The exceptional violins crafted by Antonio Stradivari and Giuseppe Guarneri during the 17th and 18th centuries continue to captivate musicians worldwide. A recent study sheds light on a concealed factor contributing to their superior sound: specialized chemical treatments applied to the wood.
It appears that the renowned tonal qualities of these Cremonese violins—named after their place of origin—stem not only from masterful craftsmanship but also from unique methods of processing the wood used in their construction.
The research concentrated specifically on the violin’s soundboard, the component pivotal to the instrument’s acoustic output. Compared to modern standards, soundboards from Stradivari and Guarneri violins are notably thin and lightweight, serving as the primary area where these chemical agents were originally introduced.
Joseph Nagyvary, a biochemist at Texas A&M University involved in the study, explained: “Our findings indicate that Stradivari and Guarneri employed their own proprietary wood treatment techniques, which likely held significant importance to their work. They may have discovered that the particular salts used to impregnate the wood enhanced its mechanical strength and acoustic properties.”
While Nagyvary and collaborators have previously explored the role of chemical processing in the distinctiveness of these violins, the new investigation advances knowledge by pinpointing the specific substances used by the master makers.
Employing a blend of spectroscopic methods, microscopic examination, and chemical analyses, the researchers identified a combination of borax, zinc and copper sulfates, alum, and lime water among the treatment agents.
The aim of these chemical applications was twofold: preserving the wood and refining the violin’s sound. Borax, for instance, has a long history as a preservative dating back to ancient Egypt.
These chemicals permeated the wood throughout, indicating that they were not mere surface applications. It is thought that freshly cut spruce planks intended for soundboards were immersed in these chemical solutions for an extended period prior to construction.
“The presence of these compounds suggests collaboration between the violin makers and contemporary apothecaries or druggists,” said Nagyvary. “Given the widespread issue of woodworm infestation during that era, Stradivari and Guarneri would have been motivated to protect their instruments from damage.”
At a time when patent laws and intellectual property protections were nonexistent, the makers of Cremonese violins likely guarded their wood treatment techniques closely as trade secrets. This secrecy, compounded by the invisibility of the chemical treatments to the naked eye, may explain why such methods were lost over time.
Only a few hundred violins from each luthier have survived, with some fetching tens of millions of dollars at auction. Understanding the role of these chemical treatments provides insight into the enduring value and unparalleled sound quality of these instruments.
Further investigations will be necessary to determine the precise composition of the chemical mixtures used and their specific effects on the wood’s acoustic characteristics.
“My extensive research has been grounded on the premise that the exceptional sound of Stradivari and Guarneri violins is directly linked to the aggressive chemical treatment their woods underwent,” Nagyvary concluded.
The study’s findings have been published in the journal Angewandte Chemie.
— The Violin Post Editorial Staff
