Joseph Curtin
Joseph Curtin is a contemporary violinmaker who lives in Ann Arbor
He was a 2005 recipient of a MacArthur Fellows Program "genius grant".[1] He has also directed workshops on violin design through the Violin Society of America, a group of builders.
Curtin is known for using technology such as MRIs, Lasers, and other scanning devices to measure the physics and acoustics of violins, to aid in his designs. [2][3] Curtin uses the information gathered to create replicas of famous antique violins, as well as research for more avante-garde designs including instruments made out of carbon fibre.[4]
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[edit] Early luthery
Joseph first learned violin making from Otto Erdesz, who was married to his viola teacher. Erdesz gave Curtin materiel for his first twenty violins.
[edit] Curtin & Alf
Curtin was co-founder with Gregg Alf of the firm Curtin & Alf. In 1993 a Curtin and Alf violin made for [Elmar Oliveira] set a record at a Sotheby's auction for the highest price paid for a violin by a living maker.[5] Alf and Curtin disolved their partnership after twelve years, but occasionally collaborate on a project together.
[edit] Player preferences among new and old violins
In 2010, Claudia Fritz and Curtin organized a double-blind study which was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in which 21 professional violinists tried to identify which violins were old (including 2 Stradivarius and a Guarneri), and which were new, and which they preferred. [6] 13 of the 21 violinists preferred the new violins. One of the Stradivarius violins was the least preferred. [7] The violinists could not reliably identify which instruments were old, and which were new. [8]
Earl Carlyss, a member of the Juliard string quartet was critical of the study saying "It’s a totally inappropriate way of finding out the quality of these instruments", and that what makes the older violins better is how they sound to an audience in a concert hall, not if the violinist likes it, in a hotel room.[9]
John Soloninka who was one of the violinists who played in the study said "It was fascinating. I too, expected to be able to tell the difference, but could not" and that "If, after this, you cling to picayune critiques and dismiss the study, then I think you are in denial. If 21 of us could not tell in controlled circumstances and 1500 people could not tell any differences in a hall, and this is consistent with past studies…then it is time to put the myths out to pasture."[10]
In a similar 1977 experiment, Isaac Stern and Pinchas Zukerman and a classical violin dealer Charles Beare listened to a Stradivarius, a Guarneri, and a (then modern) 1976 British violin. They were also unable to identify which instrument was which, and two of them mistakenly identified the 1976 violin as the Stradivarius.[11]
[edit] Notable Players
[edit] References
- ^ Shave, Nick. "An instrument maker and a scientist talk about their passion for violin physics". The Strad. http://www.josephcurtinstudios.com/pdf/DoubleActs_Dec07.pdf. Retrieved January 03, 2012.
- ^ Revkin, Andrew (November 28, 2006). "String Theory: New Approaches to Instrument Design". NY Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/28/science/28acou.html?8dpc=&_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1164729607-1gCDm/cOj+/hd8yZfvAQFg. Retrieved January 03, 2012.
- ^ Curtin, Joseph. "Measuring Violin Sound Radiation Using an Impact Hammer". http://www.josephcurtinstudios.com/images/violinsoundradiation.pdf. Retrieved January 03, 2012.
- ^ "The Science of Sound: Examining the Role of Materials in Musical Instruments". http://www.tms.org/pubs/journals/jom/0708/roncone-0708.html. Retrieved January 03, 2012.
- ^ Taylor, Kate (November 5, 1993). "Strad Copy Sets Sotheby's Record". The Globe and Mail. http://www.josephcurtinstudios.com/news/misc/19931105.htm. Retrieved January 03, 2012.
- ^ "Double-Blind Violin Test: Can You Pick The Strad?". NPR. http://www.npr.org/blogs/deceptivecadence/2012/01/02/144482863/double-blind-violin-test-can-you-pick-the-strad?ps=cprs. Retrieved January 03, 2012.
- ^ "Stradivariusa po dźwięku nie poznacie...". http://kopalniawiedzy.pl/stradivarius-skrzypce-zabytkowe-wspolczesne-nowe-Claudia-Fritz-Joseph-Curtin,14852. Retrieved January 03, 2012.
- ^ "Stradivari voller Klang oder nur klangvoller Name?". Deutschlandradio. http://www.dradio.de/dlf/sendungen/forschak/1643437/. Retrieved January 03, 2012.
- ^ Wade, Nicholas (January 2, 2012). "In Classic vs. Modern Violins, Beauty Is in Ear of the Beholder". NY Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/03/science/in-play-off-between-old-and-new-violins-stradivarius-lags.html. Retrieved January 03, 2012.
- ^ "Violinists can’t tell the difference between Stradivarius violins and new ones". Discover Magazine. http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2012/01/02/violinists-can%E2%80%99t-tell-the-difference-between-stradivarius-violins-and-new-ones/. Retrieved January 03, 2012.
- ^ "Million-dollar Stradivarius loses out in play-off with modern violin". Sydney Morning Herald. January 4, 2012. http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/milliondollar-stradivarius-loses-out-in-playoff-with-modern-violin-20120103-1pjjd.html. Retrieved January 03, 2012.
[edit] External links
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