The Art of Playing on the Violin by Francesco Geminiani, London 1751. 52 pages A4 music score format paperback. Facsimile edition edited with an introduction by David D.Boyden, Oxford University Press. This is more a collection of Geminiani's compositions than a treatise. The writing is 250 years old, and more of historic interest. I wouldn't recommend the title unless you have a genuine interest in Geminiani's work, or period documentation about performing. **

 

The Art of Practising the Violin, with useful hints for all string players, by Robert Gerle, Stainer & Bell, London. ISBN 0-85249-506-4. © 1983, 2nd Edition 1985, reprinted 1990. Printed in Great Britain by Galliard (printers) Ltd, Great Yarmouth. Soft back 100 pages. This lovely book is actually full of good practical advice, and while some of it differs from the Russian schools, it is all good and sound and makes very worthwhile reading. Gerle studied in the Liszt Academy, Budapest under Geza de Kresz, a pupil of Hubay. *****

 

Basic Principles of Violin Playing by Paul Rolland. © 1990 Boosey & Hawkes, Inc. Printed in USA. A report for the MENC Committee on String Instruction in the Schools. Paperback 54 pages. Paul Rolland was born in 1911 in Budapest and studied at the Fodor Conservatory of Music. Was 1st violinist with the Budapest Symphony Orchestra for 3 years. Quite a nice little booklet with all sorts of exercises, including silent ones for group lessons. **

 

David Popper by Steven De'Ak. Foreword by Janos Starker. © 1980 Paganiniana Publications ISBN 0-87666-621-7.. Popper;s High School of Cello playing is a work one cannot do without if one is to truly master the cello, writes Starker in the foreword. In this 315 hardback book, we are grateful to the author, himself a cellist and pupil of Popper for 2 years.

 

Fritz Kreisler, by Amy Biancolli. Hardback 450 pages. Amadeus Press, Portland Oregon. ISBN 1-57467-037-9. Copyright 1998 by Amadeus Press. "Kreisler is probably the most beloved soloist among soloists of his generation and one or two beyond ", states this book. I agree, and to find such a lengthy book about Kreisler is surely a useful addition to anyone's musical library. ***

 

From Russia to the West, the Musical Memoirs and Reminiscences of Nathan Milstein. Nathan Milstein and Solomon Volkov, translated from the Russian by Antonian W. Bouis. Barrie & Jenkins, London. Published 1990. ISBN 0-7126-4549-7. Milstein, who lived in London towards the end of his life talks to musicologist Solomon Volkov abouthis eventful life. Yehudi Menuhin writes about the book " This is an illuminating and refreshing book, written by one of the greatest violinists of our century." ****

 

Great Masters of the Violin by Boriz Schwarz, foreword by Yehudi Menuhin, A Fireside book, published by Simon & Schuster, In. New York. © 1983, first edition 1987. 670 pages paperback. Boris Schwarz recounts the lifes of the Violinists of the past that made history. The book's cover has "from Corelli and Vivaldi to Stern, Zukerman and Perlman." and the back of the book has an impressive set of quotes ; "The definitive book on this subject...Schwarz's book is a landmark" - Joseph McLellan, The Washington Post. There is a wealthy amount of information in this book ****

 

The Great Violinists, by Margaret Campbell. Foreword by Ruggiero Ricci. Paul Elek, Granada Publishing © 1980. Printed in Great Britain. ISBN 0 236 40183 1. Nathan Milstein writes on the back of this book ; "For the first time ever the history of violin-playing and its changing styles is told through the lives of the virtuoso performers. Everyone who has an interest in the violin should read this book." I must admit this book is highly readable and very exciting, though some facts are more like "hearsay" which is understandable, especially when describing performers of the past. ***

 

Letter on Violin Playing, by Giuseppe Tartini, © 1992 by Pizzicato Edizioni Musicali. ISBN 88-7736-353-3. A letter from the late Signor Tartini to Signora Maddalena Lombardini (Sirmen) published as an important lesson to performers on the violin. Translated by Dr. Charles Burney. London, 1771. French, Italian, German and English. This booklet of only a few pages in length reproduces Tartini's letter to Signora Maddalena, to whom Tartini begins instruction on the violin by letter ! Not a comprehensive manual by a far stretch, this little booklet does contain some elegant phrases on technique ; "breathe the first tone .... which must proceed from the friction of the string, and not from percussion" ***

Master Violinists in Performance by Henry Roth, published by Paganiniana Publications, Inc. © 1982. Hardback 320 pages. Los Angeles violinist, Henry Roth gives insight into the performing styles of Ysaye, Kubelik, Thibaud, Huberman, Elman, Heifetz, Menuhin, Szigeti, and women violinists. Many photos and musical examples and pleasant text throughout. ***

 

The Physiology of Violin Playing. by Otto Szende and Mihaly Nemessuri. Preface by Paul Rolland, foreword by Yehudi Menuhin. 110 figures and 12 tables. Collet's Publishers Ltd. London and Wellingborough, 1971. from the priginal translated by Szmodis, © 1971 Akademiai Kiado, Budapest. No ISBN number found in book. This highly technical work is a collaboration between violin pedagogues and scientists who delve deeply into physiology and psychology and neurology and even more theoretical and practical areas of violin playing. A highly technical book not for the casual reader ! **

Vibrato on the Violin by Werner Hauk, translated by Dr. Kitty Rokos, Bosworth Edition. © 1975, Third impression 1989, printed in England. Paperback 95 pages. This is quite an in-depth research into vibrato. No matter how good you may be at vibrato, this little manual contains plenty of quotes and definitions, as well as information about which parts of our body are involved with vibrato. It is a difficult subject to write about, so this highly technical booklet fairs well. ***

 

The Way They Play. Book 13 ( books 1-12 also available ). Illustrated discussions with Famous Artists and Teachers. Dr. Samuel Applebaum, Dr. Mark Zilberquit & Theo Saye. © 1984 Paganiniana Publications Inc. ISBN 0-86622-009-7. This book, the 13th in its series discusses technique, phrasing, fingering and musical philosophy with the following artists : Shlomo Mintz, Lev Ginsburg, Grigory Zhislin, Yo Yo Ma and Alexander Muradov. The concept of the way they play series is magnificent, and it would be nice to see these books back in print with even more up-to-date performers included. *****

 

Antonio Stradivari, His life & works, by W.Henry Hill, Arthur F.Hill and Alfred E.Hill, Dover Edition paperback, ISBN 0-486-20425-1. 300 pages. This book, republished in 1963 by Dover, actually dates back to 1902. Dover has presented the original work unabridged. Hill & Sons still exist as a violin dealer and manufacturing firm to this day. After a few chapters which recount Stradivari's life, the remainder of the book mostly discusses the characteristics of his instruments ; many questions are raised, and not all answered, for they remain a mystery. Most of the books illustrations are in black and white.

 

Stage Fright : Its causes and cures with special reference to violin playing, by Kato Havas. Published by Bosworth. First impression 1973.. 10th impression 1995. I can't find an ISBN number in the book, but it is a paperback, 136 pages in length. Havas, was (is) a Hungarian violinist, and a child prodigy, and in this very readable book she talks wisely about the subject of stage fright, never afraid of revealing colourful anecdotes  which make us feel forgiven if we have ever felt stage fright ourselves. I'm not so sure someone suffering from severe stage fright will be cured by this book, but it is likely they will benefit to a certain extent from reading and reflecting on this subject.

 

A Treatise on the fundamental principles of Violin Playing, by Leopold Mozart. ISBN 0-19-318513-X published by Oxford University Press. Paperback edition about 240 pages long. This book, by Mozart's father, Leopold has been translated in 1948, a second edition appeared in 1951, and the paperback edition first appeared in 1985. This is a 1990 reprint. This book is comparable to Quantz's flute treatise or CPE Bach's keyboard treatise. It talks about schooling, style, elegance, performing practice and quite a number of concepts are equally valid now as they were in Leopold Mozart's time. Leopold Mozart was one of the leading pedagogues of his time.

 

Beethoven : The sonatas for violin and piano, thoughts on their interpretation, by Max Rostal, with a preface by the Amadeus Quartet. ISBN 0-907689-06-X published by Toccata Press. 220 page paperback edition. An analysis of the Beethoven sonatas, with particular attention to the composer's markings. Faithful interpretation to the original score is a point Rostal often puts across. Movements are discussed in detail, and Max Rostal picks, for example an ornament in a certain bar saying he would play it as a mordent. Gunter Ludwig gives a pianists point of view, pointing out the use ( or non-use ) of the pedal.

 

Ysaye, by Prof. Lev Ginsburg, edited by Herbert R Axelrod. ISBN 0-87666-620-9. Paganiniana Publications, c. 1980 - 570 page hardback book full of photos illustrations, letters and photos of his contemporaries. This is a thick book, which talks and relates many episodes from Ysaye's life and the influence and memory he left on his fellow musicians and the musical world in general.

 

The Great Cellists, by Margaret Campbell. ISBN 0-575-03684-2. In the same style as the "Great Violinists" Margaret Campbell recounts the gripping characters that have dominated the world of Cello playing. Published in Great Britain by Victor Gollancz, c. 1988. This is highly readable material. Recommended for all young cellists who seek inspiration and tales from the Great Cellists of the past and not so distant past. As with the "Great Violinists", we are made aware of the importance of a teacher-pupil tree than can be traced right back to the origin of the instrument. Everyone belongs somewhere in this structure, for all the styles and schools branch off from the Davidovs and Rombergs and Duports. Fascinating reading.