Cremonese Violins

I am interested in musical instruments as objects of fascination.

I specialize in the development and history of violin making in the sixteenth through eighteenth centuries. I consider how economies and musical traditions intersect with practical craftsmanship, trade-specific techniques and knowledge, and architecture as engineering during this time.

I explore these issues in violins from the Amati, Guarneri, and Stradivari families.

I am in the process of completing a book on Cremonese violin designs. You can read the early stages of my research on Andrea Amati’s instruments on Google Arts and Culture, in this article, or in my master’s thesis.

 Historical Metrology

An inch here or an oncia there?

Much of my research focuses on the vast array of historical measurement systems and how they were applied. I also consider the transition from a proportional base-12 system to an arithmetic base-10 system and its implications in design and creation of musical instruments.

I am fascinated by the intersection of the practicalities of craftsmanship with art and science in musical instrument making.

 Instrument Alterations

I use my experience in violin and bow restoration and making to do detective work about how instruments were altered throughout the years.

Look at how different the viola below is from how it would have been when it was made.

 Decorated Instruments

Many of the instruments I work with are decorated by their former owners. For instance, the “King” cello by Andrea Amati once belonged to the French court and bears the motto of Charles IX of France.

In the picture of the “King” cello above, you can see that the column on the right is crooked and Lady Justice is missing her torso. These sorts of decorations provide clues as to what the instruments once looked like and how they were used.