Dictionary Definition
Stradivarius n : Italian violin maker who
developed the modern violin and created violins of unequaled tonal
quality (1644?-1737) [syn: Stradivari, Antonio
Stradivari, Antonius
Stradivarius]
User Contributed Dictionary
Pronunciation
- a UK /ˈstɹæd.ɪ.veə(ɹ).i.ʌs/, "str
Extensive Definition
A Stradivarius is a stringed
instrument built by members of the Stradivari
family, particularly Antonio
Stradivari. The instruments are famous for the quality of their
sound, which has defied attempts to explain or reproduce. The name
"Stradivarius" has also become a superlative applied to designate
excellence. To be called "the Stradivari" of any field is to be
deemed the finest there is.
Background
Born in Italy in 1644, Antonio Stradivari is considered to have been a disciple of Nicolo Amati, of the Amati family of luthiers of Cremona. In 1660, Antonio set up shop on his own in Cremona, though his early violins are generally considered inferior to those of his "golden age", between 1698 and 1720. While his techniques have long been fertile soil for debate, still not fully understood by modern craftsmen and scientists, it is known for certain that the wood used included spruce for the harmonic top, willow for the internal parts and maple for the back, strip and neck. This wood was treated with several types of minerals, including potassium borate (borax), sodium and potassium silicate, and vernice bianca, a varnish composed of Arabic gum, honey and egg white.A Stradivarius made in the
1680s, or during Stradivari's Brescian period from 1690-1700, could
be worth several hundred thousand dollars or more on auction, at
today's prices. Depending on condition, instruments made during
Stradivari's "golden period" from 1700 to 1720 can be worth several
million dollars. Though relatively rarely sold, the highest
publicised price paid was at public auction for The
Hammer, made in 1707, selling for US$3,544,000 on May 16 2006. Private sales of
Stradivari instruments have exceeded this price.
It is not uncommon for violins
to be labeled or branded "Stradivarius", as the name has been used
since by other manufacturers. However, it is generally believed
that there are fewer than 700 genuine instruments extant, very few
of which are unaccounted for.
The fame of Stradivari
instruments is not a modern phenomenon and they appear in numerous
works of fiction. The fictional detective Sherlock
Holmes is described as having owned a Stradivarius, with detail
given to how he purchased the instrument for fifty-five English shillings
in the story,
The Adventure of the Cardboard Box. A famous, if perhaps
apocryphal story about the Duport
Stradivarius claims the instrument's visible dent was made by
the boots of Emperor
Napoléon I of France, who tried his hand at playing
it.
One aspect of Stradivari's
approach is illustrated in the BBC TV series Lovejoy, in the
episode "Second Fiddle", which notes that, while one would expect
the 'f'-holes on the top of a violin to be symmetrical, Stradivari
often made his slightly offset. The show credits this to him being
less of a perfectionist than tradition holds, but, if true, it more
likely demonstrates an aural perfectionism preferred over the
visual aesthetic.
The reputation of the
Stradivarius is such that its name is frequently invoked as a
standard of excellence in other unrelated fields (such as ships and
cars); for example, the Bath Iron
Works' unofficial motto is "A Bath boat is the Stradivarius of
destroyers!" In 1924,
The Vincent
Bach Corporation began releasing a line of trumpets which would later
become known as Stradivarius
Trumpets, in an attempt to capitalise on the Stradivari
name.
Theories and reproduction attempts
These instruments are, of course, famous for the quality of their sound, and there have been many attempts to explain and reproduce this quality, largely without success. Over the centuries, numerous theories have been presented, and debunked, including an assertion that the wood was salvaged from old cathedrals. Dendrochronology, or tree-ring dating, has proved this false.A more modern theory
attributes tree growth during a time of unusually low solar
activity during the Maunder
Minimum "Little Ice
Age" from ca. 1645 to 1750. During this period, temperatures
throughout Europe were much cooler causing stunting and slower tree
growth with unusually dense wood. Further evidence for this "Little
Ice Age theory" comes from a simple examination of the dense growth
rings in the wood used in Stradivari's instruments.
Yet another possible
explanation is that the wood originated and was harvested from the
forests of northern Croatia. This
maple wood is known for
its extreme density due to the slow growth from harsh Croatian
winters. Croatian wood was a commodity traded by Venetian merchants
of this era and is still used for crafting musical instruments by
local luthiers to this day.
Some research points to wood
preservatives being used in that day as contributing to the
resonant qualities.
While the sound of
Stradivari's instruments still has not been fully explained by
modern research tools, devices such as the scanning laser
vibrometer are aiding researchers in testing the theory that the
careful shaping of belly and back plate, in order to "tune" their
resonant frequencies, may be an important factor.
Glues and varnishes used by
Stradivari have been analyzed extensively, and have also been
attributed for the sound and quality of his instruments. There
remains no consensus on the single most probable factor, and most
likely, it is some combination of all, and something not yet
recognized.
Stradivari instruments
Violins
Synonyms, Antonyms and Related Words
A string, Amati, Cremona, D string, E string, G
string, Strad, Stradivari, bass, bass viol, bow, bridge, bull fiddle, cello, contrabass, crowd, double bass, fiddle, fiddlebow, fiddlestick, fingerboard, kit, kit fiddle, kit violin,
scroll, soundboard, string, tenor violin, tuning peg,
viola, violin, violinette, violoncello, violoncello
piccolo, violone,
violotta