Tennants Auctioneers
Lot 169
The Violin A collection of works on violins and violin-makers (and related musical topics) including the history of the instrument, auction catalogues, luthiers, guides to the techniques of manufacture and monographs on specific violins. The books include: Huggins, Margaret, Gio: Paolo Maggine. His Life and Work (1976 reprint, no 14 of 2000); The Tuscan and Le Messie (1976, no 1297 of 2000); Retford, William C., Bows and Bow Makers (1964); Wake, H.S., The Technique of Violin Making (privately published, 1973); Sacconi, Simone, The ''Secrets'' of Stradivari (English trans., 1979); Helmholtz, Hermann, Sensations of Tone (2nd revised Eng. ed, 1885, with inserted typescript notes on keyboard tuning); Weisshaar and Shipman, Violin Restoration (undated, ?P.O.D.); Chiesa, Carlo et al, Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesu (1998, standard ed, in slipcase). The collection covers a wide range of violin-related material from the great makers (Toby Faber on Stradivarius) to the composers (Barrett-Ayers on Haydn and the string quartet), and whilst there is a forgivable focus on the Italian luthiers, Germany and Austria are represented by Karel Jalovec's book. It includes personal accounts, such as Giovanni Lucchi's account of a lifetime of bow-making and Min Kym's experience of playing and losing a Strad (Gone). The instruments are tracked through sales (like the Sam and Rie Bloomfield Foundation sale in 1988) and restoration (Nicholas Delbanco's account of The Countess of Stanlein). It even has time to admit the existence of the viola (Maurice Riley's History). A widely varied lot which shows an understanding of the breadth of knowledge needed to truly appreciate the sound and music of an instrument.
