COLLAGE STATION, Texas, Nov. 29 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say have proven chemicals used to treat the wood in Stradivarius and Guarneri violins are responsible for the instruments' famous sound.
Texas A&M University Professor Emeritus Joseph Nagyvary, Joseph DiVerdi of Colorado State University and Noel Owen of Brigham Young University collaborated on the project. Nagyvary was the first to theorize that chemicals -- not necessarily the wood -- created the unique sound of the two violins.
"This research proves unquestionably that the wood of the great masters was subjected to an aggressive chemical treatment and the chemicals -- most likely some sort of oxidizing agents -- had a crucial role in creating the great sound of the Stradivarius and the Guarneri," Nagyvary said.
The team tested several instruments, including violins and cellos, produced by Stradivari and Guarneri from 1717 to around 1741 and found two specific areas account for their unique sound -- chemicals used in the varnish and fillers of the instruments, and the overall wood treatment process used by Stradivari and Guarneri.
The study is reported in the current issue of the journal Nature.
