If you have a burning issue you would like to discuss, email us at thestrad@orpheuspublications.com

LETTER OF THE MONTH

Folk beliefs

As a fiddler and dancer in the English tradition for some 50 years, I take issue with Jon Boden's contention (‘Folk Story', October) that fiddlers should learn to imitate the melodeon.

The melodeon became popular in the 1960s as an accompaniment to the morris dance. It is an easier option than the fiddle, but still capable of giving a semblance of the fiddle's life and bite to the dance music, which is a result of its blow-suck reeds. The accordion has a greater harmonic capability, but a smoother sound unless well played. Because of the limitations of blow-suck reeds, though, the rhythm tends to become distorted, in the way Boden describes, often making the music quite difficult to dance to. Melodeon players have attempted to copy the fiddle style of playing, but only a few have been successful.

Boden deserves praise for raising the issue of an English fiddle style, as distinct from the Irish or Scottish, but I feel he needs to look beyond the distortions of the ‘ceilidh scene' introduced over the past 30 years or so.

Bryan Jackson
Alnwick, Northumberland, UK

To respond to this letter, click here

I read with great interest Joe Robson's article on varnish (‘Shining Example', November) which argues that on a historical basis and for practical reasons, balsams and oil of turpentine must have been used in classical violin varnishes, particularly those from Cremona. Although I believe that everything remains an open question until definitely proven, on the issue of oil of turpentine I incline towards the opposite of his opinion.

In a typical way for oil of turpentine in pre-18th century oil varnishes, none of the early recipes in Robson's article contain this solvent. In fact, the 16th-century Marciana manuscript that he refers to (which is likely to be Tuscan rather than Venetian) lists nine oil varnish recipes, none of which even use the word ‘trementina', which at the time usually indicated a balsam. This does not mean that early oil varnishes were never diluted. In several of this manuscript's recipes, linseed oil and mineral oil distillates are mentioned as diluents.

However, the fact that most historical oil varnish recipes would yield fairly viscous varnishes does not imply, as Robson suggests, that they had to be diluted to allow for a thin and even application on violins. Several contemporary sources, including the writings of Cennino d'Andrea Cennini and Leonardo da Vinci, testify to the fact that varnishes were frequently applied by pad printing instead of by brush. When used with an appropriate varnish, this technique gives superior control over the varnish thickness.

Furthermore, one of our frustrations with historical oil varnish recipes is the frequent lack of details about their uses. Only a handful refer to musical instruments; hardly any refer to violins. It cannot be denied, however, that high oil ratio varnishes were used on instruments. We only need to read the Marciana manuscript to find a varnish for lutes with a staggering oil to resin ratio of six to one - too fatty even for my tastes. Varnishes were also used for other purposes where a much thicker consistency was needed. This manuscript gives an example of such a use - as waterproof glue - in its varnish section.

High oil ratio varnishes will indeed be less glossy and polishable than low oil ratio varnishes, but it has to be considered that the taste for high-gloss finishes is a relatively new one that only developed during the Baroque and Rococo periods. Besides, once low oil ratio varnishes have matured, they become perfectly polishable. Raymond White concluded in The Strad (August and October 1984) that high linseed oil ratio varnishes were used not only on a Venetian instrument (Montagnana) but also on a Cremonese one (Joseph ‘filius Andrea' Guarneri). Low oil ratios were indicated by him for only three walnut oil varnishes, none of which were from Cremona. One would almost have to assume that these were diluted with some solvent or other. Larch balsam has also been identified by Jean-Philippe Echard of the Cité de la Musique in Paris as a consituent in one Stradivari sample.

Because few samples have been analysed, the possibility remains that similarly low ratio linseed oil varnishes will one day be identified. If so, I agree with Robson that these may have to contain a balsam for flexibility and possibly some solvent. Whether this would have to be a turpene remains an open question for me.

Koen Padding
Hollandse Rading, Netherlands

To respond to this letter, click here

Letter of the month wins a full set of Warchal Brilliant violin strings. For more details about Warchal's full range, visit www.warchal.com We reserve the right to shorten or edit letters, and to use letters submitted online in the print magazine. Unfortunately we are unable to acknowledge unpublished submissions.