The Amadeus Book of the Violin: Construction, History, and Music
Since 1972, this encyclopedic volume on the construction, history, and lore of the violin has been an important resource. Pauly (music, emeritus, Lewis and Clark Coll.) has now translated and edited the most recent (1993) edition, bringing it further up to date by referencing material as recent as 1996. Kolneder, the late Austrian conductor and musicologist, divided his massive tome into three parts. The first, which deals with the physical instrument itself, contains detailed information on such diverse topics as bow-making, varnish, worm and crack damage, and string acoustics. This part, by necessity somewhat dry and pedantic, is followed by a remarkably inclusive history of the violin most impressive in its detailed examination of the various regional and national schools of violin-making throughout the world. The third part, titled "Performance, Pedagogy, and Composition," may be the most ambitious in scope; the section on virtuosi alone is worth the price. Pauly's updating is welcome, though one might have wished for more than just a brief mention of such outstanding ensembles as the Kronos and Arditti quartets. Essential.?Larry A. Lipkis, Moravian Coll., Bethlehem, PACopyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.