Violin's Sound Linked to European Ice Age

Submitted by Milica on Fri, 2003-12-12 18:12
Experts are now suggesting that Europe's mini age age which began in the 14th century may have affected trees from which the world's most famous violins were made. Tree ring specialists from the University of Tennessee and Columbia University have been studying the affects of Europe's mini ice age on the sound of the world-famous Stradivarius violin. They believe that long winters and cool summers led to denser wood that produces the violin's rich sound.

"It just amazed me that no one had thought of this before," said Dr. Henri Grissino-Mayer of the University of Tennessee. "The relationship between the violins, the trees that they were made from, the climate that existed when the trees grew and how it affected wood density to create a superior tonal quality."

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