The Violin Its Famous Makers and Their Imitators

This volume offers a detailed tour of the violin’s evolution, focusing on the artisans whose names have become synonymous with excellence. Readers meet the legendary craftsmen of Cremona—Stradivari, Guarneri, Amati—and learn how their workshops shaped the instrument’s sound and reputation. The author weaves together contemporary wood engravings and photographs that bring each maker’s distinctive style to life.

The revised edition expands on early Italian history using rare manuscripts uncovered in the Civic Museum of Cremona, including firsthand notes from a monk who once knew Stradivari and poetic critiques by a local biographer. Correspondence about the sale of Stradivari’s tools adds a glimpse of the trade’s inner workings. Together, these sources provide a richly illustrated, scholarly yet accessible portrait of the violin’s most celebrated creators and the traditions they inspired.