A recent study published in The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America has shed light on the unique timbral qualities that cause Stradivari violins to be favored over other violins.
The research aimed to investigate the sound characteristics of different violins to determine preferred timbres and assess if Stradivari instruments possess a distinctive sound identity.
Scientists from the Italian National Research Council (CNR) collaborated with 70 violin makers based in Cremona to analyze and compare the tonal attributes of four violins: two modern handcrafted violins, one factory-made violin, and one Stradivari violin. Participants evaluated only five notes from each instrument and showed a significant preference for the Stradivari violin. The researchers then identified a specific “signature” that separates the preferred violin sound from those deemed less appealing.
“Through detailed analysis of listener descriptions combined with vibro-acoustic measurements, we characterized the favored sound as having a distinct balance of ‘openness,’ ‘clarity,’ and ‘nasality,’” explained Carlo Andrea Rozzi from CNR.
The experiment was conducted under double-blind conditions—neither listeners nor researchers were aware of which violin was being played at any time. Massimo Grassi from the University of Padova noted, “We employed a straightforward sound stimulus—a musical scale—so assessments were guided solely by the violin’s timbre, avoiding biases related to preferences for specific pieces of music.”
Fabio Antonacci from the Politecnico di Milano emphasized the practical implications: “Understanding which sound aspects contribute to a violin’s pleasing timbre is crucial for violin craftsmanship. This knowledge supports the development of instruments with targeted tonal features. Additionally, the vibrational measurements taken will help build a data repository to better predict how an instrument’s vibrations relate to its timbre.”
He further commented, “The findings indicate that not every violin, even those made by Stradivari, is acoustically identical. Instead, certain tonal qualities in the instrument’s sound explain why listeners tend to prefer particular violins.”
The research was conducted with the support of the Municipality of Cremona. Instruments from the Historical collection of the Cremona Museo del Violino were utilized, and the listening tests took place in the acoustically controlled Auditorium room.
— The Violin Post Editorial Staff
