New Theory Emerges on Stradivarius Sound Story aired: Tuesday, December 16, 2003
Was the maker of the greatest violins of all time, Antonio Stradivari, really all he was cracked up to be? Or was he just in the right place at the right time, that time being the time known as the "Maunder Minimum."
It's been said that the sound of a Stradivarius "moves like candlelight." It has perfect timbre, a kind of mystic tremble, and clarity that some, including violinist Isaac Stern, believe resulted from a long-lost varnish.
Now there's a new theory and it has nothing to do with adding anything to the wood.
Dr. Henri Grissino-Mayer, tree ring-dating expert at the University of Tennessee, joins Here and Now to discuss that theory.
Guests:
Dr. Henri Grissino-Mayer, tree ring-dating expert at the University of Tennessee
