It Wasn't the Varnish

Posted at 1:19 PM on December 7, 2009 by Rex Levang
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media

One of the persistent questions about the sought-after string instruments made by Antonio Stradivari has to do with the varnish. Why are Stradivari's violins prized above all others? Could it be the varnish had some secret ingredient, some special blend whose mystery died with Stradivari himself?

One more myth has been punctured: we're now told that the varnish itself was nothing out of the ordinary; more details here.

There's an interesting quote buried in the article: "He was an outstandingly skilled craftsman who had mastered the art of violin making." In other words, the reason that Strads are so good could be the same reason that Mozart symphonies are good: they're made by someone who was very, very good at making them.

That said, I suspect we haven't heard the last about varnishes, glues, the quality of 17th century wood, etc., etc., etc. The idea of the "secret of Stradivari" may be too enticing to let go.