4 ms·

I understand your point of the "best of the past" still holding up to the best now, but considering that the violin is a "classical instrument", are contemporar

by et-al 10y ago

I understand your point of the "best of the past" still holding up to the best now, but considering that the violin is a "classical instrument", are contemporary violin manufacturers trying to replicate the past because that's the template to follow? If it was possible for a violin to objectively sound better than a Strad, would listeners interpret necessarily it as better?

analog31 10y ago
I don't know what it means to "objectively" sound better, but most of the strads in performance use today have been modified over the years, and are fitted with modern strings. Nobody is copying the classical designs except for specialized "period" instruments. Every other instrument in the orchestra has been modernized as well.
rhizome 10y ago
Objectively? That would be a good trick. Violin manufacture strives to "replicate the past" because that is where most of the music played with them comes from (on HN I have to point this out!). However, there are plenty of compositions for modern alternatives like electric violins.
- analog31 10y ago
  Another factor is that violinists haven't run out of ways to express new musical ideas on old instruments. The need to design a new instrument, in order to come up with new music, isn't immediately evident. The modern alternative to the violin, could be a violin in the hands of someone with a modern approach. I'm seeing this happening in contemporary fiddle music, for instance. As a jazz bassist, my instrument is of ancient design, but my playing is driven by ideas that are mostly less than a century old. Of course inventing new instruments is a welcome avenue of musical exploration. But it's not without tradeoffs. At the very least, the musician will be set back by having to develop new technique and familiarity with the capabilities of a new instrument -- getting your ears, brain, and hands, to work together perfectly in real time. Composers also have to wrap their heads around the capabilities of a new instrument, in order to take an interest in writing for it.
  - rhizome 10y ago
    Not to mention alternate fret positioning, partial frets, and things like New Standard Tuning. You still have the same scale, but new shapes change composition.

by et-al 10y ago

analog31 10y ago

I don't know what it means to "objectively" sound better, but most of the strads in performance use today have been modified over the years, and are fitted with modern strings. Nobody is copying the classical designs except for specialized "period" instruments. Every other instrument in the orchestra has been modernized as well.

rhizome 10y ago

Objectively? That would be a good trick. Violin manufacture strives to "replicate the past" because that is where most of the music played with them comes from (on HN I have to point this out!). However, there are plenty of compositions for modern alternatives like electric violins.

analog31 10y ago
Another factor is that violinists haven't run out of ways to express new musical ideas on old instruments. The need to design a new instrument, in order to come up with new music, isn't immediately evident. The modern alternative to the violin, could be a violin in the hands of someone with a modern approach. I'm seeing this happening in contemporary fiddle music, for instance. As a jazz bassist, my instrument is of ancient design, but my playing is driven by ideas that are mostly less than a century old. Of course inventing new instruments is a welcome avenue of musical exploration. But it's not without tradeoffs. At the very least, the musician will be set back by having to develop new technique and familiarity with the capabilities of a new instrument -- getting your ears, brain, and hands, to work together perfectly in real time. Composers also have to wrap their heads around the capabilities of a new instrument, in order to take an interest in writing for it.
- rhizome 10y ago
  Not to mention alternate fret positioning, partial frets, and things like New Standard Tuning. You still have the same scale, but new shapes change composition.