Berlin, 26 June 2016 – Jost Thoene, musician, historian, dealer in high-end string instruments and publisher, is passionately devoted to the work of Italian master violin maker Antonio Stradivari. In lavish publications he has been documenting Stradivari’s entire instrument production with uniquely outstanding precision. Volumes V-VIII have now been published and presented to the press and an exclusive audience.

Sehr geehrter M. BELLANGER,

Three hundred Stradivaris in eight volumes

Yehudi Menuhin played a Stradivari violin; so did Itzhak Perlman. Frank Peter Zimmermann and Anne-Sophie Mutter currently play on Stradivaris. Between 1667 and 1737 around 1,000 string instruments – including violins, violas, cellos and pochettes – left Antonio Stradivari’s workshop in Cremona, Italy. Over the course of three centuries many of them have been lost or irreversibly damaged; however, around half of the original production remains in perfect condition to this day. Their current market value amounts to a total of around 1.5 billion US dollars.

When Jost Thoene published the first four volumes of “Antonio Stradivari” in 2010 he set a benchmark for this kind of documentary literature. Moreover, he caused quite a stir among musicians, violin makers and music lovers. Today, his famous and unique Stradivari encyclopaedia is being expanded with four more exclusive volumes.

In this lavish photographic documentation, 152 Stradivari instruments are listed, scientifically described and historically documented. All of the instruments are reproduced in their original size – some of them on three-page, fold-out plates. Documenting some 300 instruments in total, volumes I to VIII now cover around two thirds of Stradivari’s instrument extant production worldwide.

Details

• Each instrument is reproduced in its entirety from the front and the back, with a 1:1 view of the top, back, ribs and scroll.

• The consistency in the colour of the photographs has been ensured by a special drip-off printing process and meticulous proofs.

• Each instrument’s history has been investigated and documented by art historian Dr Christian Eder.

• Each instrument is precisely described and classified within Stradivari’s complete oeuvre and creative periods by musicologist Johannes Loescher.

• Each instrument has been dendrochronologically analysed (a method used to determine the age of historic wood) by violin maker Arjan Versteeg in order to prove that the spruce wood dates from Stradivari’s time. Another spectacular result of the research is that several instruments could be shown to originate from the same tree trunk. The dating of certain instruments had to be accordingly rectified.

• A special DVD is included with the publication that provides 360 degree reproductions of selected instruments, enabling the observer to magnify and turn the instruments virtually in order to view them from all angles.

• In collaboration with “Violin Forensic” in Vienna it was possible to reproduce one instrument using high-definition CT data; the result is a completely transparent ‘glass model’ that can be accessed horizontally and vertically at the computer. Thus, even the tiniest aberration of the wood or the smallest trace of a repair becomes visible.

• In light of new research, several instruments could be attributed a byname or an existing byname could be corrected.

• The DVD includes the measurements of each documented instrument, including reproductions of the archings (which will be of special interest to violin makers).

• The DVD also provides sound examples of several documented Stradivari instruments, with performances by violinists Joshua Bell, Frank Peter Zimmermann, Sean Carpenter, Clemens Hagen and others.

Bibliographic data

Antonio Stradivari

Volumes I-IV, comprising 1.323 pages, 1.662 reproductions, 19 fold-out plates, DVD – Cologne, Jost-Thöne-Verlag, 2010

Limited edition 2,000 copies, linen-bound ISBN 978-3-00-031644-9

EUR 2.150,00

Limited edition 100 copies, leather-bound/gilt edges ISBN 978-3-00-031644-9

EUR 5.350,00

With contributions from Florian Leonhard, London; Carlo Chiesa, Milan; 

J & A Beare, London; Jost Thöne, Cologne;  Alessandra Barabaschi, Bonn; Jost Thöne, Cologne

Volumes V-VIII, comprising 1,344 pages, 1.680 reproductions, 24 fold-out plates, DVD – Cologne, Jost-Thöne-Verlag, 2016

Limited edition 2,000 copies, linen-bound 978-3-00-050178-4

EUR 2.450,00

Limited edition 100 copies, leather-bound/gilt edges 978-3-00-048981-5

EUR 5.850,00

With contributions from Dr. Christian Eder, Cologne; Johannes Loescher, Cologne; Jost Thöne , Sean Carpenter, New York; Arjan Versteeg, Munich; Dr. Rudolf Hopfner, Vienna; John Dilworth, London; Jost Thöne,Saig

Contact

Jost Thöne  Titiseestrasse 19  79853 Lenzkirch  Germany  0171 64 63 597  presse@jost-thoene-verlag.de     www.jost-thoene-verlag.de