The violin

A fascinating history of the violin as told by one of the finest virtuoso violinists the world has ever known.

Sir Yehudi Menuhin (1916-1999) packs a lifetime of reflection, experience, and emotion into the telling of this tale of the violin, from its earliest days as a primitive stringed instrument to its unrivaled position today in popular, folk, classical, and jazz music.

Studded with anecdotes about many equally legendary figures encountered in a lifetime of music-making, as well as personal musings on the role of music in everyday life, and on its power to heal and federate, this book will speak powerfully to music lovers and violin aficionados in particular.

The free CD accompanying this book features six performances by Yehudi Menuhin including recordings from his early career, rare tracks remastered from 78s, as well as more contemporary favorites : Edouard Lalo, Symphonie Espagnole ; J. S. Bach, Partita Number 3 for Solo Violin ; Cole Porter, Night and Day ; Stéphane Grappelli, Menuet pour Menuhin ; Robert Schumann, Sonata for Violin and Piano (first movement) ; Johannes Brahms, Hungarian Dance Number 4 ; Ravi Shankar, Swara kakali ; Felix Mendelssohn, Violin Concerto (first movement).