The great Stradivarius fiddle: modern violins sound as good as Old Italians 

Violinists often claim that Old Italian models are better at carrying over a full orchestra in a large hall, with US concertmaster Frank Almond, who plays a Stradivarius, arguing that newer models:  “do not carry past the sixth row.”

Likewise, the British cellist Steven Isserlis, who plays a Stradivarius cello, said: “A famous and curious feature of Stradivarius instruments is that their tone seems to increase with distance.”

However the new study looks set to debunk the myth forever. Violin acoustics expert Professor Claudia Fritz, of the Pierre and Marie Curie University in Paris, asked seven world famous soloists to play at concert halls in Paris and New York, in a blind test in which neither the performers nor audience knew which instrument was being played.

Old violins included two by Guarneri del Gesu (both made after 1740), six by Stradivari, and one by another well-known 18th century Italian master.

The soloists included Russian born Ilya Kaler, the only violinist to win gold medals at three of the world's most prestigious music competitions, The International Tchaikovsky Competition; the Sibelius and the Paganini. Susanne Hou who has performed with the London Symphony Orchestra also took part alongside Giora Schmidt, the American/Israeli violinist.

On every occasion, the public preferred music played on newer violins.

“A belief in the near-miraculous qualities of Old Italian violins has preoccupied the violin world for centuries,” said Dr Fritz.

“Most celebrated violinists since the early 1800s have played instruments by Stradivari or Guarneri del Gesu, and this historical fact is often taken as evidence that these violins possess some combination of playing qualities not found in newer instruments.

“But the results are unambiguous: listeners found that new violins projected significantly better than those by Stradivari. Moreover, listeners preferred new violins over old by a significant margin.

“It may be that recent generations of violin makers have closed the gap between old and new, or it may be that the gap was never so wide as commonly believed.

“Either way, the debate about old vs. new can perhaps be laid aside now.”

The Stradivari family worked in Cremona, Italy, between 1644 and 1737 and as well as violins, also crafted cellos, guitars, violas, and harps.

Antonio Stradivari is considered to be the most distinguished craftsman of the instrument and it is estimated that he made up to 1,100 instruments during his lifetime and about 650 survive, including around 500 violins.

Christian Lloyd, Managing Editor of The Strad magazine, said new violins will never take the place of the Old Italian classics. 

"There’s a sense of history in playing a Stradivari. The fact that you’re performing on an instrument that’s been played by countless violinists, most likely the great soloists of their day, adds a feeling of patrimony that spurs you to play like you’ve never played before. 

"The reason why Stradivari, Guarneri del Gesu and Amati instruments command such prices is that they are more than mere musical instruments; they are works of art, just as much as a Monet, a Renoir or a Van Gogh.

"Many players genuinely do value the sound of a Stradivari above that of a modern instrument, despite the results of this or any other blind test."

The findings were published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.