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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 13 พ.ค. 2018
- Many musicians prefer these 300-year-old instruments, but are they actually worth it?
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Antonio Stradivari is generally considered the greatest violin maker of all time. His violins are played by some of the top musicians in the world and sell for as much as $16 million. For centuries people have puzzled over what makes his violins so great and they are the most scientifically studied instruments in history. I spoke to two world class violinists who play Stradivarius violins as well as a violin-maker about what makes Stradivari so great.
Special thanks to Stefan Avalos for the Stradivari research footage.
Vox.com is a news website that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Check out www.vox.com.
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Violins aren't the only thing where a high price may not translate into quality. Watch our video on why expensive wine is for suckers: bit.ly/2wBvje9
The end of the video alluded to the possible answer. I'm more than certain that it has a subconscious effect on the musician such that it brings out the that certain je ne sais quoi in the music. They are respectful of the instrument's history and origin as well as its inherent quality. Thus they play with a respect and a sense of confidence as well as perhaps a willingness to push the envelope.
Vox
So You made a video questioning if there really is some God like quality to Strads but couldn't dare to tell that it is all bullshit based on evidence You found out? Nice!
Vox if you’re going to do anything science of sound/music video, I’d like to see what you could do with a short comparative study of pop vs classical singing techniques as they relate to natural resonances vs artificial amplification. Or a study on the history of the microphone and it’s influence, by extension, on the music industry as a whole. Maybe a whole series on the science of sound/music/acoustics. :)
Vox finally a video that’s not trying to divide the American people. This is a good quality video vox. Of course it’s only a matter of time before you go back to whining about trump and republicans
CybershamanX, exactly. I can't believe I'm the only person to have liked your comment.
*If you can sell it slow, you can sell it fast*
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
hahahha
@Keeling Charles Twoset
Why can I never escape twoset?
A Salad an intellectual.
It's also pretty cool that they are played to this day and not just in storage in someone's collection.
Renan da Silveira Santos unfortunately many are, but most often they are loaned to professionals to play while they are in someone’s collection
Renato, played for a niche audience and its ok that 90% of the world doesn't care. Niche instruments survival relies of prestige alone.
Many violins are in museums, but are played at least once a month to keep their voices fresh and lovely :)
Auntie Christina , a voice tho loooool!
All instruments have a voice, I stand by what I said 😂
"it has a silvery tone"
Me an uncultured individual, listens to her play: " Aaah yes, indeed silvery "
"Ah, yes, shallow and pedantic"
Through my Huawei cellphone mono speaker every Tone is silvery...
Indeed, all of this is just snob bullshitery
@@blac_iso Did you watch it? I mean yeah a good portion of it does seem to be snobbery but these violins seem to be better than the majority of violins made today and considering the age that at least suggests a better design, that's probably worth talking about in itself. The example of her not having to sacrifice quality for a more powerful sound seems quite significant for a musician. You're talking about the difference of one violin from another the differences aren't exactly going to be major are they? What were you expecting when you clicked on the video?
@@cardamundo295 didnt that double blind study just say that elite violinists couldnt even tell the difference and actually preferred the newer violins?
I can make that stradatarious sound like a $25 violin
Jeep kid *s t r a d a t a r i o u s*
these are the best comments i have seen in a long time, cheers
Basically saying why the player is more or equally important than the instrument.
@@s_ame1135 I think the player is more important. If my sister was given a 30 dollar Amazon violin and I had a stradatarious she'd still play better than me.
Skillz
My middle school orchestra teacher had a Stradivarius violin and he never EVER let it out of his sight. He'd bring it lunch, to board meetings, even on field trips. When he retired he sold it for 5.6 million dollars and now he lives in a mansion in Wisconsin. Lucky guy
Elite Royalty wow
why didn't he lock it up in a vault, like a bank and just play a regular $2000 violin?
@@elysium8131 he was severely paranoid that some bank employee would damage it so he just kept it himself
@@icmenich
bank employees don't have authorization to access your belongings. it's illegal.
the bank is a place designed to store money, the most important thing on earth. it's secure, and your belongings in one are private only to you. i don't get why what he did was necessary.
@@elysium8131 he was really, like REALLY paranoid. He never let the violin out of his site in the 20+ years he had it. Not onxe
Roses are red
Violets are blue
No matter where you are,
TwoSetViolin comments haunt you
Who?
That's very... I N T R E S T I N G
Yeah they do
40 hours a day I'm haunted my TwoSet comments
Ling Ling likes this comment.
Anything that costs more than a million is a part of me too and has a soul and has an imagination too.
Yep, way to bust the flowery stuff.
Flowery? I find it rather sad that all it takes is a million and people are willing to open their souls ha
That's called a brain
Antonio made estimated 1100 instruments and only around 650 survived
this is because lingling owns the rest of the strads
Legends say Ling Ling can play all those remaining 450 Strads at the same time, 40 hours a day.
WHO is ling ling hahah??????
even the strad violas???
And on the 650, I wonder how many still have a perfect sound suitable for a solist. Its almost impossible to a 300 years old instrument to survive without any accident.
Some were buried with their owners.
Did the taxi driver return it with no strings attached?
😂😂😂
Ha!
SSSSToP😂
👏👏👏👏👏
haha
this video fails to mention that the wood Stradivari used came from trees that went through abnormal seasons, which resulted in wood with very regular density, rather than the varying density that comes from trees which go through normal seasons. the regular density of the wood results in more faithful reproduction of vibrations, i.e., music.
Daniel Navarro Ever heard of Ciresa in Trentino? That's exactly the wood they use.
That’s what I’ve heard too! Sad they didn’t mention it but I guess this perspective was also quite entertaining.
If that's the case, shouldn't all violins made from that era and area sound similar to a Strad? It shouldn't matter if it was created by Stradivari or not, right?
@@Trisha_Yuu But Stradivari made them better.
The video failed to mention that because it is irrelevant; if professional musicians prefer the modern violins to Strads then the source of the Strads' wood is only of historical interest.
3:17 that's a viola, ling ling is disappointed with you, vox
Two set violin
Ling ling would be proud
But viola king on the other hand...
Oof
if that's a viola then that woman must be 8'5"
I think just the fact that a legendary instrument that is 300 years old, the fact that only 1100 were ever made, and still surviving is definitely worth millions in my book, I never knew anything that was only made of wood could last so long
strings
Facts
I had an other violinist playing my violin, and they were praising it, but the moment I told them that it was an hundred dollar instrument, they changed there mind and it was no good any more. The cost of the instrument suddenly meant more than the sound it made.
That might be true for a lot of things in life!
It's still great that there are instruments played live that predate basically every concert hall existing.
Exactly.
This is probably a false story.
Then the musician wasn’t adequate. Anyone can tell wether or not an instrument costs 100$. Even I as a pianist should be able to
@@chung4256 - It's a well-documented scientific/psychological phenomenon. It's *why* double-blind studies exist. And why the study mentioned here proves that Strads aren't really worth more than regular violins apart from story and prestige, same with wine.
do it like ling ling
40 HRS
40 HRS fam
Whatever violin ling ling touches becomes a strad
PRACTICE LING LING
I see you're a man of culture
I see TwoSetViolin inside jokes in *every* violin related video i watch
*ling ling is proud.*
First comment
@@shivpatel7506 I think it is called a reply
Fun fact: While Antonio Stradivari was best known for his violins, he also made guitars. One surviving example is owned by the National Music Museum in Vermilion, South Dakota, on the campus of USD. The museum is currently closed for renovation, but scheduled to re-open in 2022.
Yes
imo, they're not worth the money in terms of musical ability. There are plenty of violins, cellos, etc that are affordable and just as good. Strads, however, are pure history, which is effectively priceless.
God Of Madness1
Priceless in a way where 90% of the population perceive it as such.
God Of Madness1 I think when they say "priceless" they mean that there isn't a set price, which is why these things are auctioned and people bid (essentially creating a price that they're willing to pay). It has worth (which is a pretty high amount) and value; but no set price that is agreed upon by everyone... Then again that's just a theory
HarryIsTheGamingGeek Actually, the older a violin is, and especially the more it’s been played, the more the wood has been vibrated through sound, effectively “opening” the instrument and bringing out more overtones and a richer color. Newer instruments are obviously made of newer, less flexible wood, and are usually far less expensive. This newer wood has not been vibrated as much, and therefore produces a less colorful and rich sound than the older strads (or older instruments in general)
yeah but most people cant tell, only 3 able to guess it right in double blind study, and it may just a lucky guess. Also if you want to vibrate the wood just blast it with sound for full years, should make up for it.
OMG you missed out viola
Racism
Joshua Bell played his 1713 Gibson ex Huberman Stradivarius, incognito, for 45 minutes one morning in a subway station in Washington D.C.
More than 1,000 people rushed by him that morning...one of the finest musicians in the world playing one of the most coveted instruments ever made...and only 7 people even paused to watch. Three days earlier, he had played a sold out performance at Boston's Symphony Hall.
Context is *everything*.
He played chacoone to a bunch of people rushing to work which is just not gonna attract them. If he played some pop music I bet more people would be impressed
becausr every one enjoys classical music.
all this tells me is that people have to get to work.
I got to see Joshua Bell play the weinaiwski violin concerto no. 2 in March and I can tell you that the sound of that instrument is simply magical. We need more appreciation for classical music smh 😤😤
if you've ever lived in DC you'd know that we have some REALLY good buskers, I've actually seen a classical violinist myself at a station. But if its rush hour, NOBODY is gonna stop and listen nobody has time for that.
Maybe it's as simple as playing a Stradivarius brings out the very best in the musician, not because of some physical property of the instrument, but because of the power of its reputation and historical legacy.
Yeah, placebo does wonders for one's playing 😉
When i hear "strad" i always think of a "strat" stratocaster
old strats are also overpriced and don't sound better
Another reason that Leo Fender was s genius.
yes
Stradocaster
@@caleb428 That should be a thing
So when the taxi driver returned the violin, did the police close the case?
(I'm so sorry)
I literally unliked to like it again.
That... was Strad-hilarious 😋
Jonathan Cooper Lol!
I think we can string out some more violin puns before we bow out.
Alex Ball I prefer not. We should go Bach to normal.
Pablo López I've got a long Lizst of these. Not sure you can Handel them.
They are like legendary weapons in mmos.
ahahahaha, best comment so far! Its probably not really better than the others but puts your charisma on max.
Not really better but all the newbies need one to call themselves good.
Can we just get a slow clap for the pfp
hmmm, your pfp is...
how do i describe it
OFFICIAL AznBoiSamuel wanted to see if anyone mentioned it. It is really...something
Stradivarius made really exceptional violins for his day which built up a reputation that probably creates a self-fulfilling prophecy or placebo of sorts. Music really needs emotion to "sound" good. A machine can play notes, but a human performs music. I think it's the emotional connection that these instruments give and their stories/legacies that affects the performance of the musician, not so much the craft of the instrument.
It's not entirely the case. It can be also just marketing. Pretty much of the stuff from Italy were valued very high by the way, and it's often that in the same field there're a bunch of the good masters, but you'll probably hear about few of them or even about one. It even works today, in the Internet era, where there is kinda all possibilities for everyone to be known.
So, I don't say anything about Strads, but basically that there were probably more masters that we don't know. They're just not rated. It's like it was with J. S. Bach until the certain time or Van Gogh while he lived. How many talents we actually missed?
The fact that it is an artifact is perhaps the main reason they are so expensive. Same with pottery. It won’t have magic power but the fact that it is a piece of history makes it priceless. Not to leave out it the fact that it has probably been well played by renown musicians, opening the violin to develop a good tone.
ok but that woman was talented as hell
Yes, I'm sure the way she plays is all down to talent and that she hasn't dedicated tens of thousands of hours of her life to practising violin.
thanks David,
talent is an illusion.
fivezeroniner Well, maybe not completely... There's no denying that some people have more natural aptitude for any given task than another person, but no-one's born automatically able to do anything better than the best.
My objection is not denying her inherent abilities, but rather taking issue with the ignoring of her dedication and willpower by reducing a lifetime of work to (mere) "talent".
@@flumpyhumpy im sorry that my statement didnt sound right to you, its just that: ITS WHAT I SAY TO MYSELF to avoid myself making excuses.
Because while others are in awe with one great performance, I always go deeper and imagine the countless hours of hardwork and practice a person put in to get where he/she is w/c, to me, is more impressive than the one time performance.
No worries. I wasn't disagreeing with you. :-)
Can we take a moment and appreciate the coolest name ever : "Urelli Corelli"???
Why is it the coolest name ever?
A Long Yellow Thing 😂😂😂😂
E coli
No, it's billy bob joe.
Joe mama is a cool name
Why did this show up in my recommended right after two-set's strad video lol
Well you see kid when you watch a video about a topic youtube think you like it so it recommends you another video about that topic it works of an algorithm.
I have a 50 year old amazing violin, made right here in Bangladesh by a small violin maker at a town my grandfather used to live in.
This violin was his pride, according to my father he always bragged about this being his masterpiece, how each seperate part of the violin was made from the very finest wood he could find. And it was made for my grandfather who, according to him, was the greatest violin player of our country.
I won't trade this violin for any stradivarius in the world. This is more priceless than anything else in the world. And since both the maker and the violinist are both dead, it's their greatest legacy they left behind.
...but I'm still stumped for words when people ask me what violin do I use.
You completely failed to mention how the tight sound of the Stradivarius is caused SOLELY due to the incredibly dense grained European woods that they're crafted from. Timber that grew, and can't be recreated in any other way, by growing slowly for several centuries during Europe's "cool period" during the middle ages. Seriously, it didn't dawn on the journalist making this piece to question why no one else can build a "Strad" that sounds the exact same? Good job Vox :(
The point of the video is that nobody can tell the difference between the Stradivarius and new instruments. People like it because it's a piece of history, but the "dense grained wood" means nothing in terms of producing sound, according to the research study.
The 'unique sounds' comes from the imaginations if the musicians. And in the tests they preferred the sound of new violins.
Thank you!!! A lot of folks do not know the environmental history of why those violins sound so well.
a synthetic one can be built with the same qualities.
The tone is in the fingers
The main question is how on earth do you get into a position where you are like "I will spend 16 million on a violin "
Most are owned by in a collection and loaned to players
Siegfried3203 there is a huge difference between 25k and 16 million
RT-Viz Rich people sometimes buy stupid expensive stuff like paintings and these violins as a compact way of storing (and sometimes laundering) their money
wishuhadmyname true true
Um...if you’re a violinist, for example?
They are as much pieces of history as they are musical instruments. The fact that they still sound great today is a testament to the maker's skills and how well people have taken care of them over the generations.
“Everyone’s heard of a Stradivarius violin” well I must be living under a rock
Don't worry, it's ok to be American
Same. Well, to be fair, even if I listen to violin and classical music, I didn't care enough to know about the instrument brand they used to play.
@@tiberiu_nicolae hahaha nice one
I still prefer when Yo Yo Ma went by his rap name, Yo Ma Ma.
And his french DJ years as Hey Ma Ma.
DW agrees
Terrible.
Dormammu?
At what point do we stop?
So it's like driving a classic car, it feels good but isn't really better.
PowersXD lol so true
except it doesn't even feel good. you'd be overly cautious lest you drop it on the floor. with a few hundred dollar modern item, you can put your heart and soul and fully express yourself on the instrument without being terrified of damaging it. I'd argue you'll make better music that way because you'll actually focus on the music.
Yep. Perfect
"Better" is subjective
Nice comparison
such a beautiful sounding instrument.
What a gorgeous player she is :) I'm just learning about violin, but I'm in awe of all music and its history, instruments, and players. What a gift!
I feel like placebo plays a huge part in this and people are saying huge things about small almost minute diferences,if any.
Robert Ri "it has a sweet taste" LMFAO 😂 it's just hype and demand that makes expensive af.
"here's a $2M antique violin, better play REALLY CAREFULLY"
the value is more in its history and age imo
Maby the violin has an influence on the player and he plays different
Just like how some people would pay a premium to have some premium headphones, sometimes it's how the headphones make you feel more than how the headphones actual sound like.
Source: I'm one of those people lol.
People are missing the point. It's not about superior sound.
It's about the ease at which the Strads allow the players to achieve the sound 2:05
they are junk, not superior in any way but inferior.. they use nails... I mean really????
i like blind test....
But it is about quality tho. Their blind test are not even between strads and normal violin. They are between old and new violins. Strads are good not because they are old, it is because they sound far more superior. You can't just say because old is not better, strads are old, therefore they are not better
Its prevention. Just like paintings that go for millions.
@1978ajax @1978ajax The test only shows that old violins are not better, but strads are not good because they are old. It's the wood, the design, the build quality. They didn't test strads and that is EXTREMELY DIFFERENT than any old violin
Are Stradivari violins worth it?
As artefacts of historical importance and as works of art: Yes.
As tools for musicians: Debatable...
Like the blind tests have shown, Stradivari violins don't actually sound better than a let's say $50'000 modern violin, but then of course the whole history behind those violins and the fact that they are so special can give players a mental and motivational and creative boost and help them to reach new hights...
Back in 2009 or so, Philippe Quint came to our school and played the Korngold concerto with our orchestra. Amazing experience
It roughly translates to a subconscious placebo effect 🎻
AnimalsAndReports Isn't saying a placebo affect is subconscious unnecessarily repetitive.
X Marks did you watch the video? It was pretty much proven in the study shown in the video that it's a placebo.
Well, in the end all that matters is the sound, so if the placebo makes someone play better, then yes, it's worth it.
conscious placebo huh
I've heard a Strad being played in comparison to a $50 Aldi-branded violin. There is a difference between the handcrafted Strad and the mass produced Aldi, but it's no different to my ear than any other quality hand crafted violin.
Besides, actual Baroque period Strads are a showcase of how _dismal_ manufacturing was back then. They use nails -- NAILS!!! -- to secure the neck. Modern violin construction uses a dovetail joint which is more secure and easier to tune since it's less prone to warping of the neck.
I like Strads from a historical standpoint, but the actual instrument is nothing more than a very early "modern" style of violin, albeit still with almost archaic construction techniques.
Anybody remember the kids show Arthur, where he had that rich friend of his named Muffy. She has a stradivarious violin in one of the episodes and it had a proximity sensor that would set an alarm when anyone other than her would come near it. Absolutely nonsensical and hilarious - yet so relevant even in a kids show. 😂
vict0ri4_-0- I totally remember lol
Omg my first thought was that Arthur episode and realizing now just HOW wealthy Muffy was. I knew she was rich, I didn’t realize she was $16 million violín rich
Muffy has an expensive violin? I’m gonna break it!
"It's literally a link to the past", proceeds to NOT play Zelda music... missed opportunity
not relevant
@@papermachevolcano1480 Vai atormentar outro, desocupado
Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
Placebos are real,
Stradivari agrees too.
Really? You're not even going to talk about the mini ice age? Or the legend of the secret location of trees used? Not even going to mention Andrea Amati? The Godfather of the Stradivari tradition? You disappoint me, Vox.
Nope, because the point is that none of that makes any impact: professional musicians can't tell the difference.
@@Symbioticism I beg to disagree. The video is entitled, "Why Stradivarius violins are worth millions" and Vox's answer is "due to historical importance, not sound quality." This answer, to be construed accurately, would've required two explanations, respectively. They debunked the sound quality argument by saying that professional musicians can't tell the difference. That serves as one explanation. However, they neglected the second explanation, which should've been about WHY the Stradivarius is so historically significant, for points such as what Ccmusic mentioned. "It's historically significant because it's old/passed down for generations," doesn't cut it. My mom's wedding ring has been passed down for generations, doesn't mean that it's revered worldwide.
@@alyssab.5605 When did people start talking about the mini-ice age producing good wood? Do you really think that is why stradivari became so expensive???
@@Symbioticism I think it's a combination of factors and not just one. From anecdotal experience, different woods sound different when playing guitar (something about the way it resonates) so I assume the same would be true for other string instruments. I'm not a tree expert, but I don't know if there's a lot of truth to the mini ice-age thing because tree farms produce the same result in terms of even rings for the most part. That's because the livelihood of lumber companies rely on dependability of wood being able to grow at a rapid and even pace, which they normally don't in the wild due to seasonal changes. However, I'd assume that ice-age tree rings are narrowly spaced and even, while tree farm rings are widely spaced and even. So maybe that changes things. All speculation here!
They never seem to make a full research.
So these are basically the valyrian steel of the music world 😂😂
Except that Valyrian steel is actually better than normal steel
Isn't Damascus steel are better steel in general?
@@TrevorXStrydeR Hi. That's actually a joke, Valyrian steel is a fictional Kind of metal from Game of thrones book series.
And Damascus is not necessarily better, it's a "blend" of alloys that can actually ruin the blade if its not made with expertise. today it's used because of its artistic value .
in the past it was a parameter of good steel, but that was due to the quality of alloys available for forging. blacksmiths from middle east and India (mogol empire as the Portuguese called them) used that because it was beautiful and improved certain characteristics.
(sorry for my bad English, I am a blade collector from a country that doesn't speak English) Hope I helped with something, Have a nice day
@Defsuz your thinking of orichalcum
@Defsuz maybe greek fire ? I know they lost that recipe and cannot replicate it
Imagine smashing a Strad for an April Fools’ Joke
NO. Nobody can imagine that.
There was a Wings episode where the younger brother comes in with a cello and falls on it, smashing it on the floor. It was a gag and he then relieved the expensive purchase. Oh, TV good times.
You mean like Kurt Russell being unaware he was demolishing an irreplaceable Martin guitar in the film Hateful Eight?
no
no.
When a piece of old wood wood is worth more than your existence
For those curious, 1:35 is Meditation by Thais
Brayden K. thanks
Thank you!!
Meditation de Thaïs, by J. Massenet
Yes..and you can watch Kim Yuna skating to this wonderful piece..
@@ma.luzpuyat8870 ah yes I saw that video yesterday! Lately I have been obsessed with figure skating
I treat my 1000 dollar violin like an actual child I can’t even imagine breathing around a strad
It is nonsense. It doesn't have superior sound. And if it is expensive just because it is old. Then why the stones on our city are worthless
@@soneryusifov5529 there are 650 strands in the world and billions of stones and pebbles in our city’s. One has been an active part of history and the other has just lain there on the ground.
Right? :)
"even elite musicians couldn't reliably tell which violins were old and which were new and they preferred the sound of the modern violin"
Well there it is
I was fortunate enought to be near two strad cello during masterclass and seeing they were beautifull is an understatement
Unfortunately, because of youtube video compression, it doesn't sound nearly as good as it does in an actual performance
frigus
Hey! Don’t accurately call me out!
even with high quality headphones, the vast majority of people have trouble differentiating between 192kbps and cd quality.
I mean... the double blind study was live with professionals.
I love when people think they're so smart by simply stating the obvious. Humans are dumb.
the classical 'youtube compression' blame that doesn't hold true since 2015 at least. youtube compression is one of the best in the industry. fact is, these are NOT worth the money purely on the acoustical quality. however, they are worthwhile for historical significance and maybe even as an investment piece.
I read once that Stradivari used an especific type of wood together with apple oil to coat his violins, what causes to change the ressonance and tone of the instruments he made. If sounds better or not, at least it has a personality. And its value today has more to do with rarity and history than with acoustics.
just the first 10 things that come to my mind that Stradivarius´ success has been attributed to:
1) rafted woods 2) high trace element concentration in the soil due to volcanic activity 3) low pollutant concentration in the air due to pre-industrialization time 4) all kinds of special oils in his varnishes 5) goat blood in his varnish 6) underage virgin menstrual blood in his varnish (no joke) 7) very rare bone glue used in the joinery 8) secret and unknown solvent used for his shellac 9) unknown and super rare locally sourced subspecies of spruce used for his soundboards 10) special honey based pre-finish treatment step of his woods that we don't do nowadays.
At least once a year somebody writes an article about "uncovering the secret of Stradivarius luthiery", but also twice a year a new study or meta study that shows there is not even a secret, because they basically sound not that much different to other violins once you stop telling people what instrument they are hearing. Its called bias.
TheVergile I am seriously in love with you for this comment!
my family came over from Germany in 1724 we own 2 of them, one is made of birds eye maple an the sound is amazing.
It is a gorgeous sound. I want to take lessons.
There is a theory that Stradivarius violins sound different because of a sudden cold period in Italy that made the wood more dense and so the quality of sound better, and why their particular tone has been impossible to replicate. Scientists aren't sure if it's correct, but certainly an interesting theory I would have liked to see mentioned.
The point of the video is that professional musician's can't tell the difference i.e., the tone isn't impossible to recreate.
Yes indeed the late 1600s was a cold period called the Maunder Minimum. So there is a possibility that the denser wood used is impossible to replicate; unless we go into another cold spell or Grand Solar Minimum.
@@OfficialPhambo couldn't you just put the violin in a refrigerator?
@@doppled lmao no no no. The cold made the trees that the instruments were made of more dense. A violin would likely be damaged if exposed to cold
My uncle has one. His great grandfather bought it for 15,000... then it was stolen. 47 years later it was found and returned
Beautiful, simply beautiful!
The Strad is a perfectly finished creation, the woods used were carefully selected & cured. The clear lacquer
finish of the wood was specially applied in perfect layers. It's a crafted masterpiece. They are priceless,
*Alexander VIOLIN*
*Jazz Music stops*
Dank Matter wtf lol
Never expected such a light switch moment in the comments of a Vox video. P.S.: me me Big boy
ME ME BIG BOY
plays in an orchestra
alexander violin
The animations in this video are brill! We love you VOX!
BRILL
😄
Some Guy brought 4r4
Was thinking same thing
Some yrs ago I attended a concert during which Janine Jansen played the Britten violin concerto on her Stradivarius. She broke a string, quickly exchanged her instrument for that of the concertmaster and finished the concert on it, without missing a beat (nerves of steel). A difference between day and night: the Stradivarius bright, lighting up the hall with its clear sound, a born solist; the concertmasters instrument dark and husky, a member of the team. Don't care about all these 'scientific double blind' tests, I trust my ears.
That has literally NOTHING to do with it being a Stradivari instrument or not. It has to do with the role of the concertmaster vs. the role of the soloist. The concertmaster may well own or have a Strad or Guarneri on long term loan him/herself, but not use it because it doesn't perform well for the role of the concertmaster. You can't have the loudest instrument on stage and be the concertmaster, it doesn't work like that. They need to have a certain sound in their instrument for the ensemble to work well together, and let the soloist "pop". Also, of the 650 Strads left, only about 400 are good enough for soloist work, the rest are violins that would work better in an orchestra pit together with other violins, in other words, nothing special. And almost all of them had to be more or less completely rebuilt to be able to sound loud enough for soloist work. Truth is, the Stradivaris you hear Joshua Bell and other play on aren't actually Stradivari's instruments. They are 50% Stradivaris work, and 50% the work of which ever luthier rebuilt them in the 19th century. So to actually hear what a REAL Stradivari sounds like, you can't do it by listening to Strads played by famous players. In fact, I think there is only 1 or 2 Strads in existence that are close to original (rebuilt, but then rebuilt back into original form). Not even the Messiah (never really played) is Stradivaris original work.
Hi, thanks for your extensive answer! I would expect a violist to choose an instrument that matches his or her role in ensemble playing, that produces a preferred tone quality and that 'speaks' to him or her as a close partner. I think what you say is that there are plenty other instruments less famous (and less expensive) that perform as well or better than the Strad in that particular role. I am not sufficiently knowledgeable in this matter to disagree (or, for that matter, agree) with you with assurance. I'll leave the choice to the actual musician. All I can say with certainty is that I heard the difference in tone character. And, of course, the supreme musicianship of Jansen who was able to make Britten sound like a hot, exciting composer!
Lovely choice, when she played a bit of Thais's Meditation.
The Irony at 4:06 that's actually a piano sheet😂😂😂😂
omg
That’s a cello cleft I think. Above it is the lines that singers would sing and violins would play
Is it because the hype is real?
It was a joke X Marks
David by no means a
@X Marks
I agree. A Stradivari violin is a very high quality instrument.
It is able to stay in shape and in its beauty.
Kevvy Kim Did you not watch the video of the test they did
that's always the reason why there are things having a price so unreasonable
Great video
I think for these sorts of things, I believe that as long as you have the skill, you can make anything sound good. though for the Strad, I wouldn't say it is good because it's old and people say it's good, it's key that the sound that it produces is to your liking (cuz making music and listening to music is up to preference right?) and add skill to it you get something you enjoy.
3$ Violin vs 16 million $ violin
Generic Name $3 violin is a toy violin
BIG MARVEL!!! HEBEH
So they are the valyrian swords for violinists. Interesting.
yes and no. yes in the sense they had prestige no because valerian steel had undeniable qualities over normal steel: harder, could be made sharper and didn't rust i think, but those advantages would not compensate for skill and would not be useful in most scenarios.
gavin kemp shut up
no u
gavin kemp
yea just shut up
Am i the only one who gets uncomfortable how both the comments forget it's Valariyan Steel not valerian steel
*Lingling wants to know your location*
I'm violinist and seeing this video makes me want to buy that voilin.. aha it just for me I really love the violin.
It’s like wine. The older it is, the more valuable.
i swear whenever people want to demonstrate how beautiful a violin sounds, they play meditation.
"you probably heard the Stradivarius violin"
Where I heard it:
*The Sims 4*
I had chills man
0:49 hey! it's ma boi Ray Chen! he has a TH-cam channel and is amazing at violin
Cinnamon saw him his and his strad play Mendelssohn last year 😤
Yep, it sounds like a violin
spinakker strads sounds better than a cheaper violin but youtube wont allow the sound of how good it is
Cheap violins can sound like absolute crap. Unlike most other instruments, that can sound passable with a $100 version, Violins need to be a LOT more expensive before we get a diminishing return in sound quality. Violins often need to cost $1000+ before they're actually able to make a decent sound.
I’m 10 and I’m in the Gimini Youth Orquestra and we are performing and Lincoln Center. I’m so nervous and exited.
this is similar to the mystique of the '58, '59, and '60 Gibson les Paul "bursts". Like the Strad, the les Pauls output a superior tone to any other guitar made, so its said as I havent ever played one, but plan to. To a non musician, the Bursts and Strads seem pointless to purchase because you can buy "similar" instruments, but you aren't neccesarilly paying for the sound, I mean of course you are, but you pay for the name, the legend, looks and reputation and lots more.
The Asian chick was dope
Nicholas Alvarez No surprise, she's Asian after all
FILIPINO REPRESENT!
lara beldia Is she really? I didn't notice
she was hard on the violin
she's korean
Only the player of these magnificent instruments can truly connect to the incredible quality they posses.
4:31 - Ureli Corelli. Sounds like a Harry Potter spell
strads are also supposed to be very loud due to the ocherstra in the background so a strad would be so loud some say you couldn't hear the other instroments being played.
My question is : how can a violin (or any wooden material) last so long without getting loose and decrease in quality over time ?
I mean, 300 years is really a lot.
I think it is the way he varnished it. Im sure it is refurbished every few years as well to preserve the wood
varnish and well dried wood
Hypebeast of the music world.
Toigbo That’s Some really vintage hypebeast then🤔
It's amazing to create something and people still enjoy it centuries later
Dear Vox, thanks for making and producing videos like that! Little videos that can tell so much about history are fundamental for the modern society
"Are they worth 16 mil $?"
No.
They are. Do you really expect these instruments to go for the same price as a regular violin of the same quality (~$10,000)?
they are worth whatever someone will pay for them. in this case $16mil...
You can always buy for a cheap one, if you're dedicated to play one. And of course, the REALLY CHEAP BUT SOUNDS GOOD
Jan Belan They are. L
I'm sure many people here that claim Stradivarius' are worth $16 million haven't even touched one, let alone played on one.
That's really impressive that over half the instruments he ever made are still around 300 years later.
older Amati violins 1556 !
I saw Ray Chen! Ugh, my fangirl heart. 🧡
This so very beautiful and cool. Thank you. How many people here have seen the movie "The red violin"? Thank you.
Yes. An excellent film.
I see. It is not just the quality of sound that makes a Stradivarius a high dollar amount, it is the irreplaceable history and lineage that makes these instruments priceless. I can only imagine how much of an honor it would be to play this violin. I wonder who is next! :P
If you picked up a random rock, it's probably millions if not billions of years old. That should make it worth much more than a strad.
Can you play a rock?
Fascinating! Just out of curiosity what was the cost of a Stradivarius violin back in that day?
True.it's probably not that expensive
3:17 the bow is upside down
Oh noo, is that a stock image from the 20th century?😂
I'd rather have a guarneri
Physics Only this!
Yes I agree the sound is more rich
Same
Asif Talpur No. They are.. another kind of exceptional violin
midi ftw, whachu on about
You can really clearly feel and hear the difference. I have 2 violins. It’s more focused on who made it and how, more than how old it is. One of my violins is 16000 pounds. And the other is nearly 50000 pounds. The difference is noticeable.
Yeah, in your wallet it definitely feels different ;).
The point is that the musician feels it more than the listener. When you hear the sounds you love it's the musician getting the best from themselves through the quality of the instrument.