The Violin Maker: Finding a Centuries-Old Tradition in a Brooklyn Workshop

I am happy to reccomend this fine book which answers many questions about the art and craft of string instrument making. The violin in question is for Eugene Drucker and we learn of his his needs as a great violinist.He compares it to his old Italian Masterpiece. Why does he wants this instrument? We see the needs of each of the parties involved. I also have applauded Mr. Drucker's first novel - "The Savior" in another Amazon review.My only other comment is that this same book is published in paperback under a slightly different title- The Violin Maker: A Search for the Secrets of Craftsmanship, Sound, and Stradivari (P.S.) by John Marchese - I almost bought it to read more. (Enjoy either edition.)

Author Marchese seems to struggle throughout 'The Violin Maker' between getting inside of his subject's head and sorting through his own feelings about craftsmanship in the modern world amidst the 'cult of old instruments'.The low point of the book, ironically, for me was the author's trip to Cremona with his fiance - that does a good job of dissuading myself from ever undertaking. I kept wishing he'd get back to Brooklyn and Sam Zygmuntowicz's studio.As an amateur violinist and instrument tinkerer I may not be the ideal audience for 'The Violin Maker' and may have asked too much of a popular title. I've read many of the source books on violin making and Stradivari that Marchese lists at the end. I would have appreciated more technical depth in various aspects of building - almost nothing was said about scroll carving, possibly one of the characteristic, albeit largely cosmetic, construction tasks nor about sound posts, surprisingly in a book where capturing a description of sound itself plays such a significant part.The dramatic pacing of the book felt awkward as well: It first appeared Sam's delivery of Eugene Drucker's new violin at a surprise party would be the climax - only to be clouded by the lengthy subsequent episodes describing the musician's ambivalence about he new fiddle's sound and playability, in contrast to his long-loved Strad. We never do learn whether or not Drucker keeps Sam's violin (nor does Sam discuss what if any 'return policy' he offers) and Sam seems to move onto other commissions like the practical craftsman he is.But overall the writing is good and 'The Violin Maker' passes quickly without bogging down. And best of all it does provide a window into a master craftsman negotiating a centuries-old cultural phenomenon that remains vital to this day. I'd recommend it to those interested in any kind of musical instrument building, not just violins.

I loved every second of this book. I have been playing the fiddle for three years, and I am fascinated by everything about the fiddle/violin. I've often wondered about what it would be like to be a luthier. This book was everything I hoped it would be. It was such a fun read.

Sam Zygmontowicz is one of the great contemporary violinmakers, and John Marchese has more than done him justice in describing the process of his making a violin (for the Emerson String Quartet's first violinist, Gene Drucker). In the process, Marchese takes us not only into Zyg's studio, but also to Cremona, the birthplace of the violin in its modern form (in the 1560s) and the home of the three greatest families of violinmakers--Amati, Stradivari, and Guarneri. In addition, Marchese reports on his meetings with Drucker, who commissioned the violin, and on Drucker's reaction to his new instrument--which complements the Strad on which he had been playing but cannot, in his opinion, fully replace it.

I loved the book...! It was much more than I expected and read it almost in one sitting. It provided valuable information for me as an amateur violin maker. Many thanks... a great and quick service too.

This is a very entertaining book which provides a peek into the passion of those who play, make, and sell violins. In addition, it provides both facts and folklore about the history and the culture surrounding classic violins made in the 1600s and 1700s by Stradivari and others, especially why or why not the performance might be equaled by a violin made in current times. The author tracks for a year or so the work of Sam Zygmontowicz, a master violin maker working in a Brooklyn workshop on a violin commissioned by Eugene Drucker, first violinist of the Emerson String Quartet. Along the way, he interacts with Drucker and with a business man who specializes in classic violins and even visits regions in Italy where the classics were made. The author's description of an organized identification test where violins, classic and modern, are played out of sight and with no description (other than the sound)is especially enlightening. The author takes us easily through these diverse scenes including the quirky parameters, such as wood and finish, which help determine a violin's value.

I bought this book, along with a couple of how-to violin-making books, when I decided to try building a violin or three (I have built quite e few high-end guitars). Even if you have no building ambitions, this book is an easy-to-read tale about old-fashioned craftsmanship in a world dominated by factory mediocrity.

The author gets to the heart of violin making by studying the work of a modern master. The trip to Cremona is a nice feature of the book, along with the interview with the customer for whom the featured violin is being crafted. I'd love to see a documentary film that parallels this book, with Marchese directing. The references for further reading will help a reader who's inspired by Marchese's book to pursue the study of violin fact and violin mythology.

Excellent read

The book has a bit of mold...