Cremona and the Golden Age of Violin Making

For 200 years from the 1560s, the town of Cremona in northern Italy produced the most desirable string instruments in the world. How did this come about? How was this mastery lost? Can their lost techniques be recovered?

This superbly illustrated lecture by the author of 'Stradivarius', a narrative history, tells a dramatic tale of grand artistry, fantastic music, shady dealers, forgery and science. The great craftsmen pf Cremona - Amati, Stradivari and Guarneri among them - produced instruments of unrivalled mastery and sound quality. Faber considers why their techniques have been lost and whether they can ever be recovered. He also introduces some of Cremona’s celebrated customers: not just famous violinists, but also Galileo Galilei and royal patrons like Catherine de Medici, Queen of France

Toby Faber's diverse career includes banking and finance, as managing director of Faber and Faber Publishing, Chairman of Faber Music and director of Liverpool University Press.He has written a novel and three narrative histories. He is a renowned expert in his field and a thoroughly engaging presenter.