Material Scientists Help to Resurrect 19th Century Brass Instruments

(Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, June 27, 2013)

In the course of a CTI project, Empa scientists have analyzed historical brass instruments from the romantic period in order to discover what materials were used in their manufacture and how exactly they were made. Together with musicians from the Bern University of the Arts and an instrument manufacturer from Basel, the experimental findings were implemented in the construction of replica instruments - with great success: "The difference in playing characteristics and tonal quality is greater than we expected", says Rainer Egger who has decades of experience in instrument making. This has already been demonstrated in concert by the Symphony Orchestra of Biel. To study the tonal differences in more detail and reveal the link between materials and playing characteristics, the scientists plan to launch another project.