That's a question commonly asked. Some say Stradivarius violins are the best, while the former can only come in second.
Both of their violins are hundreds years of age, have fetched millions of dollars at public auctions. They broke world record prices again and again, hoping to override each other in prices.
Oops! Let's not jump into conclusion yet. We shall find out more about this famous luthier first...
A student of Nicolo Amati
Andrea G. (1626- 7 Dec 1698), along with Antonio Stradivari, was a student in Nicolo Amati's workshop. After mastering the art of violin making, he returned to the workshop to help Amati with the making of violins.
His first instruments were constructed based on the model of Amati's violins, but he struggled to attain the true elegance of his mentor's instruments.
Andrea also made violas, but the small number of them made his violas famous and valuable. One of them was owned and played by William Primrose, a well-known Scottish violist.
Other than violins, Andrea Guarneri also made violas, which are well-known and valuable.
Andrea was succeeded by his two sons, Pietro Giovanni, and Giuseppe Giovanni Battista.
Pietro Giovanni (18 Feb 1655- 26 March 1720), elder son of Andrea, worked in his father's workshop until he got married in 1670. His instruments are more delicately made than his father's. He made his name in Mantua, a town in Italy, as a musician and a violin maker. Hungarian violin virtuoso Joseph Szigeti played one of his violins.
His younger brother, Giuseppe Giovanni Battista (25 Nov 1666-1740), took over his father's business in Cremona in 1698. He was considered as one of the great violin makers then, although competition was stiff with Stradivari. He had two sons, Pietro and Bartolomeo Giuseppe Antonio Guarneri. Pietro (14 April 1695 - 7 April 1762) left Cremona for Venice in 1718, and there was where he combined both Venetian and Cremonese violin making techniques. His violins are unique and highly priced.
The most celebrated violin maker of the family
Bartolomeo Giuseppe Antonio Guarneri (21 August 1698 - 17 October 1744), is famously known as del Gesù, because of the initials I.H.S (iota-eta-sigma) and a Roman cross carved on his violins. He was the greatest violin maker of his family.
He moved away from his family's tradition of violin making, and developed his own unique violin making style. His violin, Il Cannone Guarnerius, a del Gesù violin of 1743, was Italian violin virtuoso Niccolò Paganini’s favourite instrument. Another del Gesù violin, The Lord Wilton, made in 1742, was owned by Yehudi Menuhin.
Il Cannone Guarnerius, Italian violin virtuoso Niccolò Paganini's favourite instrument
A del Gesù label on a 1729 violin
"Who's better?"
So, we have come back to our first question.
People said del Gesù violins are considered second in quality compared to Stradivarius violins, but some claimed they are more superior.
For many years, blind tests have been carried out to differentiate Stradivarius and Guarneri del Gesù violins. However, as opinions of the audience varies, results are often inconsistent, and these tests are argued by many musicians and luthiers as virtually insignificant.
Scientific tests are also conducted to examine the quality of the violins, but these chemical tests and experiments often results in damages to these famous centuries-old violins, which cost millions of dollars.
Scientists yearn to find out the difference between Stradivarius and del Gesu violins, including the use of wood, craftsmanship of the makers, and its structure.
Using the Sound spectra test
This is a test on the difference of sound spectra in violins by Stradivariand Guarneri del Gesu.
Opps! Sounds too scientific and profound?
Don't worry. I won't go into the nitty-gritty parts of this test, and make it seems so technical and difficult that one should have a Bachelor degree in Science to understand. I make it brief, ok?
It is a test on the sound of two different violins, based on the amount of vibration it produced. Generally, the average Stradivarius has a brighter sound and more solid foundation of low notes, compared to a darker sound in a del Gesu.
In this test, thirty famous Cremonese violins (15 Stradivari, 15 del Gesu violins) are played by celebrated violinist Elmar Oliveira. Music played include pieces composed by Bach, Pananini, Bloch, Martinon, Ysaye, Brahms, Kreisler and Vitali.
After numerous trials and experiments of playing, plotting of sound spectrum graphs, calculating differences and variations of band levels and frequencies, the results and conclusion are finalised...
...and the results
The tests show that the variations between Stradivarius and Guarneri del Gesu violins used in the experiment do not arise from the music played.
This led us to believe that there are other reasons for these differences, which may include wood density, characteristic of wood, sound post and bridge position, varnish, size and shape, the player and the environment while playing.
Graphs recorded show similarity, even though different music are played with the violins. However, there are differences between the sound produced; a dark sound in del Gesu and a brighter one in Stradivarius was heard during the tests.
Hence, with perception and scientific tests being conducted to determine a better instrument between the two, I would conclude that each violin have its < b="">benefits in playing it, and every violinist has a unique preference in their choice of instruments.
