Stradivari harp tree-ring data

Mauro Bernabei; Jarno Bontadi; Luigi Sisto

doi:10.1016/j.dib.2022.108453

Stradivari harp tree-ring data

Data Brief. 2022 Jul 11:43:108453. doi: 10.1016/j.dib.2022.108453. eCollection 2022 Aug.

Authors

Mauro Bernabei¹, Jarno Bontadi¹, Luigi Sisto²

Affiliations

¹ CNR-IBE, Institute for BioEconomy, National Research Council, via Biasi 75, 38098 San Michele all'Adige, Trento, Italy.
² Museo Storico Musicale, Conservatorio di Musica San Pietro a Majella, Via San Pietro a Majella 35, 80138 Naples, Italy.

Abstract

Three tree ring sequences were collected on the soundboard of the Stradivari harp. Due to the presence of the strings in the centre of the harp soundboard, the sampling of the tree ring widths was focused separately on the right side (RX), the central (CX) and the left side (LX). Tree ring measurements were carried out by using the Video Time Table (VTT), an instrument that combines a portable measuring device and a digital, high-resolution video camera. The VTT allowed non-invasive measurements of the tree rings to be made in situ and to immediately verify the quality of the sampling. The growth rings of the central portion were sampled using a high-resolution camera, which made it possible to bypass the barrier formed by the neck and strings. The consequent parallax and focus problems were overcome by taking many photographs from different angles. The measurements on the photographs were made with the CooRecorder program. The dendrochronological data were acquired with the PAST4 program and graphically processed and analysed with the PAST4 and 5 programs.

Keywords: Amati; Cello; Dendrochronology; Harp; Musical instruments; Resonant wood; Stradivari; Violin-maker.