If you've spent any time around classical music, there's a good chance you've heard the term "Stradivarius" thrown around before. But what does it mean?
There's a sort of aura of mystique and intrigue around these very special instruments that carry the Stradivarius name. These are string instruments, most often violins, that were built by the Italian violin-maker Antonio Stradivari in the early 1700s. And while Stradivari was recognized as a master craftsman during his time, his reputation exploded in the years after his death. As concert halls grew larger over time and players developed more sophisticated techniques, it was Stradivari's instruments that could actually be heard, and that could thrive with each new generation of musicians.
And yet, with all of the technical explanations and science we have today to help us explain the beauty of Stradivarius instruments, musicians and historians alike can't quite come to a consensus on what makes a Stradivarius violin sound so good.
Thus the mystique and intrigue... and, oh yeah- a Stradivarius can cost anywhere between $8 and $20 million!
Today, there are about 500 Stradivarius instruments floating around the world...which brings us back to Ray Chen. In 2022, he introduced his impressive social media audience to his new companion, the 1714 "Dolphin" Stradivarius violin. On loan to Chen from the Nippon Music Foundation, the "Dolphin" was once the very violin played by the mid-century violin virtouso Jascha Haifetz.
Does an instrument have a soul? Does the violin shape the player or does the musician mold the violin? Does a Stradivarius really sound so special? Let's ask Ray.
Catch Ray and his Strad with the Louisville Orchestra this weekend, in Ray Chen Plays Barber.
