Guarneri Violin 17?? 

Thanks for tuning in! Plenty more videos to come! :)

Your comment about the acoustics jogged my memory from a video I watched yesterday on another violin she reviewed. The room/area/venue in which she is reviewing this violin may not do it justice. I thought the violin sounded outstanding. I believe room acoustics, and the way someone plays the instrument, will make a huge difference in its tone. NOTE: I am not an avid fan of classical music. I like and listen to all kinds of music, but I prefer Heavy Metal. I give this info to inform that I am not in any way even someone that can truly judge the differences in the way violins sound...a guitar would be more of my expertise. I do own and listen to some classical CDs and vinyl albums.

Thanks for tuning in! You stay safe too :)

Thank you for watching! I'll certainly take all of this into consideration- we really want to do something with modern luthiers, and were about to start when covid broke out. When things go back to normal, it's at the top of our list! We hope very much one day to come play in New Zealand- not just because that would be awesome, but because New Zealand has been on my bucket list for ages! What a gorgeous country! :)

you are welcome to stay over with my family if you ever come here :) there isnt anything like violins in this world, so complex - most people dont understand /try to understand the science behind it, they just copy works of the old masters..,so many mysteries, one milli meter off and you get a dud instrument and when u get things right, it just comes alive.colour of the instrument is also facinating, some strads show a variety of colours at the back...interestingly enough bows are equally interesting, not all bows would sound good on a particular instrument, they need to be in sync of some sorts. wouldnt mind if you touchbase on that on a few videos as well. once again, job very well done.

We're based in Brooklyn, but this collection that we've been reviewing is in Taiwan. (Helps that I'm half Taiwanese! :) ). Thanks for tuning in, there will be more to come!

Good guess, as I mentioned to another commenter! I know, the f holes are really out there- but I do see some of Peter of Mantua's work looking like that, and it is definitely not the Ole Bull, or a del Gesu. You'll hear that later- the sound is completely different!

@@aTonalHits I'm stunned. I still can't accept that this is a Peter of Mantua violin because it looks absolutely nothing like his other work. I respect that you have the violin in your hands there and perhaps you can see things that I can't, and have provenance of the instrument, but from what I've learned: labels alone can't tell you what a violin is because they are sometimes lifted and swapped around in violins etc for some (often dodgy) reasons. The sound too is very beefy and velvety so it reminded me of a delicate Del Gesu, one that didn't really pack a punch but was still rather loud. When I look at Peter of Mantua's work he has used such classical elements like very round mould designs and soft round f holes that remind me of Andrea Amati. I can't see how a maker would deviate so much from his classical style even if he was experimenting. It would be like finding a Strad with wickedly pointed f holes and a horrendously asymmetric scroll and a back made from beechwood. I'm a luthier but have only seen a select few great instruments up close, the rest are all from life-size posters in books that cost a couple of thousand dollars ! I guess what I'm saying is that I wouldn't ever have thought to attribute this to Peter Guarneri of Mantua based on the sound and style and the greater portion of his work that I've already seen where the violins look very very very similar despite having their differences. Perhaps there's a gap in my knowledge and I don't claim to be an expert like Leonhard or Hargrave or Zygmuntowicz, but I just find this violin particularly odd in terms of where it seems to have come from. It is beautiful though, no doubt about that! Truly a great violin! Please forgive me if I sound out of line, I'm not meaning to be rude with my thoughts expressed above.

@@DevilViolinist No offense taken at all! Please don't apologize- half the reason we do these videos is to start conversations like this! I know, the f holes are throwing me off too. But I know for a certainty that it's not a del Gesu, namely because all the del Gesu's in the collection were already accounted for. Which left only a few options: Andrea Guarneris, which don't match the timeline, a filius andreae that I already did, and two Peter of Mantuas. This one matched more according to the records... but, you know, I could be wrong! Anyway, it's great to hear and learn more about all of these technical things, like the scrollwork etc.- rather than just going by the feel in my hands, and the tone and sound quality. Thanks for putting so much thought into it! :)

@@DevilViolinist I totally agree, it looked so much like the Ole Bull. I've played on Pietro di Mantua one and all the other ones I have seen pictures of, including the Fulton collection one, definitely look classical and nothing like this at all.

@@jenvogue5005 I found an archived detailed photo that matches this Del Gesu violin exactly. I am talking each individual stripe in the maple of the ribs, grain direction, dents that have happened over a few hundred years, contours and arching, and f-hole measurements. It is the Ole Bull of 1744. I think I may even do a comparison video if people still argue that this violin is not.

I am definitely going to try this next time!! Thanks for the tip!

So, are you saying that she was playing a COPY of the 'Ole Bull'? As a newcomer, I don't GET why Luthiers make identical copies of historic violins. To me, that is like making copies if paintings. When identified as a copy, it is a tribute, and more affordable, but not the real thing. Even most confusing, and troubling, to me is how often in videos (not just here) the violin will be referred to by the historic name, without specifying "copy." Often I have gotten well into a video before that information is revealed. SMH...

Like I mentioned, I completely put this on myself, since I didn't just ask the curator! But it sort of adds to the fun of it, trying to figure it out, doesn't it? What do you think, if not Peter of Mantua? It's definitely not a del Gesu, and it's similar in tone to filius andreae's work.

@@aTonalHits It is del gesu. The 1744 Ole Bull, you can instantly notice it by looking at the quirky f-holes, flat arch and yellow varnish :)

@@hiddeb8798 filius Andrea can also have odd looking f holes. There's a theory that del Gesu's wife used to be a violin maker whose name is Katarina which continued to make violin even after Del Gesu's death in 1744.

Yes, when I played a Pietro di Mantua one, I needed to get used the high arching of the violin, it felt so different from playing flatter violins. This does not look like Pietro di Mantua at all!

A good question! Of the instruments I've shown so far... I think the 1713 Strad, despite all the cliches. That instrument just lights up in your hand. Or the da Salo; it's a close thing!

That was Arvo Pärt's "Fratres". Here is a link to a full video of it- which we posted ages ago! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE--2ZKg8t6YD8.html

Good guess! But I promise it's not :)

@@aTonalHits Hey, I'm sorry but it actually is. Or its a really good copy :)

It might look a lot like it, but I promise you the sound and feel is miles apart! But good sleuthing! :)

@@aTonalHits I surprised at how grotesque the f holes look from my angle, I wonder if it suffered the misfortune of having it's f holes messed with in the 19th century?

@@cscscscs8857 I believe some works of filius Andrea are also having odd looking f holes for example the 1689 "quarestani"... It can't be del Gesu in my opinion.

@@crysed7897 It does indeed have odd-looking f-holes!

This is what's on record, although I don't recognize any of the names! tarisio.com/cozio-archive/property/?ID=43424

aTonalHits thank you for replying 🙂 I researched the Chimei museum ...it sounds incredible!

​@@aTonalHits I'm pretty sure this is the "Ole Bull" del Gesù of 1744: those sound-holes are so distinctively bold and rugged. Thanks for the video! I've been wanting to hear the sound of this violin for a long time but couldn't find anything until now :)

@@ShuteBen Yeah it must be an error in the archives. What's in the link and what's in the video are two completely different violins :/

Thanks for watching! Funny thing is we actually do have some footage of that cello- my friend, who is a composer, plays cello but is very embarrassed by the footage because he doesn't practice that much! I wonder if that's still useful at all? And if not, we will have to find a cellist to come with us next time!

@@aTonalHits do you know the maker? Thank you for responding.

Haha! If this instrument is a Peter of Mantua, like I think it is, his top auction came in around $340,000. Which actually surprises me! So, if you're willing to shell out for the likes of a house...?? :)

@@aTonalHits haha I'll start saving up, nothing like a mediocre instrument for a mediocre player 😌

That is "Fratres" by Arvo Pärt. It's a beautiful piece! Here's an old video we did of it: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE--2ZKg8t6YD8.html

They do! Technically. The problem is they're so old, and there's been so many fakes made, that it's very difficult to tell which one is which!

@@aTonalHits I understand. Thanks 🙏

The first piece playing in the background is Brahms' 3rd Sonata, 3rd movement- the 1st piece I'm actually playing is Bach's Chaconne from Partita in d minor. Full link to both here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-SzyQhEdXEUI.html ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-8wanVpPvmnE.html