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Did Stradivari make the best violins? April 10th, 2014

Show your violin, said Stradivari.

The man carefully took out the violin from the case, chattering all the time:

My master is a great connoisseur, he highly values ​​this violin, she sings in such a strong, thick voice, which I have never heard of a single violin.

The violin is in the hands of Stradivari. She is of a large format; light varnish. And he immediately knew whose work it was.

Leave her here, ”he said dryly.

When the chatterbox, bowing and greeting the master, left, Stradivari took the bow in his hands and began to taste the sound. The violin really sounded powerful; the sound was big, full. The breakage was minor, and it did not really affect the sound. He began to examine her. The violin is beautifully crafted, although it is too large, thick edges and long, like the folds of a laughing mouth, f-holes. The other hand is a different way of working. Only now did he look into the hole of the efa, checking himself.

Yes, only one person can work this way.

Inside, on the label, it was written in black even type: "Joseph Guarnerius".

It was the label of the master Giuseppe Guarneri, nicknamed Del Gesu. He recalled that he had seen Del Gesa from the terrace recently returning home at dawn; he staggered, talked to himself, waved his arms.

How can such a person work? How can anything come out of his wrong hands? And yet ... He took one more Guarneri violin and began to play.

What a big, deep sound! And even if you go out under the open sky on the Cremona square and play in front of a large crowd - and then you will hear far around.

Since the death of Nicolo Amati, his teacher, not a single violin, not a single master can match the softness and brilliance of sound with his, Stradivari's, violins! Carried! In the power of sound, he, the noble master Antonio Stradivari, must yield to this drunkard. It means that his skill was not perfect, it means that something else is needed that he does not know, but that dissolute person, whose hands made this violin, knows. This means that he has not yet done everything and his experiments on the acoustics of wood, his experiments on the composition of varnishes are not complete. The free melodious tone of his violins can still be enriched with new colors and great power.

He pulled himself together. In old age, you do not need to worry too much. And he reassured himself that the sound of Guarneri's violins was sharper, that his customers, noble signors, would not order violins from Guarneri. And now he received an order for a quintet: two violins, two violas and a cello - from the Spanish court. The order pleased him, he had been thinking about it for a whole week, making sketches, drawings, choosing a tree, and decided to try a new way of attaching the spring. He sketched a number of drawings for inlays, drew the coat of arms of a high customer. Such customers will not go to Guarneri, they do not need his violins, because they do not need depth of sound. Besides, Guarneri is a drunkard and a brawler. He cannot be a dangerous opponent for him. And yet Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesu darkened the last years of Antonio Stradivari.

While descending the stairs, he heard loud voices coming from the workshop.

As a rule, the disciples, arriving, immediately go to their workbenches and get to work. This has been the practice for a long time. Now they were talking noisily. Something must have happened.

Tonight, at three o'clock ...

I myself did not see, the hostess told me, he was led down our street ...

What will happen to his students now?

Do not know. The workshop is closed, there is a lock on the door ...

What a master, says Omobono, first of all a drunkard, and this was to be expected for a long time.

Stradivari entered the workshop.

What happened?

Giuseppe Guarneri has been arrested today and taken to prison, ”Bergonzi said sadly.

Stradivari stood rooted to the spot in the middle of the workshop.

Suddenly his knees trembled.

So this is how Del Gesu ends! However, this, indeed, was to be expected. Let him now play his violins and delight the ears of the jailers. The room, however, is not enough for his powerful violins, and listeners, perhaps, will plug their ears ...

So, everything has its turn. How desperately all the Guarneris fought against failure! When Del Gesu's uncle, Pietro, died, his widow Catarina took over the workshop. But the workshop was to close soon. This is not a woman's business, not a handicraft. Then they began to say: here Giuseppe will show. The Guarneris have not died yet! And watch how he scores the oldest Antonio! And now it's his turn.

Stradivari did not like this man, not only because he was afraid of rivalry and thought that Guarneri had surpassed him in skill. But along with Guarneri Del Gesu entered the Cremona masters a spirit of uneasiness and violence. His workshop was often closed, the students disbanded and carried away their comrades who worked for other masters. Stradivari himself went through the whole art of craftsmanship - from apprentice to master - he loved order and rank in everything. And Del Gesu's life, vague and fickle, was in his eyes a life unworthy of a master. Now he's finished. There is no return from prison to the master's chair. Now he, Stradivari, was left alone. He looked sternly at his students.

We will not waste time, - he said.

Green mountainous terrain a few versts from Cremona. And like a gray, dirty spot - a gloomy low building with bars on the windows, surrounded by a battlement. High heavy gates close the entrance to the courtyard. This is a prison where people languish behind thick walls and iron doors.

During the day, the prisoners sit in solitary confinement, at night they are transferred to a large basement cell for sleeping.

A man with a tousled beard sits quietly in one of the solitary confinement cells. He's only been here a few days. Until now, he had not been bored. He looked out the window at the greenery, the earth, the sky, the birds that were quickly rushing past the window; for hours, barely audible, he whistled some monotonous melody. He was busy with his thoughts. Now he was bored with idleness, and he languished.

How long will you have to stay here?

No one really knows what crime he is serving a sentence for. When in the evening he is transferred to a common cell for the night, everyone is bombarded with questions. He answers willingly, but none of his answers clearly understands what the matter is.

They know that his craft is making violins.

The girl, the jailer's daughter, who runs and plays near the prison, also knows about this.

Father said one evening:

This man, they say, makes violins that cost a lot of money.

Once a wandering musician wandered into their yard, he was so funny, and he had a big black hat on his head. And he began to play.

After all, no one comes close to them, people do not like to come here, and the guards drive away everyone who comes a little closer to their gates. And this musician began to play, and she begged her father to let him finish playing. When the guards nevertheless drove him away, she ran after him, far away, and when no one was near, he suddenly called her and asked affectionately:

Do you like how I play?

She said:

Like.

Can you sing? Sing me a song, ”he asked.

She sang her favorite song to him. Then the man in the hat, without even listening to her, put the violin on his shoulder and played what she was now singing.

She opened her eyes wide with joy. She was pleased that she heard her song being played on the violin. Then the musician told her:

I will come here and play you every day whatever you want, but do me a favor for that. You will give this little note to the prisoner who is sitting in that cell, ”he pointed to one of the windows,“ he is so good at making violins, and I played on his violin. He's a good man, don't be afraid of him. Don't tell your father anything. And if you don’t hand over the notes, I won’t play you anymore.

The girl ran around the prison yard, sang at the gate, all the prisoners and the guards knew her, they paid as little attention to her as to the cats climbing the roofs and the birds sitting on the windows.

It happened that she darted after her father into a low prison corridor. While her father opened the cells, she looked with all her eyes at the prisoners. They got used to it.

So she managed to convey the note. When the jailer, during the evening round, opened the cell door and shouted: “Get ready for the night! “, Went further, to the next doors, the girl ducked inside the cell and hastily said:

The man in the big black hat promised to play often, every day, and for this he asked me to give you a note.

She glanced at him and stepped closer.

And he also said that the violin on which he played was made by you signor prisoner. This is true?

She looked up at him in surprise.

Then he stroked her head.

You have to go, girl. It's not good if you are caught here.

Then he added:

Get me a wand and a knife. Do you want me to make you a pipe so you can play it?

The prisoner hid the note. He managed to read it only the next morning. The note read: “To the Honorable Giuseppe Guarneri Del Gesu. "The love of the disciples is always with you." He gripped the note tightly in his hand and smiled.

The girl became friends with Guarneri. At first she came in secret, and her father did not notice this, but when the girl came home and brought a ringing wooden pipe, he forced her to confess everything. And, strange to say, the jailer was not angry. He turned a smooth pipe in his fingers and thought.

The next day, he went outside of office hours to Del Gesu's cell.

If you need a tree, ”he said abruptly,“ you can get it.

I need my tools, ”the prisoner said.

No tools, ”said the jailer, and left.

A day later, he again went into the cell.

What tools? - he asked. - The plane is possible, but the file is not allowed. If a carpentry saw, then you can.

So Del Gesu's cell ended up with a stump of spruce, a carpentry saw and glue. Then the jailer took out a varnish from the painter who was painting the prison chapel.

And he was moved by his own generosity. His late wife always said that he was a worthy and good man. He will make life easier for this unfortunate man, he will sell his violins and charge a high price for them, and he will buy tobacco and wine for the prisoner.

"Why does a prisoner need money?"

But how to sell violins without anyone knowing about it?

He thought about it.

Regina, he thought of his daughter. - No, she is too small for this, perhaps, she will not cope. Well, okay, let's see, - he decided. - Let him make violins, we will somehow come true.

It is difficult for Giuseppe Guarneri to work his violins in a small low cell with a thick saw, a large plane, but the days are moving faster now.

First violin, second, third ... Days change ...

The jailer sells violins. He got a new dress, he became important and fat. At what price does he sell violins? Giuseppe Guarneri Del Gesu does not know this. He gets tobacco and wine. And it's all.

This is all that is left for him. Are the violins he gives to the jailer good? If only he could not put his name on them!

Can the varnish he uses improve the sound? It only muffles the sound and makes it motionless. Coaches can be covered with this varnish! The violin shines from him - that's all.

And all that was left to Giuseppe Guarneri was tobacco and wine. Sometimes a girl comes to him. He spends the hours with her. She tells the news that happens within the walls of the prison. She herself does not know more, and if she did, she would be afraid to say: she is strictly forbidden by her father to talk too much.

The father makes sure that the prisoner cannot hear from friends. The jailer is afraid: now this is a very important, dear prisoner for him. He makes a profit on it.

In the intervals between orders, Guarneri makes a long small violin for the girl from a fragment of a spruce board.

It's a sordino, he explains to her. You can put it in your pocket. It is played by dance teachers in wealthy homes when they teach smart children to dance.

The girl sits quietly and listens attentively to his stories. It happens that he tells her about life in freedom, about his workshop, about his violins. He speaks of them as people. It happens that he suddenly forgets about her presence, jumps up, begins to walk with wide strides around the cell, waves his arms, says words that are tricky for a girl. Then she gets bored and slips out of the cell unnoticed.

Death and eternal life

Every year it becomes more and more difficult for Antonio Stradivari to work on his own violins. Now he must seek the help of others. Increasingly, the inscription began to appear on the labels of his instruments:

Sotto la Disciplina d »Antonio

Stradiuari F. in Cremonae. 1737.

Changes vision, hands are wrong, it is more and more difficult to cut out f-holes, varnish lays down in uneven layers.

But cheerfulness and calmness do not leave the master. He continues his daily work, gets up early, goes up to his terrace, sits at the workbench in the workshop, and works for hours in the laboratory.

It takes him a lot of time now to finish the violin he had begun, but he nevertheless brings it to the end, and on the label with pride, a trembling hand, he makes a note:

Antonius Stradivarius Gremonensis

Faciebat Anno 1736, D'Anni 92.

He stopped thinking about everything that had worried him before; he came to a definite decision: he would take his secrets with him to the grave. Let no one own them better than to give them to people who have neither talent, nor love, nor audacity.

He gave his family everything he could: both wealth and a noble name.

During his long life, he made about a thousand instruments that are scattered all over the world. It's time for him to rest. He leaves life calmly. Now nothing darkens his last years. At Guarneri he was wrong. And how could it have seemed to him that this unfortunate man in prison could somehow interfere with him? Guarneri's good violins were just coincidences. Now this is clear and confirmed by the facts: the violins that he now makes are crude, incomparable with the previous ones, prison violins are unworthy of the Cremona masters. The master fell ...

He did not want to think about the conditions in which Guarneri works, what kind of wood he uses, how stuffy and dark in his cell, that the instruments with which he works are more suitable for making chairs than for working on violins.

Antonio Stradivari calmed down that he was wrong.

In front of the house of Antonio Stradivari, in the square of St. Dominic, people are thronging.

Boys are running, looking into the windows. The windows are covered with dark linen. Quiet, everyone is talking in an undertone ...

He lived ninety-four years, I can't believe that he died.

He outlived his wife for a short time, he respected her very much.

What will happen to the workshop now? Sons are not old.

Close, right. Paolo will sell everything and put the money in his pocket.

But where do they need money, and so my father has left enough.

More and more faces arrive, some mingle in the crowd, others enter the house; every now and then the doors open, and then crying voices are heard - this, according to the customs of Italy, women loudly mourn the deceased.

A tall, thin monk with bowed head entered the door.

Look, look: Giuseppe has come to say goodbye to his father. He did not visit the old man very often; he lived at odds with his father.

Move aside!

A hearse pulled up by eight horses, decorated with feathers and flowers.

And the funeral bells rang out subtly. Omobono and Francesco carried in their arms a long and light coffin with their father's body and put it on the hearse. And the procession moved on.

Little girls, covered to the heels with white veils, strewed flowers. On each side, on each side walked women, dressed in black dresses, in black thick veils, with large lighted candles in their hands.

The sons followed the grave solemnly and importantly, followed by the disciples.

In black robes with hoods, belted with ropes, in rough wooden sandals, there were a dense crowd of monks of the Dominican order, in whose church master Antonio Stradivari bought an honorable place for his burial during his lifetime.

Black carriages pulled along, the Horses were led by the bridle with a quiet step, because from the Stradivari's house to the church of St. Dominic was very close. And the horses, sensing the crowd, nodded like white sultans on their heads.

So slowly, decently and importantly, master Antonio Stradivari was buried on a cool December day.

We reached the end of the square. At the very end of the square, at the turn, the convoy drew level with the funeral procession.

The convoy was led by a squat, bearded man. His dress was shabby and light, the December air was cool, and he shivered.

At first, he watched with curiosity a large crowd of people - apparently, he lost the habit of it. Then his eyes narrowed, and on his face there was the expression of a man who suddenly remembered something long forgotten. He began to gaze intently at the people passing by.

Who is being buried?

A hearse drove by.

Behind the hearse were two important and straightforward, already middle-aged people.

And he recognized them.

“How old they have become…” - he thought, and then only realized who it was and whose coffin they were following, he realized that they were burying the master Antonio Stradivari.

They never had to meet, they didn't have to talk to the proud old man. But he wanted to, he thought about it more than once. What about his secrets now? Whom did he leave them to?

Well, time does not stand, - the guard told him, - do not stop, let's go ... - And pushed the prisoner.

The prisoner was Giuseppe Guarneri, returning from another interrogation to the prison.

The singers began to sing, the sounds of the organ playing a requiem in the church began to be heard.

Thin bells rang.

Gloomy and confused, Omobono and Francesco sit in their father's workshop.

All searches are in vain, everything is revised, everything is rummaged, no signs of recordings, no recipes for making varnish, nothing that could shed light on the secrets of his father, explain why their violins - exact copies of their fathers - sound different.

So, all hopes are in vain. They cannot achieve the glory of their father. Maybe it’s better to do what Paola suggested: drop everything and do something else? “Why do you need all this,” says Paolo, “sell the workshop, you want to sit all day in one place at the workbench. Indeed, really, my craft is better - buy and sell, and the money is in my pocket.

Maybe Paolo is right? Disband the students and close the workshop?

What's left in my father's workshop? A few ready-made tools, and the rest are all scattered parts that there is no one to assemble the way their father would have assembled. Nineteen samples for violin barrels, on which the father's handwritten signature - on one completely fresh ...

But these signatures are perhaps more expensive than the parts themselves; it is possible and not so successfully to connect the disparate parts, and the famous signature, familiar to all of Cremona and other cities, will vouch for them. The old man will play more than one violin for his sons even after his death.

And what else? Perhaps the samples of f-holes made of paper, and even the exact measurement of the Amati f-holes made of the finest copper, made by an old man in his youth, various drawings and drawings for the twelve-string "viola d'amur", the five-string "viola da gamba"; this viola was commissioned by the noble Donna Visconti half a century ago. Drawings of vultures, bows, parts of the bow, the finest ligature for drawing the barrels, sketches of the coats of arms of the Medici surname - high patrons and customers, cupid drawings for the neck and, finally, a wooden seal for labels made of three movable numbers: 1,6,6. For many years, my father added sign after sign to this three-digit number, clearing up the second six and adding the next number by hand, until the 17th century ended. then the old man erased both sixes with a thin knife and left one unit - so he got used to the old numbers. For thirty-seven years he attributed the numbers to this unit, until, finally, the numbers stopped at thirty-seven: 1737.

Maybe Paolo is right?

And as once, they continue to painfully envy their father, who left them so much money and things and took with him something that you can't buy from anyone, you can't get anywhere - the secret of skill.

No, - Francesco suddenly said stubbornly, - is it bad or good if we continue to work as father, what can we do, we will continue to work. Tell Angelica to clean up the workshop and attach a notice to the door: “Orders for violins, violas, cello are accepted. Repair is in progress. "

And sat down at their workbenches.

The Stradivarius violin is still legendary. What is the secret of its special sound? What unique technologies and materials did the master use? The Stradivarius violin is still an unsurpassed masterpiece.

Master's biography

Antonio Stradivari - violin master - was born in 1644. But this is only approximately, the exact date of his birth has not been established. His parents are Anna Moroni and Alessandro Stradivari. The violin maker was born and lived all his life in the city of Cremona.

Antonio loved music since childhood. But he sang very badly, and everyone who heard him singing laughed. Antonio's second passion was wood turning. The parents were sure that their son would become a cabinetmaker.

Once the boy found out that the best violin maker of Italy, Nicolo Amati, lived in his city. Antonio was very fond of the violin and decided to become a student of the genius.

A. Stradivari got married only at the age of 40. His wife was the daughter of a shopkeeper, Francesca Ferrabocchi. The couple had five children. But soon a plague epidemic began. The beloved wife and children of A. Stradivari died. This loss plunged him into despair, and he was unable to work. But time passed, the master began to create again and soon became famous all over the world. Along with fame came to A. Stradivari and new love. His second wife was Maria Zambelli. In a marriage with her, he had five children. Two sons - Francesco and Omobono - A. Stradivari taught his craft. They became masters of violin art. But there is an opinion that Antonio did not reveal his professional secrets even to his sons. They have failed to replicate his masterpieces.

Antonio Stradivari was a workaholic. He did not give up his craft until his death. Antonio Stradivari died in 1737, at about 93. The place of his burial is the Basilica of San Domenico.

In Amati's apprentices

A. Stradivari was engaged in the violin business from the age of 13. He was a student of the best master of the time - Nicolo Amati. Because the genius taught him his craft for free, he did all the rough work for him and was an errand boy. N. Amati shared his knowledge with the students, but did not reveal all the secrets. He told some tricks only to the eldest son.

The first secret of N. Amati, which young Antonio learned, was how to make strings. The master made them from the insides of lambs. First, it was necessary to soak the veins in an alkaline solution. Then dry. And then twist the strings out of them.

At the next stage of his studies, A. Stradivari comprehended which tree should be chosen for making violin decks. The boy realized that the main thing is not the appearance of the tree, but its sound. N. Amati often made violins from nondescript looking pieces of wood.

A. Stradivari created his first instrument at the age of 22. After a while, he made dozens of violins. But all of his creations were branded with Nicolo Amati. This did not upset the young Stradivari. He was happy that his skill was growing. At the age of 40, Antonio opened his own workshop. He soon became a respected violin maker. He had many orders, but he could not surpass his teacher.

A. Stradivari became a famous master in 1680. He improved the instruments created by his teacher N. Amati. To do this, he slightly changed their shape, added decorations. He strove in every way to ensure that the voices of the instruments sounded more melodious and beautiful. As a result of all his efforts and searches, at the beginning of the 1700s, the famous Stradivarius violin was born, which has no equal to this day.

At the peak of skill

The best musical instruments were created by A. Stradivari between 1690 and 1725. They were of the highest concert quality. The best Stradivarius violin, as well as other instruments, are dated 1715.

The flowering of his craft came after he survived the loss of his family. After such a terrible tragedy, he fell into despair and could not work. One of the students helped him to continue creating again. He once came to A. Stradivari, burst into tears and said that his parents had died and he would not be able to continue studying violin-making, as he was now forced to earn a living. The master felt sorry for the boy, and he left him in his house, and after a few years he adopted him. Fatherhood inspired him and he had a desire to create his own unique instrument, not copies of the creations of his great teacher, but something extraordinary, which no one had done before.

Famous violin

When Antonio was already 60 years old, he created a new legendary Stradivari violin that brought him the glory of a great master. A photo of this masterpiece is presented in this article.

The violin model developed by Antonio brought him fame and immortality. They began to call him "super-Stradivari". His violins were and remain to this day the finest musical instruments. And they sound extraordinary. The master has succeeded in giving his violins, violas and cellos a rich timbre and making their "voices" more powerful. Because of this, there were rumors about the master that he sold his soul to the devil. People could not believe that a man, even a genius with golden hands, was able to make a piece of wood sing like that.

The secret to unique sound

Until now, musicians, as well as scientists around the world, are trying to unravel the secrets of the great master in order to understand how the famous violin by Antonio Stradivari was created. Almost 300 years have passed since the death of the genius, but his creations are still alive, they hardly age, and their sound does not change.

To date, there are several versions, which scientists are trying to explain the secret of the great sounding of A. Stradivari's instruments. But none of them has been proven, although hundreds of studies have been carried out using the latest technologies.

There is a version that it's all about the form. The master lengthened the body, and made creases and irregularities inside it, due to which many high overtones appeared, which enriched the sound.

Later, a version appeared that the secret lies in the materials from which A. Stradivari made his violins. It was found out from what tree the Stradivarius violins were made. He made the upper decks from spruce, and the lower ones from maple.

Some scientists put forward a version that the secret is not what A. Stradivari was made of. Varnishes and impregnations with which he covered his instruments - these are the main "culprits" of the appearance of this masterpiece. There are reliable facts that the master first soaked the wood in seawater, and then covered it with certain mixtures of components of plant origin. Perhaps they included the resin of trees that grew in those days, but later every one was cut down.

As for the varnishes, according to some scientists, they consisted of such substances, thanks to which dents and scratches on the wood were healed, and the decks were able to "breathe" and resonate better, which allows you to achieve a beautiful surround sound. But other scholars have argued against this version, since many violins have been restored. They were covered with ordinary varnish, but their sound did not change. One of the researchers conducted an experiment - completely cleaned one of the Stradivarius violins from varnish. Nothing in her sound has changed from this.

There are many hypotheses as to why Stradivarius violins sound so extraordinary. But none of them could be proved. The master's secret has not yet been solved.

Instruments by Antonio Stradivari

According to researchers, the master has created at least 1000 musical instruments in his life. Most of them were violins, but there were also violas, cellos, guitars, mandolins and even a harp. He was so capable of working that he created 25 instruments in 1 year. Whereas modern craftsmen, who also work by hand, are able to produce only 3-4 copies during this time. How many violins did Stradivari create in his lifetime? It is impossible to say for sure. But about 600 violins, 12 violas and 60 cellos have survived to this day.

Violins cost

Musical instruments of A. Stradivari are still the most expensive in the world. During the life of the master, his violins cost 700 modern dollars, which for that time was a very large amount. Today the cost of his masterpieces is from 500 thousand dollars to 5 million euros.

Most expensive

There is a violin that is valued at $ 10 million. She bears the name "Lady Blunt". This is the most expensive Stradivarius violin to date. Photo "Lady Blunt" is presented in this article.

It was made by a master in 1721. The Stradivarius violin, named "Lady Blunt" in honor of the poet Byron's granddaughter, who owned it, has survived to this day in perfect condition, since it was practically never played. For all 300 years of her life, she passed from one museum to another.

Steal a masterpiece

All creations of the brilliant master, each have their own name and are registered. But at the same time, robbers regularly steal musical instruments of the great Italian. For example, the famous Stradivari violin, which belonged to the Russian virtuoso violinist Koshansky before the revolution, was stolen five times. She was last kidnapped from a musician named Pierre Amoyal. He treasured her so much that he carried her in an armored case, but that did not save her. Since then, nothing is known about where the Stradivarius violin called "Koshanskiy" is located, whether it has survived and to whom it belongs now.

On December 12, 2016, at the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall, Russian violist and conductor Yuri Bashmet and his chamber ensemble "Moscow Soloists" performed in honor of the 25th anniversary of the ensemble.

The musicians played the instruments of Stradivari, Guarneri and Amati, which were brought from the collection of the State Collection of Musical Instruments of the Russian Federation especially for the anniversary date.

TASS spoke with the first deputy general director of the Museum of Musical Culture. MI Glinka by Vladimir Lisenko and the violin maker Vladimir Kalashnikov and found out why these violins are so valuable, and the name of Stradivari has become almost a household name.

Why are these violins so unique?

The so-called baroque violins, which were created until the middle of the 17th century, had a rather modest chamber sound. They had a different shape, and the strings for them were made from ox veins.

Craftsman Nicolo Amati from Cremona, Italy changed the shape and improved the acoustic mechanism of the instrument. And his students - Antonio Stradivari and Andrea Guarneri - brought the construction of the violin to perfection.

The talent of these craftsmen lies primarily in the manufacturing technology and how carefully the balance of the instrument was built. It is because of this that it is believed that these violins have no equal even today.

But if there were other masters, why are Stradivarius instruments most famous?

It's all about the hard work of the master. During his life, Antonio Stradivari, according to various estimates, created from one thousand to three thousand instruments. He considered making violins as his main goal in life.

At the moment, about 600 Stradivarius instruments have survived around the world. For comparison, the Guarneri family created a little over a hundred, Amati (from the founder of the Andrea dynasty to Nicolo) - several hundred.

In addition, Stradivari was the first to make a violin of the shape and size that we know today. We can say that this is a brand surrounded by legends and has a great heritage. And that makes a difference to big concert musicians or collectors who purchase these instruments.

What is the secret of the Cremona masters?

There is a certain system that has now been studied, with the exception of one - what kind of soil the violins were covered with. On the outside, this varnish ensures a high degree of preservation, while on the inside it enhances the acoustic effect.

Thanks to this, no one has ever succeeded in repeating just such a sound. Scientists even did a spectrographic analysis, but the composition and technology of applying the varnish are still questionable.

That is, no one has yet been able to figure out this technology?

Back in the 19th century, the French master Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume, who was a follower of Stradivari, took apart one of his violins. He studied it, collected it again and made an exact copy. But, as contemporaries noted, the sound, although it approached Stradivari's instruments, was still worse.

Can't anyone create a violin that is close in quality to Stradivarius instruments?

Strictly speaking, science and technological progress have advanced quite far. There are violins that are as close as possible to Stradivarius instruments.

Even during the life of Stradivari, the instruments of Andrea Guarneri's grandson, Giuseppe, were popular. He received the nickname "del Gesu" - for the fact that he signed his work with the monogram IHS (Jesus Christ the Savior).

But Giuseppe was a very sickly person and because of this, he made tools rather casually in terms of decoration. Although the musicians note the more powerful sound of Guarneri's instruments. One of Giuseppe's violins was played by Nicolo Paganini.

She pushed the instrument into the hands of the author, despite the resistance. “I won’t take it, I’m afraid to harm,” he resisted. But the violinist was relentless and simply let the violin fall out of her open hands. The author had no choice but to pick up an invaluable tool. Admiration for the lightness and strength of the Stradivarius violin is difficult to convey in words. Moreover, it was the first violin that he took in his hands. Thin sheets of wood are folded into a very strong and intricate violin structure that appears to be very fragile. In fact, the rounded shapes of the Stradivari violin are in balanced tension with the strings of the instrument, presenting a lightweight and rigid construction.

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

Antonio Stradivari was an Italian string instrument maker who lived from 1644 to 1737. He is considered to be the greatest violin master in the world, who created the unrivaled quality of the violin. Besides violins, Stradivari made violas, mandolins, guitars and harps. Each of the surviving instruments has its own name and, mainly, sounds in the hands of the most famous performers. Some of them are proud owners of Stradivarius instruments. Stradivari violins are valued at several million dollars each and belong to very wealthy people. The one held by the author can be heard with the Pacific Symphony Orchestra thanks to the kind permission of its owner. Stradivari made at least a thousand instruments. About 650 of them have survived, including about 500 violins. The so-called "golden age" of Stradivari dates back to the 1700-1720s.

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

Attempts to reproduce the unique properties of Stradivari violins, following the canonical method of their production, have not been crowned with success. The voice of Stradivari violins is considered unsurpassed. At least that's what pop culture thinks. Today we will try to find out if the reputation of Stradivari violins is in line with popular belief. At least with regard to the unique sound qualities.

Great violin sound is not as subjective as, say, the taste of wine. Taste is a matter of individual preference. When the same question arises for the violin, certain parameters are measurable. The sound quality can be described by the tonal capabilities of the instrument. And this may well be proof that violins were "better" in the past. The most common argument is the climatic one.

Towards the end of the so-called Little 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 cold enough, whether this aggravated the Maunder Minimum is still debated. Whether it is true or not, the period of growth of the wood used by Antonio Stradivari ideally coincides with the "golden age" of his instruments. This also applies to many famous Italian masters of the time. In colder climates, trees grew more slowly, annual rings are narrower, and timber is denser. If you try to use wood similar to Stradivari violins today, it will have a lower density and the violin will sound differently. According to this theory, Francis Schwarze of the Swiss Federal Materials Laboratory stated in 2012 that he has the technology to obtain wood with the properties of the Little Ice Age. In 2009, Schwartz demonstrated, by 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 him, both experts and listeners perceived the sound of a modern violin as the sound of one of the Stradivarius violins.

Now is the time to think a little: What makes Stradivari violins so special? But before that, one should ask: Are Stradivarius violins really special? A lot of time and effort was spent on comprehending the secret of Stradivarius violins. And why, really, not ask if there is a qualitative difference, which is so much talked about.

When you have a tool worth millions of dollars, it is not always possible to compare with others of a similar level. But that's exactly what the research team managed to do in 2010 at the Eighth International Violin Competition in Indianapolis. The owners of six exceptional violins were persuaded to allow the greatest and most controlled testing of instruments. Six violins, including three ancient classical instruments: Guarneri, circa 1740 and a pair of Stradivarias, circa 1700-1715 (exact dates of manufacture were not disclosed for the purity of the experiment). Their total cost was about $ 10 million. The other three violins were modern instruments of the highest quality, and one of them was assembled 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 separate from the judges and from the competition. They were all experienced violinists and their own instruments, none of which participated in the testing, are estimated at between $ 1,800 and $ 10 million. Stradivarius violin. The experiment was indeed twice impersonal, neither the violinists nor the researchers knew which violin was playing at the moment. To completely exclude possible identification of the instrument, testing took place in a darkened lobby of the hotel, and all participants wore dark glasses. Each violin was sprinkled with perfume to hide its own scent, and the violinists used their bows.

Everything was reliably left to chance. Each of the researchers did not know the origin of the violin, which he is now passing on to the violinist. Each of the musicians who took part in turn had several tasks. Each had to test 10 pairs of instruments, playing 1 minute each and naming the best in a pair. In the next stage, the musician had access to all six instruments for 20 minutes each. After that, it was necessary to name the best and worst in five parameters, and also name the instrument that I would like to keep for myself.

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

In the second round of testing (to name the best and worst according to the list of parameters), the results were also unexpected. The four violins performed roughly the same. The Stradivarius of 1700 did not receive preference again. In addition, a clear favorite has emerged 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 if the violin was modern or rare. Seven could not identify at all. Seven answered incorrectly. And only three gave the correct answer. In this study, only 14% of professional violinists with instruments under $ 10 million were able to tell the difference between a modern instrument and a 300 year old instrument.

Research alone cannot provide a definitive conclusion. There were others, but not so thoroughly carried out. What does all this say? Whatever glue, wood, technology Antonio Stradivari used, his violins are probably no better than others made over the centuries.

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

Translated by Vladimir Maksimenko 2014

You can see that people who have achieved perfection in any activity almost always have disciples. After all, knowledge exists in order to spread it. Someone passes it on to their relatives, from generation to generation. Someone passes it on to the same talented craftsmen, and someone just to all those who show interest. But there are also those who, to their last breath, try to hide the secrets of their skills. Anna Baklaga about the mysteries of Antonio Stradivari.

Before realizing his true purpose, the great master went through many professions. He tried to paint, make wooden decorations for furniture, and sculpt statues. Antonio Stradivari diligently studied the ornamentation of doors and wall paintings in cathedrals until he realized that he was attracted by music.

Stradivari did not become famous due to lack of hand mobility

Despite diligent studies of playing the violin, he failed to become a famous musician. Stradivari's hands were not mobile enough to extract a melody of special purity. However, he possessed excellent hearing and an ardent desire to improve sound. Seeing this, Nicolo Amati (Stradivari's teacher) decided to initiate his ward into the very process of creating a violin. After all, the sound of a musical instrument directly depends on the build quality.

Soon, Antonio Stradivari learned how thick the decks should be. Learned to choose the right tree. I understood what role the varnish covering it plays in the sound of the violin, and what is the purpose of the spring inside the instrument. At twenty-two, he made his first violin.

In his violin, Stradivari wanted to hear children's and women's voices

After he managed to create a violin, the sound is no worse than that of his teacher, he began to work independently. Stradivari was fired up with a dream to build the most ideal instrument. He was just obsessed with this idea. In the future violin, the master wanted to hear the sounds of children's and women's voices.

Before achieving the desired result, Antonio Stradivari went through thousands of options. The most important thing was to find the right kind of tree. Each tree resonates in a different way, and he searched, distinguishing between them according to their acoustic properties. Of great importance was the month in which the trunk was cut down. For example, if in spring or summer, then there was a chance that the tree would ruin everything, since there will be a lot of juices in it. A really good tree was rare. Often, the master carefully used one barrel for several years.

The sound of the future violin directly depended on the composition of the varnish with which the instrument was covered. And not only from the varnish, but also from the soil, which must be used to cover the wood so that the varnish does not soak into it. The master weighed the details of the violin trying to find the best balance between the bottom and top. It was a long and painstaking job. Many tried and tested options and many years of calculations have gone into making a violin of unsurpassed sound quality. And only at the age of fifty-six did he manage to construct it. It was elongated in shape and had kinks and irregularities inside the body, due to which the sound was enriched by the appearance of a large number of high overtones.

Stradivari created the perfect instrument at the age of 56

However, in addition to the excellent sound, his instruments were famous for their unusual appearance. He skillfully decorated them with all sorts of drawings. All violins were different: short, long, narrow, wide. Later he began to make other stringed instruments - cello, harp and guitar. Thanks to his work, he achieved fame and honor. Kings and noblemen ordered him tools that were considered the best in Europe. During his life, Antonio Stradivari made about 2500 instruments. Of these, 732 originals have survived.

For example, the famous cello called "Bass of Spain" or the most magnificent creation of the master - the violin "Messiah" and the violin "Munz", from the inscription on which (1736. D'anni 92) they calculated that the master was born in 1644.

However, despite the beauty that he created as a person, he was remembered for being silent and sullen. To his contemporaries, he seemed aloof and mean. Perhaps he was like that because of the constant hard work, or maybe he was just envied.

Antonio Stradivari died at ninety-three years old. But for the rest of his long life, he continued to make instruments. His creations are admired and appreciated to this day. Unfortunately, the master did not see worthy successors to the knowledge he acquired. In the literal sense of the word, he took it with him to the grave.

Stradivari made about 2500 instruments, 732 originals have survived

The most interesting thing is that the violins made by him practically do not age and do not change their sound. It is known that the master soaked wood in seawater and exposed it to complex chemical compounds of plant origin. However, it is still not possible to determine the chemical composition of the soil and varnish applied to his tools. Using the work of Stradivari as an example, scientists have carried out many studies and attempts to make such a violin. Until now, no one has succeeded in achieving that perfect sound, as in the original creations of the master.

Many Stradivarius instruments are in rich private collections. There are about two dozen violins of the master in Russia: several violins are in the State Collection of Musical Instruments, one is in the Glinka Museum, and a few more are privately owned.