I see it’s six months since I updated this- lots of new projects have presented themselves, and some old ones at last completed. The restored Matteo Gofriller cello is back with it’s owner and in good voice again, and several books I’ve been involved with are now published.
Jorge Pozas’ ‘the Golden Age of Violin Making in Spain’ is something I am very proud to have contributed to. It’s a beautiful book, and the first thorough examination of the subject as far as I’m aware, gorgeously illustrated.
Then there is the first batch of the ‘Amati Monograph Collection’, the brainchild of James and Sarah Buchanan of Amati.com, with which we’ve tried to revive those beautiful old Hill monographs. We have now published four, covering the ‘Archinto’ Stradivari cello of 1689, the ‘Tyrrell’ Stradivari violin of 1717, the 1709 ‘Pucelle’ Stradivari violin, and the c.1670 Stainer ‘King’.
In the workshop, the build of my current ‘A’ model Stradivari cello copy is being filmed throughout by my friend Matthew Ford of Backbone Productions, which adds a bit to the pressure, but I hope a good cello and a fascinating film will be the result.
Two new violas and a new Stradivari violin copy are also underway, a Ventapane and a Gagliano receiving some refreshment… no rest for the wicked. I knew this year would be busy, but we’re a third of the way through it already. How did that happen?