Have questions for your own instrument needs? Ask the community on Tonic! In addition to practicing, you can also exchange ideas in Groups around buying instruments, join fandoms (like the TwoSet Appreciation Club) and more: tonicmusic.app/join-in
I love how the last instrument had sentimental value. It was a better instrument, but I think the sentimentality of it, made the playing so much better. I felt every note in my heart.
before my late piano teacher passed away, she gave her last student her piano. we all talked about that piano during her funeral. some of us have more expensive pianos than hers, but the thought of playing it again makes us think it’ll give us super powers. RIP mrs. mastretti - ty for giving me the gift of music.
Same, I got goosebumps watching and listening to him play it. No doubt it's a great instrument but it's who built it and who's played it that make it worth the 450k
Yes, I became with the joy of emotions. I am not a string instrumentalist, but I do appreciate when I hear the quality. Ones the photographer Ansel Adams said,, “”It’s not the camera, but what’s behind it. So glad that the presenter is Ray Chen. In each categories, I definitely recognized the differences of each instruments.
Ray's mood and editing on this video is top notch. Easily my favorite ray chen upload. Also, looks like ray's about to start a gofundme to retrieve and own his sensei's violin. That violin has been waiting for him for who knows how long.
We not gonna talk about how you just casually have Fred from Antiques Roadshow on your show? The dude is a wealth of knowledge on musical instruments. So happy to see him on your channel.
Really loved this video. It has to be emotional playing your teacher's instrument. We're all so grateful to Mr. Rosand for helping to shape you into the amazing violinist you are.
Omg. When he asks if he can borrow his late teacher's violin, his little earnest and eager face when he says "wow~" Too adorable. So heartwarming. Ray reminds me a lot of my old teacher and mentor who has passed. I can just imagine how special that moment was for him, seeing his mentor's violin. :')
Aww ❤🥰 The excitement of when Ray had his teacher’s violin. When he smelled it and it smelt like him. When it sounded like him. That is the purest thing ever.
It would be fitting if Ray Chen acquired Aaron Rosand's Vuillaume violin. It would complete a circle started many years before. Mr. Rosand had also owned a Guarneri del Gesu violin previously owned by Polish violinist Paul Kochanski who died of cancer in 1934. Rosand bought it in the late 1950s from Kochanski's widow after he lost the use of a Stradivarius when he decided to get married. His benefactor didn’t want him to marry. He sold his Guarneri del Gesu violin in 2009 to a Russian businessman for ten million dollars, donating 1.5 million dollars to his alma mater, the Curtis Institute, where he had taught since the early 1980s. I found Ray's comment about not using a shoulder rest amusing, because Aaron Rosand did not like shoulder rests. I watched Ray’s 2009 performance of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concert at the Queen Elisabeth Competition and it looks like he isn't using a shoulder rest there either. One summer in the early 1970s I participated in a youth orchestra program where I sat in the second violin section. For me the high point was the week when we accompanied Aaron Rosand in the Beethoven Violin Concerto. He was clean shaven at the time but wore his hair pulled back in a pony tail. Many girls in the orchestra loved that. I remember in one of our rehearsals Mr. Rosand stood on the conductor's platform and provided guidance to the string section. After his performance in the concert, he played the last of the 24 Paganini caprices as an encore. In the months that followed I bought every record he made that was in the inventory of the record store I frequented. (This was long before I discovered the Schwann record catalog.) It would be 30 years before he released a recording of the Beethoven concerto which also included the Brahms Violin Concerto.
Indeed Ray didn't use a shoulder rest for a while until he invented his own bespoke one that adheres to the back of the violin but without damaging the varnish. Not sure what he does now.
OMG I literally snorted from laughter when you wondered aloud if the Vuillaume still smelled like cigars!! I took lessons from Mr. Rosand in the early 2000s and after he chucked my shoulder rest out the window, he gave me a sponge from his violin case that smelled - you guessed it - like cigars! XD I miss him too!
Watching you experience nostalgia over Mr Rosand's violin was genuinely touching. Must've been quite the experience, and thank you for documenting it for us.
The top two that I sincerely loved the sound they produced was the "1905 Hill" from Great Britain for $40K and the "1862 J.B. Vuillaume" from France for $450K. (Rest in eternal love & peace, Aaron Rosand 💐🕊🎻) Older violins tend to have a more mature sound or tone to it. 😇👂 It's like listening to a gifted 10 year old singer compared to a seasoned 60 year old professional artist. You can tell the difference in their voices. Thank you, Ray & Frederick W. Oster, for your valuable time and sharing such beautiful options to consider at different times in one's journey as a violinist. Ok. Please stay healthy & be encouraged. Take care. 🤗🤗
Same! I loved how these 2 sound too. For me personally I would strive to one day own something like that "1905 Hill". A Vuillaume is beyond my wildest dream.
I visited Fred oster’s shop in Philadelphia a month ago, and the place was an experience to remember. One of the most beautiful places I’ve ever stepped foot in, and Fred is a treasure of a man and so are his kitties
Same, I am happy to hear the $3500 French violin stand out in the first tier. I got a similar aged French violin for the same price, and I like it a lot.
@@tatianaes3354 18th and 19th they have influence from Italian violin, however France have their own history of violin same as Germany. Don’t make everything Italian just because there are famous craftsmanship in Italy. Btw Italy is famous about making violin but in terms of name and luthier France and Germany have more luthier than Italy.
My opinion is that it is not the objective quality or the price range of an instrument that makes it better but the skill of its player and the attitude that the player has towards the instrument. Ray played better on his teacher's violin, but he also played better on the English made 30.000 violin that he fancied from the moment he took it in his hands. The one with the carved design. I think that any skillful and relatively experienced violinist can play with any kind of instrument and make it sound good. The point is to love what you do and put some heart and soul on whatever you do.
The musician part of my brain appreciates the variety of samples and your player's "gut" but the academic part of my brain (I'm an audiologist specializing in musicians and severe hearing loss) wishes you played the same 6 or 8 bars on each instrument covering all strings, positions and dynamic levels.
I had a friend who was a wonderful instrument repairman. He said about 80% of the effect of a fine instrument was on the performer, 20% on the audience.
Really great video Ray. I haven't played the violin in years but I found this really interesting. Should also help alot of folks wanting to buy a new violin. Keep the great content coming. It really helps me get through the week !! Thank you🙂
I just bought a violin recently. I would also advise to not ask what the prices are before you play them as that may skew your perception. Ask the shop to put out a selection to try within your budget and find out the prices after
The shop will then immediately inflate the price for the chosen violin! The method is to take someone with you, that person gets the selection knowing the prices, and gives violins to you blind.
I teared up when Ray started playing Mr. Rosand's violin with such reverence and emotion. I always enjoy watching Ray's expressions when he performs, but I absolutely felt this one. ❤
Hi Ray, Thank you. I think for most, selecting musical instruments rests to some degree the amount of experience you have, which enables you to appreciate when something special comes along. For me playing different pianos prior to purchasing, helps find one that to my ear sounds right, it's very much personal, and what makes you feel good. Great post.
Very informative and pleasure to listen to. I honestly felt like a couple of the 3500 dollar instruments offered a very good value in terms of the quality of the sound. But Ray would make most non-Amazon violins sounds pretty great obviously.
I have a 1918 J.B. Collin-Mezin & Sons myself. For a factory instrument it's surprisingly valuable (although the R Weichold Dresden bow it came with was an even bigger surprise) but I do think the price of these instruments has far more to do with age and provenance. The original owner of mine was a violin teacher and orchestra player. She left it to her nephew who loved the violin. When that nephew was an old man who'd had a stroke and could no longer play, he advertised it for sale. As a teenager I didn't have a whole heap of money but after hearing me play, he sold it to me for a fraction of what it was worth. He said none of his children were ever interested in playing. He hated the thought of it just rotting away in a cupboard so he thought if he sold it, it would likely go to someone who would actually play it and that was far more important to him. I've had it for over 20 years and it now has so many good memories that when I can no longer play, I too will give it away to someone who will treasure it as much as all the previous owners. Just one observation though. As a playing instrument... that G string... I don't know what the real story is but anything above 3rd pos is like an atomic super wedgie it's that butt-clenchingly painful. Luthiers, teachers, they've all scratched their heads because other than that it's a fine instrument. I still can't afford to drop that kind of money on a violin though so I just kept adjusting til it didn't chaff so bad. Ray my question is, can you get away with paying a lot less than 3k if you go for some modern, workhorse, factory instrument that doesn't come with any history? Nobody is paying 10k for a Standard American Fender that just rolled off the production line and that's considered a perfectly respectable instrument for any gig. What would the violin equivalent of that instrument be?
This is my favorite Ray’s chapter. As a senior violin lover, I shopped around in eBay garage sale and spent a few hundreds for a skeleton of Stradivarius label violin and dumped my $1200 Scott Cao. With E string not satisfactory, I spent $10,000 online for a new violin then returned due to struggling to get used to it. I brought my Stradivarius labeled to violin shop compared to 6-7k level, could not tell too much difference. Still looking… this video clearly shows price vs sound ❤
Hi Ray I am not a violin player but a brass player By watching your videos, I discovered the difference between BRASS and STRINGS and how amazing they are But I find that the violins sounded beautiful 🎉 Absolutely amazing with your playing Thank you 😊
I've played J.-B. Vuillaume several times, that was violin from Moscow state collection. And that, obviously, was the best sounded violin in my life. I've also played Testore, Ruggeri, Guadanini, some Strad's and Guarneri, but Vuillaume is something special! Thank you for your video!
Wow, what a touching and serendipitous moment with Aaron Rosand's Vuilliaume - unplayed until now. And it smells like him.❤ How wonderful for you, Mr. Chen. Good vid, too.
Love the video! Even though I don't play violin I found it very informative - wish we could be in the room to hear the differences live! Would love to see a video of your personal violin collection and how you received them / the process of being loaned (if you're allowed to share)
Love it Ray! Your teacher's violin, wow that sounds amazing even on my macbook, all of those options are pretty good, interesting that some of the more modern ones are carrying a higher price tag, I own a couple of late 1800's and an unlabeled French violin which I love, they all have different tone's and character
Fun and interesting video. If you do something like this again, wear a blindfold and have someone hand you various instruments of all price ranges in no particular order. It would be interesting to see what you like, with out you knowing what it is, in advance 😊
I just want to say that I LITERALLY CANNOT WAIT until the 4th of November when you'll be here in Glasgow performing Sibelius's violin concerto. My ticket has already been bought.
Wow! I didn't know this. I'm about as far south as you can get but he's also playing at Aberdeen and Edinburgh. WILL be getting tickets for Edinburgh then working out how to get there/accom etc later! I'm seeing Hauser in London later that month too! Will be quite a musical month!
@@juliegill6278 Thanks for this. Nothing came up when I did a search so I just typed the date and Glasgow. Will check this out. MUCH easier to get to though (some of) my kids live in Newcastle and we're discussing a possible family trip to Edinburgh - not that they'd attend the concert. Not classical music fans! My sister is though! Yes, it will be great to hear Sibelius 'live'. I loved Eddy's [TwoSet Violin] rendition of this piece. Ray did an appraisal of his performance too!
@@wakingtheworld My pleasure. Music, PARTICULARLY classical music has been my passion all my life and I watch Eddy and Brett ALL the time!!! I REALLY WISH they would come to Glasgow though, as I'm on the dole and can't afford to travel. My brother and his wife have VERY KINDLY bought me my ticket to see Ray as an early Xmas prezzie. I LITERALLY CANNOT WAIT!!!!!!!
Not counting Aaron Rosand's violin, which was undoubtedly the best I liked the 1920 german violin the best (on the left) then came the british violin as close second. All others were just too bright for me. Nice comparison I really enjoyed playing the Stradivari expert. 😅
The Vuillame's sound was clearly heads and shoulders above the rest right from the first note. It's interesting listening to the instruments of different price points!
@@MishaSkripach No i didn't pay 2500 € for violin to pretend. Adult leaners is big trend and many make you tube videos just for adult beginners. You never no what other people go thru in their life so don't be rude. I'm proud to play minuet 1 and if figure skating vas my dream I would do it just for my self. You are talented but need to learn to respect other people. Hope you get your dreams to come true and support other people and there dreams as in portent as yours.
@@kirsitahtinen9968I’ve caught this commenter attacking other people too, don’t mind them maybe they have chronic back pain or their mother didn’t love them
@@kirsitahtinen9968 Why Are you making assumptions? I am not the boy in the videos whom you try to target. No, I just know that at your age your chances of getting a reasonably listenable sound on violin in 0, regardless of how much is costs. There are things in life which are not possible, sorry. Your can put on a tutu at 51 but it won't make you a ballet dancer. Violin playing requires muscles and bones adjusting from childhood, otherwise it is going to be just a caricarute. At 51 even great progfessional players feel difficulties very often. So, no, it will in fact be just pretending.
Awww, that was so fascinating. I wish I could be locked in this shop for a while and trying out these violins. Must say I have a favorite but only with my little speaker. Might be completely different in person. The second Mittenwald was great but the Hill was superb. Fell immediately in love…😍. Thanks for the video!
I love what you said at 12:00 when the color of your violin affects the way you play a little.I I have a hard time with that too and when I play a really dark violin like a spruce top, I makes me think I’m playing with more dark, deep and beautiful tone, especially one the G and D strings. Also, amazing video btw, really helpful!
It’s interesting that you and Olaf the violin maker each released on the say day a video on buying a violin - and there isn’t any overlap. It would be interesting if there was a flowchart of all possible goals, interests, risks, and decisions. For example you mentioned investing but from what I’ve seen that goal expands into a whole tree of things to do and consider. Or say you are a beginner do you buy or rent? If you are upgrading do you just try out the violin in the violin shop? I’m not asking for answers, I’m just wondering what it would look like to have all of the information in one flowchart.
I have upgraded moderately and the last two violins left I could take home for a week. So, yes, even in the below 2000€ range that was possible (I did not even ask to do it, it was standard procedure of that violin maker). And, yes, it took me until the last day to actually decide between the two! I would recommend to not decide immediately, but put the money aside that you want to spend and then take some weeks to months to try as many violins as you can, take notes on them, possibly record them on your phone just as a reminder and then come back to the shop when you know what you are looking for and try the ones in question again. It is possible to find your dream instrument in your price range by chance after a couple of weeks/ months. It would be sad if you had then settled for something because you tried only one shop and also because you were not entirely sure what you were looking for and what not. Also, instruments in one price range, even in the lower price range, can sound VERY different!
What is interesting and what a violin maker told me is that Italian violin are expensive because at that time violin maker in Italy doesn’t make much violin so it is like a rare Pokémon card.
Remember that the price of violin is not just due to how the violin projects, it's really who is the maker, what year it was made in, the origin, and the craftsmanship. To be quite frank, most of us don't really need to pay a violin past $5000. At that point, it's more of a luxurious thing and a collector thing. Yes, there will be a difference in tone and sound, but it would be miniscule. Some wouldn't even tell the difference between a $1000 vs $10000. But hey, if you got the money, it don't matter I suppose.
@@SylasAran Did blind test £18K, £25K, £60K,£350K, this against £500 factory made old French. The £18K came the best, followed by £350K, the old French was as good as the other two remaining (25 and 60 K). However, right hand placement on the bow makes a wow sound on G strong on every violin, people ask - where did you get such a violin/G string???
Not just projection and reputation. There’s a huuuge difference in playability that you feel much more as you approach the highest level repertoire. I would never bother playing higher level concerto (Brahms, Sibelius, etc.) on a $1000 violin, I personally wouldn’t even attempt playing Tchaikovsky or Brahms concerto on anything less than $3000. It’s just too difficult creating the right kinds of sounds in certain passages. For a professional *performer*, $5000 is the starting price.
@@ZenpaiV What playability do you mean? This depends on strings and set up. A violin that can manage Gypsy Airs and Scherzo-Tarantella, Bruch concerto, Saint-Saens concerto, Rondo Capriccioso, with Eva pirazzi gold strongs, for example, can manage other violin concertos. However, you might not he able to. It depends on your skill, or what cheaper violins you even seen and tried. On your channel there are cartoons but no violin playing or music. This means you are not a violinist who can play a concerto, right ? How do you know? Parents musicians?
Ray, I think you should have taken your favourite orchestra with you to the shop, to check the projection and tonal contrast of each violin you tried 😃.
Literally felt like I came out knowing less about buying a violin than when I started the video xD Genuinely only learnt that more money = make ray more happy when he plays the violin
Sentimentality aside, I loved the moment when you had the realization that the Vuillaume still smelled like Mr. Rosand's cigars! I actually bust out laughing. And the sound quality was just insane.
Hi, Mr. Ray Chen, The tonic app that you’ve developed will be useful for my violin practice. I’m gonna download your app to practice my violin with that app. Thank you, Mr. Ray. I also love to watch your videos.
Love the graphics you put together...fun. Was it my ears, or was Issac Stern's violin always sounding a bit flat and muted? Also when you tested these violins were you (unknowingly) playing them differently? I agree, darker violins seem warmer. A fan from Newmarket (Onatario)
Inflation in my country is so high that I can never buy such an instrument, but these instruments are also pleasant to look at and listen to. Now I can better understand the difference between my hundred dollar instrument and these instruments. Thank you for your good video
I love the demo of the first ones. Online, I often only read dismissive comments about the Markneukirchen instruments, as if they were only trash. However, most hobby players cannot afford a violin for 10,000 € or more. Demonstrating that the ones they can afford can also sound good may help a lot of people! I often wonder what children and teens may think if they have an instrument for 500 to 1500€ and then have to hear/ read over and over again, the every violin below 4000 - 6000 - 10,000 - 15,000 € ist crap. How motivated will you be to get better and learn when you hear everywhere that the instrument you can afford cannot be good because it is much too cheap?! Knowing that it will take years before you will be able to afford a "good enough" instrument?!
I think that you should go for the best in your price range and be happy with "good enough". There's always something more expensive (in every category) but good enough is good enough.
@@Colopty Ik but I’m struggling to be able to practice all three. I’m thinking about giving up the cello for now but I’m not sure. I can always come back to it later maybe but I’d rather be able to play two really well than play multiple ok
@@ColoptyI disagree, you should probably stick to the 2 you’re doing already. You also need to eat sleep and see other humans. Oh I see, you don’t plan to do 3 you just don’t know which three. Hmmm hard to choose
안녕하세요 레이첸♡♡중학교2학년 딸이 원선미이고 바이올린 배우는데요.너무 팬입니다~~~8월11일 롯데콘서트홀에서 공연이 있더라구요~~예약성공해서 딸이 엄청 좋아했어요 들떠있고 흥분상태에요~~~직접 볼수있는 기회라니 너무 감격스러워요.환호와 박수 많이 치겠습니다. 선미가 바이올린을 하고싶은 이유가 레이첸 때문이래요♡♡♡♡♡연주자로 함께 설수있는 그날을 꿈꿔봅니다.
You're so funny! I love watching and learning from you!I just bought my first violin at a instrument liquidation sale. An otto ernst fisher for 25 dollars. Taking it to a ferrier. I'm 66! Im going to give it a go.
I bought my violin solely on the backplate 🙈 It was in ‘very used’ condition but it spoke to me. It’s nothing special - an old 1820’s German factory violin but I adored the one-piece back that is full of character. The violin sounded great but had to go to a luthier to be repaired. The top plate needed a fair bit of work. Sometimes instruments speak to you and I felt this violin needed rescuing so that it can be played for another 200 years (I hope!).
Great video. Except at 5:47 the waves on the bottom are the higher frequencies and the ones on the top are lower frequencies, so the opposite of what he is saying (and how it is usually referred to). So the graphics should be the other way around.
Hey ray! I had two questions. First I love your violin videos is just so inspiring and makes me want to practice even harder than I already was. And the first question was, what was the first piece you played with the 69$ violin? And second what type of strings should I buy because my strings need to be changed and I’m trying to look for a good brand of strings
Nice video and it is also interesting to hear you play other instruments. What happened to the 5k-15k price range which I think would be a sweet spot for many people out there ? Did you buy one ?
![Can pros tell which INSTRUMENT is more expensive? [Blind Test]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/E1Nz0AKG_bA/mqdefault.jpg)
Have questions for your own instrument needs? Ask the community on Tonic! In addition to practicing, you can also exchange ideas in Groups around buying instruments, join fandoms (like the TwoSet Appreciation Club) and more: tonicmusic.app/join-in
hola
Wish I could get one of those violins 😢even if it's the cheapest of them🤦
U should take that JBV dude
@@ChiefHerzensCoach 🥺💝 I believe brother
@@ChiefHerzensCoach someday I believe I will get to own one of these
I love how the last instrument had sentimental value. It was a better instrument, but I think the sentimentality of it, made the playing so much better. I felt every note in my heart.
I would have cried if I had been in his shoes.
before my late piano teacher passed away, she gave her last student her piano. we all talked about that piano during her funeral. some of us have more expensive pianos than hers, but the thought of playing it again makes us think it’ll give us super powers. RIP mrs. mastretti - ty for giving me the gift of music.
Same, I got goosebumps watching and listening to him play it. No doubt it's a great instrument but it's who built it and who's played it that make it worth the 450k
Sad the violin was sold rather than passed down.
Yes, I became with the joy of emotions. I am not a string instrumentalist, but I do appreciate when I hear the quality. Ones the photographer Ansel Adams said,, “”It’s not the camera, but what’s behind it. So glad that the presenter is Ray Chen. In each categories, I definitely recognized the differences of each instruments.
Rays reaction to his teachers violin was bittersweet. His memories of him and then realized that he passed. Yeah can really bring out the feels.
ikr 😢
fr
Ray's mood and editing on this video is top notch. Easily my favorite ray chen upload.
Also, looks like ray's about to start a gofundme to retrieve and own his sensei's violin. That violin has been waiting for him for who knows how long.
“Check out mah crib” absolutely LMAOed me.
We not gonna talk about how you just casually have Fred from Antiques Roadshow on your show? The dude is a wealth of knowledge on musical instruments. So happy to see him on your channel.
Really loved this video. It has to be emotional playing your teacher's instrument. We're all so grateful to Mr. Rosand for helping to shape you into the amazing violinist you are.
Omg. When he asks if he can borrow his late teacher's violin, his little earnest and eager face when he says "wow~" Too adorable. So heartwarming. Ray reminds me a lot of my old teacher and mentor who has passed. I can just imagine how special that moment was for him, seeing his mentor's violin. :')
Aww ❤🥰
The excitement of when Ray had his teacher’s violin. When he smelled it and it smelt like him. When it sounded like him. That is the purest thing ever.
It’s actually so amazing how the 450k violin immediately sounded 5 tiers higher than the 40k violins.
It would be fitting if Ray Chen acquired Aaron Rosand's Vuillaume violin. It would complete a circle started many years before. Mr. Rosand had also owned a Guarneri del Gesu violin previously owned by Polish violinist Paul Kochanski who died of cancer in 1934. Rosand bought it in the late 1950s from Kochanski's widow after he lost the use of a Stradivarius when he decided to get married. His benefactor didn’t want him to marry. He sold his Guarneri del Gesu violin in 2009 to a Russian businessman for ten million dollars, donating 1.5 million dollars to his alma mater, the Curtis Institute, where he had taught since the early 1980s.
I found Ray's comment about not using a shoulder rest amusing, because Aaron Rosand did not like shoulder rests. I watched Ray’s 2009 performance of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concert at the Queen Elisabeth Competition and it looks like he isn't using a shoulder rest there either.
One summer in the early 1970s I participated in a youth orchestra program where I sat in the second violin section. For me the high point was the week when we accompanied Aaron Rosand in the Beethoven Violin Concerto. He was clean shaven at the time but wore his hair pulled back in a pony tail. Many girls in the orchestra loved that. I remember in one of our rehearsals Mr. Rosand stood on the conductor's platform and provided guidance to the string section. After his performance in the concert, he played the last of the 24 Paganini caprices as an encore. In the months that followed I bought every record he made that was in the inventory of the record store I frequented. (This was long before I discovered the Schwann record catalog.) It would be 30 years before he released a recording of the Beethoven concerto which also included the Brahms Violin Concerto.
Indeed Ray didn't use a shoulder rest for a while until he invented his own bespoke one that adheres to the back of the violin but without damaging the varnish. Not sure what he does now.
OMG I literally snorted from laughter when you wondered aloud if the Vuillaume still smelled like cigars!! I took lessons from Mr. Rosand in the early 2000s and after he chucked my shoulder rest out the window, he gave me a sponge from his violin case that smelled - you guessed it - like cigars! XD I miss him too!
So cool to hear random people in youtube comments random connections to renowned people!
Watching you experience nostalgia over Mr Rosand's violin was genuinely touching. Must've been quite the experience, and thank you for documenting it for us.
The top two that I sincerely loved the sound they produced was the "1905 Hill" from Great Britain for $40K and the "1862 J.B. Vuillaume" from France for $450K. (Rest in eternal love & peace, Aaron Rosand 💐🕊🎻)
Older violins tend to have a more mature sound or tone to it. 😇👂
It's like listening to a gifted 10 year old singer compared to a seasoned 60 year old professional artist. You can tell the difference in their voices. Thank you, Ray & Frederick W. Oster, for your valuable time and sharing such beautiful options to consider at different times in one's journey as a violinist.
Ok. Please stay healthy & be encouraged. Take care. 🤗🤗
Same! I loved how these 2 sound too. For me personally I would strive to one day own something like that "1905 Hill". A Vuillaume is beyond my wildest dream.
I can't even imagine what it would be to bump into a violin that once belonged to one's late teacher.
I visited Fred oster’s shop in Philadelphia a month ago, and the place was an experience to remember. One of the most beautiful places I’ve ever stepped foot in, and Fred is a treasure of a man and so are his kitties
Burst out laughter when Ray Ray called his dad saying 嘿把拔你有沒有錢😂😂😂😂
Really nice video - fun and informative!
*LOVED the French violin.*
Sounds amazing and the price is sane, just $3500.
I have a French violin bought in France cause I’m French 🤣 and I bought it 2000 dollars and it sounds so similar with the one in this video.
Same, I am happy to hear the $3500 French violin stand out in the first tier. I got a similar aged French violin for the same price, and I like it a lot.
@@Mickaelasama The French have inherited the ancient Italian traditions of the violin making, so no wonder.
@@tatianaes3354 18th and 19th they have influence from Italian violin, however France have their own history of violin same as Germany. Don’t make everything Italian just because there are famous craftsmanship in Italy. Btw Italy is famous about making violin but in terms of name and luthier France and Germany have more luthier than Italy.
My opinion is that it is not the objective quality or the price range of an instrument that makes it better but the skill of its player and the attitude that the player has towards the instrument. Ray played better on his teacher's violin, but he also played better on the English made 30.000 violin that he fancied from the moment he took it in his hands. The one with the carved design.
I think that any skillful and relatively experienced violinist can play with any kind of instrument and make it sound good. The point is to love what you do and put some heart and soul on whatever you do.
Violins beyond a certain price point have more collectible values than their real sound.
This is absolutely right
@@savageg2002 I agree and same applies on every other musical instrument or art tool.
The musician part of my brain appreciates the variety of samples and your player's "gut" but the academic part of my brain (I'm an audiologist specializing in musicians and severe hearing loss) wishes you played the same 6 or 8 bars on each instrument covering all strings, positions and dynamic levels.
Same same! I was saying "go on low register like the other one too! So I can hear it!" Lol
But my technique doesn't need a $$$$$$ violin😂😂😂
This is me lol I just started why am I watching this 😂
Yup, I can’t even bring out the best sound in my replicated Cannone GCV violin yet.
Mine does but I can't afford anything more than a student instrument 😭
I had a friend who was a wonderful instrument repairman. He said about 80% of the effect of a fine instrument was on the performer, 20% on the audience.
Really great video Ray. I haven't played the violin in years but I found this really interesting. Should also help alot of folks wanting to buy a new violin. Keep the great content coming. It really helps me get through the week !! Thank you🙂
You make every kind of violin sound like a 10 millon dollar violin!!!!!❤❤❤ It doesn’t matter which violin you choose since you just toooooo good!!!!😊😊
I just bought a violin recently. I would also advise to not ask what the prices are before you play them as that may skew your perception. Ask the shop to put out a selection to try within your budget and find out the prices after
The shop will then immediately inflate the price for the chosen violin! The method is to take someone with you, that person gets the selection knowing the prices, and gives violins to you blind.
I teared up when Ray started playing Mr. Rosand's violin with such reverence and emotion. I always enjoy watching Ray's expressions when he performs, but I absolutely felt this one. ❤
This will be so perfect. I’m currently looking to purchase a violin. Thank you in advance for your advice!
same bro
I can’t believe you read my comment!! My mom and I drove 32 hours to see you once 😅.
I wonder what your own Violin would smell like? 😂😊😅
Same!
450k starting?
That’s impressive being able to play so well without a shoulder rest!
40 hours a day
Nice video, Ray. I’m glad you got to play your late teachers violin. I heard the emotion in that play it was touching. ❤
damn but seeing ray get all emotional over that violin was heartwarming
Fred couldn't put that $69 violin down fast enough. 🙂
Hi Ray,
Thank you.
I think for most, selecting musical instruments rests to some degree the amount of experience you have, which enables you to appreciate when something special comes along.
For me playing different pianos prior to purchasing, helps find one that to my ear sounds right, it's very much personal, and what makes you feel good.
Great post.
Ray has such an incredible, open, and beautiful vibrato... a true chefs kiss.
this video was very well cut lol had so much fun watching
We all know Ray DESERVES that four-fifty!
Very informative and pleasure to listen to. I honestly felt like a couple of the 3500 dollar instruments offered a very good value in terms of the quality of the sound. But Ray would make most non-Amazon violins sounds pretty great obviously.
I have a 1918 J.B. Collin-Mezin & Sons myself. For a factory instrument it's surprisingly valuable (although the R Weichold Dresden bow it came with was an even bigger surprise) but I do think the price of these instruments has far more to do with age and provenance. The original owner of mine was a violin teacher and orchestra player. She left it to her nephew who loved the violin. When that nephew was an old man who'd had a stroke and could no longer play, he advertised it for sale. As a teenager I didn't have a whole heap of money but after hearing me play, he sold it to me for a fraction of what it was worth. He said none of his children were ever interested in playing. He hated the thought of it just rotting away in a cupboard so he thought if he sold it, it would likely go to someone who would actually play it and that was far more important to him. I've had it for over 20 years and it now has so many good memories that when I can no longer play, I too will give it away to someone who will treasure it as much as all the previous owners. Just one observation though. As a playing instrument... that G string... I don't know what the real story is but anything above 3rd pos is like an atomic super wedgie it's that butt-clenchingly painful. Luthiers, teachers, they've all scratched their heads because other than that it's a fine instrument. I still can't afford to drop that kind of money on a violin though so I just kept adjusting til it didn't chaff so bad.
Ray my question is, can you get away with paying a lot less than 3k if you go for some modern, workhorse, factory instrument that doesn't come with any history? Nobody is paying 10k for a Standard American Fender that just rolled off the production line and that's considered a perfectly respectable instrument for any gig. What would the violin equivalent of that instrument be?
I have a 1902 J.B.Collin-Mezin and i have the same problem
This is my favorite Ray’s chapter. As a senior violin lover, I shopped around in eBay garage sale and spent a few hundreds for a skeleton of Stradivarius label violin and dumped my $1200 Scott Cao. With E string not satisfactory, I spent $10,000 online for a new violin then returned due to struggling to get used to it. I brought my Stradivarius labeled to violin shop compared to 6-7k level, could not tell too much difference. Still looking… this video clearly shows price vs sound ❤
Hi Ray
I am not a violin player but a brass player
By watching your videos, I discovered the difference between BRASS and STRINGS and how amazing they are
But I find that the violins sounded beautiful 🎉
Absolutely amazing with your playing
Thank you 😊
You crack me up Ray! Thanks so much for sharing your joy and expertise. 😁
I've played J.-B. Vuillaume several times, that was violin from Moscow state collection. And that, obviously, was the best sounded violin in my life. I've also played Testore, Ruggeri, Guadanini, some Strad's and Guarneri, but Vuillaume is something special! Thank you for your video!
Wow, what a touching and serendipitous moment with Aaron Rosand's Vuilliaume - unplayed until now. And it smells like him.❤ How wonderful for you, Mr. Chen. Good vid, too.
Love the video! Even though I don't play violin I found it very informative - wish we could be in the room to hear the differences live! Would love to see a video of your personal violin collection and how you received them / the process of being loaned (if you're allowed to share)
The violin on 5:56 is my favorite! It’s so beautiful sounding! That’s a sound that I am looking for! 🎻💕
Love it Ray! Your teacher's violin, wow that sounds amazing even on my macbook, all of those options are pretty good, interesting that some of the more modern ones are carrying a higher price tag, I own a couple of late 1800's and an unlabeled French violin which I love, they all have different tone's and character
The last one is so powerful! It’s the first time I’ve heard such a powerful sound from a violin.
Fun and interesting video. If you do something like this again, wear a blindfold and have someone hand you various instruments of all price ranges in no particular order. It would be interesting to see what you like, with out you knowing what it is, in advance 😊
I can feel your love when you played Mr. Rosand’s Vuillaume.
I brushed into tears after the first few notes of your Tchaikovsky. It's so moving.
I relate so much to the nostalgia of being able to play on your professor’s violin. Glad they’ll lend it some time. 🙌🏽👏🏽
I just want to say that I LITERALLY CANNOT WAIT until the 4th of November when you'll be here in Glasgow performing Sibelius's violin concerto. My ticket has already been bought.
Wow! I didn't know this. I'm about as far south as you can get but he's also playing at Aberdeen and Edinburgh. WILL be getting tickets for Edinburgh then working out how to get there/accom etc later! I'm seeing Hauser in London later that month too! Will be quite a musical month!
@@wakingtheworld He's also playing in Birmingham. If you Google Ray Chen tour you can get all the info you need.
@@juliegill6278 Thanks for this. Nothing came up when I did a search so I just typed the date and Glasgow. Will check this out. MUCH easier to get to though (some of) my kids live in Newcastle and we're discussing a possible family trip to Edinburgh - not that they'd attend the concert. Not classical music fans! My sister is though! Yes, it will be great to hear Sibelius 'live'. I loved Eddy's [TwoSet Violin] rendition of this piece. Ray did an appraisal of his performance too!
@@wakingtheworld My pleasure. Music, PARTICULARLY classical music has been my passion all my life and I watch Eddy and Brett ALL the time!!! I REALLY WISH they would come to Glasgow though, as I'm on the dole and can't afford to travel.
My brother and his wife have VERY KINDLY bought me my ticket to see Ray as an early Xmas prezzie. I LITERALLY CANNOT WAIT!!!!!!!
Not counting Aaron Rosand's violin, which was undoubtedly the best I liked the 1920 german violin the best (on the left) then came the british violin as close second. All others were just too bright for me. Nice comparison I really enjoyed playing the Stradivari expert. 😅
10:20 that whole Tchaik excerpt was exquisite 😍
The Vuillame's sound was clearly heads and shoulders above the rest right from the first note. It's interesting listening to the instruments of different price points!
Playing for 18 month and I have 7/8 JTL because my hands are small. Adult leaner 51 year old. it is never too late to start.
Why do you do this? Just to pretend? Would you learn figure skating at 51?
@@MishaSkripach No i didn't pay 2500 € for violin to pretend. Adult leaners is big trend and many make you tube videos just for adult beginners. You never no what other people go thru in their life so don't be rude. I'm proud to play minuet 1 and if figure skating vas my dream I would do it just for my self. You are talented but need to learn to respect other people. Hope you get your dreams to come true and support other people and there dreams as in portent as yours.
@@kirsitahtinen9968I’ve caught this commenter attacking other people too, don’t mind them maybe they have chronic back pain or their mother didn’t love them
@@M_SC Attacking is more about you, actually. This is what you do, pretending to be an expert but not showing how you play.
@@kirsitahtinen9968 Why Are you making assumptions? I am not the boy in the videos whom you try to target. No, I just know that at your age your chances of getting a reasonably listenable sound on violin in 0, regardless of how much is costs. There are things in life which are not possible, sorry. Your can put on a tutu at 51 but it won't make you a ballet dancer. Violin playing requires muscles and bones adjusting from childhood, otherwise it is going to be just a caricarute. At 51 even great progfessional players feel difficulties very often. So, no, it will in fact be just pretending.
Loved the video. Such wonderful instruments. I noticed that he kept coming back to Tchaikovsky, one of my favorite violin concertos
Awww, that was so fascinating. I wish I could be locked in this shop for a while and trying out these violins. Must say I have a favorite but only with my little speaker. Might be completely different in person. The second Mittenwald was great but the Hill was superb. Fell immediately in love…😍. Thanks for the video!
I love what you said at 12:00 when the color of your violin affects the way you play a little.I I have a hard time with that too and when I play a really dark violin like a spruce top, I makes me think I’m playing with more dark, deep and beautiful tone, especially one the G and D strings. Also, amazing video btw, really helpful!
do u know what is the song‘s name？
If you're talking about the piece he's playing at 12:18 it's called Estrellita arrangement by Heifetz@@fm90456
Geeze, I wish you could be the next caretaker of your teacher's prized Vuillaume violin. Your teacher deserves to be honored.
I love that Ray plays my favorite song when trying each one of them❤🎶🎵
You should be playing a Vuillaume - it sounds so beautiful in your hands.
It’s interesting that you and Olaf the violin maker each released on the say day a video on buying a violin - and there isn’t any overlap. It would be interesting if there was a flowchart of all possible goals, interests, risks, and decisions. For example you mentioned investing but from what I’ve seen that goal expands into a whole tree of things to do and consider. Or say you are a beginner do you buy or rent? If you are upgrading do you just try out the violin in the violin shop? I’m not asking for answers, I’m just wondering what it would look like to have all of the information in one flowchart.
I have upgraded moderately and the last two violins left I could take home for a week. So, yes, even in the below 2000€ range that was possible (I did not even ask to do it, it was standard procedure of that violin maker). And, yes, it took me until the last day to actually decide between the two!
I would recommend to not decide immediately, but put the money aside that you want to spend and then take some weeks to months to try as many violins as you can, take notes on them, possibly record them on your phone just as a reminder and then come back to the shop when you know what you are looking for and try the ones in question again. It is possible to find your dream instrument in your price range by chance after a couple of weeks/ months. It would be sad if you had then settled for something because you tried only one shop and also because you were not entirely sure what you were looking for and what not.
Also, instruments in one price range, even in the lower price range, can sound VERY different!
Karolina, Chen, Twoset, Hahn, Olaf, and Vengerov has the closest relationship
What is interesting and what a violin maker told me is that Italian violin are expensive because at that time violin maker in Italy doesn’t make much violin so it is like a rare Pokémon card.
Remember that the price of violin is not just due to how the violin projects, it's really who is the maker, what year it was made in, the origin, and the craftsmanship. To be quite frank, most of us don't really need to pay a violin past $5000. At that point, it's more of a luxurious thing and a collector thing. Yes, there will be a difference in tone and sound, but it would be miniscule. Some wouldn't even tell the difference between a $1000 vs $10000. But hey, if you got the money, it don't matter I suppose.
Absolutely true.
@@SylasAran Did blind test £18K, £25K, £60K,£350K, this against £500 factory made old French. The £18K came the best, followed by £350K, the old French was as good as the other two remaining (25 and 60 K). However, right hand placement on the bow makes a wow sound on G strong on every violin, people ask - where did you get such a violin/G string???
Not just projection and reputation. There’s a huuuge difference in playability that you feel much more as you approach the highest level repertoire. I would never bother playing higher level concerto (Brahms, Sibelius, etc.) on a $1000 violin, I personally wouldn’t even attempt playing Tchaikovsky or Brahms concerto on anything less than $3000. It’s just too difficult creating the right kinds of sounds in certain passages.
For a professional *performer*, $5000 is the starting price.
@@ZenpaiV What playability do you mean? This depends on strings and set up. A violin that can manage Gypsy Airs and Scherzo-Tarantella, Bruch concerto, Saint-Saens concerto, Rondo Capriccioso, with Eva pirazzi gold strongs, for example, can manage other violin concertos. However, you might not he able to. It depends on your skill, or what cheaper violins you even seen and tried.
On your channel there are cartoons but no violin playing or music. This means you are not a violinist who can play a concerto, right ?
How do you know? Parents musicians?
@@MishaSkripachwhat an arrogant statement. You are toxic
Ray, I think you should have taken your favourite orchestra with you to the shop, to check the projection and tonal contrast of each violin you tried 😃.
Literally felt like I came out knowing less about buying a violin than when I started the video xD
Genuinely only learnt that more money = make ray more happy when he plays the violin
Ray Chen ROCKS!
The hand patch on the $45k 1960 USA violin looks like it needs varnish to protect it from hand perspiration. Ask Olaf!
Sentimentality aside, I loved the moment when you had the realization that the Vuillaume still smelled like Mr. Rosand's cigars! I actually bust out laughing. And the sound quality was just insane.
Yesterday I was wondering how to choose a violin.
Today you make a video about it.
It's a sign
Ray, video idea: Find and interview Carol Sindell. She is possibly the only living Heifetz's student left who appears on his masterclass video.
Hi, Mr. Ray Chen, The tonic app that you’ve developed will be useful for my violin practice. I’m gonna download your app to practice my violin with that app. Thank you, Mr. Ray. I also love to watch your videos.
Love the graphics you put together...fun. Was it my ears, or was Issac Stern's violin always sounding a bit flat and muted? Also when you tested these violins were you (unknowingly) playing them differently? I agree, darker violins seem warmer. A fan from Newmarket (Onatario)
God these violins sound so beautiful. All so unique. It definitely makes me want to keep learning.
Inflation in my country is so high that I can never buy such an instrument, but these instruments are also pleasant to look at and listen to. Now I can better understand the difference between my hundred dollar instrument and these instruments. Thank you for your good video
Дякую, Рею, за чудовий огляд скрипок. Ви не перевершені 👍
I love the demo of the first ones. Online, I often only read dismissive comments about the Markneukirchen instruments, as if they were only trash. However, most hobby players cannot afford a violin for 10,000 € or more. Demonstrating that the ones they can afford can also sound good may help a lot of people!
I often wonder what children and teens may think if they have an instrument for 500 to 1500€ and then have to hear/ read over and over again, the every violin below 4000 - 6000 - 10,000 - 15,000 € ist crap.
How motivated will you be to get better and learn when you hear everywhere that the instrument you can afford cannot be good because it is much too cheap?! Knowing that it will take years before you will be able to afford a "good enough" instrument?!
You are right, there are good instruments. One just needs to try many and find one.
I love watching Ray Chen lend his magic to music
I think that you should go for the best in your price range and be happy with "good enough". There's always something more expensive (in every category) but good enough is good enough.
Just found you through twomoo and couldn’t stop watching your content. Reminds me of my Nodame Cantabile days. 😂
I’m actually thinking about seriously playing the violin so even if it is not relevant now this will be very helpful in the future :)
Don't think more, just go for it, you'll never regret it.
Let's freaking go!!!
@@davidlicea9192 the problem is that I also play viola and cello. I want to focus on two to get better at but I can’t decide which two to choose
@@Jayy_003 Well the viola and violin play somewhat similarly so doing all three shouldn't be that different from doing just two.
@@Colopty Ik but I’m struggling to be able to practice all three. I’m thinking about giving up the cello for now but I’m not sure. I can always come back to it later maybe but I’d rather be able to play two really well than play multiple ok
@@ColoptyI disagree, you should probably stick to the 2 you’re doing already. You also need to eat sleep and see other humans. Oh I see, you don’t plan to do 3 you just don’t know which three. Hmmm hard to choose
Really helpful info for me. I have an oooold Maggini that doesn’t sound the same after repair. It sounds better after several tries.
Ray has so much charisma! He didn't learn that at Curtis.
My favorites: the violin of 2023 (19.000) and the British violin (40.000). Such a colorful creamy but very precise
sound
His humor makes my belly button pop out!!😂😂😂😂😂 Love your personality Ray!!!!!!!❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
안녕하세요 레이첸♡♡중학교2학년 딸이 원선미이고 바이올린 배우는데요.너무 팬입니다~~~8월11일 롯데콘서트홀에서 공연이 있더라구요~~예약성공해서 딸이 엄청 좋아했어요 들떠있고 흥분상태에요~~~직접 볼수있는 기회라니 너무 감격스러워요.환호와 박수 많이 치겠습니다. 선미가 바이올린을 하고싶은 이유가 레이첸 때문이래요♡♡♡♡♡연주자로 함께 설수있는 그날을 꿈꿔봅니다.
I love the Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume Ray played. It belonged to Mr. Rosand. How amazing!
You're so funny! I love watching and learning from you!I just bought my first violin at a instrument liquidation sale. An otto ernst fisher for 25 dollars. Taking it to a ferrier. I'm 66! Im going to give it a go.
I relate so much to the nostalgia of being able to play on your professor’s violin. Glad they’ll lend it some time.
Thank you for playing the Schindlers List bit, it's such a gorgeous piece and not played enough :-)
It is amazing watching you play with such passion melts my heart
This was a beautiful and emotional video.Thank you both!
How am I just now finding your channel I’m obsessed
Fred seems like such a fair guy! Also as a non-player, all but the 69 one sound amazing to me.
Great advice! Invaluable experience! Thanks a million 🤗
Just came here to say that editing is on point, props :)
"That's just fancy junk!" got me good XD.
We need a tour with Fred and story time about all his clients
I bought my violin solely on the backplate 🙈 It was in ‘very used’ condition but it spoke to me. It’s nothing special - an old 1820’s German factory violin but I adored the one-piece back that is full of character. The violin sounded great but had to go to a luthier to be repaired. The top plate needed a fair bit of work. Sometimes instruments speak to you and I felt this violin needed rescuing so that it can be played for another 200 years (I hope!).
Great video. Except at 5:47 the waves on the bottom are the higher frequencies and the ones on the top are lower frequencies, so the opposite of what he is saying (and how it is usually referred to). So the graphics should be the other way around.
Good to know
Can you explain why they’re lower on the graph if they’re higher?
@@M_SC I guess the graph was made for some other purpose, and the editor didn't think it through when they put it in the video.
3:09 that sound is the bane of existence for guitarists
Who made the modern instrument? It sounds fantastic.
Hey ray! I had two questions. First I love your violin videos is just so inspiring and makes me want to practice even harder than I already was. And the first question was, what was the first piece you played with the 69$ violin? And second what type of strings should I buy because my strings need to be changed and I’m trying to look for a good brand of strings
Also what’s your tonic?
Nvm it’s the piece on the 3,500$ violin 😅 but what is the piece
Nice video and it is also interesting to hear you play other instruments. What happened to the 5k-15k price range which I think would be a sweet spot for many people out there ? Did you buy one ?
Fred really understands violins. He nailed the price on the cheap one.