Chapter 2 The Scienti 2 and the Stradwarius 15 This young musician holds the result of Nagy vary's scientifi efforts under her violin makes a clear, brilliant, She begins playing and th opens his eyes. heavenly sound. For 150 ould this be the magical Stradivarius sound? tried to years, violin makers, musicians, and scientists have lived in solve the mystery of the Stradivarius. Antonio 1737, he Cremona, small northern city. his death in sons made over 1,000 violins, violas, cellos, and guitars. Two followed him into the business, but they died soon after. The details of how their father and other violin makers from Cremona made their remarkable disappeared with the 4 How could an iterate man with no education produce instruments with such a heavenly sound? Stradivari and the violin makers from Cremona have a secret? 5 Joseph Nagy vary's laboratory in the United States at Texas A&M University is a world away from Cremona. began teaching biochemist at the university in the late 1960s. About ten years later, he began making violins. Using his knowledge of chemistry, Nagyvary believes that he has found the answer to the Stradivarius puzzle. 6 In 1977, Nagyvary resented the results of his research to the Violin Society of America He claimed that the high quality of Stradivari's instruments was not due to his artistic talent. Rather, the remarkable sound was a result of the materials Stradivari used, specifically the chemical properties of the wood and varnish Stradivari himself probably did not understand the importance of these materials. In other words, Stradivari was certainly talented, but he probably owed much of his success to luck.