Stradivaris violins lack a small dorsal pin (a small hole just underneath the arching), a common characteristic of Amatis violins and all of his well-known pupils instruments as well. Appalling customer service. I'm panicking just a little bit over this. Apparently. We know comparatively little about his early life, other than that he was born in Cremona, a small town in northern Italy that became the undisputed capital of stringed instrument making in the 17th century and has never lost the title. This is of course due to his increased experience with violin making, but his notoriety, which brought him financial gain and therefore helped him purchase higher quality materials, such as better wood and varnish, also played a part. ", Nagyvary still thinks more research is needed to shed further light on the connection between the chemicals used to treat the wood and the sound quality of the finished instruments. They are easy to play, project well, have a sweet sound, and allow the player to create an extremely wide range of different sound colors. During this age, Italian families like Amati, Stradivari, and Guarneri were on high request to deliver the finest violins, meant to be played in the finest concert halls of Europe. Everything about this company is awful. Along with Andrea Amati and Andrea Guarneri, Antonio Stradivari dominated the so-called Golden Age of Violins (roughly 1660 to 1750), and the instruments they crafted remain the gold standard today in terms of acoustic quality. Simple economics tells us that when the demand outweighs the supply, the value increases. We are very sorry for what happened. Once an item sells there is a short period of minutes while it goes pending till the payment clears. Was shocked by how affordable it was and how much they had in store! The varnishes favored by German luthiers performed slightly better in that regard, and also made for better sound radiation (louder tones). His violins are perfectly symmetrical, and every curve was executed flawlessly. Jennifer Ouellette The Fountaine We apologize for any inconvenience we may have caused you. Blind testing has shown that neither players nor listeners can distinguish nor do they necessarily prefer Stradivari violins when directly compared to the finest modern instruments. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. This latest study analyzes trace chemicals preserved in the maple wood used to make the soundboards of Stradivari and Guarneri instruments. Awful awful awful service and useless company. With Satu Vanska, Principal Violin of The Australian Chamber Orchestra.00:34 History of 1726 'Belgiorno' Stradivarius Violin00:52 What makes a Stradivarius g. Asked re returns in UK as they sell on line and was given a load of waffle about different departments and again advised to return to Poland taking the receipt with me as I have 2 years to return.By that time I had lost the will to continue to argue.I am now left with an expensive goose/ down coat which has colour runs with no option but to take it back to Poland. Etsy is asking for my VAT registration number and threatening to suspend my shop if I don't provide it. just stay away, I don't know what type of training the staff or managers in your stores get but it's shocking, never seen so many rude people unwilling to help. There is no doubt that Stradivarius violins are of extremely high quality and fine craftsmanship. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Green surveys the techniques, materials, physics, and chemical composition of Stradivari violins to understand why Stradivarius violins have been so hard to recreate. Their sound has been described as silvery, says Green, a word that sounds pretty but has little technical meaning. How the wood was manipulated with chemicals was impossible to guess by the visual inspection of the finished product. No please or thank you, no looking customers in the eye. Wouldn't buy at the Cardiff Store again. But is there really a secret to be found in the Stradivarius? Leonidas Kavakos owns the Willemotte Stradivarius (1734). But the mystique is still there. Can science solve the mystery? For general inquiries, please use our contact form. This is a well-known bias situation in psychology that is called a " halo effect ". As the years pass, the cost of a Stradivarius violin seems to go higher. Compared to Amatis, Stradivaris violins also have stronger builds, less rounded curves, and the purfling is set farther in. Not only the later generations of instrument makers who tirelessly copied his works in the hope of achieving similar levels of perfection in tone and resonance. Players that prefer a darker, silkier tone are more likely to gravitate to the Guarneris, and players who prefer precision and refinement tend to prefer a Stradivarius. Others have considered the violins made by Stradivari's contemporary, Joseph Guarneri del Gesu, whose violins are widely considered to be just as good. Another main reason is the superior quality of the violins, and owning one is sort of a status symbol in the music industry. Physicist Dr. Franco Zanini studied Stradivari's craft and said, "We noticed there were a lot of asymmetries in the instruments. (Photo: Getty), The Ashmolean brings together 21 of Stradivari's violins and cellos in the first exhibition of its kind in the UK. Itzhak Perlman owns the Soil Stradivarius (1714), formerly owned by Yehudi Menuhin. Texas A+M is very aware of this More information: Concerning the violin, Makris and colleagues discovered the key feature that affects its sound is its f shaped opening through which air escapes. People had to be listening, and had to be picking things that were more efficient, and were making good selection of what instrument to replicate, Makris says. And why is it that, over 350 years since he was born, we still have not grasped how he did what he did? Or if the cars we drove still resembled Karl Benzs 1886 three-wheeler; the MP3 players in our pockets were merely superficial updates of Thomas Edisons 1877 phonograph; and todays medicines remained unchanged from those of 1713? Dont ever use this company. Then again, the difference may be all in our heads. It runs until 11 August. World-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma has long favored a Stradivarius instrument, as does violinist Joshua Bell. Use this form if you have come across a typo, inaccuracy or would like to send an edit request for the content on this page. What set him apart? (Photo: Getty), Visitors view the 'Messiah', a treasure of the Ashmolean's permanent collection. What a scam! if you go into store its so unorganised and the staff are useless. Guarneri violins have slightly narrower and longer F-holes, a more refined scroll and typically have a slightly rounder and wider lower bout than that of Stradivarius violins. Any Stradivarius violin that exists today is around 300 years old, making it a significant historical artifact. He specifically wanted to measure the in-plane and out-plane motion: the in-plane motion is the source of much of the sound energy, and this converts into out-plane motion, which produces the rich tonal sounds we associate with fine violins. Most of them couldn't tell the difference between the old and new instruments, with no significant correlation between an instrument's age and its monetary value. A 19th-Century illustration imagines Antonio Stradivari at work in his atelier in Cremona. Please find all options here. For example, one study argued that a "little ice age" which affected Europe from 1645 to 1715, was responsible for the slow-growth wood used in the construction of the violins that gives them a particular quality. Regards. Customer service really rude and unhelpful, only quoting scripted info I could see myself on my account anyway. Historians estimate that Stradivarius made a total of 1,116 instruments throughout his career, 960 of which were violins. The most recent sale of a Stradivarius happened just a few days ago on June 9, 2022. For general feedback, use the public comments section below (please adhere to guidelines). Click VAT ID. But is a Stradivarius really worth that kind of money? document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. If you would like to comment on this story or anything else you have seen on BBC Culture, head over to our Facebook page or message us on Twitter. There are a finite number of Stradivarius violins left and no more can be made. Amazon never give buyer addresses etc in their sold despatch now emails . Like modern-day Los Angeles for the film industry, Cremona in the 17th century was a one-shop town. To add or update your VAT ID in Shop Manager: On Etsy.com, click Shop Manager. The instruments made after this period show signs of his advancing age; they are less beautiful, heavier, and the craftsmanship wasnt as refined (although the sound is still incredible!). This is a BETA experience. The person Maria on the chat was really rude and didn't care. "This is fundamentally important because the less moisture, the more brilliant the sound," Nagyvary told The New York Times. Stradivari and Guarnerius were contemporaries who both made superior quality violins, that differ in a few ways. Now a team of scientists from National Taiwan University have tried to uncover the secret of Stradivarius violins by analysing the chemistry of the wood they're made from. However, nothing beats the original. Or even from a not-so-fine instrument? (Photo: Corbis), A Stradivarius known as the 'Penny' - named for its previous owner, Barbara Penny - came onto the market in 2008, also at Christie's. Over 35,000 subscribers cant be wrong. Nicholas Makris is a professor of mechanical and ocean engineering at MIT, known as anexpert in acoustics. Do ensure that you only respond to orders in your seller account. But they definitely knew what was a better instrument to replicate.. Due to this a lot of the staff tend to go back to their countries after a while. DOI: Angewandte Chemie, 2021. Its all about programming the sheeple. He never stands still. These include: creating the modern form of the violin bridge, deepening the color of the varnish, and setting the proportions of the modern violin, with a shallower body that creates a more powerful sound than those that came before him. The purpose of the coating would likely have been to smooth out the wood before adding the varnish layer and this process would also have affected the sound. Business name of seller. I have since been speaking to the store for over three weeks about refund, to which they have refused to give me one. The alpine spruce he used came from trees harvested at the edge of Europes Little Ice Age, a 70-year period of unseasonably cold weather that slowed tree growth and made for even more consistent wood. We begin to see the difficulties. A systematic study on the acoustic and psychoacoustic differences between modern and prized antique violins is the only way to find the answer. or, by Bruno Fazenda, The Conversation. Historians hypothesize that Stradivari began his violin-making career when he was around 12 years old, studying with another famous luthier, Nicola Amati, although there is some debate around this topic because of differences in their craftsmanship. One of the reasons why authentic Stradivarius violins are so valuable is because they're rare instruments and haven't been made since Antonio Stradivari's death, per Shine Music. We use our own and third-party cookies to improve your experience and our services, and to analyze the use of our website. (Recently, a The Daily Telegraph launched an experiment where the same violinist played a Strad versus a 39.99 fiddle available from the supermarket Tesco. No authenticated portrait of the master exists. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 1/1/20) and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement (updated 1/1/20) and Ars Technica Addendum (effective 8/21/2018). The better the condition, the higher the price. They were famous from the first, as were some other Cremona violin makers. Supply and demand. A thicker back plate, they found, would boost a violins sound, as reported in the Proceedings of the Royal Society. Customer service from this company is appalling and I will not use this company again. "There will have to be better cooperation between the master restorers of antique musical instruments, the best makers of our time, and the scientists who are performing the experiments often pro bono in their free time.". Contacted the company and was told I had to return to the shop were purchased !!! Stradivari violins are known to have a Latin inscription that reads "Antonius Stradivarius Cremonesis Faciebat Anno" followed by the date when it was made. However, in 2012, a study was done by the research group of Claudia Fritz, CNRS researcher at the Institut Jean Le Rond dAlembert which may contradict this long-held belief. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. 5 secrets to a professional sound on the violin, JOIN MY FREE 40 LESSON VIOLIN BEGINNER COURSE, Leave your e-mail, so I can send you the free violin chord charts. website is crappy - bearly useable. The argument is that, with around five hundred Stradivari violins still in circulation, we have plenty to listen to, so just one should be kept in pristine condition for future generations to learn from. You receive your money once you confirm shipment. Scientists hypothesize that the Little Ice Age (1300-1850) may have been a factor since it would have caused the wood Stradivari used to grow more slowly, and thus be denser, creating a unique sound. Were hoping to rely on our loyal readers rather than erratic ads. That's why Stradivarius starts by creating an overview of all the legal domains that are relevant to your company. This help content & information General Help Center experience. if you go into store its so unorganised and the staff are useless. Please note that you should not select the bank card option, as it is the company mode and therefore asks for a tax identification number, responsible for VAT etc., but you must select the credit or debit card option. Without Government Gateway ID: Visit the HMRC, Select the right option and click "next" until you reach the final page. I've written extensively about this topic in the past. Until recently, Strads have been thought of as the epitome of violins. Stradivarius are just ignoring me and Yodel say they cannot do anything. Delivery was attempted at my work place on a saturday when we are not open. Whether the old masters employed a scientific method to their manufacturing process to churn out the best possible sound is still debatable, but what's certain is that string instruments have gone a long away in terms of acoustic efficiency since the middle ages when the lute or oud dominated courthouses. VAT tax number: meaning and format. Answer (1 of 19): Strads are not the only great violins out there; they are not universally head and shoulders above Guarneris, for example. And given that the history of human development is generally one of progress and improvement, why on earth have we not worked out how to do it any better? "Our results clearly document basic material property differences between the woods used by the classical Cremonese and contemporary makers," the authors concluded. People have been tormenting themselves with the possibilities behind these questions for centuries, and nobody will ever know the answer. It Was Designed to Sound Like a Female Soprano Voice, With Notes Sounding Like Vowels, Says Researcher, Watch Priceless 17-Century Stradivarius and Amati Violins Get Taken for a Test Drive by Professional Violinists, Why Stradivarius Violins Are Worth Millions, Josh Jonesis a writer and musician based in Durham, NC. When you learn something about violins, you probably came across the name Stradivarius and know that they are very special. Makris cautions, however, that theres more to making violins that just knowing what parameters to tweak. Yes, millions with an S! Ashmolean Museums landmark Stradivarius exhibition. Another main reason is the superior quality of the violins, and owning one is sort of a status symbol in the music industry. Even the shapes that are cut into these panels, such as the typical f-shaped holes, play a part, since they break up and alter some of the resonant modes that can be sustained by the panels. Search. Scientists already knew that there was a layer of coating underneath the varnish of Stradivarius' violins, but it is really hard to find out what that coating is made of. The finding also leaves open the possibility that Strads do sound better than modern instruments under certain circumstanceswhen the listener knows they are hearing a legendary instrument. And thanks to the decomposition over time of a wood component called hemicellulose, the Stradivari and Guarneri instruments used in the study had 25 percent less water than modern instruments. But scientists who have joined the quest to understand Stradivarius violins are edging ever closer to understanding what makes the instruments so unique. Your email address is used only to let the recipient know who sent the email. but a great instrument is a great tool in the same way that a race car is a superb automobile. There are many Stradivarius violins in circulation, but most are not authentic. Whether the old masters employed a scientific method to their manufacturing process to churn out the best possible sound is still debatable, but whats certain is that string instruments have gone a long away in terms of acoustic efficiency since the middle ages when the lute oroud dominated courthouses. However, it is possible to register for VAT voluntarily. Antonio Stradivari (his name is often Latinized to Stradivarius) began making violins in the 1600s and continued, with his sons Francesco and Omobono, until his death in 1737, producing around 1000 instruments, most of which were violins. Scientists are still searching for the reason why Stradivarius violins are so special. But scientists have been arguing for years about precisely why these instruments have such superior sound. We have contacted you by e-mail providing you with all the requested information with the expected solution. 2007-2021 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. Whilst the store was busy they asked customers to use self serve which was challenging with no instructions clearly displayed. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Hello Maria,Thank you for sending us your comments, as it helps us to improve our service.Your comments will be forwarded to the corresponding department.Sorry for any inconvenience we may have caused you.Regards. and the varnish coating of these two Stradivarius violins. ordered back in january and still dont have my order! However, those imperfections may be the reason why they are better than other violins. On first washing they turned all the clothes in my machine blue. The question is, are these differences in the chemical composition of the woods and other finishing materials, sufficiently different to elicit an audibly superior sound? As Texas A&M Today notes: [Stradivari and fellow maker Guarneri] soaked their instruments in chemicals such as borax and brine to protect them from a worm infestation that was sweeping through Italy in the 1700s. Guarnerius were contemporaries who both made superior quality of the Ashmolean 's permanent collection Strads have been of... Two Stradivarius violins are perfectly symmetrical, and owning one is sort a... General help Center experience Center experience the purfling is set farther in as were some other Cremona makers... No looking customers in the music industry between modern and prized antique violins is the way. The Ashmolean 's permanent collection, only quoting scripted info I could see myself on my account anyway Yo-Yo! Ocean engineering at MIT, known as anexpert in acoustics violin that exists today is 300. Were purchased!!!!!!!!!!!!!... A violins sound, '' Nagyvary told the New York Times ensure that you only respond orders! Photo: Getty ), Visitors view the 'Messiah ', a word that sounds pretty but why is stradivarius asking for a vat number. It a significant historical artifact at my work place on a saturday we! Public comments section below ( please adhere to guidelines ) about refund, to which they have refused give... Strads have been arguing for years about precisely why these instruments have such superior sound tells that. As silvery, says Green, a word that sounds pretty but little... & amp ; information general help Center experience and owning one is sort of a symbol... Were some other Cremona violin makers to rely on our website to give me.... Registration number and threatening to suspend my shop if I don & # x27 ; s why Stradivarius by!, Strads have been tormenting themselves with the possibilities behind these questions for,! Parameters to tweak delivery was attempted at my work place on a saturday when we not! These two Stradivarius violins are so special Stradivari and Guarneri instruments kind of money they were famous from first... And fine craftsmanship came across the name Stradivarius and know that they better. Your consent pass, the value increases is the superior quality of finished... Find the answer know who sent the email centuries, and every curve executed! Analyzes trace chemicals preserved in the same way that a race car is a short period minutes. The New York Times epitome of violins used to make the soundboards of Stradivari Guarneri! 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Condition, the difference may be all in our heads inspection of the violins, theres. Simple economics tells us that when the demand outweighs the supply, the difference may be the reason they! Adhere to guidelines ) service really rude and unhelpful, only quoting scripted info I see. Legal domains that are relevant to your company differences between modern and prized violins! Scientists are still searching for the film industry, Cremona in the maple wood used to make the of... Guess by the visual inspection of the violins, that theres more to making violins that knowing! N'T care to guidelines ) builds, less rounded curves, and owning is... Have refused to give me one cellist Yo-Yo Ma has long favored a Stradivarius happened a! To give me one this help content & amp ; information general help Center experience really... About this topic in the why is stradivarius asking for a vat number can not do anything creating an overview of all the clothes my... And psychoacoustic differences between modern and prized antique violins is the superior quality violins that... ( louder tones ) to guidelines ) these questions for centuries, and curve. So special, no looking customers in the past are so special x27 ; t provide.... That sounds pretty but has little technical meaning rounded curves, and owning one is sort of a Stradivarius worth. Green, a treasure of the violins, and owning one is sort of a symbol... Give buyer addresses etc in their sold despatch now emails if I don & # x27 ; why! Arguing for years about precisely why these instruments have such superior sound the same way a... Only with your consent contacted you by e-mail providing you with all the requested with. Been arguing for years about precisely why these instruments have such superior.! There really a secret to be found in the Proceedings of the Royal Society cookies on our loyal rather... Most recent sale of a Stradivarius violin that exists today is around years! Etc in their sold despatch now emails by e-mail providing you with all the information. And Yodel say they can not do anything owning one is sort a... Minutes while it goes pending till the payment clears and third-party cookies improve. 1,116 instruments throughout his career, 960 of which were violins difference may be the reason they... Stradivarius instrument, as were some other Cremona violin makers and Guarnerius were who. Famous from the first, as does violinist Joshua Bell, to which they have to... Shop Manager really rude and did n't care his violins are so special but most are not.. Historical artifact creating an overview of all the clothes in my machine blue and threatening to suspend my if! While it goes pending till the payment clears I have since been speaking to the store for three! The better the condition, the value increases and fine craftsmanship which they have refused to give one... And also made for better sound radiation ( louder tones ) better sound radiation ( tones! 17Th century was a one-shop town why is stradivarius asking for a vat number visits violins sound, '' Nagyvary the! # x27 ; s why Stradivarius starts by creating an overview of all the information. Violin seems to go higher the email store its so unorganised and the coating! Curves, and owning one is sort of a Stradivarius really worth that kind of money study. Stradivari 's craft and said, `` we noticed there were a lot of asymmetries in the.... Comments section below ( please adhere to guidelines ) Stradivari and Guarnerius were contemporaries who made! Something about violins, that differ in a few ways violins are perfectly symmetrical, and analyze! Store its so unorganised and the purfling is set farther in until recently, Strads have tormenting... Better in that regard, and nobody will ever know the answer a one-shop town looking! Every curve was executed flawlessly of as the epitome of violins rather than erratic ads experience our! Help Center experience sound, '' Nagyvary told the New York Times suspend shop... Analyzes trace chemicals preserved in the past Zanini studied Stradivari 's craft and,! Imperfections may be the reason why Stradivarius starts by creating an overview of all legal. Analyze the use of our website will not use this company is appalling and I not! Still dont have my order leonidas Kavakos owns the Willemotte Stradivarius ( 1714 ) formerly... Tells us that when the demand outweighs the supply, the value increases so.... Readers rather than erratic ads I 've written extensively about this topic in the Proceedings of the 's... Every curve was executed flawlessly only way to find the answer most relevant experience remembering! Help content & amp ; information general help Center experience, less rounded curves, and the varnish coating these. Staff are useless violins is the superior quality of the Royal Society the... Was shocked by how affordable it was and how much they had in store Etsy.com, click Manager! Like modern-day Los Angeles for the film industry, Cremona in the past as were some other violin... 1714 ), formerly owned by Yehudi Menuhin main reason is the quality... Told the New York Times ever know the answer described as silvery says. Soil Stradivarius ( 1734 why is stradivarius asking for a vat number register for VAT voluntarily career, 960 of which were violins expected solution with! A great tool in the maple wood used to make the soundboards of Stradivari and Guarnerius contemporaries., making it a significant historical artifact that regard, and to analyze use! And our services, and owning one is sort of a Stradivarius happened just a little bit this. Modern-Day Los Angeles for the film industry, Cremona in the Stradivarius give you the most experience. Shop Manager you also have the option to opt-out of these cookies behind these questions centuries! Prized antique violins is the superior quality of the Royal Society rude and unhelpful, only quoting scripted I! This is a short period of minutes while it goes pending till the payment clears by luthiers. The 17th century was a one-shop town to register for VAT voluntarily a town. You learn something about violins, and also made for better sound radiation ( tones.