Stradivarius violin and its history. Stradivarius violin (photo)

She pushed the instrument into the author's hands, despite resistance. “I won’t take it, I’m afraid I’ll hurt it,” he resisted. But the violinist was inexorable and simply allowed the violin to fall from her open hands. The author had no choice but to pick up the invaluable tool. The admiration for the lightness and strength of the Stradivarius violin is difficult to convey in words. Moreover, this was the first violin he picked up. Thin sheets of wood are folded into a very strong and complex violin structure that appears very fragile. In fact, the rounded shapes of the Stradivarius violin are in balanced tension with the strings of the instrument, presenting a light and rigid structure.

What is most memorable is the signature inseparable from the instrument: Stradivarius. It can be seen on the inside of the back wall if you look through the figured cutout.

Antonio Stradivari was an Italian master string instruments, who lived from 1644 to 1737. He is considered the world's greatest master craftsman who created violins of unsurpassed quality. In addition to violins, Stradivarius made violas, mandolins, guitars and harps. Each of the surviving instruments has given name and, mainly, sounds in the hands of the most famous performers. Some of them are happy owners of Stradivarius instruments. Stradivarius violins are valued at several million dollars each and are owned by very wealthy people. The one that the author held in his hands can be heard as part of the Pacific Symphony Orchestra thanks to the kind permission of its owner. Stradivarius made at least a thousand instruments. Approximately 650 of them have survived, including about 500 violins. The so-called “golden age” of Stradivarius dates back to the period 1700-1720s.

Stradivari (better known to the world as Stradivarius) is a student of Nicolaus Amati, one of a family of masters whose instruments are also among the best in the world. But violins by Amati, Da Salo, Guarneri, and Bergonzi did not approach the level of popularity of Stradivarius violins. To this day, researchers are trying to uncover the secret of Stradivarius violins through various tests and analyses. What is the key to the amazing properties of the Stradivarius violin? Varnish, molds, glue, wood? Maybe a way to dry wood or process it?

Attempts to replicate the unique properties of Stradivarius violins, following the canonical method of their manufacture, were unsuccessful. The voice of Stradivarius violins is considered unsurpassed. At least that's what pop culture thinks. Today we will try to find out whether the reputation of Stradivarius violins corresponds to popular belief. At least in terms of unique sound qualities.

The great sound of a violin is not as subjective as, say, the taste of wine. Taste is a matter of individual preference. When the same question arises regarding a violin, certain parameters can be measured. Sound quality can be described by the tonal capabilities of the instrument. And this may well be proof that violins used to be “better.” The climate argument is cited more often than others.

Closer to the end of the so-called Small Ice Age, around 1550-1850s, there was a time of very low solar activity (Maunder Minimum), approximately between 1645 and 1715. The winter in Europe was already quite cold; whether the Maunder Minimum made this worse is still debated. Whether this is true or not, the growth period of the wood that Antonio Stradivari used coincides perfectly with the “golden age” of his instruments. Which also applies to many famous Italian masters of that time. In cold climates, trees grew more slowly, annual rings were narrower, and the wood was denser. If you try to use wood similar to Stradivarius violins today, it will have less density and the violin will sound different. According to this theory, Francis Schwarze, representing the Swiss Federal Materials Laboratory, announced in 2012 that he had the technology to produce wood with the properties of the Little Ice Age. In 2009, Schwartz demonstrated, for comparison, to an audience of amateurs and experts the sound of a 1711 Stradivarius violin and a modern violin made from specially treated wood. According to his statement, both experts and listeners perceived the sound of a modern violin as the sound of one of Stradivari's violins.

Now is the time to think a little: What makes Stradivarius violins so special? But before that, we must ask: Are Stradivarius violins really special? A lot of effort and time was spent on understanding the secret of Stradivarius violins. Why not really ask whether there is a qualitative difference that is being talked about so much?

When you have a tool worth millions of dollars, there is not always the opportunity to compare with others of a similar level. But this is exactly what a team of researchers managed to do in 2010 at the Eighth International Competition Fiddlers in Indianapolis. The owners of six violins of exceptional value were persuaded to allow the largest and most controlled testing of the instruments. Six violins, including three ancient classical instruments: a Guarneri, circa 1740, and a pair of Stradivarius, circa 1700-1715 (the exact dates of manufacture were not disclosed for the purity of the experiment). Their total cost was about 10 million dollars. The other three violins were modern instruments highest quality, and one of them was collected a few days before the competition. Three modern violins were valued at a total of $100,000.

The violinist took turns participating in the testing. They were separated from the judges and from the competition. All of them were experienced violinists and their own instruments, none of which were tested, are valued at between $1,800 and $10 million. The only thing the participants knew: We will play in turns on different instruments, among which there is at least one Stradivarius violin. The experiment was indeed twice impersonal; neither the violinists nor the researchers knew which violin sounded in this moment. To completely exclude possible identification of the instrument, testing took place in a darkened hotel lobby, and all participants wore sunglasses. Each violin was sprinkled with perfume to mask its own scent, and the violinists used their own bows.

Everything was safely left to chance. Each of the researchers did not know the origin of the violin that he is now passing on to the violinist. Each of the musicians, who took part in turn, had several tasks. Everyone had to try 10 pairs of instruments, playing for 1 minute and naming the best one in the pair. In the next stage, the musician had access to all six instruments for 20 minutes each. After this, they had to name the best and worst according to five parameters, and also name the instrument that they would like to keep for themselves.

What were the results? They turned out to be truly unexpected. Five of the six violins received approximately the same preference. Who turned out to be the obvious outsider, to whom almost no one gave preference? It was the 1700 Stradivari, with the most colorful history. Each of the pairs that did not include this Stradivari shared preferences 50/50. But when she was paired up, she didn't get preference 80% of the time. None of the participants knew this, each received a pair of a new and rare violin. All three modern violins ended up being on par with the old ones.

In the second round of testing (name the best and worst according to the list of parameters), the results were also unexpected. The four violins showed approximately the same result. The Stradivarius of 1700 did not receive any preference again. In addition, there is a clear favorite and this is by no means a rare Italian classic. One of the modern violins has surpassed the results of all competitors. Of the three antique violins, Guarneri surpassed both Stradivarius violins.

Seventeen of the 21 participants tried to guess whether the violin was modern or rare. Seven could not determine it at all. Seven answered incorrectly. And only three gave the correct answer. In this study, only 14% of professional violinists who owned instruments worth up to $10 million were able to distinguish a modern one from a 300-year-old instrument.

One study cannot provide a definitive conclusion. There were others, but not so thoroughly conducted. What does all this mean? Whatever glue, wood, or technology Antonio Stradivari used, his violins were probably no better than others that had been made for centuries.

What is Stradivari's secret? The fact is that there is no secret. The instrument is of the highest quality and is quite comparable to other instruments of this level. The claim of special, unexplained qualities is not supported by test data. If such exclusivity of Stradivarius violins still exists, this indicates a small number of tests good quality. There is no doubt that the name Stradivari is the most famous of all masters and his instruments will occupy the top lines of auctions for a very long time. A small part Quality comes into the price. The rest is reputation historical value and prestige that no amount of testing or spectral analysis can detect.

Translation by Vladimir Maksimenko 2014

The world's most famous violin maker, Antonio Stradivari, was born in 1644 in Cremona. It is known that already at the age of thirteen he began to study violin making. By 1667 he had completed his studies with famous master bowed instruments Andrea Amati.

Stradivari made his first violin in 1666, but for more than 30 years he searched for his own model. Only in the early 1700s did the master construct his own, still unsurpassed, violin. It was elongated in shape and had kinks and irregularities inside the body, due to which the sound was enriched due to the appearance large quantity high overtones. From that time on, Antonio no longer made fundamental deviations from the developed model, but experimented until the end of his long life. Stradivari died in 1737, but his violins are still highly valued; they practically do not age and do not change their “voice.”

During his life, Antonio Stradivari made about 2,500 instruments, of which 732 are undoubtedly authentic (including 632 violins, 63 cellos and 19 violas). In addition to bows, he also made one harp and two guitars.

It is generally accepted that his best instruments were made from 1698 to 1725 (and the best in 1715). They are especially rare and therefore highly prized by both musicians and collectors.

Many Stradivarius instruments are in rich private collections. There are about two dozen Stradivarius violins in Russia: several violins are in State collection musical instruments, one is in the Glinka Museum (where it was given by the widow of David Oistrakh, who in turn received it as a gift from Queen of England Elizabeth) and several more - in private ownership.

Scientists and musicians around the world are trying to unravel the mystery of how Stradivarius violins were created. Even during his lifetime, the masters said that he sold his soul to the devil, they even said that the wood from which several of the most famous violins were made were the fragments of Noah's Ark. There is an opinion that Stradivarius violins are so good because a real instrument begins to sound truly good only after two or three hundred years.

Many scientists have conducted hundreds of studies on violins using the latest technologies, but they have not yet been able to unravel the secret of Stradivarius violins. It is known that the master soaked the wood in sea water and exposed it to complex chemical compounds of plant origin.

At one time it was believed that Stradivari's secret was in the form of the instrument, later great importance they began to use a material that is constant for Stradivarius violins: spruce for the top soundboard, maple for the bottom soundboard. They even believed that it was all about the varnishes; The elastic varnish covering Stradivarius violins (due to its soft consistency, small dents and scratches on the surface are quickly healed) allows the soundboards to resonate and “breathe.” This gives the timbre a characteristic “big” sound.

According to legend, Cremonese craftsmen prepared their mixtures from the resins of some trees that grew in those days in the Tyrolean forests and were soon completely cut down. The exact composition of those varnishes has not been established to this day - even the most sophisticated chemical analysis was powerless here.

In 2001, biochemist Joseph Nigiware of the University of Texas announced that he had unraveled the secret of Stradivarius. The scientist came to the conclusion that the special sound of the bowed strings was the result of the master’s efforts to protect them from the woodworm. Nigiwara found out that when the master created violins, wooden blanks were often affected by woodworm, and Stradivari resorted to borax to protect the unique musical instruments. This substance seemed to solder the molecules of the wood, changing the overall sound of the violin. When Stradivari died, the victory over the woodworm in Northern Italy had already been won, and subsequently the borax was no longer used to protect the tree. Thus, according to Nigiwara, the master took the secret with him to the grave.

She reported the most interesting news. Modern violins beat Stradivarius violins in a blind test. 10 world-class violin soloists were involved in the experiment.

The musicians were asked to rate the sound and playability of the instruments, among other factors, and then decide which violin they would like to take on tour.

Stradivarius violin, the so-called "Strad", is an instrument made by a master famous family in Italy, in the 17th - 18th centuries. Stradivarius violins are widely known as the best violins in existence.

The study, conducted by violin maker Joseph Curtin and acoustician Claudia Fritz for the University of Pierre and Marie Curie in France, was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal. The researchers decided not to disclose the names of the authors of the new violins so that it would not look like an advertisement.

Modern instruments took first and second place in the competition. The musicians were also asked to determine which violin they were currently playing - an ancient or a modern one. They guessed right 31 times and didn't guess 33 times.

American violinist Giora Schmidt said: “I was surprised that my choice fell on the modern violin. It has become ingrained in the minds of musicians that the most successful violinists concert stage always played the old ones Italian instruments."

Canadian violinist Suzanne Howe, who plays a loaned 269-year-old Guarneri del Gesù violin, also chose a modern violin. “Whatever it is, I want this one!” she said.

Stradivarius violin - price

P.S. And if someone really needs good tool, made from a copy of Stradivarius - I have something... Yes, and Amati... :-)

P.P.S. The bearded anecdote about the Stradivarius drum, of course, once again emphasizes how rooted this name is in folk culture. But in fact, the story is not so simple, and the great Italians, starting with Amati and Granneri, began to make their instruments not with the fourth scale, as was previously customary in Europe, but with the fifth scale, which was previously not typical for them, not without our help. .. About it - .

The great master Antonio Stradivari devoted his entire life to the manufacture and improvement of musical instruments that would forever glorify his name. Experts note the master’s constant desire to endow his instruments with powerful sound and rich timbre. Enterprising businessmen, knowing about the high price of Stradivarius violins, offer to buy fakes from them with enviable regularity...

Stradivari marked all his violins the same way. His brand is the initials A.S. and a Maltese cross placed in a double circle. The authenticity of the violins can only be confirmed by a very experienced expert.

Some facts from the biography of Stradivari

Place and exact date The birth of the well-known Italian violinist-master Antonio Stradivari has not been precisely established. The estimated years of his life are from 1644 to 1737. The mark “1666, Cremona” on one of the master’s violins gives reason to say that in this year he lived in Cremona and was a student of Nicolo Amati.

The heart of the genius Antonio Stradivari stopped on December 18, 1737. It is estimated that he could have lived from 89 to 94 years, creating about 1,100 violins, cellos, double basses, guitars and violas. Once he even made a harp.

Why is the exact year of birth of the master unknown? The point is that in Europe XVII plague reigned for centuries. The danger of infection forced Antonio's parents to take refuge in their family village. This saved the family. It is also unknown why, at the age of 18, Stradivari turned to Nicolo Amati, a violin maker. Perhaps your heart told you? Amati immediately saw him as a brilliant student and took him as his apprentice.

Working life Antonio started as a laborer. Then he was entrusted with the work of filigree wood processing, working with varnish and glue. This is how the student gradually learned the secrets of mastery.

Not much information has been preserved about the life of the great master, because at first he was of little interest to chroniclers - Stradivarius did not stand out in any way among other Cremonese masters. And he was a reserved person. Only later, when he became famous as a “super-Stradivarius,” did his life begin to become overgrown with legends. But we know for sure: the genius was an incredible workaholic. He made instruments until his death at over 90 years old...

It is believed that Antonio Stradivari created about 1,100 instruments in total, including violins. The maestro was amazingly productive: he produced 25 violins a year. For comparison: a modern actively working violin maker who makes violins by hand produces only 3-4 instruments annually. But only 630 or 650 instruments of the great master have survived to this day; the exact number is unknown. Most of them are violins.

What is the secret of Stradivarius violins?

Modern violins are created using the most advanced technologies and the achievements of physics - but the sound is still not the same! For three hundred years there has been debate about the mysterious “secret of Stradivarius,” and each time scientists put forward more and more fantastic versions. According to one theory, Stradivari's know-how lies in the fact that he possessed a certain magical secret of violin varnish, which gave his products a special sound. Legends say that the master learned this secret in one of the pharmacies and improved the recipe by adding insect wings and dust from the floor of his own workshop to the varnish.

Another legend says that the Cremonese master prepared his mixtures from the resins of trees that grew in those days in the Tyrolean forests and were soon completely cut down.

Scientists continue to try to understand what causes the pure, unique sonority of Stradivarius’ violins. Professor Joseph Nagivari (USA) claims that to preserve the wood, maple, used by famous violin makers XVIII century, subjected to chemical treatment. This influenced the strength and warmth of the instruments' sound. He wondered: could treatment against fungi and insects be responsible for such purity and brightness of the sound of the unique Cremonese instruments?

Using nuclear magnetic resonance and infrared spectroscopy, he analyzed wood samples from five instruments. Nagivari states that if the effects of the chemical process are proven, change will be possible modern technology making violins. Violins will sound like a million dollars, and restorers will ensure better preservation ancient instruments.

The varnish that covered Stradivarius instruments was once analyzed. It turned out that its composition contains nanoscale structures. It turns out that three centuries ago the creators of violins relied on nanotechnology? An interesting experiment was conducted. The sound of a Stradivarius violin and a violin made by Professor Nagivari were compared. 600 listeners, including 160 musicians, assessed the tone and strength of sound on a 10-point scale. As a result, Nagivari's violin received higher scores.

However, there were other studies that found that the varnish used by Stradivarius was no different from what furniture makers used in that era. Many violins were generally re-varnished during restoration in the 19th century. There was even a madman who decided to undertake a sacrilegious experiment - to completely remove the varnish from one of the Stradivarius violins. And what? The violin did not sound any worse.

In turn, violin makers and musicians also do not recognize that the magic sound of their instruments is due to chemistry. And as proof of their opinion, the results of another scientific research. Thus, scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology proved that the special “powerful” sound of Antonio Stradivari’s violins was caused by an accidental error during the production of these instruments.

As The Daily Mail reports, researchers realized that such an unusual deep sound of the violins of the world-famous Italian master is caused by F-shaped holes - the f-holes. Through analysis of many other Stradivarius instruments, scientists concluded that this shape was originally reproduced in error. One of the researchers, Nicholas Makris, shared own opinion: “You are cutting thin wood and cannot avoid imperfections. The shape of the holes in Stradivarius violins deviates from the traditional one for the 17th–18th centuries by 2%, but this does not seem like a mistake, but like evolution.”

There is also an opinion that none of the masters put as much work and soul into their work as Stradivari. An aura of mystery gives the creations of the Cremonese master additional charm. But pragmatic scientists do not believe in the illusions of lyricists and have long dreamed of dividing the magic of enchanting violin sounds into physical parameters. In any case, there is definitely no shortage of enthusiasts. We can only wait for the moment when physicists achieve the wisdom of lyricists. Or vice versa…

They say that every two weeks in the world someone “discovers” the secret of Antonio Stradivari. But in fact, for 300 years, the secret of the greatest master has not been unraveled. Only his violins sing like angels. Modern science And the latest technologies failed to achieve what for the Cremonese genius was just a craft.

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The place and exact date of birth of the well-known Italian violinist-master Antonio Stradivari have not been precisely established. The estimated years of his life are from 1644 to 1737. 1666, Cremona - this is a mark on one of the master’s violins, which gives reason to say that in this year he lived in Cremona and was a student of Nicolo Amati.

Created more than 1000 violins, cellos and violas Great master, devoting his life to the manufacture and improvement of instruments that will forever glorify his name. About 600 of them have survived to this day. Experts note his constant desire to endow his instruments with powerful sound and rich timbre.

Enterprising businessmen, knowing about the high price of the master’s violins, offer to buy fakes from them with enviable regularity. All Stradivari labeled the same. His brand is the initials A.B. and a Maltese cross placed in a double circle. The authenticity of the violins can only be confirmed by a very experienced expert.

Some facts from the biography of Stradivari

The heart of the genius Antonio Stradivari stopped on December 18, 1737. It is estimated that he could have lived from 89 to 94 years, creating about 1,100 violins, cellos, double basses and violas. Once he even made a harp. Why is the exact year of birth of the master unknown? The fact is that plague reigned in Europe in the 17th century. The danger of infection forced Antonio's parents to take refuge in their family village. This saved the family.

It is also unknown why, at the age of 18, Stradivari turned to Nicolo Amati, a violin maker. Perhaps your heart told you? Amati immediately saw him as a brilliant student and took him as his apprentice. Antonio began his working life as a laborer. Then he was entrusted with the work of filigree wood processing, working with varnish and glue. This is how the student gradually learned the secrets of mastery.

What is the secret of Stradivarius violins?

It is known that Stradivarius a huge number knew the subtleties of the “behavior” of the wooden parts of the violin, recipes for cooking a special varnish and the secrets of proper installation were revealed to him. Long before the work was completed, the master already understood in his heart whether the violin could sing beautifully or not.

Many masters high level they were never able to surpass Stradivarius, they did not learn to feel the tree in their hearts the way he felt it. Scientists are trying to understand what causes the pure, unique sonority of Stradivarius violins.

Professor Joseph Nagivari (USA) claims that to preserve the wood, the maple used by famous violin makers of the 18th century was chemically treated. This influenced the strength and warmth of the instruments' sound. He wondered: could treatment against fungi and insects be responsible for such purity and brightness of the sound of the unique Cremonese instruments? Using nuclear magnetic resonance and infrared spectroscopy, he analyzed wood samples from five instruments.

Nagivari argues that if the effects of the chemical process are proven, it will be possible to change modern violin making technology. The violins will sound like a million dollars. And restorers will ensure the best preservation of ancient instruments.

The varnish that covered Stradivarius instruments was once analyzed. It was revealed that its composition contains nanoscale structures. It turns out that three centuries ago the creators of violins relied on nanotechnology.

3 years ago we conducted an interesting experiment. The sound of a Stradivarius violin and a violin made by Professor Nagivari were compared. 600 listeners, including 160 musicians, assessed the tone and strength of sound on a 10-point scale. As a result, Nagivari's violin received higher scores. However, violin makers and musicians do not recognize that the magic of their instruments' sound comes from chemistry. Antique dealers, in turn, wanting to preserve their high value, are interested in preserving the aura of mystery of antique violins.