Stradivari and Guarneri Treated Soundboards With Various Chemicals, Study Shows
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Stradivari and Guarneri Treated Soundboards with Various Chemicals, Study Shows:
The Secret of the Stradivari Violin ConfirmedTwo renowned violin makers from Cremona, Italy, Antonio Stradivari and Giuseppe Guarneri 'del Gesu,' treated their instruments with various chemicals that produced their unique sound, and several of these chemicals have been identified for the first time: borax and metal sulfates for fungal suppression, table salt for moisture control, alum for molecular crosslinking, and potash or quicklime for alkaline treatment.
In string instruments, specially selected woods act as transducers of mechanical energy from vibrating strings into acoustic energy.
Violin-family instruments, including violas and cellos, are made of two types of tonewoods: Norway spruce (Picea abies) for soundboards and maple (Acer sp.) for ribs and back plates.
Curiously, leading violinists today still prefer antique instruments made by Antonio Stradivari and Giuseppe Guarneri 'del Gesu.'
Stradivari made about 1,200 violins in his lifetime and sold them only to the very rich, including the royalty. Today, there are about 600 Stradivari violins remaining. He also made violas and cellos that are highly prized.
Guarneri 'del Gesu' had trouble selling his work, but his instruments are now considered equal in quality and price to Stradivari violins.
[...] "All of my research over many years has been based on the assumption that the wood of the great masters underwent an aggressive chemical treatment, and this had a direct role in creating the great sound of the Stradivari and the Guarneri," said Professor Joseph Nagyvary, a researcher in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics at Texas A&M University.
[...] "Both Stradivari and Guarneri would have wanted to treat their violins to prevent worms from eating away the wood because worm infestations were very widespread at that time."
[...] "This new study reveals that Stradivari and Guarneri had their own individual proprietary method of wood processing, to which they could have attributed a considerable significance," Professor Nagyvary said.
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