About

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Welcome to Violin & Books!

I’m a multi-genre author and book reviewer who started to play the violin in my mid thirties–that was about 5 years ago. This magnificent instrument has brought a new wonderful dimension to my life–not to mention that it has been a GREAT challenge for a late starter like myself! What’s been really neat about learning to play the violin, among other things, is that it has inspired me enormously in my writing. All of a sudden I have dozens of stories in my head, all violin-related in one way or another!

Basically, I started this blog for various reasons. First, I wanted to find an audience for my violin-related books. If you’re like me and you play the violin, you love reading about the violin. Second, I wanted to keep track of violin-related fiction available on the net. There are hundreds of nonfiction books related to the violin, but hardly any fiction (maybe because there are few violinists who also happen to be fiction writers?) Third, I wanted to use this blog as a tool for recording my progress as a violin student. I figured the incentive to actually write my progress will propel me to keep practicing. Finally, I wanted this blog to offer information about violin-related authors and books to the public. I plan to keep adding links and resources, including interviews and reviews, as often as possible.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you’ll visit again!

Best,
Mayra Calvani

My websites:

My Official Website
Mayra’s Secret Bookcase

My newsletters:

The Fountain Pen

My blogs:

Mayra’s Secret Bookcase
The Dark Phantom Review
Eerie, Dark and Creepy
The Slippery Book Review Blog

Responses

Hi Mayra,

great idea your violin/literature-blog! Additionally to the violinist.com list here some others mostly from german-speaking literature. Some are translated, some are just published in Germany, starting with two novelettes:

Franz Grillparzer: Der arme Spielmann
engl. translation: http://web.onetel.net.uk/~wstanners/grillpar.htm
original: http://gutenberg.spiegel.de/?id=5&xid=960&kapitel=1#gb_found

The translation is quite bad, much is lost in translation, some descriptions are very vivid, e. g. the old man playing self-forgotten in the crowd.

Same applies to:
Joseph von Eichendorff: Aus dem Leben eines Taugenichts
engl translation: http://www.fln.vcu.edu//eichendorff/taugenichts1_e_pics.html
original: http://gutenberg.spiegel.de/?id=5&xid=532&kapitel=1#gb_found

Quite entertaining books are Paolo Maurensig’s “Canone inverso” (http://www.amazon.com/Canone-Inverso-Paolo-Maurensig/dp/0753809494/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1195203069&sr=8-2) and “The Black Violin” (http://www.amazon.com/Black-Violin-Novel-Maxence-Fermine/dp/0743456858/ref=pd_sim_b) of Maxence Fermine. Good for plane trips and shorter strikes.

Then two novels, both are (in my opinion) incredibly bad written.
First Pascal Mercier’s “Lea” (http://specials.hanser.de/mercier/index.asp), published this year. He wrote “Night Train to Lisbon”, which was quite a success, unfortunately Lea is pure, undiluted sob-stuff, but since you asked for violin related books… :)

Finally Dieter Kühn’s “Beethoven und der schwarze Geiger”, covering a fictional journey Beethoven’s to Africa with his mate George Bridgetower, a famous black violinist in his time (Beethoven dedicated his Kreutzer-sonata to Bridgetower at the first). It’s a fairly witty portrait of both, puzzled together from anecdotes (http://www.amazon.de/Beethoven-schwarze-Geiger-Dieter-K%C3%BChn/dp/3596131707).

Now after such lousy books like the last two, a good movie: ever heard of El Violín (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l23wYKg7wjY)? Mexican movie from 2005, since your Spanish is perfect you’ll love it…!

Have a great weekend,

Mischa

oh - I thought it would become a mail. :)

Anyway - I chose the wrong word with the Kühn book. It’s not witty at all, I meant cantankerous.

Thanks so much for taking the time to share all this info. I appreciate it and will add the links ASAP.
Best,
Mayra

Dear Mayra: Very nice work. [this is not a comment, but a link submission]

Please consider adding the following:

MUSICIAN/AUTHORS
C.M. Sunday
http://beststudentviolins.com/vita.html

ONLINE SHOPS
BestStudentViolins.com
http://beststudentviolins.com

YAHOO GROUPS
string_teacher_support
http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/string_teacher_support/

Thanks for your consideration,
Connie

Dear Mayra,

Greetings from a fellow writer-violinist! :-)

I was pleasantly surprised to see that you had posted a link to my blog over at violinist.com

I’m flattered, thanks!

I haven’t posted anything lately as I’ve been busy with the “writing” part of my career, but I’ll be sure to update the site whenever possible.

Again, thanks! X-D

Cheers and best regards,
TJ

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