What is the secret of Stradivarius violins?

2003/08/31 Roa Zubia, Guillermo - Elhuyar Zientzia

• Materialak
• Fisika

Design of violins amati.

I know that the violins made by Antoni Stradivari are not for sale anywhere, but they are auctioned at most. It is understandable, since you can not put a price on such an instrument, it has such a sweet sound… The Latin name Stradivarius refers to the violins of this great master, so in the announcement of a concert or on the cover of a CD this word is guarantee of the quality of the sound.

In any case, I have to recognize that my ear would not distinguish the sound of a Stradivarius and almost any violin today. There is capacity for differentiation, but most of us are not able to do so. And, according to experts, we will only hear if a good violinist plays that "perfect" sound that corresponds to a Stradivarius. Even with a stradivarius, a student would not sound better than another violin.

However, it cannot be denied that the violinist Antoni Stradivari performed some of the best violins of the time, and that these instruments remain extraordinary. But Stradivari was not an 'island', but learned the techniques transmitted by tradition and acquired the wisdom of the most prestigious violinists in the world, the pupil of master Niccolo Amati. Amati, Guarniei and other families in the city of Cremona were those who dominated the violence for two hundred years, between 1550-1750. Therefore, the Stradivarius are no exceptions; with any instrument of the Italian city of that time you can earn many dollars at an auction today. However, today the people of the street remember the name of Stradivarius, not Amati or another, which has to have some reason.

The best of the good?

Stradivari's secret was not the varnish he used.

The stradive did not do good violins by chance, but worked for years. At first he made violins similar to those of Amat, but from 1684 he changed his design: he began to make longer violins and tried darker varnishes than Ama. It was the time of experiments, which returned to the style of Amati and abandoned it again, gradually developing its own design. In addition to the violin proportions, he performed numerous tests with the bridge and the thickness of the upper deck, as the sound of the instrument varies greatly.

He also made violas, chelos, harpies and guitars. Today there are around 650 Stradivarius, it must be borne in mind that the fact of having written this name on a certain instrument does not necessarily mean that Antonio Stradivari did, but has its design. Therefore, there is no problem, as these 650 are well known among experts, and because someone who is not expert or who does not have expert advice will not get that type of violin.

Each of these violins has behind it a story and, next to it, a name. That is why they are known examples. XVII. or XVIII. When in the twentieth century there is talk of a violin in Cremona, together with the author the name and year are mentioned. For example, the violin Rubinoff, from 1731, was acquired by the violinist Rubinoff after years of experience testing the best violins in the world. In addition, some Stradivarius have a great reputation, such as the 1715 Alard violin or the 1720 Piatti cello. The Hellier violin of 1679 is also a good example, as it is the most famous Stradivarius with wood decorated with drawings.

Looking for the secret

Hellier violin, the most famous Stradivarius adorned.

The best violinists, if possible, ask for Stradivarius for their concerts. There are reasons for this; XIX. In the twentieth century, the design of many instruments, including the violin, was completely modified, thus losing the designs and techniques of the old Cremona violins. There is only those violins. Many believe that Stradivari's secret was also lost at this time.

Scientists have worked hard to discover this secret. All parts of the violins have been analyzed, but no magic components have been found, they probably do not exist. The wood Stradivari used, for example, was the wood available in those times in Italy, and the other violinists used the same wood. In addition, the wood of these violins has dried over time and, according to experts, their current sound is not XVIII. The same sound of the twentieth century.

Undoubtedly, the most widespread theory has been that of varnish. Proponents of this theory believe that, should the violinist have secrets, it should be some chemical component of the varnish. To respond to this suspicion many chemists have analyzed the varnish samples. But the results have not revealed the secret. In all cases, the varnish used by Stradivari is the same as that used by Amara or Guarnie, and they are even the same varnishes and substances that lovers of the time used to protect the wood.

Some stradivarius are exhibited in museums.

Where is the secret? Researchers of the physical base of the violin sound have not found anything special. The secret consists of thousands of factors, united by a good craftsman. The secret is a set of ancient resources that the man who cultivated them, perhaps Antonio Stradivari himself.

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