A Physicist's Quest for the Secrets of Stradivari: William F. Fry

Kameshwar Wali 

Syracuse University



The origin of violin is shrouded in mystery despite a great deal of research and speculation. It seems to have appeared in the present form in the early sixteenth century, predominantly in Italy, where two schools, the Brescian and the Cremona flourished. The Cremona school dominated nearly two centuries and the most celebrated among the Cremona violin makers was Antonio Stradivari, who brought unsurpassed beauty and perfection to the instruments he built. Since that time, well-known luthiers have attempted to reproduce the Cremona violins. Although some of them have made excellent copies, the general consensus is that they have not come close to reproducing the distinct voices, carrying power, and responsiveness of the Cremona instruments. This has given rise to myths of unknown and unknowable secrets concerning the wood, varnish etc. Likewise, many legitimate scientific researchers have attempted to demystify the Cremona instruments and have provided valuable knowledge regarding how a violin works, but they have failed to give any clues about what makes a particular violin stand out among others, let alone revealing the secrets of a Stradivari violin. William F. "Jack" Fry, professor emeritus at the University of Wisconsin, well known for his pioneering research in high-energy physics and his work in astrophysics has spent more than four decades  pursuing research on violins. He has been immensely successful in understanding the delicate interconnectedness of the different parts of the violin. His holistic approach to its acoustics, although rooted in solid physics principles, contrasts markedly with the conventional reductionist approach. With new insights Fry has come closer than any one before him to reproducing the sound of the great Italian violins. The talk will discuss his ideas and present a demonstration of his methods.