Paganini's Violin-1706 Guarneri
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- Опубліковано 7 лют 2025
- Giuseppe Guarneri "filius andreae" violin that once belonged to Niccolo Paganini.
A short documentary about this historic violin.
We were able to play and record this violin thanks to the CHIMEI Museum and their amazing violin collection.
atonalhits.com/
artist.landr.c...
The fact that this violin was already an antique when Paganini played on it is mind blowing
It’s like how the pyramids were already ancient to the romans
@@DanielVodenitcharov Or how Cleopatra is closer to us in time than she was to the pyramids.
Yes, so cool.
Now we need Hilary Hahn and a hula hoop.
NO
No we need Heifetz
@@orewachinchindaisukinandayo no we need high tec
NO WE NEED ZIYU HE
@@AuliaSekar and Ray Chen
Twoset and lingling have managed to hijack every violin comment section on youtube
Holum this is sooo true😂😂😂
Shamefully there are a lot of unrelated and useless comments because of that.
Adrián Buenfil yeah I bet you use your platform to introduce and educate people about violins and classical music
@@tazhiag.5760 Why do you get so butthurt? Is every weabo like you? I don't have a problem with Twoset's content, but rather with the childish fans like you that get triggered when I say the truth. Nobody wants to read "she practices 40 hours" and other useless comments when discussing antique violin making. If I wanted to watch stupid memes instead of actually learning I would watch their channel rather than this one.
Adrián Buenfil i was actually waiting for this kind of reply 😂. Im not “butthurt”. You know how comments sections are nowadays, you’ll see the good and the bad according to your preference of course. It’s just surprising how you just wanted to see the things you only want to see. Oh well. Do you.
You have no idea how overwhelmed I am listening that violin. You make it come to life. Amazing, thank you very much.
Aw, thank you! You made my day :)
It’s a beautifully rich bass. Thank you for demonstrating it.
Excellent video. Even from the laptop speakers, you can hear the richness of sound from this instrument. Beautiful! And how lucky you are to be able to play these violins!
You see things in this world and you just have no idea the level of depth discipline and passion that goes on beneath the surface. Thank you.
I love its sound. It is rich and deep. It's beautiful! You always play very well.
Thank you for sharing part of the history of Paganini.
Its NicOlo. Thank you for amazing video.
Beautiful presentation & explanations. Your playing is glorious.
Thank you!! Honestly, this was our first video like this and I was SUPER uncomfortable talking in front of the camera (playing is so much easier!!)- so glad this has worked out! :)
She practices 40 hours a day
Bruh
Twoset gang
Ling Ling 40 hours
Violin world has been completely taken over by twosets lol
I'm not sure if they've helped or destroyed the classical world 😂
I wonder if Paganini would even recognise this violin in this current state: new neck (or at least set at a larger angle), metal strings, sound dampened by a chin rest and a shoulder rest-big heavy modern bow. It's a wonderful instrument in this state, don't get me wrong, but it doesn't tell us much at all about Paganini's sound world.
Well put, I think that's pretty spot on! I should probably do a video on what Paganini's world was like.
Условия для создания современного звука волновали Паганини.Ему очень нужен был мощный звук. И есть много фактов, что скрипки Гварнери и Страдивари несмотря на свою барочность в силе звука современным скрипкам не уступали.
what a beautiful instrument, thank you so much -- and lovely playing too
Terrific. And beautiful playing, as always.
Wow, great video! The sound is beautiful!
I realize she has it covered, but it makes me nervous to see it held by chin, only.
HAH, I promise I've got it covered!! Everyone gets nervous seeing that- but for a violinist it's a super normal thing. Never dropped a violin in my life, so we're good, I swear! :)
@@aTonalHits I can hold my violin in my chin even without chin rest or shoulder rest. But paganini's violin I will surely freak out and drop. 😵😵
Same lol
@@aTonalHits Yeah, but, that's not "a violin"....That's PAGANINI'S VIOLIN. I swear I heard his ghost crying "o.k lets get some hands on that beast right now young lady!" Phew.....
no shit
So lovely to hear Arvo Part played on such a beautiful instrument.
Does that refer to the piece at 0:44? What is name?
Thank you for playing Frates! It sounds wonderful on the paganini
Best piece ever, no? Here's an old video we did for that piece- ua-cam.com/video/-2ZKg8t6YD8/v-deo.html
Should do it again though!
I kind of like this Guaneri better than the Stradivarious violin
You are fortunate having in your hands and playing this worderful instrument!
I'm so glad you played Päart on this violin!
I love her descriptions of the sound produced by the violin
The sound is so amazing
My sister almost died from Marfan Syndrome, and I think I have the gene also (but somehow not with the same degree of symptoms). The long fingers do help when playing cello.
I'm so sorry to hear that, but very glad she is ok!! They must be such a help on the cello though, it's hard enough to reach some of those chords on the violin!
I've gotten mixed opinions from doctors whether or not I have Marfan's. Got an ultrasound once from my cardiologist and even though I do have long limbs, overlapping thumb+pinky nail around the wrist, thumb reaches decently beyond the palm, rib cage bowed inwards, but the ultrasound showed that my heart was fine and there was nothing to worry about. Fingers crossed I remain that way.
GolldenFalcon Does it run in your family? There’s a lot of variability in the effects. Even though my sister had it, and I’m sure I have the gene (which is dominant), I only have some skeletal manifestations and have not had aortic signs in my 67 years of life. So don’t worry, but you may want to get follow-up echocardiogram later on, to see if there is any hint of widening of the aorta.
I have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome which shares characteristics with Marfan. I am a violinist and teacher and believe me- it’s a curse not a blessing. My joints are coming undone and I’m slowly dying from the accompanying comorbid conditions. It’s very painful but possible to keep playing with determination and learning to manage the symptoms as best as possible.
I’m betting Paganini had EDS not Marfan which is much much worse and would probably have not allowed such a performance career.
@@catherinemccallen7982 Hi Catherine, so sorry to hear about that. I play the violin and was considering music as a career when I was diagnosed with hyperlaxity last year. Althought it's definitely not as serious as EDS, my condition is more towards that end of the spectrum compared to normal degrees of hyperlaxity. My limbs and fingers hyperextend and my tendons on my knuckles tend to glide around my knuckles and fall into the space between my fingers (subluxation), which makes intonation and bow control especially difficult. I could not imagine what you've gone through - wish you the best of health.
Amazing violin and terrific playing!
That violin is absolutely beautiful
A big part peoppe don't mention about high end violins, particularly strads is how strong the sound is. They were meant for virtuoso soloists that had to be heard over the whole orchestra behind them. They sound great playing loud
Sensory overload alert!!!....A beauty playing a beautiful instrument beautifully.
Is it me or does the violin look ever so slightly longer/wider and flatter than other violins? That would subtly change the sound it makes. You sounded fantastic playing it by the way!!! It is so so incredible that Paganini played this violin. It connects you with him over hundreds of years of history.
what a pretty video! Can't believe Paganini's hands lay on that instrument.
Beautiful
oh my.. what a fine tone.. with all of our "science" today why is it that no one can make something sound as beautiful as this did.. My dear you made the violin sing and I was shattered when it stop so suddenly and abruptly at the end. I could have listened to you play for hours.. magnificent.. I must hear more.. I am in..
Thank you! And there are a ton of other videos where we just play, with no explanations or talking. So, there you go! Hours more to listen :)
@@aTonalHits I have found many already.. thank you..
I have such admiration for people who can play an instrument, because I can barely walk and chew gum at the same time.
So beautiful
Incredible violin incredible violinist
Very great video, thank you!
her: *explains syndrome*
me: *wraps pinky and thumb around wrist* >>
Dammit! Don't have the syndrome 😆
I have found my b r o t h e r
I tried. I can do it too! :)
I can have them touch, but not overlap.
Mine overlaps 😲
When she talked about how she can stretch her hand I also compared my hands and they were the same. And then I remember that I also play the piano from when I was five and started playing all the way to the highest interval (8).
Paganini was a good composer and Violonist, the accesories have improved and lots of techniques were developed.
Bravo...
Beautiful tone.
Guarneri is my ancestor. My Grandma’s madden name was Guarneri and she talked about how our family were violin makers.
Very beautiful tone!
David Garrett needed this for the movie.
No. Need to Vengerov, Perlman, Sarah Chang, Mintz, no to Garret
@@marcosuluaga8358 no you dimwit, he said that they had it as a prop in the movie.
@@marcosuluaga8358 Show the man some respect. He's an amazingly talented vilolinist who managed to bridge the gap between classical and mainstream, introducing many people to classical music
Italians are so clever..Present day Italians carry on with such brilliance in the Form of FERRARI, LAMBORGHINI, MASERATI just a few Italian brand names..there are countless amazing designers and brands in all fields..too many to list them all.
Thanks
Wow, she's so great.
Very deep versatile, colorful. i almost prefer this to strad
The del Jesu violins of Guarneri are the most sought after for recording. More decibels and caused by slightly higher ribs for a slightly larger 'box.'
You have got wonderful hands.
Oh wow, Sonata #3!
love this
That depth is why I like a Guarneri violin.
Awesome no other words
Wow, that's a very nice instrument!
Very informative.
Why does this channel have so few subscribers. It's amazing!
Hell, I'm surprised we have as many as we do! Thanks for watching! :)
@@aTonalHits You get to play and share with us these one of a kind pieces of art. That just happen to make beautiful music. I think it's superb.
I also prefer Guarneri over Stradivari. My favorite violin maker is now Gasparo Da Salo. It is surprising how sweet that Guarneri sounds. Paganini's music would have sounded different than it does on modern instruments.
The Cannon of violins!
Twoset needs to see this!!!
Ugh....
Holy shit I didn't realize Paganini had a Guarneri 😱🔥
The other (lesser spoken thing) about Paganini's violin playing ..he spent more time with his favourite musical instrument (since his teenage years) the GeeTar!!
When he wasn't onstage with a violin, he had his closest 'friend' always in hand. I think this relationship was more than just as a 'conquest' tool (as some have remarked). The guitar gave him all the left hand stretch, strength and stamina for his exploits on the violin scale. Interesting to note (as a classical guitar player) I can easily wrap my fretting hand pinky and index finger around my right wrist (but not so easily when attempting with the right hand). And can flatten the thumb across the hand (more easily with the fretting hand). And, I don't have Marfan syndrome ;)
When I have picked up friends violins, they remark of the silly stretches I can do ..because to me the violin is a pleasure to fret around on (and gain some intonation skills with) as it feels so small due to my experiences playing guitar. I'm sure Paganini found a similar symbiotic connection between the instruments (the guitar is 'kind of' a scaled up violin).
As for the Marfan syndrome idea:
I'm not sold on it, as I don't believe any science has been done.
Firstly, his family would need to be checked to see if this syndrome is even in their DNA :)
Secondly, I don't think there are other cases of Marfan syndrome among musicians. If it was a benefit, you would think we would see more incidences of it. However, of the cases I've seen: 'True' Marfan syndrome would be a hindrance not a benefit. The continual dislocations (and the pain associated with relocation), the arthritis like symptoms ..heck all the symptoms don't seem to help playing ..only the idea that the fingers are stretched (longer) and the tendons are like rubber bands (which causes dislocations all over the body, continually). Just a heavy juddering motion (from say, an aggressive bow technique) could cause dislocations ..or a strong fretting hand pull-off etc etc etc.
imho - I think he played heavily from childhood, as his body grew (especially at times like puberty) his hands physically grew and stretched to match his technical requirements (and he was continually stressing his hands by playing for long hours every day).
Add guitar playing to this training mix and I think you are on to something. Add to that a mastery that meant he had no issue retuning the violin as he choose, shaping the bridge to different angles (depending on the requirements of a song), he was not 'bound' to the instruments shortcomings ..he adapted it to fit his technique (a true master quality).
However, his actual musical creativity ..that is an impossible thing to really quantify. But, you get an idea from the reviews of those who witnessed him (especially musicians :)
Oh ..and a search of UA-cam for ' Leonid Kogan - Paganini (HD) ' will also give you some idea. ;-)
Fretting on a violin 🤣. Is this one of those sacrilegious fretted electric violins?
Rich Guarneri sound. A good friend dated a Violinist in the Baltimore Symphony back in the early mid 90s She had a Guarneri and I got hear it a lot. I’m guessing it is not a primary instrument since it is worth 20x what it was then.
The sound was unbelievable.
It sounds like a dream
Richness ,depth, warmth. Despcription of a big hole covered in velvet.
Playing Arvo Pärt there, that's amazing.
Hah, glad you like it! That's one of my favorite pieces to perform :)
@@aTonalHits Since I'm from Estonia, I have a bias towards Arvo Pärt. I love his work and saw him once walking down the street lol. He's quite an underrated modern composer.
Henrijoh Underrated? He’s the most performed living composer in the world, (apart from John Williams). That’s so cool you saw him in the street though.
Aravind Aravind Not a lot know him though and talk about him in the mainstream world. Maybe I’ve just been out of touch, though he has won a lot of awards.
Magnificent
Thanks for a very interesting presentation. One suggestion: We nonviolinist violin lovers would appreciate more examples of the violin's lyrical beauty rather than its wide range, etc.
Love the history
There are exercises called finger fitness if you want to stretch more with the right hand for playing the piano. Great video btw, cheers.
I need those.
Congratulation for you job dear.
The trick to a good violin sound are the low notes
Since it's a small instrument, that's the real trick.
You want low notes that don't sound boxy or nasal. The way you achieve this is by making the plates thinner and more flexible..
But there's a catch. As you remove wood and thin the plates, some notes will appear in the middle register louder than others. You get these resonant areas known as Wolf notes. Without an even response, the player has to work around these louder areas while playing. Add to all this the complication of having to predict how the wood will age and change over time...which is sometimes pure luck. A violin that wasn't spectacular when new can improve....and another violin that sounds great new fades over time. Fortunately over centuries the wood becomes stable...and luthier over time can address flaws and changes during repair and maintenance. Suffice it to say, when you are judging the sound quality of a violin...listen to the low notes. That's what separates the great from the cheap. The high end is all about player technique. A good player can make a cheap violin sound good high up with a quality bow. Oh ....did I mention that the bow matters?
del Gesu back plates run thicker than Strads, Amatis, most other builders. The wood graduation is not by luck. It is a skill one gets from thorough training. I have a 2010 del Gesu model, and it tolk 10 years to develop its whole voice. The maker was fastidiously aware of its age vs its tone development, and some concerns were addressed by telling me just how young the violin was. Playing this violin is like having a car with a high performance big block; say a Dodge 426 hemi with 2 four barrel carbs. Or the SR-71 Blackbird.
This makes me think that once I have this violin, I will become the best violinist.
I like these better than stradivarius violins, the strads kind of hurt to listen to sometimes
I've always loved the rich low end and gentle high end of Guarneri. Strads are too harsh on both ends but decent in the middle
Agreed....I could make them both sound like crap though.
......and I like good resonance on G and D and an E that will readily whistle when called to. So the best fiddle I've ever played was a homemade teardrop shaped violin. I wouldn't mind the violin constructed by Yehudi Menuhin from matchsticks.
(Unpopular opinions I don't agree with)
The strads is extremely delicate and can only be played by the especially talented
What a cool channel, even for a cellist like myself! :) Subscribed.
Sounds so much nicer than a strad
It’s fucking hauntingly beautiful after 300+ years
I wish I was able to play such an old violin
Great video but may I give a helpful suggestion.....
1:38 that graphic is painful on the eyes.
Why not download "parchment", then do the same tree
on the parchment. It makes it look old/historical and is pleasing on the eye.
2:06 wow, Pärt!!!
Yeah nice call 👍👍
I have had the wonderful luck/privilege of playing alongside a masterful violinist playing an Amati, and another time a different great artist playing a Guarneri del Gesù. These were highlight experiences for me, of course. This, however, raises the musical question: having listened to quite a few of your own very fine recorded performances lately, what sort of violin does Ms Katha Zinn play professionally? It also sounds amazing, as do of course the various instruments you demonstrate in this series.
Thank you so much for listening! And- hah! I would so love to tell you what instrument I play on but, as some other people have pointed out on this channel, I can't really post that publicly for security reasons. I'm so sorry! But it's a beast of an instrument, a total diva, and I completely love it. I hope that satisfies some tiny inkling of your question! :)
@@aTonalHits Well, thank you Ms Zinn. I understand (I just produced a college concert featuring 200-year-old guitars, with provenances. We weren't allowed to identify the owners!). It's evident that you have a real and amazing affinity for that wonderfiddle. Please keep making these videos and play somewhere in Cambridge! Meanwhile, while i have your attention, let me state for the record that Mr Filshtinskiy is quite clearly a truly gifted pianist, and somebody (himself?) is one amazing videographer as well (the Bach Chaconne video was stunning on so many levels...) Thanks again for the heart and soul (and fingers!) you two display with such elegance.
@@pgm3 Yes, Illya is the videographer! He has such a knack for all things visual, I'm always amazed too. I keep on trying to get him to get on the channel and talk as well as play, so maybe one of these days we'll get to hear him a little more too. Thank you very, very much for tuning in- we are so glad you enjoy our videos! :)
So, how does it compare to the later Guarneri (BY a later Guarneri, the del Gesù) that Paganini also owned? The "Il Cannone" Guarneri, of 1743 I read, surprised me once at a live concert. It really didn't exhibit the rich dark "Guarneri sound" I expected! To be frank though, it was played by a lesser violinist.
On the other hand, I heard the Komitas String Quartet of Armenia live in a small, intimate venue. THEY had the Guarneri sound! In spades, possibly all of them played some Guarneri instrument (owned by the Armenian state). Later, in a small church, they still showed the rich tight dark sound. Usually I'm unhappy about strings in churches, something essential is lost (or something nasty added) I feel, but that was a Tchaikovsky 3rd as fat as I could wish for.
Yes the body has deep resonances, hence the rich tone. Flexible but dense wood offers deeper resonant signature... even low frequency peaks in the response combined with various damping effects that are part of the art of making violins.
....... it's an old violin and been worked on and " improved" upon during the last few hundred years . I once had an axe ,, I changed the handle for it five times and I changed the blade twice ; it's the best axe I ever had.
Charles Dickens A Guarneri is a little more complicated to build than an axe 😉
Hah! philosophy nerd I see! Is it the same violin?? Hmmmm...
The plates and neck are still the same, but the bridge, strings, fingerboard, maybe even the soundpost have all been changee. And then there's the chin and shoulder rests. And the bow.
3:05 I was just doing the things the she did out of pure curiosity and I got genuinely concerned because I was able to it all
Don't be concerned, I know I'm already envious cos you can reach things I can't!! :)
never know Paganini played a filius.
maravilloso
I definitely prefer these over the Strads.
What are the top 3 violins you have ever played? What 3 violins would you look forward to trying out if you could?
Top 3? 1913 Strad, the da Salo... and a toss up between the Elman Strad and the Maggini. 3 that I'm looking forward to trying out? Hmm.... well, I try to approach every instrument with zero expectation, because the name of the instrument can really create quite an assumption. I can't wait to try out the Met's collection, and of course, I would LOVE to try the Cannone someday!
OMG! I never played a note but it turns out I'm born for it with my hands! Hard to find fitting gloves.
Should I skip the violin and go straight for a 5-string viola?
Lol!! Violin is hard enough but- I always found guitar super difficult cos of my small hands! Maybe start there :)
🤩🤩
Larsen makes strings called "Il Cannone" which seem like a good fit for this instrument.
This instrument could use some Larsen Il Canonne Soloist Tension Strings (w/ the Original A & Ball End E String) & also Planetary Perfection Pegs.
Just curious. What can you say about playing such a work of art? What is the experience like?
the pärt sounds great on that instrument
Old wood is drier.
Much more resonant.
Chris Dragotta Not necessarily. If it gets too dry, it cracks, potentially rendering the instrument useless. Balanced moisture content is key for any wooden instrument.
Both Stradivarius and Guarneri started making the bodies violins thinner and the body shorter. That and their drying made them easier to 'start.' When the player draws the bow against the string, it is described as 'starting' the string. (vibration) This gives rise to the term when a player depresses the string being called a 'stop' because at that point is where the player stops the string. That gave rise to the term describing when a player plays two strings at once being called...a double stop.
@Mycel which is why you keep wood instruments between 45 and 55 percent humidity and around 72 degrees temperature.
I have several old Classical guitars. I use humidifiers and dehumidifiers as needed with correct temperature and out of sunlight when not being played.
@@artartful854 Mind. Blown.
@@artartful854 Except, most of that is purely placebo. Just like wine testing, pros have been shown to be compleatly unable to hear or feel the difference in blind tests between stradivari and other famous makers vs good modern replicas. Personally ive heard both originals and replicas and they are so close that you cant tell the difference consistently
Their real value is really the history they carry.
These violins were created in the baroque configuration, all converted later, they do not sound like they did when built, they would have sounded like baroque violins.
Baroque simply means 1600 - 1750 and refers to the appearance...not to the sound or how easily the violin starts. In fact, Stradivarius was the first followed by Guarneri to shorten the overall length, while he and Guarneri made them thinner. Baroque simply refers to how ornate something is. The changes this young lady describes were no more or less baroque than their being in this period. So an observer and listener would need to know just what you mean by 'converted ?'
@@artartful854 Although I don't know whether they are correct, it's pretty obvious that they mean the physical attributes of the instrument, common in baroque times, were converted to fit the modern day standards of an instrument. In the baroque period instruments had very different dimensions, were made with different materials, and therefore sounded a lot different. One could say, more baroque.
@@peanutgallery123 Still, baroque is somewhat of a general label. However, in my experience one could as subjectively describe baroque music as that which tended to be played in the higher scales in music, while still, baroque music is just simply described mainly as music 1600 -1750. Those 'modern standards of the day' could be those standards as it relates to the violin, being 'converted' from Amati to the standards of Stradivarius and Guarneri, created by their violins being shorter in length with the higher ribs on the Guarneri developing a fuller, richer tone on the D and even more so the G string which is likewise claimed by many, to be the reason they are the most desired for the following romantic music and live solo concerts. As far as my research informs, the materials differed very little. In my experience, the back, ribs and neck were various maple woods, the belly was of spruce. All of the black wood of course was ebony for its strength and endurance.
Wow
I looooove this violin! Can you please tell me which piece is at the end of this video? It’s so lovely and sweet!! 😁🧸🎻💕
3:06 I fit all these criteria! So do I have some syndrome I never knew of? Maybe that explains why I never struggled to reach notes like most of my friends, whether on violin or guitar. I don’t know how to feel about that, haha
Dheevesh Mungroo just because you can do it doesn’t mean you’re diagnosed with it
Maybe? Possibly? But the point is- all us stubby fingered people out there ENVY you profusely!! :)
aTonalHits Nothing to be envious about, some people called my fingers “weird”. 🙃
I don't play the violin but I imagine it's like playing the finest stratocaster through the finest tube amplifier turned all the way up?
Regardless Pagininni was the most gifted musician so I'm sure he didn't play Walmart.
I play violin and electric guitar, and your comparison is sort of the right idea, in the sense that the finest strat and cranked tube amp is the best thing guitarists can actually play to maximize dynamic range and drive the overtones in a way that they will pop out.
At the same time, the strat and tube amp are only the best thing guitarists have *access* to. It doesn’t mean the finest strat and tube amp can reach the peak of what a world class violin can do. It’s simply the maximum for guitar. A really good violin provides a depth of harmonic complexity that no guitar will ever reproduce, but you can really tell when you’re in the room.
At the same time, I’ve heard a great player perform on a $1,000 violin and a $10,000,000 violin side-by-side, and he was able to make the $1,000 violin sound only 5-10% behind the tone of the much more expensive one. The player makes it go the extra mile. In the same way, Eric Johnson or Joe Satriani can make the electric guitar sing, because they know how to handle their gear.
@@SurfingSerpent I'm over 50 and have been playing electric since the first time I heard Jimi. My favorite movie is Crossroads.Ry Cooder is amazing. I do appreciate most forms of what I consider "music". Saw Steve Vai at the Orange peel in Asheville some years ago. I wish he would have done the "Pagininni thing". Since the movie I have learned to play it. I play a Warmoth strat with Fralins mostly. My favorite player happens to be Eric Johnson. I have followed his career from the beginning. I have stacks and stacks of Guitar Player magazines from the early 80s on.
They say most of the music Pagininni wrote he transcribed to guitar. I much prefer to hear it on guitar than violin. IMHO Charlie Daniels is the best violin player. 😆
@@johntaylor9320 That is cool if you prefer violin music on the guitar. I find that the guitar has a plethora of intonation problems due to having straight frets, so even though the guitar is a main instrument that I play, it will always have objective problems that the violin doesn’t. You will always deal with extra noise that is inevitable if you apply more gain to create more sustain and impact.
The violin not only allows for flawless intonation (which isn’t really an optional “subjective” thing since it’s inherent to music at a physical level), but the violin also produces its beautiful projecting sound and massive textural potential... all without the noise that gain creates on a guitar-style amplifier.
The violin can perfectly control the duration of a note from start to finish, and manipulate harmonics on a whole other level with the use of the bow. You can really bring out harmonics and sustain them, using harmonics as a subtle effect over your note, or making them squeal loudly if you want. The violin can do all of this with a completely natural tone that is perfectly tuned and creates no extra noise other than the note itself.
The violin can contribute to an acoustic guitar or acoustic piano in a way that the electric guitar never could, because as soon as you take away “loud” formats that mask the problems of guitar (bad intonation and excess noise), the electric guitar becomes unable to function as a true melody instrument.
By “true melody instrument”, I mean something that can do the qualities I previously mentioned, just like a horn or the voice would be able to do:
1. Perfect intonation (it’s not optional).
2. It doesn’t create any extra noise beyond the note itself, because noise becomes very apparent when the instrument is exposed.
3. It has complete control over the entire duration of the note (not just the initial articulation like a pick produces)
4. It has control over the texture of the sound (either through vowel shaping with a horn/voice, or through harmonic control in the violin’s case).
I still like the guitar a lot, but I stuck with the violin because of its many optimal characteristics over the guitar. If you only play one instrument, then the guitar might just be your only thing, and you might just deal with its downsides or not even notice them in the first place (blind spots are a real thing when something is all you have known). Once you learn to sing classically/operatically, or learn proper violin playing, the guitar’s downsides become quite apparent and can even bother you. I just choose to play multiple instruments so I can use the right tool for the application.
I was reading about the attempted auction of a viola at $45M -- didn't sell -- and the highest price for a violin is a little over $15M at auction ("Lady Blunt"), but one of Paganini's violins like this Guarnerius must be the most valuable, and it sounds special.
The $45M viola sat for 30 years without being played and its tone has gone dead and needs to be "brought back." Unlike this violin, that viola doesn't sound good in the demo. In spite of the rarity of Strad violas -- only 10 exist -- a violin with this history must be worth hundreds of millions. That whole viola hype sounds gimmicky to me. I see 10M being a stretch for it, since it sold for today's equivalent of closer to a half million dollars the last time it was sold.
Thank you for this interesting video and I liked your talk, with the exception of talking through the best part of the demo of the instrument's deep bottom low notes. I understand that was an editor's mistake. Paganini's most famous violin, "Il Cannone" a Guarnerius (1743) has an ivory nut, so I guess this is another of his violins? Here is a video of Mintz playing the "Il Cannone" and it has a very deep tone and overall beautiful sound like this one:
ua-cam.com/video/RZBjBy_VQAA/v-deo.html
🤗👏👏👏😍😍😍
Both Ole Bull and Louis Spohr wrote about Paganini in their respective autobiographies & really, every "aspiring violinist" should read them. It's not just their "opinion" either. The most telling & damning criticism comes from Paganini himself as he weighs in on his "virtuosity" and "notoriety".
Audience hasn't changed much. Back then it was the imitation of Barnyard Animals that were all the "rage", now it's Hula Hoops and "Ling Ling". The fact that the "greatest violin ever made" has never been in the hands of a "Greatest Living Violinist" is deplorable.