Is a Stradivarius violin really better than modern instruments?
Some sell for more than $3.5 million. Only 700 of them exist, and they’re stored in vaults, frequently stolen, and often counterfeited. The object in question? Stradivarius violins, constructed by famed Italian instrument-maker Antonio Stradivari between 1680 and 1720. Treasured for possessing sublime acoustic properties, these rare instruments have spawned dozens of theories attempting to explain their legendary tone, and luthiers—makers of stringed instruments—are still trying to reproduce it. The question remains: Are Stradivarius violins worth all the fuss? There’s no objective answer, says James Lyon, Penn State professor of music in violin. When Stradivari was crafting violins, most musicians performed in churches and courts. Rulers and the wealthy sponsored artists to enhance their prestige. As music moved away from this patronage system in the first half of the 19th century, Lyon explains, musicians’ careers became dependent on fitting more people into concert halls. Thus, alth
