RIN:31 The String Instrument for the Soloist .

The String Instrument for the Soloist ...
Not Necessarily an Expensive One
Copyright© 1978 by Dr. Joh. G. Pfeiffer, Augsburg

Most music lovers, connoisseurs, and music critics are not in a position to recognize spontaneously whether they are listening to a good, modern string instrument or an old, valuable Cremonese instrument. Nevertheless, a note usually appears on the printed program indicating that the violinist is playing on this or that old and venerable instrument originating from the year so and so, which is probably supposed to mean that the artist therefore produces an especially beautiful tone. It will naturally occur to the average music lover that the virtuoso would hardly have been able to play so well, produce the same tonal excellence on a less venerable instrument.

2. This is unfortunately a wide-spread fallacy which, through a storm of mass hysteria among string players, has triggered the run after old instruments. According to the law of supply and demand, antique instruments of the lesser known violin makers are also gradually rising to acquire a disproportionate image and honor.

3. Prospective young virtuosos-thus all who want to make music their career-are on the lookout for old string instruments quite early in life; they tend to fall victim of the public-fueled notion that those instruments for which the highest prices are demanded must no doubt be the best.

4. Those dealing in old violins are naturally interested in keeping this faith alive because this way they do good-even excellent-business. On the other hand, artists who own such old instruments are also very interested in seeing the prices rise rather than fall-after all, in most instances they have spent a fortune on such instruments, involving themselves in considerable financial sacrifice. Thus sellers (dealers) and owners (violinists and collectors) keep a vicious circle going which places young musicians under the delusion that "an old instrument is superior". Of course there are violins, violas and 'cellos of great intrinsic value beyond their antique value. At the same time, however, there are numerous old instruments which are no longer satisfactory for the concert-hall performance and are nevertheless played on by many eminent violinists. This can only be explained by the fact that these old instruments so and so convincing to the concert performer whose ear is only about fifteen centimeters away from the instrument. The artist, however, can never be the best critic of his instrument. It is difficult to pass objective judgment on the tone of a violin since the perception of tone varies considerably both to the artist and his audience. Taste and aural capacity are not objectively measurable and vary from person to person. What pleases the soloist with regard to his old violin is possibly the soft tone that is easy to attain-a tone which the audience in the concert hall perceives as thin and syrupy of often lacking intensity. The illusion experienced by the artist that an instrument which responds so well to his own aural perceptions good to the audience as well is wide-spread. The soft, charming Italian tone the virtuoso perceives with his own ear or through an amplified microphone sometimes sounds thin and much too sweet in the auditorium and is tonally incompatible with other modern instruments (for example wind). However, some soloists believe for prestige reasons that they must appear with old and valuable instruments without realizing the fact that these instruments are no longer suitable for concert performance. So called "Italian tone" alone is just not enough. The violins that are now hundreds of years old were played as new instruments at the time of their origin and, quite logically, possessed tone color similar to a present-day instrument that is good and new. Violin virtuosos of that time who attained great fame were, for example, Monteverdi, Tartini, Vivaldi etc. They all fascinated audiences with their excellent new violins. It has been proved scientifically that the elasticity of wood lessens as centuries go by and that its vibration capacity consequently decreases. Also the custom of repairing violins has become popular to an extent unknown to the old violin makers. Endeavors to make old violins regain their former tonal excellence (through insertion of lining and new bass bars, etc.) have led to a situation in which hardly a single instrument of historical value can be found on today's market in its original state. Revamping old instruments has gradually developed into a new branch of business formerly non-existent. The venerable old masters rarely dealt with repairs. If an instrument was damaged, they did what made most sense and simply offered the customer a new one. In any case, they saw no rhyme and reason in preserving the life of a damaged instrument by doing extensive patching. It is surprising indeed that only the strongest part of the violin, namely the bass bar, should become weak with age, and not the rest of the wood as well.

5. There are innumerable old patched-up violins built by prominent masters whose interiors are full of operational scars but which nevertheless still fetch top prices. The risk of owning such instruments is that they may break easily. There are only a few string players who appear to be impartial in judging an instrument.

6. An old instrument sometimes responds a little more readily than a new one because its wood, weakened by age and not as resilient, no longer offers any special resistance to the vibrations of the bridge and therefore vibrates at the lightest bow pressure. This is desirable for playing piano passages. When playing forte, however, such an instrument soon reaches its limits. One cannot play it as intensively as a new one which needs a firmer hand. A good instrument of latter-day design can take any type of bow technique.

7. Recordings of old instruments are often grossly misleading. All one has to do is to place the virtuoso very close to the microphone and the old violin will "radiate" over the entire orchestra. The listener is then easily inclined to believe that the projection of the instrument is attributed to its origin.

8. The pathological doctoring up of old instruments has led to the general realization that such an instrument, as a rule, can be aided by inserting a new bass bar every ten to twenty years. It certainly contradicts all logic to believe that, in the life of a violin, it is always the bass bar that suffers fatigue and never the front or back.

9. Tones produced on the violin are dampened vibrations. The process of dampening must be a balanced one. If the wood used for the front and back becomes tired and is no longer capable of producing an appropriate, ideal dampening effect (i.e. if vibration occurs like a piano tone when the sustaining pedal is continuously pressed), then a new bass bar is very well capable of providing a remedy. The new bass bar reduces the after-vibration (which is too long) to the ideal value; the thin squeaking tone becomes fuller again and greater bow pressure can now be applied.

10. Many violin makers insert an excessively strong bass bar into new violins as well. I think that is wrong, since the wood forming the front and back possesses a sufficient elasticity module of its own and can therefore withstand a powerful bow-stroke. In the case of new violins, a bass bar that is too strong causes undesirable extra dampening of the vibrations. It is very difficult to find the happy medium between the two undesirables, i.e. dampening which is too strong and insufficient dampening.

11. A new violin produces the normal warm wood tone if the wood is correctly processed. The responsiveness of the instrument will then be satisfactory from the outset and will improve through intensive playing as a result of the undampening effect. Therefore it is possible to say that a new instrument, as opposed to an old one, lends itself to development. Of late, this undampening process has been substantially shortened by applying appropriate vibration treatment. Gerhard Alfred von Reumont practiced this vibration-undampening treatment, as he called it, with good effect. The author himself, too, can attest to having achieved satisfactory results from his own attempts. It should be pointed out, however, that no miracles can be worked on an incorrectly built instrument.

12. As is appropriated, timbre tends to vary from violin to violin. There is no really ideal violin tone. Each violin has its own specific tone color, as each person has his own idiosyncrasies of speech. What variety of tone-coloring appeals to the listener is a matter of personal taste. It appears to me that in future it will not be so much mild and very soft violin tone inherent in the old Italians that will be demanded, but rather a sonorous, 'cello-like tone characterized by timbre and great volume of sound. The pronounced soft solo instrument will one day no longer be demanded. Warm and natural wood tone can only be elicited from a new instrument.

13. A good instrument is of course fundamentally important for realizing the tonal ideas of the concert artist, the artistic creation of tone being, however, entirely his own. An outstanding player is always capable of producing his own individual violin tone on the most diverse of instruments, whether new or old. Played behind a curtain, the instrument is usually not recognized at all, whereas the violinist performing always is.

14. There is hardly a subject on which so much hair-raising, pseudo-scientific nonsense has been written as that pertaining to string instruments: old, sometimes very old instruments are accorded a worthy position which only a few actually deserve. Reading through the extensive descriptions of old violins, one observes that the shower praise on such aspects as varnish, f-holes, purfling, etc. On the other hand nothing very specific is said about the vibration qualities or the timbre of the instrument. Nevertheless, the tone that is the decisive criterion for the soloist and not the antique value, which may be totally different from its intrinsic worth. The visible qualities of old instruments do not constitute any difficulty whatsoever for today's violin makers. The old craftsmen of the seventeenth century and the new ones of the twentieth century have all worked more or less equally well, sometimes more precisely, sometimes with less care. The present-day quality of structural design has probably improved as compared with former standards. In fact, the majority of old master violins would not qualify in a present-day violin competition because of their technical short-comings.

15. The real difficulty of violin making lies in determining the strength of the wood, harmonizing the front and back, making the correct cut and, above all, choosing the right wood, quite apart from things not visible externally. Good craftsmanship is of course important in order to create an aesthetic outward appearance. This alone, however, is not sufficient to attain good tone quality. Precise workmanship and superior wood are no guarantee that a first-class soloist's violin is going to emerge. Among today's violin makers there are personalities who are quite capable of producing instruments at least equal in quality to the old Italian examples; their tone cannot be different in any way from that of the old instruments at the time they were built. The term "master violin" is misleading. One automatically connects it with the notion of a particularly valuable instrument. Unfortunately, there is a vast number of products actually made by old or contemporary masters; nevertheless, they cannot by any means qualify as concert or solo instruments owing to their deficient tone quality.

16. Another myth which is hard to stamp out is the demand for old, as far as possible very old wood for the violin body. The fact that dry and properly seasoned, mellowed wood is better than freshly felled material is of course a truism. Apart from that, however, there is no way to prove that wood a hundred or more years old is the ideal material for a violin. Being an organic material, wood is subject to aging. When counting the annual rings, one realizes the considerable age of new wood that has been allowed to season for about ten years.

17. Modern violins made out of healthy seasoned wood have the typical warm, lively tone of young wood. They do not sound "syrupy", and perhaps require (provided they have not been played much) imperceptibly greater strength, but nevertheless produce an unadulterated, fresh, masculine wood-sound capable of doing justice to a broad palette of tonal demands. Unfortunately, the following example can no longer be demonstrated to a present-day virtuoso: if, for instance, a Guarneri del Gesu violin was presented to him brand new from the masters workshop, he would probably reject it. These instruments were all presumably made from wood that was much too strong, and therefore it was difficult to elicit any response from them. Decades later they were objected to treatment designed to perfect them. Many indeed were improved, others, however, were totally ruined. There were no limits to vandalism. The violin dealer, Cozio di Salabue, however, commended these repairers. Instruments that could be saved from this "diluting campaign" required perhaps a more powerful bow technique (Cozio). If features of construction that are essential to tone (e.g., strength of the wood) are altered by someone else, the instrument can no longer be regarded as being an "original". On the other hand, a fatigued and over-played Guarneri del Gesu is consequently no longer a Guarneri del Gesu; its tone qualities have fundamentally changed. In no other field of art have such severely disfiguring operations occurred. What is surprising is that these value-diminishing adulterations have never been reflected in the development of prices. Herbert von Karajan is supposed to have said once that the only thing that could raise the already superior standards of the Berlin Philharmonic even higher would be for each string player to be provided with a Stradivari or Guarneri del Gesu. Since this is not possible, the author suggests that each member of the string section play a good instrument of modern design on an experimental basis. The author is convinced that this experiment would result in a perfectly new tonal experience! Since the modern violin builder cannot produce 200 to 300 year-old violins, it is useless to debate differences of quality at all. It is certain, however, that the tonal quality of first-class instruments built in former times is comparable to that of present-day superior-quality violins. Nevertheless, most soloists disregard newly built instruments (according to the dictum that high prices reflect high quality). If this attitude continues, the modern generation of violin makers will be condemned to build instruments that will not be used until 100 or 200 years from now. However, the time will undoubtedly come when professionals will have to turn their attention to new instruments as tastes in tone-quality change. Even nowadays, anybody who makes a point of talking to concert-goers occasionally gains the impression that a two-hour solo recital on a warm, soft, syrupy, and often feeble-sounding old Italian instrument is too much of a burden. It is hard to understand why the soloist at least does not alternate between old and new, depending on the piece to be played.

18. What irritates me most of all with regard to the old Cremonese instruments is that they were all rebuilt and that their originality has thus been forfeited. A Guarneri del Gesu in particular is no longer an instrument of Guarneri's in its most essential parts. What has happened in the course of bygone centuries in terms of forgeries, frauds, and scandals involving false certificates should really be sufficient to deter buyers from purchasing exorbitantly priced instruments. It is always a risk to trust a certificate. Good tone, easy response and a pleasing appearance should be decisive factors when purchasing an instrument along with a price that has not been marked up disproportionately because of the instrument's value as an antique. One simply does not travel around with genuine antique instruments if it is possible to attain the same results on a good instrument without any additional antique value.

19. Not all Cremonese instruments were in demand during the lifetime of the great masters: del Gesu' violins were popularized years later by Paganini and were sought only as a result of his fame. It does not appear to have disturbed Paganini (presuming he obtained his violin in original condition) to have encountered difficulty in making the instrument respond and to overcome the same by applying more strength.

20. Violin virtuosos such as Monteverdi, Corelli, Tartini, Vivaldi, Veracini, Pugnani and Viotti all played on new violins characterized by the tone quality that new instruments of that time possessed and that new ones of today possess as well. Therefore it is wrong and misleading for chamber orchestras to try (as they have done recently) and impart the impression of old-master sound through the use of antique instruments. On the contrary, such orchestras would have to use new instruments in order do come closest to the way music sounded at that time. When I speak of new violins I mean instruments built by the present generation (up to 50 years old). Thus Paganini may also be said to have played on a relatively new violin.

21. In most cases the listener is not in a position to distinguish a Stradivari or Guarneri from an excellent new violin. It has happened time and again, that in a comparison test, the listener believed to be listening to a Stradivari, while in actual fact it was a new instrument that was being played. The artist can of course decide which instrument is better to handle and meets his tonal and formal intentions best. What he cannot judge, however, is the effect on the audience.

22. Since the differences in tone quality of good violins (also violas and 'cellos) are evident only in nuances, it is incomprehensible why many violinists travel about the world with DM 500,000 [1978] items when being able to obtain the same artistic effect using a DM 3,000 to DM 10,000 [1978] instrument. Not even the most educated audience is able to differentiate with certainty between the tone qualities of very good old and new instruments. On the other hand it may very well be able to determine how well the sound of a given instrument carries. The exaggerated praise in support of old violins and the overwhelming dismissal of new ones as being inferior belongs to the realms of superstition and myth.

23. A good (new) string instrument, stripped of all syrupy qualities, improves in tone from year to year while an old one gradually falls prey to the weakness of old age, a condition which cannot be remedied by patching up the instrument. Old violins are more susceptible to temperature and humidity differences so that they require to be treated and cared for much in the same way as old people. If overtaxed, such an instrument may "die". There is no doubt that, on the average, old instruments are greatly overrated. Violinists of our generation are at times systematically made to pay through the nose by price-dictating violin dealers and snobs. Of course this is not true of all dealers. Should the audience acquire a taste for a healthy new woodtone, which one day will certainly be the case, then old violins will continue to be traded in as antiques, though at considerably reduced prices. To a soloist, a violin can be "valuable" only from the tonal point of view; everything else is really immaterial.

24. When concert virtuosos and soloists go out in quest of fresh and healthy new woodtone, they are able to find instruments today which possess such features as tenderness, power, and light response. Patching up old veterans is bound to come to an end sooner or later. One should never be impulsive when buying an instrument.

25. A testing period of one to two months is of great help. One can fall in love with a violin slowly or quickly. For violin enthusiasts, love at first sight might mean the right choice; it might even prove a disappointment. Therefore, test the quality of the violin carefully if you intend to tie yourself down to it!

26. Whoever believes that he can only be happy with an old violin must be particularly cautious. Out of 100 violins, there are at least 90 so-called copies whose manufacturers were totally unknown "box makers". The reverence for Italian sounding names has reached grotesque proportions if one considers that about 200,000 violins were built in Italy, most of them in totally unknown workshops. Let it be emphasized once again: it is not the outer beauty, the form, and the shine of the varnish that speak for the quality of the violin (that is also true for the old masters), but rather its internal structure, the width of the wood chosen on the basis of annual rings and the distribution of these widths. No matter how much an old instrument is praised as being genuine, it is of no value to the virtuoso if lacking in tonal quality. Listen to the tone oneself is not always sufficient for arriving at a final decision. The soft, tender sound may well be thoroughly satisfying to one's own ear, although the wood used for the front and back may already begin to weaken with age.

27. A violinist who feels as if his violin were a part of himself because it offers him everything he expects from it, need not spend any sleepless nights if he has acquired it at a reasonable price without the usual markup added for antiques. Whether or not the label or the certificate is genuine need not concern him. Such considerations, of course, are not important as regards new violins since the owner usually knows the violin maker personally. As already stated, a soloist who is happy and satisfied with his instrument because it offers him all the qualities that one expects from a good instrument (light response, tone that is carrying, sonorous, and balanced on all strings, and overall beauty of tone) should not go hunting for an expensive antique for the purpose of maintaining or boosting prestige which will probably cause him nothing but worry as to how he may maintain the treasure thus acquired. With certain exceptions, an historical violin is hardly a good capital investment any longer.

30. It should not really be difficult for a budding young soloist to hunt down a reasonably priced concert violin that suits him if he does not allow himself to be infected by the superstition that only the great Italian instruments can offer him a guarantee for success as a soloist. A basic requirement for success in searching for fairly priced "equipment" is for the artist to free himself from the sectarian belief and the deeply entrenched notion that antiques alone "have got what it takes". The soloist can then quietly turn his back on the profit-minded dealers of old violins and need not worry about false certificates or tear his hair out about whether the "pedigree" is right and the violin is genuine. Furthermore, there is no need to involve himself in great expense which is probably out of proportion to his income in any case.

31. What is not always realized is the fact that some top soloists have a so-called copy in addition to the old classical violin they own, and that they also occasionally perform on the former in public (presumably, because of its better performing qualities). The outward appearance of the new instrument is required to be so convincing that neither the audience nor the critic are able to detect that it is not the old instrument that is being performed upon. Incidentally, the term "copy" is totally misleading! In instrument-building, reproduction can only refer to outward shape and application of the varnish. All the aspects that make up a well-built and well-sounding violin, however, are part of a new and original creation. Thus in certain cases, the new instrument can be similar, better, or worse, depending on the workmanship. Except for the outward appearance, it is always a new piece of work and has nothing at all in common with the original after which it has been patterned.

32. Old violins are not only bought by violinists. The greatest number of old instruments are objects of speculation among collectors and dealers. Although such people have nothing at all to do with violin playing, they come up against virtuosos as competitors-not as regards the playing, of course, but in jacking up of prices. Of the few existing instruments built by Stradivari, Guarneri and Amati (and others) that are still in good condition, very few are at the disposal of practicing artists. Most of these instruments lie embedded in velvet and silk in bank safes or private collections. It is understandable that those professional musicians who believe they can make headway through the medium of antiques are annoyed at this. Some credit must be given to art dealers, however; they are preserving valuable antiques for later generations.

33. One cannot overlook the diminishing number of famous old violins. Those dealing in old violins are enterprising enough to discover new ways of doing business. Thus, the products of lesser known old violin makers are gradually becoming more and more appreciated as well, and sell for correspondingly high prices. There is no limit to the enterprising tactics of these people. New "old names" are for ever cropping up and being regarded as highly valuable.

34. The suggestive power of the trade with its massive commercial interests has already affected professionals so tremendously that they subconsciously equate the words "old" with "good" and "new" with "bad", carrying these about with them like monograms. As far as I am concerned, this automatic mode of thinking is as deeply entrenched as the heresies associated with certain sects. The idea of only over-aged wood sounding good is just as hard to eradicate as the view that the tone quality of the famous old violins has remained unchanged from the time they were built until today. As previously mentioned, what is lacking is the power of fascination displayed in modern string instruments with their fresh, unadulterated wood-tone and their wide palette of tone color. While the prevailing taste for other instrument groups (wind instruments, pianos, etc.) has long since changed with the times, string players still rave about the honey-sweet, old wood-tone of the veterans without considering the fact that the acoustical qualities of the old violins were quite different in their "youth": powerful and of austere beauty.

Scope in Modern Violin Making

Success in evaluating the tonal merits of modern concert instruments on impartial lines is more likely to be achieved those who have gained experience in working with a number of different instruments -- both old and new. Violinists used to playing one and the same instrument are apt to develop one-sided aural faculties which in turn tend to inhibit response to other tonal qualities. Appreciation of tone color or timbre is something that calls for experience acquired with a whole variety of different nuances, experience that is for ever enriching the palate or critical sense of judgment.

36. If the disparaging criticism hurled at modern violin making were allowed to go by unheeded, the craft itself might easily degenerate into a state of hopelessness, retarding any incentive to come up with something better.

37. Thus hope, if only a shimmer, may be perceived here and there. Initial changes in judicious appraisal are ascertainable though still heavily weighed down by the burden of prejudice rampant at worldwide level. Evidence is obviously needed in order to refute the widespread erroneous opinion of modern violin making not being able to come forth with anything outstanding, excelling some of the costliest antiquities. It is perhaps owed to the broadmindedness of internationally renowned concert artists that modern instruments are accorded the chance they deserve especially when, apart from owning a Stradivari etc., soloists of this caliber state a marked preference to perform on the former. Unconditional veneration or idolization of historical instruments is not so prevalent among those with an ear for the aesthetic combined with judiciousness of taste; this may be ascribed to the fact that many have since come to recognize the true value of first-class instruments emanating from latter-day workshops in terms of tonal potential and clear-cut precision. The following are just a few artists of international standing who have cast off bias against modernities, regarding such prejudice as purely fallacious; all soloists perform on new instruments either exclusively or resort to the same quite frequently: Christopher Bunting, Jan White, Erdelyi, W. de Pasquale, Joseph de Pasquale, Jacqueline du Pre', Eugene Fodor, Franco Gutti, Salvatore Accardo, Albert Markov, W. Primrose, Ivan Galamian, Kyung-Wha Chung and many others. In the Philadelphia Orchestra (headed by Eugene Ormandy) no fewer than 24 members of the string section, including the principal, make use of new instruments. In addition, for reasons hard to conjecture, a considerable (unknown) percentage of soloists prefer to perform in concert using new instruments without wishing to blaze the fact abroad.

38. The fact that biased judgment passed on instruments built today is tending to decline more and more cannot escape attention; nor is it purely coincidental. If anything it may be said to result from personal experience and logic. Whereas experience can be gained by all willing to take the trouble to acquire it, logic is a matter of scientific reasoning. Why, for instance, should an old instrument lay claim to being one up on its latter-day counterpart if elaborate outlay is needed in the way of reconstruction and patching in order to make it comply with present-day stability requirements, today's scaling dimensions and, above all, modern demands imposed on tonal performance characteristics when such qualities already form an inherent constituent of new concert-class instruments? Another question that arises is whether those undertaking steps to modernize old instruments, however well-meant such action may be, are actually to be blamed for adulterating the maker's original intentions. Stradivarius or his contemporaries might well be astonished if they were to experience with their own ears what has since become of their masterpieces. On the other hand, the task of restoring such instruments to their erstwhile condition would most likely be perceived in large concert halls with total disappointment even if it did succeed in reviving some of the charm embodied in the chamber character formerly possessed by these historical paragons.

Adherence to Traditional Contours

Regarded from the aesthetic point of view i.e. external elegance the violin may be said to have attained its ultimate shape, thus obviating the need for further modification. From the angle of tone-quality, a greater degree of latitude may be applied to the shaping process provided that the cubic capacity within the body remains more or less unaltered. It is of interest to observe the attempts made in the past to experiment with novel shapes, in some cases productive of really astounding results. We have only to think of the models presented by Felix Savart, Francois Chanot or Julius Zoller whose violins have been demonstrated to expert adjudicating panels by concert artists. Comparison performances given behind curtains have in fact occasionally qualified such instruments for tonal ratings surpassing those conferred upon a Stradivari or other historically famous example.

40. Modern violin makers are thus left with plenty of scope for varying the contours of the various instruments without fearing loss of tone-quality. What may well dissuade or deter makers from the decision to experiment in this direction is the pronounced conservative attitude prevalent among string players. Alternative recommendations may be put forth in favor of perfecting aspects pertaining to structural assembly with the aim of improving on existing standards of tonal quality. Success has evidently been achieved in this respect as is clearly borne out by the distinct partiality displayed by leading concert artists for modern instruments.

Tonal Potential and Response

Regrettably, the number of really outstanding violins hand crafted in today's workshops is not overwhelming. This situation may be compared to that involving historically famous examples not all of which turn out to be shining examples of tonal excellence. A certain percentage of the latter will fail to attract the attention of a concert soloist in any case owing to their being unplayable. Nor can professional musicians be blamed for ignoring instruments revealing poor tonal results as a consequence of their having been subjected to adulteration or improper repair. Such violins are apt to degenerate into art-collectors items.

42. Among the old-master instruments to be encountered current playable condition all too few qualify for tonal ratings exceeding mediocrity. It is sometimes astounding to witness the apparent state of agony many professional soloists involve themselves in during the course of a public performance simply because of the unswerving attitude they adopt towards their sacred commitment to elicit twentieth-century carrying power and volume from an instrument qualifying for historical fame. The enormous amount of discomfort they put themselves to cannot be overlooked e.g. constant adjustment of the sound-post combined with frequent and painstaking replacement of individual strings. Who can blame them for wanting to obtain the most out of their purchase after all the money they have invested! It would appear to be something of a "privilege" for members of major world orchestras to own an historic instrument though this may be tantamount, in many cases, to claiming ownership of a perfectly restored set of ruins.

43. If players were to expend half the amount of energy and patience breaking into a new instrument of artistic quality they would no doubt attain their objectives a good deal more quickly. The fact is not always appreciated that frequent displacement of the sound-post, something which incidentally has become quite a passion, can exercise an injurious effect on the instrument. Change of location, regardless to what extent, constantly upsets the vibrational mechanism. Once having been set correctly, the sound-post should be kept fixed in position throughout the entire life of the violin, what reason can be advanced for such translocation other than that the player is continually dissatisfied with the instrument on which he is performing. No-one would ever dream of subjecting the bass-bar (if it were movable) to such migratory treatment despite its essentially more powerful influence on shaping tonal character. Basic imbalance revealed by the strings along with shortcomings in tonal response are valid reasons for declining to invest in an expensive violin. Hopes of breaking in such instruments can easily give way to utter disappointment.

Bias - The Major Obstacle to Modern Violin Making

Authorities on bowed instruments have, on more than one occasion, been known to resound the praises of old master violins when writing about precise balance and coordination revealed by the tops and backs of these instruments. What surprises one most when reading such articles is that they completely fail to recognize or make mention of the fact that the intuitive precision-balancing techniques adopted by the old masters are fully counteracted by subsequent fitting of stronger bass-bars of greater length and extensive patching material in the course of restoration work. Everyone ought to be aware that large-scale posthumous rebuilding procedures have been carried out on more or less all historic instruments in order to warrant their continued involvement in modern music.

45. During the 18th and l9th centuries it was a common practice to "equip" solo performers with what they were hoodwinked into thinking were old violins boasting some glorious history but which were in fact brand-new. Perfect taming prevented their true identity or date from being detected, even in professional circles. The amazing part about it however, is that these copies more often than not emerged as outstanding examples of tonal and exterior craftsmanship, carrying immediate conviction to both players and audiences.

46. Even at the time, counterfeits of this sort were responsible for the misleading conception of "old being better than new" Today, the products of meanwhile unmasked imitators are indeed much-coveted instruments alongside which the authentic old masters not infrequently turn out to be "war invalids", full of concealed faults or imperfections and fractures subjected to cosmetic surgery. In this respect it is most enlightening to read about the findings and discoveries published in connection with violin tops and backs in Volumes I - VIII of "Old Master Violins" (Published by Das Musikinstrument, Frankfurt).

47. The issue of certificates of genuineness in respect of historic instruments also has a magical effect on their purchase. What more could the buyer ask for? If anything, coercive buying of this kind serves as an incentive for the player to try hard; after all an instrument with such a pedigree has simply got to sound! While on the point it might be appropriate to mention another type of misconception under which prospective purchasers of violins are apt to labor at times. A great deal is spoken about the "carrying power" associated with historical bowed instruments. Frequently such statements are coupled with the assertion that new violins, even if sounding powerful from the performer's angle, are unsatisfactory when it comes to filling large concert halls with voluminous sound. The ulterior motive behind such talk is, as far as the dealer is concerned, of a mercantile nature and soloists who indulge in such arguments merely expose ignorance in regard to the laws of physics. If two violins, all four strings of which are in tonal balance with one another, produce euphony and approximately equal tonal volume in the player's ear, there is no valid reason to believe that space is going to offer greater resistance to a new violin simply due to antipathy directed against it. Given equal phone-rating at the point of outset it follows that the tone is going to arrive at the other end of the auditorium with the same degree of power.

48. It is safe to assume that "duds" were just as common to instruments making in past centuries as they are today with the one distinct difference that the former took an essentially longer period of time to be withdrawn from circulation. This perhaps explains why a well-guarded choice selection involving their respective owners more or less in considerable outlay expended on repair and subsequent upkeep, has managed to survive down to the present age. One or two hundred of these instruments may undoubtedly lay claim to being excellent objects d'art and may reveal sub-standing tonal qualities. It is surely a challenge to us today to preserve and maintain these violins for future generations to admire and not to place them under exertion more than is necessary, another reason for propagating the use of modern instruments.

49. Venerators of relics are usually wont to part company with them. This law does not always apply in the case of musical virtuosos who swap and change the "most valuable" of bowed antiques without apparent reason to justify their action. One explanation might be disillusionment experienced with costly items bought on the basis of exaggerated claims. Nor is it really worthwhile going out in quest of anything better on this ancient hunting ground whose have become sadly depleted. If anything, the branch of trade indulged in over the past two centuries dealing in old violins might be termed as being a pioneer of modern marketing philosophy. In strains of exaltation, serving to cultivate their personality image, old violins are categorized as being "valuable" and "most valuable", adjectives which are actually meant to convey "expensive", very expensive", "unaffordably expensive".

50. It is incredible as to what extent the arguments dished up by antique dealers are gullibly accepted and their dictates followed with equal blindness. Fictitious stories of lost varnish recipes, extinct species of wood, the alleged century-old period necessary for the material to attain full maturity, the so-called "Italian tone" and other far-fetched mythical representations are still passed on in the form of verbal propaganda as if they were the latest piece of inside information to be elicited from the horse's mouth.

51. Allegations pertaining to the existence of an "Italian tone" are an insult to any musician worthy of the name. There is no such thing as "Italian tone" save perhaps in the parlance indulged in by fetish worshippers of relics. The survival of outstanding Italian old master violins is no means of justifying claims to such exaggerations. Irrespective of the country from where it has originated, each instrument, no matter whether it is old or new, possesses its own individual tonal character. To even out the image of distortion that has unfortunately been allowed to develop as a result of fallacious differentiation it might prove helpful to stage comparative tone contests in public which would no doubt also provide an enjoyable source of entertainment to musical enthusiasts and authorities on the subject.

Voltaire: Prejudice -- a fool's way of reasoning!