Return of the violin (1972)
Great violin makers.
Antonio Stradivari
Antonio Stradivari was born in 1644 in small town near Cremona. His parents used to live in Cremona. The terrible plague, which began in southern Italy, moved from place to place, captured more and more new areas and reached Cremona. The city was deserted, the streets were deserted, the inhabitants fled aimlessly. Among them were Stradivari - Antonio's father and mother. They fled from Cremona to a small town nearby, or rather a village, and never returned to Cremona.
There, in a village near Cremona, Antonio spent his childhood. His father was an impoverished aristocrat. He was a proud, stingy, unsociable man, he liked to remember the history of his family. The father's house and the small town quickly bored young Antonio, and he decided to leave home.
Having gone through many professions, he experienced failure everywhere. He wanted to become a sculptor, like Michelangelo, the lines of his statues were graceful, but his faces were not expressive. He abandoned this craft, earned his bread by carving wood, making wooden ornaments for rich furniture, and became addicted to drawing; with the greatest suffering he studied the ornamentation of doors and wall paintings of cathedrals and the drawings of the great masters. Then he was attracted to music, and he decided to become a musician. Stubbornly studied violin playing; but the fingers lacked fluency and lightness, and the sound of the violin was muffled and harsh. They said about him: "The ear of a musician, the hands of a carver." And he gave up the profession of a musician. But, having abandoned it, I did not forget it. He was stubborn. I spent hours looking at my violin. The violin was bad work. He took it apart, examined it, and threw it away. And he didn’t have enough money to buy a good one. At the same time, being an 18-year-old boy, he became an apprentice to the famous violin maker Nicolo Amati. The years spent in the workshop of Amati, he remembered for a lifetime.
He was an unpaid apprentice, doing only rough work and repairs, and running around on various errands for the master. This would have continued for a long time if not for the occasion. Master Nicolò came into the workshop outside of school hours on the day of Antonio's duty and found him at work: Antonio carved effs on an abandoned, unnecessary pruning of wood.
The master did not say anything, but since then Antonio no longer had to deliver finished violins to customers. He now spent the whole day studying Amati's work.
Here Antonio learned to understand how important the choice of wood is, how to make it sound and sing. He saw the importance of a hundredth part in the distribution of soundboard thicknesses, he understood the purpose of the spring inside the violin. Now it was revealed to him how necessary conformity separate parts between themselves. He followed this rule for the rest of his life. And, finally, he appreciated the importance of what some craftsmen-masters considered only decoration - the importance of the varnish with which the instrument is covered.
Amati treated his first violin condescendingly. This gave him strength.
With extraordinary stubbornness he achieved melodiousness. And when he achieved that his violin sounded like that of the master Nikolo, he wanted it to sound differently. He was haunted by the sounds of women's and children's voices: such melodious, flexible voices his violins should sound. It didn't work for him for a long time.
"Stradivarius under Amati" - they said about him. In 1680 he left the Amati workshop and began to work independently.
He gave violins different shape, making them longer and narrower, then wider and shorter, then increased, then reduced the bulge of the decks, his violins could already be distinguished among thousands of others. And their sound was free and melodious, like the voice of a girl in the Cremona square in the morning. He aspired to be an artist in his youth, he loved line, drawing and paint, and this remained forever in his blood. In addition to the sound, he appreciated in the instrument its slender shape and strict lines, he liked to decorate his instruments by inserting pieces of mother-of-pearl, ebony and ivory, he painted small cupids, lily flowers, fruits on the neck, barrels or corners.
Even in his youth, he made a guitar, into the lower wall of which he inserted stripes of ivory, and she seemed to be dressed up in striped silk; he decorated the sound hole with tangles of leaves and flowers carved into wood.
In 1700, four were ordered to him. he worked on it lovingly for a long time. The curl that completed the instrument depicted the head of Diana, entwined with heavy braids; a necklace was worn around the neck. Below, he carved two small figures - a satyr and a nymph. The satyr hung his goat legs on a hook, this hook served to carry the instrument. Everything was carved with rare perfection.
On another occasion, he made a narrow pocket violin - "sordino" - and gave a curl of ebony the shape of a negro's head.
By the age of forty, he was rich and well known. There were sayings about his wealth; in the city they said: "Rich as a Stradivarius."
But his life was not happy. His wife died; he lost two adult sons, and he wanted to make them the mainstay of his old age, to pass on to them the secret of his craft and everything that he had achieved in his whole life.
The surviving sons Francesco and Omobono, although they worked with him, did not understand his art, they only diligently imitated him. The third son, Paolo, from his second marriage, and completely despised his craft, preferring to engage in commerce and trade; it was both easier and simpler. Another son, Giuseppe, became a monk.
Now the master was in his 77th year. He reached a deep old age, great honor, wealth.
One of Antonio Stradivari's violins
His life was coming to an end. Looking back, he saw his family and the growing family of his violins. The children had their names, the violins had theirs.
His life ended peacefully. For greater peace of mind, so that everything would be decorous, as from wealthy and respectable people, he bought a crypt in the church of St. Dominica himself determined the place for his burial. And his relatives will lie around in time: wife, sons. But when the master thought about his sons, he became clouded. That was the whole point. He left them his wealth, they would build, or rather buy themselves nice houses. And the wealth of the family will grow. But did he work in vain, did he finally achieve fame and knowledge of the master? And now there is no one to leave the skill, only the master can take the skill as a legacy. The old man knew how eagerly his sons seek their father's secrets. More than once he found Francesco in the workshop after school hours, found notebook. What was Francesco looking for? Why was he rummaging through his father's notes? He still won't find the records he needs. They are tightly locked. Sometimes, thinking about this, the master himself ceased to understand himself. After all, in three years, five years, his sons, heirs, will still open all the locks, read all his records. Shouldn't we give them in advance those "secrets" that everyone is talking about? But I didn't want to give those short blunt fingers such subtle ways of composing varnishes, recording the irregularities of the decks - all my experience.
After all, all these secrets can not teach anyone, they can help. Shouldn't they be given into the hands of the cheerful Bergonzi, who is quick-witted and dexterous? But will Bergonzi be able to apply all the wide experience of his teacher? He is a cello master and loves this instrument most of all, and he, the old master, despite the fact that he put a lot of time and effort into creating a perfect cello, would like to pass on all his accumulated experience, all his knowledge. And besides, it would mean stealing from your sons. After all, as an honest master, he accumulated all the knowledge for his kind. And now leave everything to a stranger? And the old man hesitated, not making a decision - let the records lie under lock and key until the time. And now something else began to darken his days. he is accustomed to being first in his skill. Nicolò Amati had been lying in the cemetery for a long time, Amati's workshop fell apart during his lifetime, and he, Stradivarius, is the successor and continuer of Amati's art. Until now, there was no equal in violin skill not only in Cremona, but throughout Italy, not only in Italy, but throughout the world - to him, Antonio Stradivari.
But until now...
For a long time already there were rumors, at first dubious and timid, and then quite clear, about another master from a family of good and capable, but somewhat rude craftsmen.
The master of this Stradivari knew well. And in the beginning he was quite calm about himself, because a person who can achieve something in violin making, first of all, should be a man of a calm, sober and moderate life, and Giuseppe Guarneri was a drunkard and a rowdy. Such a person has trembling fingers and hearing is always foggy. And yet...
And then one day, early in the morning, when life in his workshop had not yet begun, and he, as usual, had already visited the secadora, and went downstairs to check the varnishes, there was a knock on the door. They brought in a violin for repair. All his life, Stradivari, working on new violins, did not forget the noble skill of repair. He loved it when out of broken, old violins the work of good, average and completely unknown masters violins with the features of his skill were obtained; from a correctly set spring or from the fact that he covered the violin with his varnish, someone else's violin began to sound nobler than before, before the breakdown - health and youth returned to the instrument. And when the customer, who gave the instrument for repair, was amazed at the change, the master felt pride, like a doctor who cured a child when his parents thank him.
The man who brought the violin was not a Cremonese; he explained that his owner had bought this violin here two years ago, and now it was broken and needed to be repaired. He lost the master's address on the road, but of course he got to the right place: everyone here points to the famous master Antonio Stradivari.
Show me your violin, - said Stradivari. The man carefully took out the violin from the case, without ceasing to chat:
My master is a great connoisseur, he highly appreciates this violin, she sings in such a strong, thick voice, which I have never heard a single violin before.
The violin is in the hands of a Stradivarius. She is a large format; light varnish. And he immediately understood whose work it was.
"Leave her here," he said dryly.
Another story about Stradivarius
Biography
Stradivari, Stradivarius (Stradivari, Stradivarius) Antonio [probably 1643 (or 1648, 1649), Cremona, - 12/18/1737, ibid], Italian violin maker. Student of N. Amati. He opened his own workshop in Cremona (circa 1667). For many years he worked in the manner of his teacher, around 1704 he made the most perfect model. In 1704–25 he created the best violins in terms of concert quality, with a clear, rich timbre. S.'s tools distinguish perfection decoration, elegance, harmony of form, carefulness in the selection of wood, beauty of varnish. He also made cellos and violas. S.'s instruments are played by the largest contemporary musicians. The state collection of unique musical instruments in Moscow contains several violins, a viola and a cello by S. (they are issued for concert performances outstanding Soviet performers). S.'s students were his sons Francesco (1671–1743) and Omobono (1679–1742), as well as C. Bergonzi.
Lit.: Vitachek E. F., Essays on the history of manufacturing bowed instruments, ed. B.V., Dobrokhotova, 2nd ed., M., 1964.
Antonio Stradivari, or Stradivarius (ital. Antonio Stradivari; ca. 1644 - 1737) - famous master string instruments, student of Amati. About 650 instruments of his work have been preserved. It is believed that Antonio Stradivari was born in 1644, although his exact date of birth is unknown. He was born in Cremona. His parents were Alexandro Stradivari and Anna Moroni.
founders Italian school violin makers were Andrea Amati and Gasparo da Salo (Bertolotti), and more outstanding masters during the heyday of the school (from the middle of the XVII to mid-eighteenth century) - Niccolò Amati and two of his students, Antonio Stradivari and Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesu.
It is believed that from 1667 to 1679. Stradivarius served as an apprentice to Amati free of charge; did the preliminary work.
In 1680, Stradivari settled in St. Dominic in Cremona, where he gained fame as a majestic master. He diligently ennobled the work of Amati, achieving melodiousness and flexibility of voices in own tools; changed their shape to a more curved one; used to decorate instruments.
The evolution of Stradivari indicates a gradual release from the influence of the teacher and the desire to create a new class of violin, distinguished by timbre richness and massive sound. Period creative pursuits, in the direction in which Stradivari came to his model, lasted more than 30 years: his instruments reached the perfection of form and sound only in the early 1700s.
In addition to violins, Stradivari also made guitars, violas, cellos, and at least one harp - according to current estimates, more than 1,100 instruments in total. His instruments are distinguished by a corresponding inscription in Latin: Antonius Stradivarius Cremonensis Faciebat Anno(Antonio Stradivari of Cremona made in the year [such and such]). After 1730 some instruments are signed Sotto la Desciplina d'Antonio Stradivari F. in Cremona and may have been made with the participation of his offspring Francesco and Omobono, or by themselves.
Antonio Stradivari died at the age of 93 in Cremona on December 18, 1737 and was buried in the Basilica of San Domenico. His sons were students of Stradivari - but it is believed that he did not pass on his own experience as a master to anyone, including his sons. His working tools, drawings, pictures, models and some violins ended up in the collection of the famous 18th century collector Count Cosio di Salabue. Now this collection is stored in the Stradivarius Museum in Cremona.
Additionally in the site database:
In 1680, Stradivari left Amati's workshop and began to work independently. The teacher gave him a small amount of money, which was enough to buy a house and materials for making violins and cellos. In the same year, Antonio married Francesca Feraboshi. The Casa del Pescatore was very small and cheap. Under the workshop, the novice master took almost the entire room, leaving a small room in the attic for housing. Antonio spent whole days working in his workshop. Every new tool coming out of his hands was better than the previous ones. The voices of the Stradivarius violins could already be distinguished among thousands of others. Their free, melodious, enchanting sound was like a voice beautiful girl. And Antonio's childhood love for colors, graceful lines was forever embodied in his violins and cellos. The master liked to decorate his instruments, painting barrels, neck or corners with small cupids with ripe fruits, lily flowers. Sometimes he inserted pieces of mother-of-pearl, ebony or ivory. Unfortunately, all his labors were in vain - no one bought Stradivari instruments, except perhaps rare visiting musicians. Reputable customers preferred Amati violins, willingly laying out 100 pistoles for the name of the master alone. And for the poor, the creations of Stradivarius were too expensive. A year later, Antonio's firstborn, Paolo, was born, and a year later, their second son, Giuseppe. Despite all his efforts, the family vegetated in poverty. Only a few years later, unexpected luck came to him. Unlike other masters, Stradivari attached great importance to the external design of his instruments, turning them into works of art. In 1700 he made one of his most magnificent violins. Chetera was completed with big love, Antonio put all his skill into it. The curl that completed the instrument depicted the head of Diana, entwined with heavy braids, a necklace was worn around her neck. A little lower, he carved two small figures - Satyr and Nymph. The satyr hung his goat legs with a hook, which served to carry the instrument. Both figures were executed with rare elegance. A narrow pocket violin, the sordino, was made to order no less subtly. The scroll, carved from ebony, was shaped like a negro's head. For twenty-five years - from 1700 to 1725 - the master became as famous as his teacher once was. The recognition was not an accident. Behind this were years of hard and painstaking work from early morning until late evening. During the day, Stradivari stood at the workbench, and in the evening, in his workshop, hidden from prying eyes, he worked on varnishes and made calculations for future tools. By right, these years can be called the golden period of the master. At this time, he was able to create his best violins: in 1704 - Bette, in 1709 - Viotti, in 1715 - Alard, and a year later - the Mission. Each of them proudly bore the mark of Antonio Stradivari: a Maltese cross and the initials A.S. in a double circle. The famous master marked his violins, putting down each year of the instrument's creation. His wooden seal consisted of three movable numbers - 166. For many years, Stradivarius added digit by digit to this number, erasing the second six and adding the next two digits by hand. With the advent of the XVIII century. the aged master left only one. By the age of forty, Antonio Stradivari had achieved everything he dreamed of. He was fabulously rich. In Cremona, there was even a saying: "Rich as Stradivarius." But the life of the famous violin maker was not happy. His wife Francesca has died. He actually lost two adult sons: Paolo went into business and, in search of good luck, went on a long journey to America. Giuseppe - the most talented of the sons - became a monk after he was miraculously cured of cholera. On December 31, 1694, at the age of 50, Antonio Stradivari married a second time - to 17-year-old Maria Zambeli, who also bore him two sons. The older Stradivari became, the more he was tormented by the thought that he had no one to pass on his knowledge and experience to. Although he had students, and younger sons Omobono and Francesco worked with him, Antonio knew that they would never reach his skill. He still had his favorite students: Carlo Bergonzi and Lorenzo Guadanini. But to pass on his knowledge to his students was like stealing from his children. And another thought haunted him. The famous master had a rival - Giuseppe Guarneri, nicknamed Del Gesu. Undoubtedly, Stradivari was the first master in his field. And his rival Guarneri was able to surpass him only in the strength of the sound of the instrument. Antonio came to the conclusion that, despite his vast life experience, his skill never reached perfection - the melodious, gentle tone of his violins can be enriched with new colors, greater sounding power. Stradivari was reassured by the fact that eminent customers would not buy Guarneri violins, because they did not need instruments made by a drunkard and a brawler. IN recent months before his death, Antonio Stradivari made the most important decision in his life - he decided not to reveal the secrets of his skill to anyone.
Antonio Stradivari or Stradivarius
(1644 - December 18, 1737) - the famous master of string instruments, a student of Nicolo Amati. About 650 instruments of his work have been preserved.
Having gone through many professions, he experienced failure everywhere. He wanted to become a sculptor, like Michelangelo, the lines of his statues were graceful, but his faces were not expressive. He abandoned this craft, earned his bread by carving wood, making wooden ornaments for rich furniture, and became addicted to drawing; with the greatest suffering he studied the ornamentation of doors and wall paintings of cathedrals and the drawings of the great masters. Then he was attracted to music, and he decided to become a musician. Stubbornly studied violin playing; but the fingers lacked fluency and lightness, and the sound of the violin was muffled and harsh. They said about him: Musician's ear, carver's hands". And he abandoned the craft of a musician. But he did not forget him.
Biography
Antonio Stradivari was born around 1644 in a small settlement near Cremona in the family of Alexandro Stradivari and Anna Moroni. His parents were from Cremona. But at that time, a terrible plague raged in southern Italy, which reached their city. People fled wherever they could. So the Stradivari family settled near Cremona, they never returned there again. There the childhood of the future great master passed. Young Antonio for a long time could not decide what to do. He tried to be a sculptor, painter, woodcarver, violinist. But in order to seriously engage in music, he lacked the mobility of his fingers, despite the fact that his ear for music was perfect. He was interested in violins, and at the age of 18, Antonio entered a free apprenticeship with the notorious Italian violin maker Nicolo Amati. At the first stage of his stay with Amati, Stradivari did only the most rough work and was, as they say, on errands with a recognized master. But one day, Nicolo Amati saw how Antonio carved efs on an unnecessary stump of a tree. And from that moment on, Antonio began to comprehend the skill of Amati, learn how to choose a tree, how to make maple or spruce sing, how thick the soundboards should be, what is the purpose of the spring inside the instrument, and what role the lacquer covering it has in the sound of the violin. With perseverance, Stradivari achieved perfection in the sound of the violin. And when he heard that his violin sang in the same way as that of the master Nikolo, he was seized by the desire to make it different. Stradivari wanted to hear in it the sounds of women's and children's voices. But for a long time he failed to carry out his idea. In 1680, Stradivari begins to work independently.
In addition to the perfection of sound, his instruments were distinguished by an unusual design, as one would say today. All the violins were different, some he made narrower, others wider, some were shorter, some were longer. Stradivari decorated his instruments with pieces of mother-of-pearl, ebony, ivory, images of flowers or cupids. They had a special sound, contemporaries compared the sound of his violins with the voice of a girl in Cremona square. All this spoke of own style his works, and therefore favorably distinguished them from many others. By the age of forty, Stradivari was very rich and famous. The Italians said: "Rich as a Stradivarius."
It was difficult to call his personal life happy. He was widowed early and lost two adult sons, whom he hoped to make the support of his own old age, reveal to them the secret of his skill and pass on everything that he had achieved in his entire life. long life. However, he still had four more sons. Francesco and Omobono, although they worked with him, did not possess either his instinct, let alone his talent. They were just trying to copy it. The third son, Paolo, did not understand his craft at all, he was fascinated by trade, and he was extremely far from art. The fourth son, Giuseppe, became a monk. Stradivarius was 76 years old. He lived to a respectable age, achieved great respect and wealth. But thinking about his family, Antonio became more and more gloomy. The violins understood and obeyed him much more than his own sons, and he knew how to feel them, which could not be said about his children. Stradivari left them all the acquired property, they will acquire nice houses; but there was no one to leave the secret of his Stradivari mastery. For you can only transfer your experience and part of your talent to a true master, he did not feel even a grain of such abilities in his sons. He did not want to share with them the subtle ways of composing varnishes, recordings of uneven decks. Considering that all the nuances that he scrupulously collected and learned over the course of 70 years can only help, teach to be a master and never feel a tree like a living one. Calm does not leave Stradivarius. He will make tools before last days of my life, getting up early, sitting for hours in the laboratory and at the workbench. Despite the fact that every month it becomes more and more difficult for him to finish the violin he has begun. He stopped thinking about everything that did not allow him to sleep peacefully before. The master finally decided that he would take his secrets with him to the grave. It would be better if they remain forever undiscovered than to pass on knowledge to those who have neither talent, nor love, nor courage. He already gave a lot to his family, they are rich, they still have his noble name and his good reputation. During his long life, he made a little over a thousand instruments that were sold all over the world. In addition to violins, Stradivari made violas, guitars, cellos, and even made a harp. He was satisfied with the outcome of his journey, and therefore left quietly. 
December 18, 1737 Stradivari's heart stopped. Dressed in black cassocks with hoods, girded with ropes, in coarse sandals made of wood, behind the hearse were the monks of the Dominican order, in whose church the master bought a crypt during his lifetime to bury himself and his family. The sons marched solemnly and importantly behind the coffin, followed by the disciples. None of them ever learned the secret of the great master Antonio Stradivari.
The Mystery of Antonio Stradivari
The violin is in the hands of a wonderful musician, responding to his inspiration with a clear, deep voice. Like a living being, she told us about grief and joy, about tragedy and happiness, and everyone understood her in their own way, in the soul of everyone she found her own response. Light golden, elegant, she sparkled with all her facets, and only a few knew that in fact her age was measured in centuries and that she had been issued to a musician from State collection just for this tour. This violin had no price: like any masterpiece, it was priceless. After two and a half centuries, it has retained all the nuances of its extraordinary sound. She conveyed to us the "soul of Stradivarius" ... He was not loved - for his stinginess, aloofness. He was envied for his wealth and fame. When at the age of 55, a year after the death of his wife, he remarried, he was slandered. Not all of his eleven children survived, but when one of them died, they did not rush to him with words of consolation and sympathy. And they were also afraid of him, because he was terrible in his obsession: no one had ever seen him do nothing, not once in all nine decades of his life. Together with the first rays of the gentle Italian sun, he appeared on the roof of his three-story house on St. Dominic's Square and hung out tools; At sunset, he went out to shoot them. The students have long gone home, the sons who help in the work have gone to bed, and in the window of the workshop on the first floor a light is shining, every now and then the tall, thin figure of the great master flashes by.
For almost two centuries, the Cremonese school of violin makers has been accumulating experience in creating instruments that the European stage has not yet known. How many generations of masters had to change, passing on the secrets of their craft to each other, so that he finally appeared, Stradivarius, who could not only absorb their knowledge, but also bring the common cause to perfection!
80 years of intense, never-ending work. When the hands got tired, the brain continued to work. Antonio knew that he had to make a violin unsurpassed in its sound qualities, and he made it, although it took a lifetime to do it. At the age of 13, he glued his first instrument with the brilliant Nicolò Amati, but another 10 years passed until, having opened his own workshop, he allowed himself not to be called a student on violin etiquettes, and another 20 years, when he first made an instrument different from those what his teacher did. 
What did he change then? Yes, he made the model longer, but a little narrower. The timbre of the sound became lower. And then he began to weigh the details of the violin. It seemed to him that he was about to find in this flat instrument the best proportion between the upper soundboard and the lower one. Then the idea appeared that the sound depends on the thickness of the decks. Dozens of prototypes were made, and it turned out that the thinner the soundboard, the lower the tone. But can the thickness of the entire length be the same? What should she be then? Long years of calculations, experiments: somewhere, in some place a little thicker, somewhere a little thinner, just a fraction of a millimeter - and already a different sound. Was it really necessary to live 93 years in order to finally establish a system by which the thickness of the decks is determined in different places her, changing from the center to the edges? Hundreds and thousands of options and, finally, the conclusion is that the upper muzzle should be made of spruce, and not from Saxon, in which there is a lot of resin, but from Tyrolean or Italian. And for interior decoration alder, linden will go. How good maple works! He has such beautiful drawing cut: the tool must be smart. Italian maple has a special luster, the surface of its cuts is silky, but you only need to take the trunk that was sawn down in January, otherwise there will be a lot of juices in it - it will ruin everything.
Antonio is convinced that his violins should live for centuries. Tree Stradivari learned to choose unmistakably. But he rarely came across a good tree, sometimes he used one trunk for a whole decade, carefully selecting piece by piece. It is better to glue it, risk a pattern - if only it sounds. And only he knew which tree to choose: young, old, or even with wormholes. When did he create his final model? In 1704? Decades of labor and searching before a problem with many unknowns was solved. Yes, he found the main unknown when he was already 60 years old: he proved that his “voice” depends on the composition of the varnish with which the instrument is coated. And not only from varnish, but also from the primer that needs to cover the tree so that the varnish does not soak into it. And who can tell their composition - scientists, alchemists? How much do they know about it? About one and a half thousand 
instruments came from the workshop of the great Antonio Stradivari, and he made every single one with his own hands. And how much did he then reject in the process of endless searches ?! That's what took 80 years, spent, like one day, alone with the singing tree. He achieved fame and glory. He is ordered instruments - and not only violins, but also violas, and viols - kings, noble grandees. His creations are the best of everything that was created in Europe, it was they who confirmed the superiority of the "Italian timbre" inherent only to them...
So what is the master dissatisfied with that makes him suffer?
For centuries, the skill of making musical instruments was inherited: from grandfather to father, from father to son, grandson. In northern Italy, in Brescia, there was a dynasty of violin makers, originating from Gasparo Bertolotti. Here, in Cremona, there has been a dynasty for 200 years, founded by Andrea Amati, whose grandson Nicola, who lived for 88 years, taught Stradivari this craft. The son of Nikola, the violin maker Girolami Amati, is still alive, he is only five years younger than Stradivari. Even Andrea Guarneri, with whom Antonio studied with Amati, became the ancestor of a dynasty of masters, and his grandson Giuseppe, nicknamed del Gesu, seems to eclipse the glory of Stradivari himself. And only Signor Antonio himself does not leave behind the heirs of his talent. Both of his sons - Francesco and Omobono - did not go further than apprentices. Why did he work so hard, to whom will he leave the secrets of his skill? To whom will he reveal great meaning tables of deck thicknesses, a system of measurement points - its points, the composition of the primer and varnish, methods for their preparation? Take them to the grave with you? He spent 80 years trying to achieve perfection in his craft. Can anyone else do it? Does this mean that he will remain unsurpassed for centuries?
Almost two and a half centuries have passed since the death of the great master Antonio Stradivari. In total, his careless sons survived the father by 5-6 years. Until his last days, the 93-year-old Stradivari worked on violins. Preserved blanks of tools, on the etiquette of which, next to the traditional Maltese cross, there is the name of the creator and the date - 1737, the year of his death. About 800 instruments are now in the world, Of which it is known for sure that they were made by the hand of the great Stradivarius. Among them are the famous cello called "Bass of Spain" and tiny "pochettes" - violins for dance teachers, the most magnificent creation of the Master - the "Messiah" violin and the "Muntz" violin, according to the inscription on which it was calculated that the master was born in 1644. But the secrets of creativity, which suddenly disappeared with his death, have not yet been unraveled. Everything that can be measured has been measured, everything that can be copied has been copied, but no one can make a violin made according to these measurements "sing" the way it did with the great Stradivarius. To this day it has not been possible to determine chemical composition primer and varnish applied to his tools. That is why the legend about the "soul of Stradivarius", enclosed in his violins and talking with descendants, is passed down from generation to generation. 
The secret of Antonio Stradivari's violins
Scientists around the world are trying to unravel the mystery of Stradivarius violins. Even during his lifetime, the masters said that he sold his soul to the devil - but they also said that several violins were made from fragments noah's ark. Stradivarius made his first violin in 1666, but for more than 30 years he was looking for his own model. Only in the early 1700s did the master construct his own, still unsurpassed, violin. It was elongated in shape and had kinks and irregularities inside the body, thanks to which the sound was enriched due to the appearance a large number high overtones. From that time on, Antonio no longer made fundamental deviations from the developed model, but experimented until the end of his long life. Stradivari died in 1737, but his violins are still highly valued, they practically do not age and do not change their "voice". During his life, Antonio Stradivari made about 2,500 instruments, of which 732 are undeniably authentic. In addition to bowed instruments, he also made one harp and two guitars. It is generally accepted that the most best tools were made from 1698 to 1725 (and the best in 1715). They are especially rare and therefore highly valued by musicians and collectors alike. Many Stradivari instruments are in rich private collections. There are about two dozen Stradivari violins in Russia: several violins are in the State Collection of Musical Instruments, one is in the Glinka Museum and a few more are privately owned. Scientists and musicians around the world are trying to unravel the mystery of the creation of Stradivari violins. Even during his lifetime, the masters said that he had sold his soul to the devil, they even said that the wood from which some of the most famous violins were made was fragments of Noah's ark. There is an opinion that Stradivari violins are so good because a real instrument begins to sound really good only after two or three hundred years. Many scientists have done hundreds of studies on violins using the latest technologies, but they have not yet succeeded in unraveling the secret of Stradivari violins. It is known that the master soaked the wood in sea water and subjected her to complex chemical compounds vegetable origin.
At one time it was believed that the secret of Stradivari was in the form of an instrument, later great importance they began to attach to the material, which is constant for Stradivari violins: for the upper deck - spruce, for the bottom - maple. They even thought that the whole thing was in varnishes; The elastic lacquer that covers the Stradivarius violins allows the soundboards to resonate and "breathe". This gives the timbre its characteristic "surround" sound.
According to legend, the Cremonese masters prepared their mixtures from the resins of some trees that grew in those days in the Tyrolean forests and were soon completely cut down. The exact composition of those varnishes has not been established to this day - even the most sophisticated chemical analysis turned out to be powerless here. In 2001, biochemist Joseph Nigivare of the University of Texas announced that he had solved the secret of Stradivarius. The scientist came to the conclusion that the special sound of bowed strings was the result of the master's efforts to protect them from the woodworm. Nigivara found out that during the creation of the violin maker, wooden blanks were often struck by a wood borer, and Stradivari, in order to protect the unique musical instruments, resorted to the storm. This substance, as it were, soldered the molecules of the tree, changing the overall sound of the violin. When Stradivarius died, the wood-borer was already defeated in Northern Italy, and subsequently the borax was no longer used to protect the tree. Thus, according to Nigiwara, the master took the secret with him to the grave.
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Francesco Stradivari |
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Antonio the Great Stradivarius(ital. Antonio Stradivari, or Stradivarius lat. Antonius Stradivarius; (1644 ) , Cremona - December 18, Cremona) - the famous master of string instruments, a student of Nicolo Amati. About 720 instruments of his work have been preserved.
Biography
It is believed that Antonio Stradivari was born in 1644, although the exact date of his birth is not recorded. He was born in Cremona. His parents were Alessandro Stradivari (Italian Alessandro Stradivari) and Anna Moroni (Italian Anna Moroni). It is believed that from 1679 to 1679 he served as an unpaid student with Nicolò Amati, that is, he did rough work.
In addition to violins, Stradivari also made guitars, violas, cellos, and at least one harp—more than 1,100 instruments are currently estimated.
Music
- 2015 - "Stradivari Violin", Basta.
Cinema
- - "Night visit", the first film adaptation of the novel by the Weiner brothers "Visit to the Minotaur" about the theft of a Stradivarius violin
- - "Visit to the Minotaur", Antonio Stradivari- Sergey Shakurov
- - The 15th film about the adventures of the British agent James Bond - "Sparks from the Eyes", the plot mentions the Stradivarius cello many times, "Lady Rose", she also saves Bond from a bullet.
- - biographical film "Stradivari", Antonio Stradivari— Anthony Quinn, young Antonio— Lorenzo Quinn.
- - "Red Violin".
- In the 36th episode of Detective School Q, the characters of the film unravel the mystery of the Stradivarius violin.
- In episode 44 of the television series White Collar, the heroes are looking for the stolen violin by Antonio Stradivari.
- In episode 2 of season 1 of National Security Agent, the heroes are also looking for the stolen violin by Antonio Stradivari.
- - In the first film, episodes 1-3 of the series "Investigator Tikhonov", based on the novel by the Weiner brothers "Visit to the Minotaur", the characters are looking for the stolen violin by Antonio Stradivari.
see also
famous masters string instruments- Nicolo Amati (1596-1684) - Italy
- Andrea Guarneri (1626-1698) - Italy
- Nicola Lupo (1758-1824) - France
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An excerpt characterizing Stradivari, Antonio
People fled in horror, not understanding the road, not understanding where their naughty legs were taking them. As if blind, they stumbled into each other, shying into different sides, and again stumbled and fell, not paying attention to the surroundings ... Screams rang everywhere. Crying and confusion seized Bald Mountain and the people who were watching the execution there, as if only now they were allowing them to see clearly - to truly see what they had done ...Magdalene got up. And again a wild, inhuman cry pierced the weary Earth. Drowning in the roar of thunder, the cry snaked around like evil lightning, frightening the cold souls with itself ... Freeing Ancient Magic, Magdalene called on the help of the old Gods... She called on the Great Ancestors.
The wind ruffled her marvelous golden hair in the darkness, surrounding her fragile body with an halo of Light. Terrible bloody tears, still alley on her pale cheeks, made her completely unrecognizable... Something like a formidable Priestess...
Magdalene called... Wrapping her hands behind her head, she called her Gods again and again. She called the Fathers who had just lost their wonderful Son... She could not give up so easily... She wanted to return Radomir at any cost. Even if it is not destined to communicate with him. She wanted him to live... no matter what.
But then the night passed, and nothing changed. His essence spoke to her, but she stood dead, not hearing anything, only endlessly calling on the Fathers... She still did not give up.
Finally, when it was getting light outside, a bright golden glow suddenly appeared in the room - as if a thousand suns shone in it at the same time! And in this glow at the very entrance, a tall, taller than usual, human figure appeared... Magdalena immediately understood that it was the one whom she had called so fiercely and stubbornly all night...
“Get up, Joyful one!” the visitor said in a deep voice. This is no longer your world. You lived your life in it. I will show you your new way. Get up, Radomir!..
“Thank you, Father…” Magdalene, standing next to him, whispered softly. Thanks for listening to me!
The elder gazed long and attentively at the fragile woman. Then he suddenly smiled brightly and said very affectionately:
- It's hard for you, sad! .. It's scary ... Forgive me, daughter, I'll take your Radomir. It's not his destiny to be here anymore. His fate will be different now. You wished for it...
Magdalene only nodded to him, showing that she understood. She could not speak, her strength almost left her. It was necessary to somehow endure these last, most difficult moments for her ... And then she will still have enough time to grieve for what she has lost. The main thing was that HE lived. And everything else was not so important.
A surprised exclamation was heard - Radomir stood looking around, not understanding what was happening. He did not yet know that he already had a different fate, NOT EARTHLY ... And he did not understand why he was still living, although he remembered for sure that the executioners did their job superbly ...
“Farewell, my Joy…” whispered Magdalena softly. - Farewell, my dear. I will do your will. You just live... And I will always be with you.
The golden light flared brightly again, but now for some reason it was already outside. Following him, Radomir slowly went out the door...
Everything around was so familiar!.. But even feeling completely alive again, Radomir for some reason knew that this was no longer his world... And only one thing in this old world still remained real for him - it was his wife. .. His beloved Magdalene....
- I will return to you... I will definitely return to you... - Radomir whispered very quietly to himself. Above his head, a huge "umbrella" hung wightman...
Bathed in the rays of golden radiance, Radomir slowly but surely moved after the sparkling Elder. Just before leaving, he suddenly turned around to last time see her... To take her with you amazing image. Magdalene felt a dizzying warmth. It seemed that in this last look Radomir sent her all the love accumulated over their long years! .. He sent her so that she would also remember him.
She closed her eyes, wanting to endure... Wanting to appear calm to him. And when I opened it, it was all over...
Radomir is gone...
The earth lost him, being unworthy of him.
He stepped into his new, still unfamiliar life, leaving Maria Duty and children ... Leaving her soul wounded and lonely, but still the same loving and the same stamina.
Sighing convulsively, Magdalene stood up. She didn't have time to grieve just yet. She knew that the Knights of the Temple would soon come for Radomir to betray his dead body to the Holy Fire, thereby seeing him off. pure Soul into eternity.
The first, of course, was John, as always... His face was calm and joyful. But Magdalena read sincere concern in her deep gray eyes.
– Great gratitude to you, Maria... I know how hard it was for you to let him go. Forgive us all, dear...
“No… you don’t know, Father… And no one knows that…” Magdalena whispered softly, choking on her tears. – But thank you for your participation... Please, tell Mother Mary that HE is gone... That he is alive... I will come to her as soon as the pain subsides a little. Tell everyone that HE LIVES...
Magdalena couldn't take it anymore. She didn't have any more human strength. Collapsing right to the ground, she burst into loud, childish sobs ...
