The Canadian Association of Violin and Bow Makers (CAVBM) presents an exhibition of contemporary violin and bow making in Toronto on Sunday, September 18, 2022. The exhibition will feature the work of 33 luthiers, and over 60 instruments. The event will be free of charge.
- Musicians will be able to test instruments and bows from multiple makers;
- Includes Canadian made violins, violas, cellos, and bows for each;
- Some instruments will remain available after the show via Violin Dealers Geo. Heinl & Co. Limited.
Performances & talks
It’s not only the instruments and the fascinating work of their makers that’s on display.
- The Odin Quartet will perform live at 11 a.m.;
- Toronto Symphony Orchestra violist Theresa Rudolph will perform live at 2:30 p.m., followed by a discussion of the viola with John Newton;
- At 6:30 p.m., Kerson Leong with play the Ysaÿe Sonatas.
The Canadian Association of Violin and Bow Makers website also allows string musicians to find instruments from across the country.
But what about the old Italian instruments…?
Professional musicians wax rhapsodic about the virtues of the old Italian instruments, typically those built in the 17th and 18th centuries by the Stradivari family.
But, aside from the prohibitive cost of a Stradivarius or Guarneri, there may be another good reason to opt for a contemporary instrument — apparently, no one can tell the difference, including professional string players. At least, that’s what recent research overwhelmingly suggests.
In 2014, violin maker Joseph Curtin and others conducted the now-infamous Paris Experiment. Ten soloists were asked to assess 12 violins, and come up with their favourite. Those soloists were: Olivier Charlier, Pierre Fouchenneret, Yi-Jia Susanne Hou, Ilya Kaler, Elmar Oliveira, Tatsuki Narita, Solenne Païdassi, Annick Roussin, Giora Schmidt, and Stéphane Tran Ngoc.
In a blind test:
- Six preferred new instruments;
- Only four preferred the older one.
At the end of the experiment, the test subjects were asked to guess which was which in a 7-minute exercise. They couldn’t do any better than they would have with a random guess. It follows a similar test, with similar results, at the 2012 International Violin Competition of Indianapolis.
A 2017 experiment looked at audience reactions to Strads vs. contemporary Italian violins. The researchers specifically noted the often repeated idea that the old Italian instruments have an advantage over new instruments when it came to projecting sound over an orchestra. They also surveyed the audience on their preference when it came to the sound of the instruments. They tested their reactions to the violins both with and without an accompanying orchestra.
“Results are unambiguous” — as the researchers write.
- New violins projected the sound better;
- Audiences tended to prefer the sound of new violins better;
- The listeners could not tell the difference between Stradivari and new Italian violins.
The Toronto Makers’ Forum: An exhibition of contemporary string instruments and their bows takes place on Saturday, September 18 from 10 a.m. until 8:30 p.m. at the Royal Conservatory of Music, Leslie & Anna Dan Galleria, Koerner Hall free of charge. More information here.
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