MUSIC & MUSICIANS
THE death last month of Charles Beare, a leading authority on rare instruments, has drawn mixed responses across the music world.
Likeable and avuncular, he was for some a trusted friend and adviser. But for others he was a powerful figure in a murky world where experts are also dealers, buying and selling instruments that they themselves authenticate and value.
Given that a good Stradivari violin can realise more than $20m at auction, there are huge amounts of money to be made. Dealers aren’t widely known for probity; in recent years, several have ended up in prison.