Italian violin maker Antonio Stradivari (ca. 1644-1737) created instruments that are still considered the finest ever made. The new styles of violins and cellos that he developed were remarkable for their excellent tonal quality and became the basic design for all modern versions of the instruments.

Antonio Stradivari, also known by the Latin form of his name, Antonius Stradivarius, was a master craftsman who revolutionized the design of the violin. The instruments that he crafted in the late 1600s and early 1700s are considered to be the finest ever made because of the unsurpassed quality of their tone. Of the approximately 650 of his violins known still to exist, many continue to be played by musicians today. Stradivari also accomplished a similar redesign of the cello, setting the standard for the styles of violins and cellos used in later centuries. But the exact qualities of Stradivari's creations have never...