What gives a violin its voice — and why do some instruments inspire such devotion?
Writing about violin makers led Vanora to learn the craft herself. In this essay for Prospect, she reflects on that experience alongside a visit to the Ashmolean Museum’s exhibition of instruments by Antonio Stradivari.
The story moves between the patient, practical work of making an instrument and the mythology surrounding the great violins. It considers craftsmanship, reputation and the difference between an instrument valued as an investment and one that is played.
This is an introduction to the original article. Read the complete essay at Prospect.
Read the essay at ProspectRelated book
The violin-making world also runs through Midnight in St Petersburg, Vanora’s novel of a family caught up in the Russian Revolution.
Explore Midnight in St Petersburg