How the Violin SOUND has Changed in 50 Years

The violin sound has evolved over the past 50 years. Back then, each nation had its own ideal sound, but with the advent of the internet, the ideal sound has become more universally defined. Tune in to explore this fascinating shift in violin sound perception!

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Edgar

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[axelsohn]

The younger players cited by Ross cannot hold a torch to Heifetz. It wasn't his 'vibrato' as Ross described it- it was his artistry, nobility of concept and supreme technique that conveyed it.

[quantenspringer]

Your videos are both entertaining and informative! I personally prefer violins with a good „italian“ sound which can be heard up to „the last row“.

[fatdoi]

i think latest string technology makes a big difference on how the violin sounds

[elenamombelli]

Indeed the Italian sound is loved and admired everywhere in the world 🌍 😉❤️

[watching]

Bravo Mittenwald! Very good! Not everyone needs a solist's stentor and there still is someone who realizes that. In fact, only a minute minority of concerto-level soloists need that. None of us mortals are likely to. The question is not why two-track thinking seems to be still alive in Mittenwald but why on earth Cremona (and everyone slavishly influenced by Cremona) doesn't see the very, very different needs.

[guillermoramirez]

Wonderful video. Agree! Did you hint some Rene Girard when talking about human desire?

[GBduds]

Is it better to use a nylon or kevlar tailgut on the Akustikus tailpiece or should you just stick with what it comes with?

[fleurviola]

As a long-time professional violist, I've witnessed an aggregate change in what string musicians consider to be the "ideal" tone. The general trend has been towards greater volume and brilliance at the expense of both tonal beauty and a diverse pallet of colors. To accommodate players' desire for more power no matter what, makers and restorers are installing higher, thinner bridges, and adjusting soundposts for maximum projection. Modern synthetic and metal core strings place higher tension on the instrument, working in synergy with the louder setups. And I agree with Russ' observation that diversity in tonal tastes has decreased, that an "international" homogeneous sound has coalesced as a result of the proliferation of recordings and the jet-setting of soloists around the globe. Everyone listens to everyone else, and the result is some sort of standardized mono-toned perfection. The well-regarded New York violin maker and restorer Rene Morel partially attributed this unfortunate trend to our growing up with amplified popular music, resulting in a certain deadening of sensitivity in our listening habits.

[LukaMagda]

Could you perhaps share your opinion on the slanted tailpiece, with the prolonged G-string? Thanks.

[M_SC]

❤80s you
I learned violin in the 80s and then quit for decades.my current teacher made me change a lot of things I was taught because apparently it’s outdated technique

[agatafurczyk]

Good video on why not to limit what you're doing only to what you were taught 👍🙂

[btryba]

Very interesting I didn't realize there was a difference!

Now I wonder where I can get one of these sweet sounding quiet ones. I'd love to be able to practice without musician's ear plugs and not having to deal with angry neighbors at midnight. 😂

I've looked into electric "silent" violins but they do not sound authentic.

[WhiteDragon]

I think the italian sound is very magnificent.

[dprintersawhiteboard]

I have to agree with a lot of what you said. I am German and play a beautiful violin made in Germany by Frank Rittwagen. While there are quite a few violin makers in Germany, a lot of them with a high level of craftsmanship, most of them in my eyes build boring violins. This is also shown in the fact, that many of the Mittenwald trained violin makers build their early and their late instruments nearly identically. There does not seem to be much progress or development over the years with a lot of Mittenwald trained makers. Which on the one hand creates a lot of consistency, on the other hand makes a lot of those violins mediocre.
Of course, there are those makers that think differently, like for example Rittwagen, maybe also Schlehske and Greiner, who basically told everyone to leave him alone with all the German violin making tradition. With those makers, you will always be able to tell early from late works and in my opinion, their instruments are superior to the traditional German ones. A lot of violin makers in Germany talk quite poorly about them, though.
However, there is a shift in the upcoming makers, from what I can tell. Not only do they try to get input from more sources and get help from the internet in that. They also seem to be much more open in what they know, not keeping "trade secrets" as much as it used to be.

[srinitaaigaura]

Elman Heifetz Oistrakh and Kriesler had some pretty unique sound on the gut strings they played. Today's sound has changed because of strings, bowing techniques and modern recording tech.

[jsfotografie]

great video now i need to find how the shape of the 1744 „Ole Bull“ Guarneri del Gesu is ;) hehehheeh

[axelsohn]

The next thing we are going to hear from the new age violin makers who use 3-D printing to mass produce their instruments instead of years devoted to craftsmanship and the ability to listen, is that fiber glass or composition material instruments are competitive with the great Italian masters. That's only true for those deaf of hearing or with an persistent overwhelming 'whoosh' of tinnitis! As for such an instrument, use it to bust over the head of a mugger, or to replenish the stock of our armories, instead of funding the MIC.

[fannybuster]

Is Hilary Hahn the Best Violinist in the World..?