Antonio Stradivari - violin maker. The secret of the brilliant Stradivarius violins

There are still legends about the Stradivarius violin. 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.

Biography of the master

Antonio Stradivari, violin maker, 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. Born and lived all my life violin maker in the city of Cremona.

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

One day the boy learned that the best violin maker in Italy, Nicolo Amati, lived in his city. Antonio loved the violin very much and decided to become a student of the genius.

A. Stradivari married only at the age of 40. His wife was the shopkeeper's daughter, Francesca Ferrabochi. The couple had five children. But soon a plague epidemic began. A. Stradivari's beloved wife and children 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 throughout the world. Along with fame came A. Stradivari and new love. His second wife was Maria Zambelli. In his marriage to her, he had five children. A. Stradivari taught his two sons - Francesco and Omobono - his craft. They became masters of violin making. But there is an opinion that Antonio did not reveal his professional secrets even to his sons. They failed to repeat his masterpieces.

Antonio Stradivari was a workaholic. He did not leave his craft until his death. Antonio Stradivari died in 1737, at approximately 93 years old. His burial place is the Basilica of San Domenico.

Amati's student

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

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

At the next stage of his training, A. Stradivari learned which wood should be chosen for making violin soundboards. The boy realized that the main thing is not appearance tree, and 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 some time, he had already made dozens of violins. But all his creations bore the mark of Nicolo Amati. This did not upset young Stradivarius. 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 and added decorations. He tried in every possible way to make the voices of the instruments sound more melodious and beautiful. As a result of all his efforts and searches, in the early 1700s, famous violin Stradivarius, which has no equal to this day.

At the peak of excellence

The best musical instruments were created by A. Stradivarius in the period from 1690 to 1725. They were of the highest concert quality. The finest Stradivarius violin, as well as other instruments, date back to 1715.

His skill blossomed after he experienced the loss of his family. After such a terrible tragedy, he fell into despair and could not work. One of his students helped him continue creating again. He once came to A. Stradivarius, burst into tears and said that his parents had died, and he would not be able to continue learning to make violins, since he was now forced to earn a living. The master felt sorry for the boy, and he left him in his house, and after several 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 him.

Famous violin

When Antonio was already 60 years old, he created a new one, which brought him fame as a great master, the legendary Stradivarius violin. A photo of this masterpiece is presented in this article.

The violin model Antonio developed brought him fame and immortality. They began to call him the “super-Stradivarius”. His violins were and remain to this day the best musical instruments. And they sound incredible. The master managed to give his violins, violas and cellos a rich timbre and make their “voices” stronger. Because of this, rumors circulated about the master that he had sold his soul to the devil. People could not believe that a person, even a genius with golden hands, could make a piece of wood sing like that.

The secret of a unique sound

Until now, musicians, as well as scientists all over the world, are trying to unravel the secrets of the great master in order to understand how the famous violin of 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.

Today, there are several versions with which scientists are trying to explain the secret of the magnificent sound of A. Stradivari's instruments. But none of them have been proven, although hundreds of studies have been conducted 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, thanks to which many high overtones appeared, which enriched the sound.

Later, a version appeared that the secret lay in the materials from which A. Stradivarius made his violins. It was found out what kind of wood Stradivarius violins were made from. He made the upper soundboards from spruce, and the lower ones from maple.

Some scientists put forward the version that the secret is not what A. Stradivarius was made of. The varnishes and impregnations with which he coated his instruments are the main “culprits” for the appearance of this masterpiece. There are reliable facts that the master first soaked the wood in sea water, and then covered it with some mixtures of components of plant origin. Perhaps they included resins from trees that grew in those days, but later every single one was cut down.

As for varnishes, according to some scientists, they consisted of such substances, thanks to which dents and scratches on the wood were healed, and the soundboards were able to “breathe” and resonate better, which makes it possible to achieve beautiful surround sound. But other scientists argue 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 cleared one of the Stradivarius violins from varnish. Nothing in her sound has changed because of this.

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

Instruments of Antonio Stradivari

According to researchers, the master created at least 1,000 musical instruments during his life. These were mostly violins, but there were also violas, cellos, guitars, mandolins and even a harp. He was so efficient that in 1 year he created 25 instruments. Whereas modern masters, which also work manually, are able to produce only 3-4 copies during this time. How many violins did Stradivari create during his life? It's impossible to say for sure. But approximately 600 violins, 12 violas and 60 cellos have survived to this day.

Cost of violins

A. Stradivari's musical instruments are still the most expensive in the world. During the master’s lifetime, his violins cost 700 modern dollars, which for that time was very large sum. Today the cost of his masterpieces ranges from 500 thousand dollars to 5 million euros.

Most expensive

There is a violin that is valued at $10 million. She goes by the name "Lady Blunt". This is the most expensive Stradivarius violin to date. The photo of “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 granddaughter of the poet Byron, who was its owner, has survived to this day in perfect condition, since it was practically never played. Throughout the 300 years of her life, she moved from one museum to another.

Steal a masterpiece

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

Biography of the master

Antonio Stradivari, violin maker, 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 his entire life in the city of Cremona.

One day the boy learned that the best violin maker in Italy, Nicolo Amati, lived in his city. Antonio loved the violin very much and decided to become a student of the genius.

A. Stradivari married only at the age of 40. His wife was the shopkeeper's daughter, Francesca Ferrabochi. The couple had five children. But soon a plague epidemic began. A. Stradivari's beloved wife and children 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 throughout the world. Along with fame, new love came to A. Stradivari. His second wife was Maria Zambelli. In his marriage to her, he had five children. A. Stradivari taught his two sons - Francesco and Omobono - his craft. They became masters of violin making. But there is an opinion that Antonio did not reveal his professional secrets even to his sons. They failed to repeat his masterpieces.

Antonio Stradivari was a workaholic. He did not leave his craft until his death. Antonio Stradivari died in 1737, at approximately 93 years old. His burial place is the Basilica of San Domenico.

Amati's student

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

At the next stage of his training, A. Stradivari learned which wood should be chosen for making violin soundboards. 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 became a famous master in 1680. He improved the instruments created by his teacher N. Amati. To do this, he slightly changed their shape and added decorations. He tried in every possible way to make the voices of the instruments sound more melodious and beautiful. As a result of all his efforts and searches, in the early 1700s, the famous Stradivarius violin was born, which has no equal to this day.

At the peak of excellence

The best musical instruments were created by A. Stradivarius between 1690 and 1725. They were of the highest concert quality. The finest Stradivarius violin, as well as other instruments, date back to 1715.

Famous violin

When Antonio was already 60 years old, he created a new one, which brought him fame as a great master, the legendary Stradivarius violin. A photo of this masterpiece is presented in this article.

The secret of a unique sound

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

Instruments of Antonio Stradivari

According to researchers, the master created at least 1,000 musical instruments during his life. These were mostly violins, but there were also violas, cellos, guitars, mandolins and even a harp. He was so efficient that in 1 year he created 25 instruments. 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 during his life? It's impossible to say for sure. But approximately 600 violins, 12 violas and 60 cellos have survived to this day.

Cost of violins

A. Stradivari's musical instruments are still the most expensive in the world. During the master’s lifetime, his violins cost 700 modern dollars, which was a very large sum for that time. Today the cost of his masterpieces ranges from 500 thousand dollars to 5 million euros.

Most expensive

There is a violin that is valued at $10 million. She goes by the name "Lady Blunt". This is the most expensive Stradivarius violin to date. The photo of “Lady Blunt” is presented in this article.

Steal a masterpiece

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

1. Biography

There is no reliable information about the birth of Stradivari; history has preserved it. "Father's, Alessandro (Italian) Alessandro Stradivari ), and an approximate date of birth, between 1644 and 1649. It is also known that Stardivari was born in Cremona. Without a doubt, his mother cannot be, as traditionally believed, Anna Moroni (Italian. Anna Moroni), Because she was married to another Alessandro Stradivari, who died in 1630, long before Antonio was born.

One of the violins contains a signature Antonius Stradivarius Cremonensis Alumnus Nicolaij Amati, Faciebat Anno 1666 (Antonius Stradivarius of Cremona, student of Nicolaij Amati, made in 1666), the only evidence that Stardivari was a student of the famous Cremonese Nicolo Amati. The violin itself and whether it belonged to Antonio Stradivari's mark were the subject of debate. Alfred and Arthur Hill spoke in favor of authenticity, in the work "Antonio Stradivari: His Life and Work", text of 1902, which takes into account the authoritative testimony of Simone Fernando Sacconi (Italian. Simone Fernando Sacconi ) And Charles Bear (eng. Charles Beare). However, Bear, given the fact that all violins from next year already contain the signature with which Stradivari signed the rest of his life: Antonius Stradivarius Cremonensis Faciebat Anno (Antonio Stradivarius of Cremona, made on [date]), without mentioning Amati, he wonders - it cannot be assumed that the violin is mistakenly attributed to Stradivarius, and indeed the name Amati should be on it.

From the church books of the parish of St. Agatha we know that Stradivari settled in this quarter of Cremona in 1667. In the same year he married his first wife Francesca Ferraboschi (Italian. Francesca Ferraboschi ). His children were born in this house - Julia Maria, Catherine, Francesco, Alessandro, Omobono. Of these, Francesco and Omobono later also became violin makers. In the instruments Stradivarius made during this period, the influence of Nicolo Amati is undoubtedly felt. Incredibly, only about two dozen instruments remain from this period, so it can be assumed that he did some of his work under the supervision of other violin makers, for example Amati or Francesco Ruggeri (Italian. Francesco Ruggieri). The instruments made under his name are of decent quality, but not brilliant.

In 1680, Stardivari bought a house with a workshop in Piazza San Domenico (ital. piazza San Domenico) (Today it is Piazza Roma (Italian. piazza Roma)), in which he worked until his death. Stradivari's wife, Francesca, died on May 20, 1698. Antonio remarried on August 24, 1699 to Zambelli Costa (Italian. Zambelli Costa), who gave birth to five children - Francesca Maria, Giovanni Battista Giuseppe, Giovanni Battista Martino, Giuseppe Antonio and Paolo.

According to one researcher from Texas, the varnishes used by Stardivari were enriched with submicroscopic crystalline minerals, of which the researcher counted 22, but there probably should have been more. According to those known on this moment According to Stradivari, to strengthen the structure of wood, he used a glassy preparation - a mixture of potash, willow and coal. After prolonged exposure to this mixture, the wood became almost crystalline, giving the wood extreme durability over time. In this case, the varnish could not be applied directly, since a chemical reaction would take place with the previous layer. Stradivarius therefore applied a second layer: an insulating material consisting of protein, honey, sugar and gum arabic. Finally, a thin layer of varnish was applied, which did not penetrate deep into the wood of the violin.

For his instruments, Stradivari used Balkan maple for the back, sides and neck; European spruce for the top. Legend says that he ordered tree trunks to be migrated and listened to the sound to choose the best ones. But the master’s amazing ability to “hear” the tree was influenced external factor: glaciation, a period of severe cooling and severe climate that engulfed continental Europe between the 17th half of the 18th century. There was a "luck" factor here. According to one theory, special climatic conditions caused by icing led to a decrease in plant photosynthetic activity, suppressing growth and increasing the density and elasticity of wood. Thanks to these properties, Stradivari was able to use wood without defects. However, this theory is unconvincing, since the rest of Stradivari's contemporaries would also have benefited from this climatic phenomenon.

Italian Vittorio Salerno). The role of Stradivarius was played by Anthony Quinn.

In the detective film "A Visit to the Minotaur" (1987) one of storylines- the life of Antonio Stradivari. Main role played in the film

Antonio Stradivarius or Stradivarius (1644 - December 18, 1737) - famous master string instruments, student of Nicolo Amati. About 650 instruments of his work have survived.
Having tried many professions, he experienced failure everywhere. He wanted to become a sculptor, like Michelangelo; the lines of his statues were elegant, but their faces were not expressive. He abandoned this craft, earned his living by carving wood, making wooden decorations for rich furniture, and became addicted to drawing; with the greatest suffering he studied the ornamentation of the doors and wall painting cathedrals and drawings by great masters. Then he was attracted to music and decided to become a musician. He studied violin hard; but the fingers lacked fluency and lightness, and the sound of the violin was dull and harsh. They said about him: " Musician's ear, carver's hands". And he gave up the craft of a musician. But he did not forget it.
Biography
Antonio Stradivari was born around 1644 in a small settlement near Cremona in the family of Alexandro Stradivari and Anna Moroni. His parents were from Cremona. But at this time, a terrible plague was raging in the southern part of Italy, which reached their city. People fled wherever they could. So the Stradivarius family settled near Cremona, and they never returned there again. The future great master spent his childhood there. For a long time, young Antonio could not decide what to do. He tried to be a sculptor, painter, woodcarver, and violinist. But in order to take music seriously, he lacked the mobility of his fingers, despite the fact that he ear for music was perfect. Violins interested him, and at the age of 18 Antonio became a free student of the well-known violin maker Nicolo Amati in Italy. At the first stage of his stay with Amati, Stradivari performed only the most menial work and was, as they say, at the beck and call of a recognized master. But one day Nicolo Amati saw Antonio carving f-holes on a useless piece of wood. And from that moment on, Antonio began to comprehend Amati’s skill, to learn how to choose wood, how to make maple or spruce sing, how thick the soundboards should be, what the purpose of the spring inside the instrument is, and what role the varnish covering it has in the sound of the violin. With persistence, Stradivarius achieved perfection in the sound of the violin. And when he heard that his violin sang the same way as Master Nicolo’s, he was overcome by the desire to make it different. Stradivari wanted to hear the sounds of women's and children's voices in it. But for a long time He failed to implement his idea. In 1680, Stradivarius began working independently.
In addition to the perfection of sound, his instruments were distinguished unusual design, as they would say today. All the violins were different, some he made narrower, others wider, some were shorter, some longer. Stradivarius decorated his instruments with pieces of mother-of-pearl, ebony, Ivory, images of flowers or cupids. They had a special sound; contemporaries compared the sound of his violins with the voice of a girl in a Cremona square. All this spoke of his own style of work, and therefore distinguished it from many others. By the age of forty, Stradivarius was very rich and famous. The Italians said: “Rich as Stradivarius.”
It was difficult to call his personal life happy. He was widowed early and lost two adult sons, whom he hoped to make the support of his own old age, to reveal to them the secret of his skill and to pass on everything that he had achieved throughout his life. long life. However, he still has four more sons. Francesco and Omobono, although they worked with him, did not have his instincts, much less his talent. They just tried to copy him. The third son, Paolo, did not understand his craft at all, he was carried away by trade, and he was extremely far from art. The fourth son, Giuseppe, became a monk. Stradivarius was 76 years old. He lived to a ripe old age and achieved great respect and wealth. But thinking about his family, Antonio became increasingly gloomy. The violins understood and obeyed him much more than own sons, and he knew how to feel them, which could not be said about his children. Stradivarius left them all his acquired property, they will acquire nice houses; but there was no one to leave the secret of his mastery to Stradivarius. For only a true master can pass on his experience and part of his talent; he did not feel even a grain of such abilities in his sons. He did not want to share with them the subtle ways of composing varnishes, recording the unevenness of the decks. Believing that all the nuances that he meticulously collected and learned over 70 years can only help, teach him to be a master and feel the tree as if it were alive, never. Calm does not leave Stradivarius. He will make tools until last days life, getting up early, sitting for hours in the laboratory and at the workbench. Despite the fact that every month it becomes more and more difficult for him to finish the violin he started. He stopped thinking about everything that had previously prevented him from sleeping peacefully. The master finally decided that he would take his secrets with him to the grave. It is better to let them remain undiscovered forever than to pass on knowledge to those who have neither talent, nor love, nor courage. He already gave a lot to his family, they are rich, they still have his noble name and his good reputation. Over his long life, he made just over a thousand instruments, which were sold all over the world. In addition to violins, Stradivari made violas, guitars, cellos, and even made a harp. He was satisfied with the outcome of his journey, and therefore left calmly.
On December 18, 1737, Stradivari's heart stopped. Dressed in black robes with hoods, belted with ropes, and wearing rough wooden sandals, the monks of the Dominican order walked behind the hearse, in whose church the master bought a crypt for the burial of himself and his family during his lifetime. The sons walked solemnly and importantly behind the coffin, followed by the disciples. None of them ever learned the secret of the great master Antonio Stradivari.
The Mystery of Antonio Stradivari
The violin is in the hands of a wonderful musician, responding to his inspiration with a clear, deep voice. Like a living being, she told us about grief and joy, about tragedy and happiness, and everyone understood her in their own way, and she found her own response in everyone’s soul. Light golden, elegant, it sparkled with all its facets, and only a few knew that in fact its age was measured in centuries and that it was given to a musician from State collection only for this tour. This violin had no price: like any masterpiece, it was priceless. After two and a half centuries, it has retained all the nuances of its extraordinary sound. She brought to us the “soul of Stradivarius”... He was not loved for his stinginess and aloofness. They envied him - his wealth and fame. When he remarried at 55, a year after his wife's death, he was maligned. Not all of his eleven children survived, but when one of them died, they did not rush to him with words of consolation and sympathy. And they were also afraid of him, because he was terrible in his obsession: no one had ever seen him do nothing, not once in all nine decades of his life. Along with the first rays of the gentle Italian sun, he appeared on the roof of his three-story house in St. Domenic Square and hung up his tools; at sunset he went out to take them off. The students have long gone home, the sons helping with their work have gone to bed, and in the window of the workshop on the first floor there is a light shining, and every now and then the tall, thin figure of the great master flashes.
For almost two centuries, the Cremona school of violin makers accumulated experience in creating instruments that the European stage had never seen before. How many generations of masters had to change, passing on the secrets of their craft to each other, so that he, Stradivarius, could finally appear, who could not only absorb their knowledge, but also bring the common work to perfection!
80 years of intense, never-ending work. When my hands got tired, my brain continued to work. Antonio dreamed that he had to make a violin unsurpassed in its sound qualities, and he made it, although it took his whole life. At the age of 13, he glued his first instrument with the brilliant Nicolo Amati, but another 10 long years passed until, having opened his own workshop, he allowed himself not to be called a student on violin etiquette, and another 20 years when he first made an instrument different from those what his teacher did.

What did he change then? Yes, he made the model longer, but a little narrower. The sound timbre became lower. And then he began to weigh the parts of the violin. It seemed to him that he was about to find in this flat instrument the best proportion between the upper soundboard and the lower one. Then the idea appeared that the sound depended on the thickness of the decks. Dozens of prototypes were made, and it turned out that the thinner the deck, the lower the tone. But can the thickness be the same throughout? What should it be like then? Long years calculations, experiments: somewhere, in some place a little thicker, somewhere a little thinner, just a fraction of a millimeter - and a different sound. Was it really necessary to live 93 years to finally establish a system by which the thickness of the decks in different places is determined, the change from the center to the edges? Hundreds and thousands of options and, finally, the conclusion - the top part should be made of spruce, and not from Saxon, which has a lot of resin, but from Tyrolean or Italian. And for interior decoration, alder and linden will be suitable. How good maple works! He has one beautiful drawing cut: the tool must be elegant. Italian maple has a special shine, the surface of its cuts is silky, but you only need to take the trunk that was cut down in January, otherwise there will be a lot of juice in it - this will ruin everything.
Antonio is convinced that his violins should last for centuries. Stradivarius learned to choose wood accurately. But he rarely came across a good tree; he sometimes used one trunk for a whole decade, carefully selecting piece by piece. It’s better to glue it, take a chance with the design - as long as it sounds. And only he knew which tree to choose: young, old, or even with wormholes. When did he create his final model? In 1704? Decades of work and research before a problem with many unknowns was solved. Yes, he found the main unknown when he was already 60 years old: he proved that its “voice” depends on the composition of the varnish with which the instrument is coated. And not only from the varnish, but also from the primer that needs to be used to cover the wood so that the varnish is not absorbed into it. And who can suggest their composition - scientists, alchemists? How much do they know about this? About one and a half thousand The instruments came from the workshop of the great Antonio Stradivari, and he made every single one of them with his own hands. And how much did he then reject in the process of endless searches?! This is what took 80 years, spent like one day, alone with the singing tree. He achieved fame and glory. He is commissioned for instruments - and not only violins, but also violas and viols - by kings and nobles. His creations are the best of all that was created in Europe; it was they who confirmed the superiority of the “Italian timbre” inherent only to them...
So what is the master dissatisfied with, what makes him suffer?
For centuries, the skill of making musical instruments has been passed down by inheritance: from grandfather to father, from father to son, grandson. In Northern Italy, in Brescia, there was a dynasty of violin makers, originating from Gasparo Bertolotti. Here in Cremona, a dynasty has existed for 200 years, founded by Andrea Amati, whose grandson Nicola, who lived 88 years, taught Stradivarius this craft. Nikola's son, violin maker Girolami Amati, is still alive; he is only five years younger than Stradivari. Even Andrea Guarneri, with whom Antonio studied with Amati, became the founder of a dynasty of masters, and his grandson Giuseppe, nicknamed del Gesu, seems to eclipse the glory of Stradivari himself. And only Signor Antonio himself does not leave behind heirs to his talent. Both of his sons, Francesco and Omobono, did not go further than apprentices. Why did he work so hard, to whom will he leave the secrets of his mastery? Who will he open it to? great meaning deck thickness tables, system of measuring points - its points, composition of primer and varnish, methods of their preparation? Take them with you to the grave? He spent 80 years trying to achieve perfection in his craft. Can anyone else do this? So, is he destined to remain unsurpassed for centuries?
Almost two and a half centuries have passed since the death of the great master Antonio Stradivari. His careless sons outlived their father by only 5-6 years. Until his last days, 93-year-old Stradivarius worked on violins. Blanks of instruments have been preserved, on the label of which, next to the traditional Maltese cross, is the name of the creator and the date - 1737, the year of his death. There are about 800 instruments in the world now, which are known for sure to have been made by the hand of the great Stradivarius. Among them are the famous cello called “Bass of Spain” and tiny “pochettes” - violins for dance teachers, the Master’s most magnificent creation - the “Messiah” violin and the “Münz” violin, from the inscription on which it was determined that the master was born in 1644. But the secrets of creativity, which suddenly disappeared with his death, have not yet been solved. Everything that can be measured has been measured, everything that can be copied has been copied, but no one can make a violin made according to these measurements “sing” the way it did with the great Stradivarius. To this day it is not possible to determine chemical composition primer and varnish applied to his tools. That is why the legend about the “soul of Stradivari”, imprisoned in his violins and talking to his descendants, is passed down from generation to generation.
The secret of Antonio Stradivari's violins
Scientists around the world are trying to unravel the mystery of Stradivarius violins. Even during his lifetime, the masters said that he sold his soul to the devil - but they also said that several violins were made from the wreckage of Noah's Ark. Stradivari made his first violin in 1666, but for more than 30 years he searched for his own model. Only in the early 1700s did the master construct his own, still unsurpassed, violin. It was elongated in shape and had kinks and irregularities inside the body, due to which the sound was enriched due to the appearance large quantity high overtones. From that time on, Antonio no longer made fundamental deviations from the developed model, but experimented until the end of his long life. Stradivari died in 1737, but his violins are still highly valued; they practically do not age and do not change their “voice.” During his life, Antonio Stradivari made about 2,500 instruments, of which 732 are undoubtedly authentic. In addition to bowed ones, he also made one harp and two guitars. It is generally accepted that the most best tools were made from 1698 to 1725 (and the best in 1715). They are especially rare and therefore highly prized by both musicians and collectors. Many Stradivarius instruments are in rich private collections. There are about two dozen Stradivarius violins in Russia: several violins are in the State Collection of Musical Instruments, one in the Glinka Museum and several more in private ownership. Scientists and musicians around the world are trying to unravel the mystery of how Stradivarius violins were created. Even during his lifetime, the masters said that he sold his soul to the devil, they even said that the wood from which several of the most famous violins were made were the fragments of Noah's Ark. There is an opinion that Stradivarius violins are so good because a real instrument begins to sound truly good only after two or three hundred years. Many scientists have conducted hundreds of studies on violins using the latest technologies, but they have not yet been able to unravel the secret of Stradivarius violins. It is known that the master soaked the wood in sea water and exposed it to complex chemical compounds of plant origin.
At one time it was believed that Stradivari's secret was in the form of the instrument, later great importance they began to use a material that is constant for Stradivarius violins: spruce for the top soundboard, maple for the bottom soundboard. They even believed that it was all about the varnishes; The elastic varnish covering Stradivarius violins allows the soundboards to resonate and “breathe.” This gives the timbre a characteristic “big” sound.
According to legend, Cremonese craftsmen prepared their mixtures from the resins of some trees that grew in those days in the Tyrolean forests and were soon completely cut down. The exact composition of those varnishes has not been established to this day - even the most sophisticated chemical analysis was powerless here. In 2001, biochemist Joseph Nigiware of the University of Texas announced that he had unraveled the secret of Stradivarius. The scientist came to the conclusion that the special sound of the bowed strings was the result of the master’s efforts to protect them from the woodworm. Nigiwara found out that when the master created violins, wooden blanks were often affected by woodworm, and Stradivari resorted to borax to protect the unique musical instruments. This substance seemed to solder the molecules of the wood, changing the overall sound of the violin. When Stradivari died, the victory over the woodworm in Northern Italy had already been won, and subsequently the borax was no longer used to protect the tree. Thus, according to Nigiwara, the master took the secret with him to the grave.

, made in 1700, with expert assessment from million toone and a half million dollars , according to the official Christie's website. The violin is exhibited under the name "The Penny" in honor of its last owner, British pianist and violinist Barbara Penny, who died in 2007. Penny entered her name into the world musical culture already by becoming the first woman in the string section of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of London.

The world's most famous violin maker, Antonio Stradivari, was born in 1644 in Cremona. It is known that already at the age of thirteen he began to study violin making. By 1667 he completed his apprenticeship with the famous master bowed instruments Andrea Amati.

Stradivari made his first violin in 1666, but for more than 30 years he searched for his own model. Only in the early 1700s did the master construct his own, still unsurpassed, violin. It was elongated in shape and had kinks and irregularities inside the body, due to which the sound was enriched due to the appearance of a large number of high overtones. From that time on, Antonio no longer made fundamental deviations from the developed model, but experimented until the end of his long life. Stradivari died in 1737, but his violins are still highly valued; they practically do not age and do not change their “voice.”

During his life, Antonio Stradivari made about 2,500 instruments, of which 732 are undoubtedly authentic (including 632 violins, 63 cellos and 19 violas). In addition to bows, he also made one harp and two guitars.

It is generally accepted that his best instruments were made from 1698 to 1725 (and the best in 1715). They are especially rare and therefore highly prized by both musicians and collectors.

Many Stradivarius instruments are in rich private collections. There are about two dozen Stradivarius violins in Russia: several violins are in the State Collection of Musical Instruments, one is in the Glinka Museum (where it was given by the widow of David Oistrakh, who in turn received it as a gift from Queen Elizabeth of England) and several more in a private possession.

Scientists and musicians around the world are trying to unravel the mystery of how Stradivarius violins were created. Even during his lifetime, the masters said that he sold his soul to the devil, they even said that the wood from which several of the most famous violins were made were the fragments of Noah's Ark. There is an opinion that Stradivarius violins are so good because a real instrument begins to sound truly good only after two or three hundred years.

Many scientists have conducted hundreds of studies on violins using the latest technologies, but they have not yet been able to unravel the secret of Stradivarius violins. It is known that the master soaked the wood in sea water and exposed it to complex chemical compounds of plant origin.

At one time it was believed that Stradivari's secret was in the shape of the instrument; later they began to attach great importance to the material, which is constant for Stradivarius violins: spruce for the top, maple for the bottom. They even believed that it was all about the varnishes; The elastic varnish covering Stradivarius violins (due to its soft consistency, small dents and scratches on the surface are quickly healed) allows the soundboards to resonate and “breathe.” This gives the timbre a characteristic “big” sound.

According to legend, Cremonese craftsmen prepared their mixtures from the resins of some trees that grew in those days in the Tyrolean forests and were soon completely cut down. The exact composition of those varnishes has not been established to this day - even the most sophisticated chemical analysis was powerless here.

In 2001, biochemist Joseph Nigiware of the University of Texas announced that he had unraveled the secret of Stradivarius. The scientist came to the conclusion that the special sound of the bowed strings was the result of the master’s efforts to protect them from the woodworm. Nigiwara found out that when the master created violins, wooden blanks were often affected by woodworm, and Stradivari resorted to borax to protect the unique musical instruments. This substance seemed to solder the molecules of the wood, changing the overall sound of the violin. When Stradivari died, the victory over the woodworm in Northern Italy had already been won, and subsequently the borax was no longer used to protect the tree. Thus, according to Nigiwara, the master took the secret with him to the grave.