Stradivari violin

Interesting question. Having some knowledge about both Strads and Guanieri violins, I think that you have to take into account that each of these violins sounds different from another, even those made by the same maker. For example, Joshua Bell recently replaced his Strad with another Strad because the new one, the "Gibson", had a "bigger" sound, which was more conducive to concert performance than chamber music (as an aside, it was very similar to upgrading your components when you think of it, although the cost is a little different!). Similarly, Bobby McDuffie fell in love with his del Gesu after having played dozens of them, searching for the one that best suited his style and taste as an artist. While it's all well and good to generalize (Strads are more tempermental and sweeter than del Gesus, which have more power, are more versatile and are better for filling a large hall, and all of them have a tone that modern violins just can't match), the fact is that unless you're extremely familiar with the sound of a particular Strad or del Gesu, it's unlikely that any recording is going to let you know the instrument being played unless you know the artist or the liner notes tell you. My guess is that the sweetness and tone of a lot of these violins may be lost by the close miking of recordings (it has been said, and I can believe it having heard Bobby's del Gesu up close and on recordings, that no recording of Heifetz ever fully captured the sweetness of the tone he got from his del Gesu), and that fact in addition can mask the fact that a lesser violin does not project into a concert hall with the power of one of these rare violins. So in answer to your question, I agree that without being intimately familiar with the violin in question, it would be difficult to tell what type violin is being played on a music reproduction system, but I would probably place the reason more on the recording process and the fact that all these rare violins sound different than on the playback equipment. By the way, I believe that there is a recording by violinist Elmar (?) Oliviera where he plays a number of rare violins from his collection on one disc, would be interesting to hear that disc to hear the differences in sound among the different violins.

Charlie: I think that's the Oliviera disc they're referring to; thanks, I was trying to figure where to get it. Oliviera is a fine violinist, it would probably be worthwhile picking it up, just to hear the differences. I agree that if you hear them side by side under the same conditions you can hear the differences, but given the state of most commercial recordings (which the Oliviera disc is definitely not) and the fact that there may be no clues as to the type of violin used on those recordings, I would think only true violin afficianatos, violinists and dealers would consistently be able to pick out the types of violins being used on them (let alone the actual violin). For example, Bobby McDuffie's recording of the Barber concerto on Telarc was made with his previous violin, while the one he made before that, his recording of Kreisler and similar romantic short pieces (which is a lot of fun, if you haven't heard it), was made with the del Gesu. After he told me, I could hear the difference, although to my relatively untrained ear it could also have been the difference between the different halls and the different styles of music played that I was hearing. In a live concert setting, the differences are much easier to notice, in my experience.

Excellent posts! Frogman, I think that you're right, as a musician who plays wind instruments your training and expertise make it easier to spot the differences in types of instruments, just as my experience as a guitarist makes it easier for me to hear differences on recordings between a Martin, Guild or Gibson. You can train your ear to hear the differences, but the casual listener or ordinary music lover may not be able to make the distinction. But I agree with Ewha's assessment that the artist's style can be more recognizable than the particular instrument that artist is playing. The better instruments can remove the boundaries of what the artist wants to communicate, and help the artist develop a sound that he/she wants, but ultimately it is the musician's style and soul that makes them distinctive to me and what I'm listening for.

I have wondered the same thing, Sugarbrie, although I don't think my Guild F-212 from 1969 has gotten any better in sound over the years.... Guess we'll have to come back in 2-300 years and see how the exact copy sounds then!

Marakanetz: Perlman (sp, I'm sure) plays what many consider to be the finest Strad in existence, called "le Soill" or something close to that--it has the sweetness and delicacy of the Strads but the power of the del Gesus. Acquired it in 1989 from Yehudi Menhuin, who wanted money to buy a new house at the time (the violin must be worth around $5 million right now)! He also has a del Gesu, but reportedly only uses that for outdoor concerts where weather and humidity are a concern; indoors at a big concert you'll hear that Strad.