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Talk Info:

The research of the classical violin has been the domain of physicists for over 200 years. The first chemists who did some material analysis, J. Michelman and L. Condax, were handicapped by the lack of sensitivity of the analytical tools of their times. In 1978 at Texas A&M University I was first to apply some modern methods of material analysis, like neutron activation analysis, EDX and SEM for studying the wood and varnish of the famous masters of Cremona, Italy. I proposed a seminal role for chemistry in making the Stradivarius what it is even today, still a non plus ultra. Beyond my own work, in my zoom presentation I shall review the rich contributions of analytical chemists from France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, and Taiwan. With the recently gained knowledge we have even more reason to be awed by the complexity of the Stradivarius and Guarneri del Gesu violins. Finally, we also possess the tool kit to realistically recreate them. 

About Dr. Joseph Nagyvary:

Majored in chemistry at the Eotvos University of Budapest (1952-56); received his PhD, in Organic Chemistry, from the University of Zurich, his dissertation being the elucidation of the chemical structure of C-curarin, for which he received the 1962 annual prize of the Swiss National Fond. After one year in Cambridge as postdoc with Lord Todd, he arrived in the US in 1964; his first employment was at UCONN Storrs, as a Research Scientist, in Prof Jay S Roth’s lab.  Dr. Nagyvary held other university positions and, in 1968, began his TX A&M career, as an Associate Professor of biochemistry and biophysics.  With a successful program in nucleotide chemistry, he became a tenured professor in 1973, a position from which he retired, in 2003; all during that time, pursuing his passion for understanding the ethereal acoustical properties of world-class violins (Stradivari and Guarneri), of the 18th century.  While at TX A&M, he developed/refined his knowledge of the “craft” of violin making, and produced several violins, with acoustical qualities, near to those of Stradivari.  

One of his violins was “put to the test,” by being played, in a duel, with the Leonardo de Vinci violin of 1725—not from the golden age of Stradivari.  Both violins were played, behind a screen, to an audience of 600 listeners, from which 463 votes were counted—160 being trained musicians and 303 being regular concert attendees.  The consensus was that the Nagyvary instrument, surpassed the Stradivari by a small margin.