Antonio Stradivari

can YOU tell the difference?

The link below will take you to a recording of a broadcast by the BBC, London. The compere is George Malcolm. He has with him in the studio violinist Manoug Parikian who will play short excerpts on four different violins. You might want to make a note of these:
1. a Stradivarius,
2. a Guarnerius, both of these dating from the 16-17 hundreds,
3. a French instrument just over 100 years old, and
4. a modern instrument by a former shoemaker Ron Preyel.

Manoug is playing these instruments one by one, behind a partition, so that the other participants don't know which instrument is which.

The "other participants" are:
violinists Isaac Stern and Pinchas Zuckerman, Charles Bier whose firm has been supplying violinists for almost a century, and of course, George Malcolm.

Following the "guessing game" in which they all decide something different (to sounds of obvious hilarity!), the team discuss what makes a good violin, with some advice to young aspirant players.

The download is 20 minutes long, recorded at 320Kbps.

Why not try your skill?!

Violins Old and New

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Baroque Music Site - www.BaroqueMusic.org
for a complete listing of all our Baroque Music sites.