were also annual payments to his two sons of 150 and 300 lire each and 170 lire for Annunciata and 100 for Francesca.  His remaining two sons from his first marriage had both worked in the family shop. Omobono, who had left the dwelling aged eighteen in search of new employment possibilities in Naples, would inherit six violins, and Francesco, who was named his father's successor, would inherit the rest of the estate, including all of the tools, stencils, finished violins, patterns, and—ostensibly—his father's reputation. In 1733, he had bought his youngest son a partnership in a local textile firm for the large amount of 25,000 lire.

Career.

Early career.

Stradivari probably developed his own style slowly. Some of his early violins were smaller, with notable exception to this is the 1679 "Hellier" violin, which had much larger proportions. Stradivari's early (pre-1684) violins are in strong contrast to Amati's instruments from the same time period; Stradivari's have a stronger, more masculine build, and less rounded curves, with the purfling set farther in.  By 1680, Stradivari had acquired at least a small, yet growing, reputation. In 1682, a Venetian banker ordered a complete set of instruments, which he planned to present to King James II of England. The fate of these instruments is unknown. Cosimo III de' Medici bought another five years later. Amati died in 1684, an event followed by a noticeable increase in Stradivari's production. The years 1684 and 1685 also marked an important development in his style—the dimensions he used generally increased, and his instruments were more in the style of Amati's work of the 1640s and 1650s. Stradivari's instruments underwent no major change in the next five years, although in 1688 he began cutting a more distinct bevel and began outlining the heads of instruments in black, a quite original improvement.  Stradivari's early career is marked by wide experimentation, and his instruments during this period are generally considered of a lesser quality than his later work. However, the precision with which he carved the heads and inserted the purfling quickly marked him as one of the most dextrous craftsmen in the world, a prime example of this being the 1690 "Tuscan" violin. Pre-1690 instruments are sometimes termed "Amatisé" but this is not completely accurate; it is largely because Stradivari created many more instruments later on that people try to connect his early work with Amati's style.  By 1680 Stradivari moved to No. 1 Piazza Roma (formerly No. 2 Piazza San Domenico). The house was just doors away from those of several other violin making families of Cremona, including the Amatis and Guarneris. Stradivari probably worked in the loft and attic, and he lived in this house for the rest of his life.

"Golden" period and later years.

In the early 1690s, Stradivari made a pronounced departure from this earlier style of instrument-making, changing two key elements of his instruments. First, he began to make violins with a larger pattern than previous instruments; these larger violins usually are known as "Long Strads". He also switched to using a darker, richer varnish, as opposed to a yellower varnish similar to that used by Amati. He continued to use this pattern until 1698, with few exceptions. After 1698, he abandoned the Long Strad model and returned to a slightly shorter model, which he used until his death. The period from 1700 until the 1720s is often termed the "golden period" of his production. Instruments made during this time are usually considered of a higher quality than his earlier instruments. Late-period instruments made from the late 1720s until his death in 1737 show signs of Stradivari's advancing age. These late instruments may be a bit less beautiful than the Golden Period instruments, but many nonetheless possess a fine tone. Heavier and looser craftmanship of the late Stradivari output can be seen in the 1734 'Habeneck'.

Stradivari and the Cremonese violin making school.

Influence in the 18th century.

The Stradivari parish, San Matteo, and the Amati parish, San Faustino, comprised the center of Cremonese violin making. They exerted influence on one another's shape, varnish and sound of instruments, but also on many of their contemporaries'; they defined violin making standards for the next 300 years.  Even at the beginning of the 18th century, Stradivari's influence could be seen not only in the work of Cremonese makers, but also international ones, such as Barak Norman's, one of the first important British makers. In the 1720s Daniel Parker, a very important British luthier, produced fine violins after Stradivari's work selling anywhere from £30,000 to £60,000 in recent auctions. Parker based his best instruments on Stradivari's "long pattern", having the opportunity to study one or more of the instruments. Well into the 19th century, Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume, the leading French luthier of his time, also made many important copies of Strads and Guarneris.  In the 18th century, Cremonese luthiers were the suppliers and local players on the demand side. After Stradivari's death, this drastically changed. Although the Cremonese luthiers remained the suppliers, the demand side now consisted mainly of collectors, researchers, imitators, profiteers, and speculators. Many local players could no longer afford the sought out instruments and most of the purchased instruments would be hidden in private collections, put in museums, or simply put back in their cases, hoping that they would gain value over time. This is when the Stradivari "fever" really took off. The violin collector Count Ignazio Alessandro Cozio di Salabue, Vuillaume, and later Tarisio Auctions have all contributed to this frenzy that would extend well into the 21st century. Also, most of the other major Cremonese luthiers died soon after Stradivari, putting an end to the golden period of Cremona's violin making, which lasted more than 150 years, starting with the Amatis and ending with the Cerutis.  The Cremonese maker Vincenzo Rugeri (1663–1719), while staying true to the Grand Amati Pattern by Nicolo Amati, was influenced by Stradivari in that he adopted a somewhat lower arch consistent with Stradivarian ideals.  Members of the Gagliano family such as Gennaro and Nicolo made excellent copies of the instruments in the 1740s, though the only similarity to Stradivari's instruments were the execution of the form and arching as well as consistently fine and detailed varnish. Nicolo would usually use the "forma" B model for his cellos and as the quality of the output steadily declined within the family, the Stradivari models were almost abandoned in Naples.  Having acquired many Strads from Paolo Stradivari, Count Cozio commissioned Giovanni Battista Guadagnini to make some replicas of the instruments. Although many features of Strads are present in the copies, they still remain heavily influenced by Guadagnini's workshop principles and represent well the maker's Turin period.  Vincenzo Panormo was also one of the many luthiers who based many of his violins on Strads. He learned about them in Paris between 1779 and 1789 when he worked closely with Léopold Renaudin, another one of Strad's followers. Stradivari's influence could also be seen in Spain with the outstanding work of José Contreras of Granada and Madrid. Having the privilege to be exposed to Stradivari's instruments through the Spanish court, he was experienced enough to replace the scroll of a 1717 Stradivari cello and possibly even make its back and ribs. He had a great ability to imitate the original varnish and intricacy of the instrument.

Influence in the 19th and 20th century.

The 19th century was not as eventful in comparison to the previous centuries. Some of the most important luthiers from this part of history include Giovanni Rota, as well as the two non-Italian makers François Chanot in France and the artist, inventor and musician William Sidney Mount in the US, who both created experimental violins.  The 20th century was the so-called rebirth of Cremonese making, when luthiers such as Giuseppe Antonio Rocca, Giovanni Battista Morassi, Beltrami, and the Antoniazzi family emerged from a seemingly uneventful and experimental period. These makers, sometimes basing their early violins on Strads, would later on make their own models and would inspire each other's work.

Stradivari and his sons.

Even though Antonio had a very long working life, it is impossible for him to have crafted more than 1,000 instruments entirely by himself, meaning that his sons, Francesco and Omobono, as well as possibly a third son, must have been working on and off in his shop. It is known that having left the workshop at eighteen, Omobono made a few instruments on his own, such as the 'Blagrove' and another violin dating from 1732. On his side, Francesco made very few violins independently, such as the 1742 'Salabue' and 'Oliveira', spending his lifetime in his father's shop. This was one of the main reasons that Francesco had a large part in Antonio's will, and Omobono a lesser one. One of the major differences between Antonio and his sons' craftsmanship was the quality of the purfling on their instruments, which in the case of Francesco and Omobono has been referred to as "startlingly poor".  "Only a handful of instruments are reliably attributed to Francesco alone.... [There are only] two authentic labels known: 'Franciscus Stradivarius Cremonensis / Filius Antonii faciebat Anno 1742'... Notably it omits the A+S stamp that occurs on Antonio's labels. Another label states 'Sotto la Disciplina d'Antonio / Stradivari F. in Cremona 1737'. This is of course the year of his father's death, and the phrase'sotto la disciplina', although it appears in a few other instruments, may here be a particular sign of his respect."

Stradivarius instruments.

The Hills Violin Shop estimate that Stradivari produced 1,116 instruments, of which 960 were violins. It is also estimated that around 650 of these instruments survive, including 450 to 512 violins.  Stradivari's instruments are regarded as amongst the finest bowed stringed instruments ever created, are highly prized, and are still played by professionals today. Only one other maker, Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù, commands a similar respect among violinists. However, neither blind listening tests nor acoustic analysis have ever demonstrated that Stradivarius instruments are better than other high-quality instruments or even reliably distinguishable from them.  While the usual label for a Stradivarius instrument, whether genuine or false, uses the traditional Latin inscription, after the McKinley Tariff Act of 1890, copies were also inscribed with the country of origin. Since thousands of instruments are based on Stradivari's models and bear the same name as his models, many unwary people are deceived into purchasing forged Stradivarius instruments, which can be avoided by authenticating the instrument.  Some violinists and cellists use Stradivari instruments in their work. Yo-Yo Ma uses the "Davidov Stradivarius", Julian Lloyd Webber employs the "Barjansky Stradivarius", and, until his death in 2007, Mstislav Rostropovich played on the "Duport Stradivarius". The "Soil" of 1714 is owned by virtuoso Itzhak Perlman. The "Countess Polignac" is currently played by Gil Shaham. The Vienna Philharmonic uses several Stradivari instruments that were purchased by Austria's central bank Oesterreichische Nationalbank and other sponsors: "Chaconne", 1725; "ex-Hämmerle", 1709; "ex-Smith-Quersin", 1714; "ex-Arnold Rosé", "ex-Viotti", 1718; and "ex-Halphen", 1727. Viktoria Mullova owns and plays the "Jules Falk".  The London sales of "The Mendelssohn" at £902,000 ($1,776,940) in 1990 and "The Kreutzer" for £947,500 in 1998 constitute two top-selling Stradivari. A record price paid at a public auction for a Stradivari was $2,032,000 for the "Lady Tennant" at Christie's in New York, April 2005. On 16 May 2006, Christie's auctioned Stradivari's 1707 "Hammer" for a new record of US$3,544,000. On 2 April 2007, Christie's sold a Stradivari violin, the 1729 "Solomon, Ex-Lambert", for more than $2.7 million to an anonymous bidder in the auction house's fine musical instruments sale. Its price, US$2,728,000 including Christie's commission, far outdid its estimated value: $1 million to $1.5 million. On 14 October 2010, a 1697 Stradivari violin known as "The Molitor" was sold online by Tarisio Auctions for a world-record price of $3,600,000 to violinist Anne Akiko Meyers: at the time its price was the highest for any musical instrument sold at auction. On 21 June 2011, the Lady Blunt Stradivarius, a 1721 violin, was auctioned by Tarisio to an anonymous bidder for almost £10 million, with all proceeds going to help the victims of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. This was over four times the previous auction record for a Stradivari violin. The Baron von der Leyen Strad was auctioned by Tarisio on 26 April 2012, for $2.6 million.  Publicly displayed collections of Stradivari instruments are those of the Library of Congress with three violins, a viola, and a cello, the Agency of National Estates of Spain, with a quartet of two violins, the "Spanish I and II", the "Spanish Court" cello, and the "Spanish Court" viola, exhibited in the Music Museum at the Royal Palace of Madrid (Palacio Real de Madrid) and the Royal Academy of Music's Collections with several instruments by Antonio Stradivari, including the "Joachim" (1698), "Rutson" (1694), the "Crespi" (1699), "Viotti ex-Bruce" (1709), "Kustendyke" (1699), "Maurin" (1718) and the "Ex Back" (1666) violins, "Ex Kux" (1714), and the "Archinto" (1696) violas, the "Marquis de Corberon" (1726) and the "Markevitch" (1709) celli. The Musée de la musique in Paris displays several beautiful Stradivari instruments that formerly belonged to the Paris Conservatory.  The collection of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra had the largest number of Stradivari in its string section, purchased in 2003 from the collection of Herbert R. Axelrod, until it decided to sell them in 2007. A collection assembled by Rodman Wanamaker in the 1920s contained as many as 65 stringed instruments by such masters as Stradivari, Gofriller, Baptiste and Giuseppe Guarneri. Included was "The Swan", the last violin made by Stradivari, and soloist instrument of the great Cuban 19th-century virtuoso Joseph White. The collection, known as The Cappella, was used in concerts with the Philadelphia Orchestra and Leopold Stokowski before being dispersed after Wanamaker's death. The Vienna Philharmonic uses four violins and one cello. The Metropolitan Museum of Art has three Stradivari violins dated 1693, 1694 and 1717. The National Music Museum, in Vermillion, South Dakota, has in its collection one of two known Stradivari guitars, one of eleven known violas da gamba, later modified into a cello form, one of two known choral mandolins, and one of six Stradivari violins that still retain their original neck. In the interests of conservation, the "Messiah Stradivarius" violin—on display in the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, England—has not been played at all in recent years.

References.

Notes Sources

External links.

Articles  Historical books

Antonio Stradivari (,, ; 1644 – 18 December 1737) was an Italian luthier and a craftsman of string instruments such as violins, cellos, guitars, violas and harps. The Latinized form of his surname, "Stradivarius", as well as the colloquial "Strad" are terms often used to refer to his instruments. It is estimated that Stradivari produced 1,116 instruments, of which 960 were violins. Around 650 instruments survived, including 450 to 512 violins.

Antonio Giacomo Stradivari (auch latinisiert ; * um 1644 oder, laut neueren Forschungen, 1648, der Geburtsort ist unbekannt; † 18. Dezember 1737 in Cremona) war ein italienischer Geigenbaumeister und Gitarrenbauer, der wie sein Kollege Guarneri del Gesù in Cremona ansässig war. Er wird von vielen als der beste Geigenbauer der Geschichte angesehen. Seine Geigen sind die wertvollsten Saiteninstrumente, die es derzeit auf dem Markt gibt, und werden teilweise für viele Millionen Euro gehandelt.


Biography.

Early life.

Mid’hat bey Frashëri was the son of prominent Albanian politician and statesman from 19th century Abdyl Frashëri (who initiated the movement of a wide autonomy from Ottoman Empire) and nephew of the poets and nationalists Naim Frashëri and Sami Frashëri. He was born in Yanya in the Ottoman Empire (present day Ioannina, Greece) in 1880 and was raised in Istanbul, where his family worked in the Ottoman administration and organised the Albanian nationalist movement. In 1897 Mid'hat Frashëri was arrested by Ottoman authorities for having a copy of the newspaper Albania, and was released after intervention by his uncle Sami Frashëri. During 1901, Mid'hat Frashëri published a biography on his uncle Naim Frashëri. Giving up his studies of pharmacology, he worked for the Ottoman administration in the vilayet of Salonika from 1905 to 1910. Frashëri published a yearly almanac "Kalendari Kombiar" (National Calendar) that was printed in Sofia and distributed in the Balkans from there. The publication held moderate positions were Frashëri advocated for national unity, development of Albanian education, schools and literature and opposed foreign power intervention in Albanian affairs. Frashëri also called for government reforms an alliance with Macedonians to achieve those aims, but he was against armed resistance. Regarding the Albanian question and geopolitics, Frashëri was known in Albanian circles of the time to be anti-Austro-Hungarian and anti-Italian.  Using the pen name Lumo Skendo, he began publishing the weekly newspaper ""Lirija"" in Salonika, which lasted until 1910. He participated in the Congress of Monastir in 1908, and in January of the next year, he began editing a monthly magazine entitled ""Diturija"", a magazine based on the cultural, literary and scholarly interest of Albania. In 1908, the Albanian club dealing with cultural and political issues was founded in Salonika and Frashëri was voted by 400 Albanian delegates as its president. Frashëri favoured the Salonika club being the headquarters of the Bashkimi (Union) Society however other Albanian clubs concerned about Young Turk influence in the city rejected that view and instead opted for the Monastir club. Ottoman authorities forbid writing in Albanian that resulted in publications being published abroad and like other writers of the time Frashëri used a pseudonym Mali Kokojka to bypass those restrictions for his works. By late 1911, Frashëri had joined the Freedom and Accord Party which was founded by him and ten others who were opponents of the Young Turks and advocated for Ottomanism, government decentralisation and the rights of ethnic minorities.

Congress of Monastir.

Mid’hat Frashëri was one of the fifty delegates that who helped form the modern Albanian alphabet. He became vice-chairman of the commission. Frashëri was also elected chairman of the congress which was responsible for the organization of the various alphabet proposals along with Parashqevi Qiriazi who was chairwoman of the commission of the alphabet. During the alphabet congress Frashëri supported the adoption of the Latin character Istanbul alphabet for writing the Albanian language.

Albanian Declaration of Independence.

Mid’hat bey’s political views took on a nationalist character during the Balkan Wars and in the final collapse of the Ottoman Empire when Albania was on the verge of being carved up by its Balkan neighbours. Unlike some of his cousins who remained in what later became Turkey, Frashëri moved to Albania after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. Mid’hat Frashëri was one of the eighty-three leaders meeting in Vlorë in November 1912. He was one of the signers of the declaration of independence and became the Minister of Public Services in the Provisional Government of Albania. He later became the Albanian consul general in Belgrade and postmaster general. At the beginning of World War I, Mid'hat was interned in Romania for a time, but after he was released, he returned to publishing. Mid’hat resided in Lausanne for a time with his cousin Mehdi Frashëri, where he was author of a number of newspaper articles and essays. On 25 November 1920, he was appointed chairman of the Albanian delegation to the Paris Peace Conference, where he remained until 1922. In Paris, he continued his journalistic activities in the French press to publicize Albania’s position in the postwar restructuring of Europe. He subsequently held other ministerial posts and was Albanian ambassador to Greece and to the United States from 1922 to 1926.

Quiet period.

Under the Zog regime in 1925, Mid’hat left public life and opened a bookstore in Tirana, and also worked as a pharmacist. He himself possessed an exceptionally large private library of some 20,000 volumes, the largest collection in the country at the time. With the rise of Germany and World War II looking inevitable, Mid'hat began forming the National Front (Balli Kombëtar) to use in the war to create Ethnic Albania.

Balli Kombëtar presidency.

He was the leader of the Balli Kombëtar nationalist movement during the Second World War. Balli Kombëtar was a political organization that mainly fought for an Ethnic Albania and fought antifascists groups in alliance with the German occupation forces. During 1944 he joined the German Forces as an ally and fought the anti-nazi guerrilla groups. His cousin became the prime minister of Albania.

After World War II and death.

In 1945, the communists won the war in Albania. Mid'hat escaped the communists by fleeing to southern Italy. The early years of the cold war found Mid’hat Frashëri in the West trying to patch together a coalition of anti-communist opposition forces in Britain and the United States. In August 1949, he was elected as head of a "Free Albania" National Committee. He died of a heart attack at the Lexington Hotel on Lexington Avenue in New York and was buried in Ferncliff Cemetery in New York.  His cousin, Mehdi Frashëri, served as Albanian Prime Minister under a German-backed Albanian Government.

Legacy.

Mid'hat Frashëri was a man of short stature with a speech impediment. He was a beloved leader and also a bibliophile. His library, one of the finest in the Balkans, became the basis for the Albanian National Library. Frashëri's entire library of some 20,000 volumes, the largest in Albania at that time, was confiscated by the new regime. The library included significant albanological works inherited from Franz Nopcsa von Felsö-Szilvás.  He was described by an Italian journalist as a man who dressed very properly with very clean white cuffs and very white hair.  Although Frashëri was one of the signers of the Albanian Declaration of Independence in 1912, the Communists, after taking over in 1945, deleted his name from the official documents.

Quotes.

When Albania declared independence from the Ottoman Empire:  In regards to Enver Hoxha's Albanian Communists:

Mid’hat Frashëri (also known by his nom de plume as Lumo Skëndo; ; 25 March 1880, Janina, Janina Vilayet, Ottoman Empire – 3 October 1949, Long Island, New York) was an Albanian diplomat, writer and politician. The son of Abdyl Frashëri, one of the most important activists of the Albanian National Awakening in 1908 he participated in the Congress of Monastir. In 1942 he became the president of Balli Kombëtar (National Front) and collaborated with German forces while his cousin became the prime minister of the puppet government of Albania. Frashëri was one among others, a father of Albanian Nationalism.

Midhat Frashëri (* 25. März 1880 in Janina; † 3. Oktober 1949 in New York) war ein albanischer Publizist und Politiker.