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The violin is a wooden
box that creates magic.
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You can produce infinite tone colors by
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simply pulling a bow on strings.
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This is my violin.
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It turned 310 years old this year.
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Its master was the legendary
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Italian genius Antonio Stradivari.
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Also known as Stradivarius,
or simply Strad,
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his violins have been regarded as
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the epitome of great quality.
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They are admired all over the world.
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One of them once sold for over
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16 million dollars at an auction.
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Stradivarius violins produce a sound so
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incomparably beautiful, rich, and dynamic.
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But no one knows how
exactly they were made.
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Where does this marvelous sound come from?
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Many scientists and makers have been
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trying to unravel this secret.
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But, to this day, nobody has
managed to find the answer.
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It is a mystery that still
remains after 300 years.
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I set off on a journey in
hopes of finding some clues.
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Stradivarius violins.
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About 600 survive worldwide.
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Throughout history, prominent musicians
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have played these greatest of violins.
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Itzhak Perlman is one of the
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greatest violinists of our times.
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His Stradivarius is called Soil.
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It once belonged to the
virtuoso Yehudi Menihin.
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It's the quality of the
sound, is unbelievable.
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The center of the sound, it
has a core to the sound.
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They say that it's like it has a
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microphone inside the violin, you know.
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Akiko Suwanai became the first
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Japanese musician to win the International
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Tchaikovsky Competition in 1990.
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She plays the Dolphin, which the acclaimed
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violinist Jascha Heifetz once owned.
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It's as if the vibrations travel
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all the way to the inside of my mouth.
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I feel like I'm playing
with my entire body.
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Metaphorically speaking, the
sound I hear when playing
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is like drops of water rolling
over a piece of velvet.
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Each clear note, one after the next.
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Karen Gomyo has traveled the world as
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a professional violinist
since the age of 15.
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She's appeared as a
soloist, with orchestras
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in the United States, Europe, and Asia.
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She's been playing a Strad
called Aurora for 12 years.
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The name comes from the
fact that it's sound has a
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radiance like the Aurora
Borealis in the northern skies.
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The beauty of a Stradivarius like this is,
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it already has so much life
and it's own personality,
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it's own character, it's own voice.
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For example, if you describe an emotion,
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so you have different ways
of expressing the happiness,
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you can jump up with joy,
you can cry of happiness,
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and I would describe a Strad as
having those kind of layers.
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Why are Stradivari instruments
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still considered exceptional
after 300 years?
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It is the biggest mystery of
the classical music world.
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I started my trip in
Cremona, the city where
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Stradivari mastered his workmanship.
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500 years ago, violin
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production was born in northern Italy.
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Wow.
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This is spectacular.
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Over time, Cremona became
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one of the main producers
of quality violins.
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In 2012, the traditional craftsmanship that
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Stradivari perfected here was added to
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UNESCO's cultural heritage list.
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A museum opened in 2013 to showcase
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the city's long history of violin making.
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Hello.
Hello.
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I'm Karen.
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Fausto.
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Welcome to the new violin museum.
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The museum is one of
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the world's largest collections
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dedicated to Stradivari and his work.
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Stradivari was 25 when he made this violin.
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He's said to have demonstrated
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exceptional skills at a young age.
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He made this one at the age of 71.
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Stradivari produced a
series of masterpieces,
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from his late 50s through his 70s.
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A time known as his Golden Period.
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You feel, really, a sense of history
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and something very profound as well,
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and very strong, it's beautiful.
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And the wood on the back is just stunning.
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It's still something living and it's just,
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visually, such a stunning instrument.
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Stradivari also had a
brilliant artistic sense.
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This violin is decorated with inlay.
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Ivory rimmed the body.
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Only a handful of violins like this
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are known to have survived to this day.
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In addition to the sounds they produce,
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the instruments themselves
are works of art.
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That's why people have treasured
them for hundreds of years.
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In this section, we exhibit the tools
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that Stradivari used to make instruments.
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They're a source of inspiration for
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modern day violin makers.
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They still study these tools and
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try to make violins like he did.
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After Stradivari died at 93,
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his techniques were lost.
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His sons took over the trade,
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but they all died shortly after.
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The Stradivari's craftsmanship
became a mystery
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that people could only guess
from the things he left behind.
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Stradivari perfected the violin.
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The instrument's power of
expression has inspired
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some of history's greatest composers.
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One was Vivaldi, who lived during
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the same time as Stradivari.
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In Vivaldi's best-known
work, The Four Seasons,
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the composer used violins to describe
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various sounds in nature.
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Mozart also composed a number of
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colorful pieces featuring the violin.
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In Beethoven's Fifth Symphony,
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violins express the shift
from anguish to exaltation.
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The violin has made profound
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contributions to the evolution of music.
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I wonder how violins
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are being made in Cremona today.
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Bongiorno, prego!
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I visit one of the major workshops in town.
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Karen.
Marco Bissolotti.
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Nice to meet you.
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The Bissolottis are all violin makers,
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including the father and sons.
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Each of them spends about a month
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and a half to complete one violin.
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Let me show you a violin in the making.
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The wooden plate is bent along
the mold, to make a rib.
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This is an exact copy of
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the mold that Stradivari used.
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Out of this mold, they make the ribs,
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which become the basic form of a violin.
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Much of today's violin making is
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still approached in this way, using a
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Strad mold and following his principles.
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The way a violin is
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constructed hasn't changed in 300 years.
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The base is a wooden box.
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First, the ribs are glued
onto the back plate,
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and topped with the soundboard.
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Then the neck and scroll
are joined to the body.
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The parts that hold the
strings are then attached.
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The strings vibration is transmitted to
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the soundboard via the bridge,
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and into the back plate through a
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small piece of wood called the sound post.
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The air vibrates inside the body and
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comes out through the F-shaped holes.
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This is my father and teacher, Francesco.
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Right now, he's also
making a Stradivari model.
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84-year-old Francesco
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is the most senior violin maker in Cremona.
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He's devoted his life to
recreating Stradivari sound.
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Every single part of
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the violin influences its sound.
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The thickness of the wood,
the curve, everything.
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Strad is our model.
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We're trying to do as Stradivari did
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and make the best instruments.
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But it's not easy.
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Karen tries one of Francesco's violins.
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When did you make it?
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I think it's written inside.
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1987!
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It would be more fair to compare,
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for example, Mr. Bissolotti's instrument
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300 years from now with my violin.
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Having said that, if we must compare
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a newly-made instrument versus
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for example, my violin, I
think the first impression
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that immediately strikes me
is just the huge amount of...
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Of color, of possibility of expression.
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And yet, no one has attained
the level of Stradivarius.
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It feels surreal to find
myself in this very town,
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which produced violins of such
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unparalleled reputation since 300 years.
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The Stradivari's instruments
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have captivated people with their
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amazing sound and aesthetic appeal.
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Many anecdotes have emerged of Strads
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passed from one owner to the next.
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Here is one such story.
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After Stradivari died, a beautiful
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violin remained in his workshop.
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His family sold it to
Count Cozio di Salabue,
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the world's first Strad collector.
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"How exquisite!" he said.
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"This must be the best Stradivarius ever!"
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Another man heard about the violin.
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Luigi Tarisio could be
called a violin hunter.
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Tarisio bought violins from churches
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and castles around Italy.
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He then sold them at high prices in
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Paris and London to make a quick profit.
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He wondered, "How much
could I get for the best
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"Stradivarius, now in Count
Salabue's possession?"
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Tarisio visited the Count repeatedly,
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in the hope of buying the violin.
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At last, he obtained the
Strad for a fortune.
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But the moment he saw the
beautiful instrument,
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he fell in love with it, he thought,
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"I'm not gonna sell this to anyone!"
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Tarisio kept the violin hidden in his home.
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No one else saw it for a long time.
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For the next 30 years, Tarisio devoted
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his life to collecting Strads.
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He's said to have died in his attic,
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surrounded by the violins he admired.
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Tarisio's beloved Strad
survived several wars.
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It's now housed in a museum in Britain.
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Culminating, I suppose, in
1716, with the Messiah,
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which belongs to us in the Ashmolean.
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Stradivari made this violin
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during his golden period; it's the best
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preserved Strad known to exist.
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It looks as though it
was finished yesterday.
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Stradivari's trademark red
varnish and black-rimmed scroll,
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every detail looks just as it
must have when it was made.
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Strads have been handed
down as treasured assets.
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Some have changed their owner's lives.
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The Messiah is said to be the most famous
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musical instrument in the entire world.
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It owes its fame, not because
it's a superior instrument
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in the hands of a player,
but because it has
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survived in such remarkable condition.
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The reason why instruments
like this are valuable is
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because A. They're extremely
beautiful, but above all,
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because they make sounds
that are unsurpassed.
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What exactly makes these
violins sound so special?
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Researchers did an experiment
in New York, in March 2013.
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They compared the sounds of 11 violins
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made by modern craftspeople,
and three Strads.
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Would the judges be able to tell
247
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the difference solely by sound?
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A screen separated them and the musicians.
249
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So they wouldn't be able to see
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which violin was being played.
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The judges included researchers,
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violin makers, and other experts.
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00:20:32,176 --> 00:20:35,111
How 'bout you? Can you tell the difference?
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Not a single judge could
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accurately identify all three Strads.
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Similar experiments in the
past also showed that even
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experts have a hard time
spotting the difference.
258
00:21:16,540 --> 00:21:19,519
But it's said that for
musicians who play Strads,
259
00:21:19,520 --> 00:21:22,031
the difference is crystal clear.
260
00:21:24,731 --> 00:21:28,769
It's very pure, the
overtones are very pure,
261
00:21:28,770 --> 00:21:32,130
so when this violin, when you
play it in a concert hall,
262
00:21:32,131 --> 00:21:35,390
for example, you can hear everything
263
00:21:35,391 --> 00:21:37,409
from the first row to the last row,
264
00:21:37,410 --> 00:21:40,150
because of the, not so
much because it's loud,
265
00:21:40,151 --> 00:21:41,635
but because it's pure.
266
00:21:42,807 --> 00:21:45,804
The low notes have a deep richness,
267
00:21:45,805 --> 00:21:48,936
while the high notes have
an exceptional clarity.
268
00:21:49,726 --> 00:21:54,576
The sound travels far,
whether played soft or loud.
269
00:21:58,386 --> 00:22:00,525
If musicians can recognize the character of
270
00:22:00,526 --> 00:22:02,664
the Strad's sound, wouldn't it be
271
00:22:02,665 --> 00:22:05,116
possible to analyze it scientifically?
272
00:22:07,871 --> 00:22:09,964
NHK conducted an experiment in a room
273
00:22:09,965 --> 00:22:12,676
specially designed to prevent
acoustic reflection.
274
00:22:14,686 --> 00:22:17,316
Three renowned violinists helped out.
275
00:22:43,966 --> 00:22:46,425
Each musician played modern violins made in
276
00:22:46,426 --> 00:22:50,596
the 20th century or later,
and their own Stradivarius.
277
00:22:53,045 --> 00:22:56,665
42 microphones were set up
around the musicians to
278
00:22:56,666 --> 00:23:00,196
record which type of sound was
emitted in which direction.
279
00:23:05,726 --> 00:23:08,745
The testing was supervised
by Katsuhiro Maki.
280
00:23:08,746 --> 00:23:11,084
He's a leading researcher
in three-dimensional
281
00:23:11,085 --> 00:23:14,196
analysis of the sounds instruments produce.
282
00:23:17,586 --> 00:23:19,660
The test captured a huge amount of data
283
00:23:19,661 --> 00:23:22,231
using 42 channel simultaneous recording.
284
00:23:23,711 --> 00:23:25,770
The experiment was made possible by
285
00:23:25,771 --> 00:23:28,141
advances in digital technology.
286
00:23:32,671 --> 00:23:35,711
Could the team uncover the
secrets of the Strad sound?
287
00:23:38,606 --> 00:23:41,568
It took researchers a month
to analyze the data.
288
00:23:47,578 --> 00:23:50,237
Maki focused on directionality,
289
00:23:50,238 --> 00:23:52,589
or the direction in which sound travels.
290
00:23:53,558 --> 00:23:55,417
The three-dimensional chart clearly
291
00:23:55,418 --> 00:23:57,668
shows the features of Strad sound.
292
00:23:59,938 --> 00:24:02,037
The sound of modern violins is
293
00:24:02,038 --> 00:24:05,464
comparatively weak, and
spreads in wide angles.
294
00:24:06,174 --> 00:24:09,841
It goes out in all directions
evenly, like a fountain.
295
00:24:10,610 --> 00:24:13,089
Stradivarius violins, on the other hand,
296
00:24:13,090 --> 00:24:15,989
emit sound toward a particular direction,
297
00:24:15,990 --> 00:24:18,811
like water sprayed out of a
hose that's being squeezed.
298
00:24:18,812 --> 00:24:20,414
There's a clear difference.
299
00:24:26,020 --> 00:24:28,299
If we overlap the chart on the music,
300
00:24:28,300 --> 00:24:30,499
we can see that the sound
of the modern violin
301
00:24:30,500 --> 00:24:33,170
travels in all directions,
relatively evenly.
302
00:24:39,000 --> 00:24:40,899
The Strad sound, on the other hand,
303
00:24:40,900 --> 00:24:42,959
shows a powerful upward emission,
304
00:24:42,960 --> 00:24:44,859
as indicated by the red color.
305
00:24:44,860 --> 00:24:47,522
This is the Strad's directionality,
306
00:24:47,523 --> 00:24:49,293
which the researchers uncovered.
307
00:24:55,753 --> 00:24:58,894
All three Strads exhibited
the same directionality.
308
00:24:59,726 --> 00:25:02,365
Maki thinks this is one
reason that Strad sound
309
00:25:02,366 --> 00:25:04,556
easily reaches the far
end of a concert hall.
310
00:25:09,928 --> 00:25:11,027
I am sure there are more
311
00:25:11,028 --> 00:25:13,418
secrets that we still don't understand.
312
00:25:13,948 --> 00:25:16,987
We did identify their
directionality in our test,
313
00:25:16,988 --> 00:25:20,117
but that doesn't fully explain
why the sound is so special.
314
00:25:20,588 --> 00:25:22,598
There must be more hidden jewels.
315
00:25:26,608 --> 00:25:28,387
Certainly, the greatness of a
316
00:25:28,388 --> 00:25:30,878
Strad sound has always captivated me.
317
00:25:33,988 --> 00:25:35,847
Maybe its secret comes from the wood
318
00:25:35,848 --> 00:25:37,658
out of which a violin is made.
319
00:25:38,727 --> 00:25:41,067
I went to the forest where Stradivarius
320
00:25:41,068 --> 00:25:43,598
believed to have purchased his wood logs.
321
00:25:48,806 --> 00:25:51,662
We drive three hours to
the north of Cremona.
322
00:25:53,933 --> 00:25:55,662
It's like a beautiful painting.
323
00:26:00,432 --> 00:26:03,582
It was the middle of the
summer, but it was freezing.
324
00:26:04,292 --> 00:26:06,321
You could see snow on the mountains.
325
00:26:10,252 --> 00:26:12,493
Here comes the inspector of the forest,
326
00:26:12,494 --> 00:26:14,864
who will teach me everything
about these trees.
327
00:26:18,514 --> 00:26:19,905
Hi! I'm Karen.
328
00:26:20,350 --> 00:26:21,606
I'm Giuliano.
329
00:26:22,510 --> 00:26:23,949
Are you a musician?
330
00:26:23,950 --> 00:26:27,260
Yes, violinist, and this
is my beloved violin here.
331
00:26:27,661 --> 00:26:29,631
Your Stradivari!
332
00:26:35,337 --> 00:26:37,036
This area has been known since
333
00:26:37,037 --> 00:26:40,688
the time of Stradivari for
it's high-quality wood.
334
00:26:47,647 --> 00:26:51,837
The altitude here is 1,700
meters above sea level.
335
00:26:52,695 --> 00:26:55,794
It's cold, so plants have only three
336
00:26:55,795 --> 00:26:57,925
to four months to grow per year.
337
00:26:58,531 --> 00:27:00,610
As a result, the annual growth rings in
338
00:27:00,611 --> 00:27:03,101
these trees are very close to one another.
339
00:27:05,431 --> 00:27:07,010
The trees growing in this forest
340
00:27:07,011 --> 00:27:09,522
are spruce, which is in the pine family.
341
00:27:10,933 --> 00:27:13,624
The wood is used to make
the top plates of violins.
342
00:27:19,329 --> 00:27:22,028
Split the wood, and it shows narrow,
343
00:27:22,029 --> 00:27:24,079
evenly spaced growth rings.
344
00:27:25,105 --> 00:27:28,995
It's a top-grade board that
transmits vibration well.
345
00:27:31,205 --> 00:27:33,144
To protect the genes of the trees,
346
00:27:33,145 --> 00:27:35,515
no saplings are planted in the forest.
347
00:27:36,445 --> 00:27:38,715
Only those that grow
naturally are nurtured.
348
00:27:42,045 --> 00:27:45,084
Some researchers point out
that the quality of the wood
349
00:27:45,085 --> 00:27:47,615
was even better during Stradivari's time.
350
00:27:53,725 --> 00:27:56,724
A study says Stradivari used wood from
351
00:27:56,725 --> 00:28:00,315
trees that grew during the
so-called "Little Ice Age".
352
00:28:01,366 --> 00:28:04,465
From the 16th to 17th centuries,
353
00:28:04,466 --> 00:28:07,115
temperatures were lower than they are now.
354
00:28:08,106 --> 00:28:11,184
Because of that, some
people believe that trees
355
00:28:11,185 --> 00:28:14,005
back then grew even more slowly,
356
00:28:14,006 --> 00:28:16,564
and produced especially fine wood,
357
00:28:16,565 --> 00:28:18,755
with tightly packed growth rings.
358
00:28:27,185 --> 00:28:29,884
I suddenly wonder, was my Aurora
359
00:28:29,885 --> 00:28:31,855
once among the trees growing here?
360
00:28:41,456 --> 00:28:45,235
She's feeling a little bit
cold as well, but, you know,
361
00:28:45,236 --> 00:28:48,256
this is where she originally
comes from, actually,
362
00:28:48,257 --> 00:28:52,577
and I wonder if actually she
feels incredibly at home.
363
00:29:16,813 --> 00:29:19,563
But there still remains a deep mystery.
364
00:29:20,373 --> 00:29:23,793
After all, Stradivari
was hardly the only one
365
00:29:23,794 --> 00:29:25,583
using the wood from this forest.
366
00:29:27,853 --> 00:29:31,103
Then, why are his instruments exceptional?
367
00:29:44,879 --> 00:29:47,138
If the wood isn't the only key to
368
00:29:47,139 --> 00:29:51,570
the extraordinary sound, what
other secrets are there?
369
00:29:55,379 --> 00:29:57,558
One feature that has
long attracted people's
370
00:29:57,559 --> 00:30:01,309
attention is Stradivarius
violin's distinctive red varnish.
371
00:30:05,679 --> 00:30:08,409
Did Stradivari mix in something special?
372
00:30:10,771 --> 00:30:13,251
Since the 19th century, many researchers
373
00:30:13,252 --> 00:30:16,037
have devoted themselves
to studying this puzzle.
374
00:30:18,746 --> 00:30:19,946
Maybe Stradivari used the wings
375
00:30:19,947 --> 00:30:22,137
of an insect that's now extinct.
376
00:30:23,627 --> 00:30:27,737
Or was it propolis, an extract
from honey bee hives?
377
00:30:29,407 --> 00:30:31,446
From plants to minerals, people have tried
378
00:30:31,447 --> 00:30:33,826
all sorts of materials, but they weren't
379
00:30:33,827 --> 00:30:36,378
able to reproduce the sound of a Strad.
380
00:30:39,044 --> 00:30:41,384
Eventually, a legend
emerged that the deep red
381
00:30:41,385 --> 00:30:44,254
was made using the blood of a young woman.
382
00:30:48,105 --> 00:30:51,583
In the 20th century, scientists
used the latest techniques
383
00:30:51,584 --> 00:30:54,154
to try and unravel the
mystery of the varnish.
384
00:30:57,564 --> 00:31:00,483
One claimed the secret
was red volcanic ash,
385
00:31:00,484 --> 00:31:02,994
revealed by an electron microscope.
386
00:31:06,164 --> 00:31:08,123
Another reported finding an ingredient that
387
00:31:08,124 --> 00:31:10,674
used to be used as an insecticide.
388
00:31:12,883 --> 00:31:14,303
But adding these ingredients to varnish
389
00:31:14,304 --> 00:31:17,774
did nothing to help new
violins sound like Strads.
390
00:31:23,385 --> 00:31:24,883
The legends surrounding the varnish
391
00:31:24,884 --> 00:31:27,283
have finally been overturned this century.
392
00:31:27,284 --> 00:31:29,630
Researchers collected
tiny amounts of varnish
393
00:31:29,631 --> 00:31:32,740
from five Strads kept at a museum in Paris.
394
00:31:40,190 --> 00:31:42,889
After analyzing the samples
for several years,
395
00:31:42,890 --> 00:31:45,580
they found nothing but
ordinary pine resin and oil.
396
00:31:46,127 --> 00:31:47,685
These were common ingredients in varnish
397
00:31:47,686 --> 00:31:49,836
at the time the violins were made.
398
00:31:54,782 --> 00:31:57,188
The varnish was not the secret either.
399
00:31:59,562 --> 00:32:01,901
In pursuit of a new hint, I visit the
400
00:32:01,902 --> 00:32:04,612
Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York.
401
00:32:09,364 --> 00:32:10,463
Hi!
Hello.
402
00:32:10,464 --> 00:32:12,055
Hi, I'm Karen.
How are you doing, ok?
403
00:32:12,465 --> 00:32:14,008
Good to see you, Karen.
404
00:32:14,009 --> 00:32:15,827
Ken Moore is the curator
405
00:32:15,828 --> 00:32:18,228
in charge of the instruments department,
406
00:32:18,229 --> 00:32:21,017
and will show me the
museum's valuable Strads.
407
00:32:21,018 --> 00:32:25,643
But I don't know if you've
ever seen a rebaroqued Strad.
408
00:32:25,644 --> 00:32:28,403
Here, I am shown two violins.
409
00:32:28,404 --> 00:32:30,903
Ken explains that their measurements are
410
00:32:30,904 --> 00:32:33,733
little different from those
of his other periods.
411
00:32:35,384 --> 00:32:38,300
These two instruments,
both of them are Strads,
412
00:32:39,784 --> 00:32:43,637
come from his period when he
was making the long pattern.
413
00:32:43,638 --> 00:32:46,543
These were slightly larger instruments that
414
00:32:46,544 --> 00:32:49,191
he started creating around 1690.
415
00:32:49,825 --> 00:32:54,691
And Stradivari was very often
experimenting with his form.
416
00:32:54,692 --> 00:32:58,036
I think he wanted to
experiment acoustically
417
00:32:58,037 --> 00:33:00,877
with sounds that might be bolder,
418
00:33:00,878 --> 00:33:04,168
and more penetrating, and louder.
419
00:33:07,497 --> 00:33:10,356
When I look closely, I can see how
420
00:33:10,357 --> 00:33:13,456
and where the F-holes
are positioned, and the
421
00:33:13,457 --> 00:33:16,757
curves of the body differ
slightly, depending on
422
00:33:16,758 --> 00:33:19,087
the period in which the violin was made.
423
00:33:20,558 --> 00:33:23,157
Does this have any influence on the sound?
424
00:33:36,377 --> 00:33:39,317
They have longer bodies than my Aurora,
425
00:33:39,318 --> 00:33:42,307
yet their sound is typical
of a Stradivarius.
426
00:33:51,418 --> 00:33:53,137
The bodies are shaped differently,
427
00:33:53,138 --> 00:33:55,607
but they all produce a distinctive sound.
428
00:33:57,798 --> 00:34:00,667
Maybe there's a secret to
how the Strads were made.
429
00:34:02,438 --> 00:34:04,796
The American violin maker and researcher
430
00:34:04,797 --> 00:34:08,017
Carleen Hutchins focused on this point
431
00:34:08,018 --> 00:34:09,527
in searching for the answer.
432
00:34:14,118 --> 00:34:17,457
She suspected that the key
to generating a good sound
433
00:34:17,458 --> 00:34:20,291
is how the top and back plates vibrate.
434
00:34:22,901 --> 00:34:25,539
She devoted herself to
studying the vibrational
435
00:34:25,540 --> 00:34:28,517
characteristics of violin plates,
436
00:34:28,518 --> 00:34:30,708
by applying soundwaves to them.
437
00:34:38,964 --> 00:34:40,422
And what we're doing here is
438
00:34:40,423 --> 00:34:44,033
measuring the normal modes that exist
439
00:34:44,034 --> 00:34:46,136
in a piece of wood that's this shape.
440
00:34:46,137 --> 00:34:49,113
It gives us the sense of
the stiffness of the wood,
441
00:34:49,114 --> 00:34:53,246
which violin makers have
been feeling and bending
442
00:34:54,364 --> 00:34:56,593
for the last several hundred years.
443
00:34:59,230 --> 00:35:02,168
Particles placed on vibrating areas move,
444
00:35:02,169 --> 00:35:04,159
and gather on static parts of the plate.
445
00:35:08,969 --> 00:35:10,609
Hutchins used this method to test
446
00:35:10,610 --> 00:35:12,840
thousands of pairs of violin plates.
447
00:35:13,295 --> 00:35:15,186
Including those from a Stradivarius.
448
00:35:18,155 --> 00:35:20,335
It turns out that particles
draw certain patterns
449
00:35:20,336 --> 00:35:23,186
on plates that produce good sounds.
450
00:35:24,475 --> 00:35:26,320
One measure for determining the best way to
451
00:35:26,321 --> 00:35:28,832
finish the plates had become clear.
452
00:35:32,921 --> 00:35:37,198
Hutchins research, which marries
science and craftsmanship,
453
00:35:37,701 --> 00:35:41,252
has pointed the way to a new
approach to violin making.
454
00:35:49,326 --> 00:35:51,465
I hear about a team in Minnesota
455
00:35:51,466 --> 00:35:53,604
that has been experimenting with making
456
00:35:53,605 --> 00:35:56,265
an exact copy of Stradivarius violins,
457
00:35:56,266 --> 00:35:58,715
employing a method never before used.
458
00:36:02,805 --> 00:36:04,604
The location that the team chose as
459
00:36:04,605 --> 00:36:07,356
our meeting place was a hospital.
460
00:36:16,165 --> 00:36:19,536
This is Dr. Steve Sirr, a radiologist.
461
00:36:21,245 --> 00:36:23,415
And John Waddle, a violin maker.
462
00:36:24,685 --> 00:36:26,405
Combining their expertise,
463
00:36:26,406 --> 00:36:29,235
they're working to create an ultimate copy.
464
00:36:31,826 --> 00:36:34,384
The team has an unusual tool.
465
00:36:34,385 --> 00:36:36,651
A CT scanner, for medical purposes.
466
00:36:38,185 --> 00:36:39,341
The machine allows them to
467
00:36:39,342 --> 00:36:42,051
examine violins in precise detail.
468
00:36:43,022 --> 00:36:45,881
From the density and
thickness of their plates,
469
00:36:45,882 --> 00:36:49,871
to past repairs, all without
damaging the instruments.
470
00:36:50,822 --> 00:36:53,612
It's a method made possible
by modern technology.
471
00:36:56,202 --> 00:36:57,892
Sirr is an amateur violinist.
472
00:36:58,622 --> 00:37:00,660
20 years ago, he had the idea of
473
00:37:00,661 --> 00:37:03,832
using a CT scanner to analyze violins.
474
00:37:08,702 --> 00:37:11,652
Karen has agreed to let
them scan her Strad.
475
00:37:17,198 --> 00:37:19,077
When the researchers started out,
476
00:37:19,078 --> 00:37:20,789
they had difficulty gathering data.
477
00:37:21,479 --> 00:37:23,318
Few Strad owners were willing to lend
478
00:37:23,319 --> 00:37:25,258
their instruments for analysis.
479
00:37:25,259 --> 00:37:27,905
But now, they've scanned 22 of them.
480
00:37:31,475 --> 00:37:33,805
Each masterpiece led to new discoveries.
481
00:37:34,452 --> 00:37:36,510
The team became more and more engrossed
482
00:37:36,511 --> 00:37:39,642
in tackling the mysteries of
the Stradivarius violins.
483
00:37:41,552 --> 00:37:43,474
On one hand, it's just an object
484
00:37:44,312 --> 00:37:46,651
that we just scanned,
but on the other hand,
485
00:37:46,652 --> 00:37:48,990
it's much more than an object.
486
00:37:48,991 --> 00:37:53,362
And it simultaneously exists
both ways at any time.
487
00:37:57,044 --> 00:37:58,524
We visited Waddle's workshop
488
00:37:58,525 --> 00:38:00,802
to find out the results of Karen's Aurora.
489
00:38:03,665 --> 00:38:04,771
They showed us three-dimensional
490
00:38:04,772 --> 00:38:06,302
images created from the data.
491
00:38:09,892 --> 00:38:11,131
It's really beautiful.
492
00:38:11,132 --> 00:38:12,990
There's something very, it's almost like
493
00:38:12,991 --> 00:38:15,341
you walk into a beautiful building.
494
00:38:16,235 --> 00:38:19,674
Just evaluate the instrument from
495
00:38:19,675 --> 00:38:22,564
any part of the inside, any angle.
496
00:38:23,855 --> 00:38:25,061
It's in really good shape
497
00:38:25,062 --> 00:38:27,291
compared to a lot of instruments.
498
00:38:30,010 --> 00:38:32,530
Sirr says through repeated analysis
499
00:38:32,531 --> 00:38:34,089
he's made important discoveries about
500
00:38:34,090 --> 00:38:36,780
the structure of Stradivarius violins.
501
00:38:38,830 --> 00:38:40,590
What I think is the most exciting thing,
502
00:38:40,591 --> 00:38:45,469
which is, I call it balanced chi,
503
00:38:45,470 --> 00:38:49,070
which is where the energy that you provide
504
00:38:49,071 --> 00:38:53,420
from your bowing arm somehow
gets into the violin.
505
00:38:54,831 --> 00:38:56,497
First, there's the top plate.
506
00:38:57,010 --> 00:38:59,940
It's weight is divided exactly
in half at the bridge.
507
00:39:01,126 --> 00:39:02,645
The bridge conveys the vibration of
508
00:39:02,646 --> 00:39:04,637
the strings created by the bow.
509
00:39:08,184 --> 00:39:10,193
Next, look at the back plate.
510
00:39:10,194 --> 00:39:12,759
The key component is the sound post.
511
00:39:12,760 --> 00:39:14,878
An imaginary line drawn through the center
512
00:39:14,879 --> 00:39:18,629
also divides the plate's weight
exactly in half vertically.
513
00:39:23,379 --> 00:39:25,491
What's more, the line
that crosses the violin
514
00:39:25,492 --> 00:39:27,191
at the sound post position divides
515
00:39:27,192 --> 00:39:30,001
the violin's internal volume in half.
516
00:39:32,951 --> 00:39:35,710
But the energy provided by the player
517
00:39:35,711 --> 00:39:39,330
goes into the violin in
a way that's balanced,
518
00:39:39,331 --> 00:39:43,130
so that the energy is maximized into,
519
00:39:43,131 --> 00:39:46,901
so that it's creating maximal
sound from that instrument.
520
00:39:52,570 --> 00:39:53,809
Sirr and his partners
521
00:39:53,810 --> 00:39:55,410
have used their findings to try to make
522
00:39:55,411 --> 00:39:57,760
a perfect copy of a Stradivarius.
523
00:40:01,476 --> 00:40:02,875
Steve Rossow entered the data
524
00:40:02,876 --> 00:40:04,692
from the analysis into a computer,
525
00:40:05,766 --> 00:40:09,195
and recreated the violin's precise curves.
526
00:40:18,125 --> 00:40:20,644
Some parts, including the
insides of the plates,
527
00:40:20,645 --> 00:40:22,252
had to be finished by hand.
528
00:40:23,265 --> 00:40:25,004
Waddle's and Rossow's skill as
529
00:40:25,005 --> 00:40:27,555
experienced craftsmen
were needed for this job.
530
00:40:35,142 --> 00:40:37,776
The trio has finally produced a
531
00:40:37,777 --> 00:40:40,747
satisfactory copy of a Strad.
532
00:40:42,278 --> 00:40:43,616
So...
All right!
533
00:40:43,617 --> 00:40:44,836
What do we have now?
534
00:40:44,837 --> 00:40:46,114
This is another copy.
535
00:40:48,518 --> 00:40:50,891
Clearly, the best instrument
I've made so far.
536
00:40:51,494 --> 00:40:52,494
Wonderful.
537
00:40:52,934 --> 00:40:54,251
So...
Great.
538
00:41:36,717 --> 00:41:38,575
Great. It's beautiful.
539
00:41:38,576 --> 00:41:39,375
Thank you.
540
00:41:39,376 --> 00:41:41,855
Karen is such a good player, my goodness.
541
00:41:42,740 --> 00:41:46,619
So it was a real treat to hear my violin
542
00:41:46,620 --> 00:41:50,018
be played by somebody so accomplished.
543
00:41:52,189 --> 00:41:55,447
You know, to have my dear
buddies make the violin
544
00:41:55,448 --> 00:41:59,798
from the CT scan is a real honor for me.
545
00:42:02,239 --> 00:42:04,768
And, you know, Karen...
546
00:42:19,137 --> 00:42:20,727
You've been wonderful.
547
00:42:26,207 --> 00:42:27,365
Thank you.
548
00:42:27,366 --> 00:42:28,464
Thank you.
549
00:42:31,635 --> 00:42:33,834
More and more people who make violins
550
00:42:33,835 --> 00:42:37,424
are working together to solve
the mysteries of Strads.
551
00:42:42,834 --> 00:42:45,572
Every year, top violin makers
from various countries
552
00:42:45,573 --> 00:42:48,753
gather in Oberlin, in the US state of Ohio,
553
00:42:48,754 --> 00:42:51,124
to share their techniques and knowledge.
554
00:42:55,253 --> 00:42:57,053
They discuss matters such as methods for
555
00:42:57,054 --> 00:42:59,544
carving the critical parts of the plates.
556
00:43:00,583 --> 00:43:01,961
And the type of structure that
557
00:43:01,962 --> 00:43:04,353
creates a more resonant sound.
558
00:43:08,924 --> 00:43:11,222
Sirr and his colleagues
have shared the latest data
559
00:43:11,223 --> 00:43:13,513
from their CT scans of the event.
560
00:43:15,143 --> 00:43:16,682
These exchanges are said to have
561
00:43:16,683 --> 00:43:18,902
led to dramatic improvements,
562
00:43:18,903 --> 00:43:22,772
violin maker's skills over
the past several years.
563
00:43:25,143 --> 00:43:27,252
Cremonese days, and Stradivari,
564
00:43:27,253 --> 00:43:29,762
and all those guys, there was
only two or three makers,
565
00:43:29,763 --> 00:43:32,272
and here we have 60 makers today.
566
00:43:32,273 --> 00:43:36,660
And some of them are just
the top of their skill
567
00:43:36,661 --> 00:43:40,509
in the world, and so they're
sharing with each other also.
568
00:43:40,510 --> 00:43:43,967
It has not been normal
for many, many years,
569
00:43:43,968 --> 00:43:47,278
because people were secretive
about what they did.
570
00:43:48,008 --> 00:43:50,918
But, probably, Oberlin started this out.
571
00:43:54,328 --> 00:43:58,998
In 2012, craftspeople
completed a landmark violin.
572
00:43:59,848 --> 00:44:03,618
It's considered the best copy
of a Strad ever created.
573
00:44:12,468 --> 00:44:13,867
What does the most accurate
574
00:44:13,868 --> 00:44:16,018
Strad copy of our time sound like?
575
00:44:17,047 --> 00:44:19,417
I went to the Library of
Congress to find out.
576
00:44:24,467 --> 00:44:26,645
They also have the original Strad,
577
00:44:26,646 --> 00:44:29,077
which the Oberlin workshop used as model.
578
00:44:30,126 --> 00:44:32,825
I think the one violin
you came to see today,
579
00:44:33,687 --> 00:44:38,687
the Stradivari from 1704 that
we call the Betts, right here.
580
00:44:38,875 --> 00:44:40,525
They're all gorgeous.
581
00:44:44,074 --> 00:44:45,165
Wow.
582
00:44:46,322 --> 00:44:47,921
And a lot of musicans come here,
583
00:44:47,922 --> 00:44:51,421
they've heard of the
instrument for a long time,
584
00:44:51,422 --> 00:44:53,141
and then, finally, like you know,
585
00:44:53,142 --> 00:44:54,812
they make their way here.
586
00:45:00,671 --> 00:45:02,461
This is the copy that was made in
587
00:45:02,462 --> 00:45:05,432
the workshop, known as the Oberlin Betts.
588
00:45:09,159 --> 00:45:11,718
The library carefully looks after the copy
589
00:45:11,719 --> 00:45:13,829
in order to maintain its perfection.
590
00:45:16,558 --> 00:45:18,138
The Betts is considered one of the
591
00:45:18,139 --> 00:45:21,297
masterpieces of Stradivari,
known for its fine
592
00:45:21,298 --> 00:45:24,009
curvature and the excellent
state of preservation.
593
00:45:26,099 --> 00:45:28,918
The makers copied it as
accurately as possible,
594
00:45:28,919 --> 00:45:30,338
from the density of the wood,
595
00:45:30,339 --> 00:45:32,289
to the scratches on the surfaces.
596
00:45:36,659 --> 00:45:39,117
On the inside, you can
see the signatures of
597
00:45:39,118 --> 00:45:41,448
the makers who took part in the production.
598
00:45:42,378 --> 00:45:44,758
A proof of their collaborative effort to
599
00:45:44,759 --> 00:45:47,989
try to measure up to the
genius of 300 years ago.
600
00:45:55,659 --> 00:45:57,978
But, most importantly, how does the
601
00:45:57,979 --> 00:46:00,048
sound of these violins compare?
602
00:46:03,186 --> 00:46:05,557
I played both of the
Betts in the Great Hall.
603
00:47:40,436 --> 00:47:43,775
The fantastic Betts Stradivarius of 1704,
604
00:47:43,776 --> 00:47:45,755
the way that the sound spins out is,
605
00:47:45,756 --> 00:47:49,426
it just seems limitless, so
magical, that's really the word.
606
00:47:51,415 --> 00:47:55,395
But, I really have to
say that the Betts copy
607
00:47:55,396 --> 00:47:59,955
was such an interesting find or discovery,
608
00:47:59,956 --> 00:48:01,855
so it's a combination of technology,
609
00:48:01,856 --> 00:48:04,654
but also the hands of 50-plus experts,
610
00:48:04,655 --> 00:48:09,455
and so I wonder if the best
of each of these 50 people
611
00:48:09,456 --> 00:48:13,855
has been input in this
violin, and therefore,
612
00:48:13,856 --> 00:48:16,355
is such a great sounding instrument.
613
00:48:16,356 --> 00:48:18,035
I don't know, it's just a thought,
614
00:48:18,036 --> 00:48:22,726
but yeah, it really surprised me, to admit.
615
00:48:26,631 --> 00:48:29,821
The one and only, the great Stradivarius.
616
00:48:34,211 --> 00:48:37,169
A Strad has always been
the ultimate companion
617
00:48:37,170 --> 00:48:39,000
and inspiration for musicians.
618
00:48:42,378 --> 00:48:45,178
But it also continues to be that magic box
619
00:48:45,179 --> 00:48:47,838
that evokes dreams and passions among
620
00:48:47,839 --> 00:48:50,805
makers and audiences around the world.
48590
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