short presentation about violin development, structure, a few basic techniques and some of the most expensive violins

1. Ingrida Olendraitė
Molecular biologist
Vilnius university
2013

2. improve common competencies and make a
influence on formation of personality of future
scientist
 Development
 Structure and accessories
 Technique
 Little precious items
 Conclusions
 Resources

3.  Originated from the East
 Crwth [‘kru:θ] Rebaba  Fidelio 
Vielle  Viola de braccio 
Violin (1597), Viola, Violoncello
 At the year of ~1600, Baroque.

4.  Consists of ~30 parts
 Weights ~0.4kg
 Forms force of 280N
 The greatest makers lived in Cremona, Italy
 Andrea Amati
 Antonio Stradivari
 Andrea Guarneri

5.  Body/resonator:
 Top plate/ “belly”: soft spruce
 Back plate : the hardest maple
 Ribs
 Neck and fingerboard
 Ebony or another black painted wood
 Head
 Pegs, scroll

6.  Bridge: transmit vibration of strings to
resonator
 Soundpost:
 helps to deal with pressure;
 Position determines reverberation between
plates  the sound
 In french: “ame”; russian: “dushka”; lithuanian:
“she(i)rdele”; (spirit or heart)
 Bass-bar
 Spruce; allocates osscilation of strings

7.  Varnish
 Can not improve the quality of sound
 Should not infiltrate into wood
 Fiddlestick/bow
 Pernambuco/Brazilian tree (family:Fabaceae)
 Frog and screw
 Tourte family
 Rosin (Colophonia)
 Solid amber

8. Fingertip movements:
 Vibrato (tremolo)
 Diferent in Baroque and in Classicism
 Amplitude of oscillations
 Shake / trill (trell)
 Portamento (in a suggestion of a glissando)
 Con sordino (with mute)
 Flageolet

9. Violin Year Price (US
$, millions)
The Lady Tennant,
Stradivarius
1699 2.03
The Hammer,
Stradivarius
1707 2.5
Del Gesu, Guarneri ~1758 4
The Vieuxtemps ,
Guarneri
1741 Offer: 18

10. “Violine – le roi des instruments.”
― Abbe M. Mersienne (1588-1648)
“If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a
musician. I often think in music. I live my
daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of
music.”
― Alber Einstein (1879–1955)

11.  Gazarianas, S. “Muzikos instrumentų pasaulyje”. “Šviesa”, Kaunas.
1988. 221p.
 Katkus, D. “Muzikos atlikimas. Istorija. Teorijos. Stiliai.
Interpretacijos”. Lietuvos muzikų sąjunga, Vilnius. 2006. 466p.
 http://violinmusic.hubpages.com/hub/The-Best-Violin-Maker-In-The-
World
http://www.narragansett.k12.ri.us/NHS/computer/First_Semester_08-
09/FS_Period_1B/Emily_Wright_Violin/structure.htm
 http://www.violinstudent.com/violinmap.html
 http://www.centrum.is/hansi/construction.html
 http://www.leroydouglasviolins.com/AshStrad.htm
http://most-expensive.com/violin-world
 http://www.luxist.com/2006/02/24/stradivari-violin-may-sell-for-
record-breaking-price/
 http://www.staplenews.com/home/2010/7/7/vieuxtemps-guarneri-
worlds-most-expensive-musical-instrument.html
 http://www.vsl.co.at/en/70/3189/3190/5617.vsl

12. “Where words fail,
music speaks.”
― Hans Christian Andersen