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Living violinmakers score a win over Stradivari in double-blind test
- Scaevolus 5y agoThat's a lot of words to say "in blind comparisons, people prefer the louder sounds". It would be interesting if they recorded the performances, equalized their volumes, and then had listeners choose.
- blunte 5y agoI think you are focusing on one side comment. I don’t believe that was the summary. Up to a certain point, volume is useful as it makes it easier for the listener to hear more detail about the sound. It doesn’t simply mean that louder sounds better.
- casion 5y agoLouder _does_ sound better. This is a well known and tested phenomenon. Listeners will favour loudness over any other metric of quality. Even very small differences in loudness (0.5dB or so) can be enough to have a substantial effect on preference. In general terms, it's accurate to say "simply, louder sounds better". (note: it's also discussed in the study itself as the likely primary effect!)
- atoav 5y agoListening level affects the way your hearing weighs frequencies. Also: a violin is an acoustic instrument, it's loudness is part of it's qualities
- junon 5y agoAn upvote simply doesn't do it here. I agree fullheartedly
- blunte 5y agoI was curious how the musicians, even with the goggles on, might not recognize the old instruments. I would think the physical touch sensation and especially the smell would give it away. Just as an example, with saxophones it’s immediately obvious which instrument is a selmer mark iv vs a new horn, even another selmer, at least if you’ve spent time with one.
- powersnail 5y agoStrads are all significantly restored by generations of luthiers. New violins (high end) are usually well-rested when it gets to player’s hands. Unless the old violin has been through some atrocities, like a smoker owner, they won’t smell or touch much differently.
- trentgreene 5y agoI wonder if the touch points of the old violin were modern — I.e new bow, new chin rest, strings. Really would just leave the thumb the the fretting hand on the old surface. Note, am not an actual violin player. But can speak to the sax example, you’re hands are all over the keys, so a VI feels very diff from a VII or series III
- powersnail 5y agoActually, the fingerboard is often replaced, or re-planed, too. The necks on almost all Stradivarius violins are also modified. It's a highly modular instrument, and almost everything can be replaced. The only "irreplaceable" part is the body.
- isopede 5y agoI believe one method is to dab the chin rest with a drop of perfume to mask the scent of the violin.
- seanhunter 5y agoUnlike a saxophone, the parts of a string instrument that you touch are entirely modern, especially given modern violin technique involving a chin rest. The strings are of course modern, the fingerboard gets worn out and replaced a lot during the lifetime, the neck will have been reshaped (and when that happens the soundpost, nut and bridge will have been replaced) and the chin rest is entirely not original[1]. The playing feel of the instrument is largely down to the shape of the neck and how the instrument is set up (type of strings, bridge and nut height, position of the soundpost relative to the bridge). [1] Up until the romantic period, violins and violas were played sitting lower down on the neck rather than clamped under the chin. See this contemporary illustration of Mozart playing for example https://baroquebows.com/wp-content/uploads/Mozart.jpg https://baroquebows.com/wp-content/uploads/Mozart.jpg - no chin rest.
- powersnail 5y agoThere has been several studies over the years confirming the same result: The best modern violins are equal or better than Strads.
- renewiltord 5y agoIs there anything the ancients did, technology wise, better than us? We are better. Lostech isn’t real.
- bennyelv 5y agoThat’s probably not an answerable question, much like “tell me something you’ve forgotten”.
- renewiltord 5y agoA fair point. But assuming Lostech exists then we would expect some number of impressive examples to be discovered. We might, for instance, find a device that we can then build off of or which is superior in functionality to our present devices for the purpose.
- teetertater 5y agoA friend of mine surprised me with this example. Recreated in modern times, but not to the same quality and craftsmanship https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lycurgus_Cup https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lycurgus_Cup
- alisonkisk 5y agoOnly because no one cares enough to pay for thar specific bit of work. We have other sculptures of similar quality and craftsmanship. I am looking at a color-changing glass right now, as are you.
- renewiltord 5y agoEnjoyable example for sure. I’ll add it to my list.
- LordHeini 5y agoRoman concrete would be a strong contender: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_concrete https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_concrete That stuff is clearly better than our modern concrete. In theory one could replicate that material but nobody does, hence our crumbling bridges.
- hulitu 5y ago> The first listener test took place in Vincennes, a suburb of Paris. Where ? On the street ? In a concert hall ? In a house ? The acoustics of the place matters.
- PostThisTooFast 5y agoWhat a crap article. It offered zero facts on WHAT PERCENTAGE of people preferred the new violins and what the confidence level was.
- randomcarbloke 5y agoI would like to know who made N5