Violin String Review: Pirastro Perpetual Cadenza vs Evah Pirazzi Gold | Violin Lounge TV #461
I compare Pirastro Perpetual Cadenza to the Evah Pirazzi Gold with No 1 E string that I normally use in this violin string review
Trying out Pirastro Perpetual Cadenza violin strings
What’s great about these strings is that they have a very short play in time. They are stable and sound great from the moment you put them on the violin.
The sound is very resonant and the response of these strings is great. I do like the warmth and character of the Evah Pirazzi Gold strings.
Video content:
00:16 Perpetual Cadenza violin strings sound sample
01:10 Evah Pirazzi Gold violin strings sound sample
01:57 Evah Pirazzi Gold with No 1 E strings violin strings sound sample (my usual set up)
02:30 Scale sound samples with all strings
03:50 My personal opinion
07:22 Information from Pirastro and if I think it’s correct
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Which strings do you think sound best? Leave a comment!
I haven’t decided yet which strings I will use from now on and would love to read your opinion.
Hi! I'm Zlata
Let me help you find a great bow for your violin, so you can improve your bowing technique and sound quality:
First one sounded best. I use Thomastik Solo. Recommended by my well known violin store here inBoston, Carridge House Violins.
Ah, interesting, might try them out as well.
Second ones
I liked the gold better
Thanks!
Hello Zlata,
Thank you for this video. It was by the way an excellent opportunity for me to listen and decide on the minute differences between different sounds, color, etc… Being an amateur student, it is hard at first to tell and describe the differences, but when you listen more intently, you start picking up the brightness of one sound as opposed to the warmth of another string for example.
I found that Pirastro cadenza strings give a clearer sound and that different notes better speak for themselves, while Eva Pirazzi seem more muffled. But the Eva Pirazzi also give more warmth, in my opinion. The difference is more obvious to me on your scales on the D string. But since I am not a soloist and do not have to perform in public, I prefer for my violin a warm rich sound over brilliant projection, and I would pick the Eva Pirazzi for that reason, but this would be a very personal choice. Indeed, the Pirastro Cadenza strings seem easier to play. After listening to your comments, I was proud to reach the same conclusion as you.
By the way, the No1 E string is much more brilliant than the normal Eva Pirazzi string.
I recently put on the new Larsen Virtuoso strings on my violin, for a replacement to my previous Pirastro Passione strings, which I loved. The Larsen strings were a clear winner at the beginning, very easy to play and with a rich and warm sound, and I loved them to, but after 2-3 months they seem to have lost some of their ‘’springiness’’, but may be this is just because I got used to them.
By the way, what is the title of the piece that you play in the video? There are nice bow techniques to practice there!
I continue enjoying my Bow like a Pro course with you. I love it. Thank you very much.
Cheers,
Mohammed
Hi Mohammed, thank you for sharing that and I’m so happy you enjoy Bow like a Pro! The piece is the Russian Dance concertmaster solo from Tschaikovsky’s Swan Lake. It’s full of interesting bow techniques! I’m studying it to record with my pianist and when I did that, I’m going to make tutorials for it.
WoW! Fantastic! Thank you so much Zlata.
Another comment on the comparison: perhaps on an electronic wavelength machine you might see a greater assortment of waves up in the treble range from the Evan Pirazzi. . Hard to describe verbally but I heard more “abundant” treble waves , giving a crisper profile aurally. Personally I like the velvety sound of the Pirastros…
Cheers!! Sue Barch
Thanks for sharing that, Sue!
I love warm sounds on my violin. For my taste I find the cadenza strings tinny & less personable. While the sound is clean, when you reach the upper notes, it sounded gravely and not so clean. The Gold Sounds very warm with a lot of color. But I don’t play in an orchestra nor solo. Not much you have produced of a recommendation. I love every video I have seen. Thank you.
Thanks so much, Robert!
I too agree with Mohammed and his statement “I found that Pirastro cadenza strings give a clearer sound…” It gives just that. Though I’m back to being a beginner sound quality and diversions are very important to me. Again though the Pirazzi Gold with No 1 E strings are warm and rich in wholeness of the music it delivers, yes the lifespan is important especially for amount of time and location of it’s deliverance. How does it deliver in a concert hall or accompanied with other players?
Zlata, it must be added that what you provide I’m quite thankful for. It is a blessing.
Thank you Todd, yes, I’ll have to try the Perpetual strings in different situations.
Hi Zlata,
thanks for trying them out. I actually agree with what you found, you made a good description of them.
In my humble option, it depends also on what piece you play . Some pieces would probably sound better with the Perpetual Cadenza. I find them a bit less refined in comparison to the gold. Stay with the gold, sounds better and also fits to your name better. good ear training by the way. Funny yoke:)
Thank you, Yona, you’re right!
I thought The Eva Pirazzi strings had a more complex timbre and also you seemed more confident playing them. Also they seemed to fill the air more. While the notes may be slower to produce, perhaps they linger a little longer or slur into each other more.The Pirastro Cadenza strings sounded clear, clean, separate and pure by comparison and have many similar characteristics to the Dominant Pro strings I have at present on my violin. As the Cadenza strings are new they may develop more character and evenness in their warmth over time. Also you will have that time to adjust your playing to bring out the best in them. Going from Larsen to Dominant strings required a make over of my bowing oeuvre and sense of touch. It was like learning to play the strings again and getting to know both the strings and violin’s capabilities again. One of the things
that can make a difference is finding the optimal bow speed for the strings especially the G string to bring out the warmth. The dominant G was helped by a faster speed in my experience. Thanks for this video and your enthusiasm in all of the great videos you make. Ever an admirer. I am a beginning to intermediate student as far as skill levels go but a keen listener and learner and play every day morning and night, so much joy does it bring me..
Thank you so much, Joseph!
I thought the gold sounded better than the cadenza which seemed to sound a little scratchy. There is a conflict between what the subtitles in the video say and what is written in the description regarding when you are playing with the No. 1 e string and when you are playing with standard set e string.
Thanks for sharing, Kenneth. The subtitles are auto-generated, so don’t mind them.
Zlata, The differences were small, but more easy to discern when you played scales on each string. This inclined me to prefer the Pirastro Perpetual Cadenza strings. I had a teacher who recommended Pirastro strings, which I used them until the violin was stolen. I have Thomastik Infeld Red strings on my current violin and like the gold plated E, but the gold plating wears off quickly. My teacher here, the second violin in the university string quartet preferred the Thomastik Infeld Blue.
Thanks for sharing, William!