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Another day, another study undercutting the myth surrounding the 18th-century Italian violin maker Antonio Stradivari.
Since the early 20th century, musicians and instrument experts have been trying to figure out what, if anything, makes the violins he made sound better.
Dedicated NPR listeners and violin enthusiasts may remember a few years ago when a team led by the French acoustics researcher Claudia Fritz published a study showing that blindfolded professional violinists could not tell the difference between a so-called Old Italian violin (they tested instruments made by both Stradivari and Guarneri) and a new violin.
At the time, it was a bombshell.
Of the 17 players, seven said they couldn't tell which were which and seven got it wrong. Only three got it right.
"In terms of physics, we haven't found any differences, basically, between new and old Italian violins," she explains.
On Monday, Fritz and a team published a follow-up study. This time, they focused on how audience members experience the differences between old and new instruments.
Since the early 20th century, musicians and instrument experts have been trying to figure out what, if anything, makes the violins he made sound better.
Dedicated NPR listeners and violin enthusiasts may remember a few years ago when a team led by the French acoustics researcher Claudia Fritz published a study showing that blindfolded professional violinists could not tell the difference between a so-called Old Italian violin (they tested instruments made by both Stradivari and Guarneri) and a new violin.
At the time, it was a bombshell.
Of the 17 players, seven said they couldn't tell which were which and seven got it wrong. Only three got it right.
"In terms of physics, we haven't found any differences, basically, between new and old Italian violins," she explains.
On Monday, Fritz and a team published a follow-up study. This time, they focused on how audience members experience the differences between old and new instruments.
Is A Stradivarius Violin Easier To Hear? Science Says Nope
Old Italian violins like those made by Stradivari are famous for their ability to project their sound. But a study found people in a blind test thought new violins projected better than old ones.
www.wclk.com
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