Legendary Violins Were Chemically Treated

Posted by: acad tsunami on 06 December 2006

Legendary Violins Were Chemically Treated

I was surprised to read the following:

“I played a Strad for some time,” said Christopher Whiting, a professional violinist and a writer for Strings Magazine. “Now I have daily contact with a Guarneri del Gesù. I don't believe that expensive old violins sound better than good modern violins. I have never been able to hear the difference when doing a 'blind test,' listening to several violins, one after the other, without looking to see which one is being played. Nobody I've met has been able to do it either. But it's easy to tell the difference between a good violinist and a bad violinist!”
Posted on: 06 December 2006 by Earwicker
Menuhin had a copy of one of his Strads made during the war - I think it was the Prince Kevenhuller - and he said it was virtually impossible to hear the difference between the original and the replica.

I play a new violin made in China and it's bloody good...

EW