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Stradivari & Denner

Author: mmatisoff
Date: 2016-08-25 21:38

I just read that Johann Cristoph Denner made the first clarinet shortly after Nicolo Amati (of violin fame) died, during the lifetimes of Antonio Stradivari and Bartolomeo Guarneri. I read somewhere that the clarinets were developed late in musical history)

I am fascinated by the historical context and provenance of musical instruments, particularly woodwinds. There is considerable debate (mostly among auction houses) about which luthier's instruments had the best sound quality. Some experts attribute it to the wood Stradivari and Guarneri used to make their instruments. Other experts say it has to do with varnish, climate, or some unknown factor.

I'm curious why violins, cellos, pianos, and other instruments pass through the ages virtually undamaged, while clarinets from the same period, virtually unknown and, I assume, unusable. Are clarinets less likely to survive because of the moist environment they are exposed to? Even then, an instrument doesn't have to be playable to be valuable. For example, the Strad Messiah is virtually unplayable yet sold for $20 M.

Thanks

Post Edited (2016-08-25 23:31)

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