Books on German instruments and bows

930012: Bletschacher: Die Lauten- und Geigenmacher des Füssener Landes

R. Bletschacher. Die Lauten- und Geigenmacher des Füssener Landes Hardback, 263pp. Ground-breaking study of the history of violin- and lute making in one of the earliest regions where violins were ever built: the area around Füssen (today in Bavaria). Bletschacher provides a thorough history of instrument making in the region, along with many chapters on those masters who were born in Füssen but who emigrated to other European towns and cities. Black/white photographs show 22 lutes, 24 gambas/viols, 8 guitars and, last not least, 46 bowed string instruments by makers such as Antony Stephan Posch, Sympertus Niggel, Eberle, Franciscus Geissenhof and many others, ranging from the 1500's to the 1800's. Numerous photographs of labels are featured in the appendix, along with a register mentioning over 600 individual makers, including all the essential biographical details which can be gathered on each one of them. Text in German only.

930012

930016: Hamma: Geigenbauer der deutschen Schule, Bd. I und II

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W. Hamma: Violin Makers of the German School Hardback, 2 vols, 1110pp Standard two-volume reference work featuring black-and white photographs of instruments by 227 different German-school makers from the 17th to the 19th centuries. Most instruments are featured on a two-page spread with middle-bout close-ups, photos of the table, back, scroll and label. Each maker is introduced with a short characterization, and measurements as well as a description of the varnish color are provided for each featured instrument. Text in German, English and French.

930016

933025: K. Martius: Leopold Widhalm

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K. Martius: Leopold Widhalm und der Nürnberger Lauten- und Geigenbau im 18. Jahrhundert. Hardback. 180pp. 23 x 27 cm. Contains articles by M. Knesch, W. Zunterer, Irene Loebner and others. Features numerous b/w illustrations throughout the essays as well as an appendix of color photographs (table, back and scroll) of 10 Nuremberg instruments from the 18th century.

933025

934012: M. Knesch: Meister und Schüler des dt. Geigenbaues

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M. Knesch: Meister und Schüler des Geigenbaues in deutschsprachigen Raum von den Anfängen bis Ende des 19. Jahrhunderts.⟚pp. Profiles of 500 19th-century violin makers from German-speaking countries; the profiles are in the form of a “family tree” and show who their teachers were and whom they taught.

934012

934026: Adelmann/Otterstedt: Die Alemannische Schule, 2. Auflage

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Adelmann & Otterstedt: Die Alemannische Schule. Geigenbau des 17. Jahrhunderts im südlichen Schwarzwald und in der Schweiz.⟚pp. Second edition of the groundbreaking work on early (17th-century) violin making in the Black Forest and in Switzerland. Contains b/w detailed photos, measurements and descriptions of 30 instruments of different formats (Bassgeige, Tenorgeige, Discantgeige) as well as 8 color photos. The essays in German cover the historical, musical context as well as the building style of the instruments of the period. Text in German only.

934026

934040: Deutsche Bogenmacher 1783-2000

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German Bow Makers 1783 – 2000 By Klaus Grünke, C. Hans-Karl Schmidt and Wolfgang Zunterer. Hardback, 2 vols. in hard slipcase, 463pp. This lavish. 2-volume work contains photos of 142 bows (64 bows in Vol. I featuring makers up to 1945, 78 bows in Vol. II featuring contemporary makers). Each bow is reproduced in three excellent photographs (head, frog and heel plates). Older makers are presented with a short biography and a characterization of their style. Contemporary makers are presented with a thorough biography. Appendixes include 6 family trees (Knopf, Nürnberger, Pretzschner, Hoyer, Herrmann). The work also includes a short, illustrated history of German bow making. Complete text in English and German.

934040

934071: B. Zoebisch: Vogtländischer Geigenbau ab 1850

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B. Zoebisch: Vogtländischer Geigenbau ab 1850 Hardcover, 438pp. A new standard reference work on German violin making in the Klingenthal and Markneukirchen region, covering the period from 1850 onwards. This is a companion volume to the first book by Zoebisch which covered Vogtland violin making up to 1850 (Order No. 934051): however, the photo quality and number of featured instruments is vastly superior as compared to Vol. I. This new book, Volume II, features a total of 155 (!!) instruments, including 3 views of the scroll and a lateral view. It is a particularly valuable source to consult on the subject of contemporary East German makers and further violin makers from the whole 20th century. All makers are featured with a short biography and a description of labels and brands. Numerous appendices contain valuable historical photos and documentary material. Text in German.

934071

934077: R.Hopfner: Jacob Stainer

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R. Hopfner: Jacob Stainer Sturdy soft cover, 215pp. Richly illustrated catalogue of the 2003 exhibition in Ambras Castle near Innsbruck (Austria). The excellent color photographs feature not only 14 instruments by Stainer (table and back), but also more than 15 instruments by his contemporaries and by those violin makers in German-speaking regions who incorporated important elements of Stainer's style into their own. All exhibited items (including the individual instruments) are described, explained and characterized in the accompanying text. The additional essays, by R. Hopfner, Benjamin Schröder, Beatrix Darmstädter and others, cover many important aspects such as tools and styles of violin making in Stainer's day, his own biography, the heresy trial, and recent dendrochronological and laser vibrometer measurements made on Stainer violins. Text in German (with short English summaries in an appendix).

934077