Cremona Mondo Musica is one of the world's largest trade fairs for violin makers & dealers.
The tools used to make violins are things of beauty in themselves - like these tiny brass and steel planes and violin pegs.
I went to discuss my new red violin case with Boston based master violin maker Marco Coppiardi - here he is on the right with fellow luthier
Luca Salvadori.
Carbon fiber expert and cello maker
Angus Noble was at the fair with me and we were invited to the launch of a new
4 volume book on the violins of Stradivarius by
Jost Thone of Violin Expo, with superb photographs by
Jan Roehrmann- seen here on the left.
The launch was in the studios of another master luthier
Jens Gosta Jahansson. Jen's studio is in the magnificent rooms of a former palace.
Here's the Calder red violin case at Marco's Cremona house - it was a proud moment for me when Marco put a Guarneri violin in it.
Over coffee, Marco showed me these violin pegs to demonstrate the difference between modern and 18th century workmanship, the latter has much more depth in the carving and much more character.
I was very taken with this beautifully bashed up old leather covered case - I hope mine will age this well. This is whole magic of leather - it just looks so good when it is worn - great illustration of
wabi sabi.
