The Classical Mandolin

Reviews / Votes

It is essential reading, of course, for anyone interested in the mandolin, and to those it is highly recommended. It is also . . . recommended to anybody who is not so blinkered that they can read only books on their own speciality. If you are aware enough of musical instruments to be open to those in which you do not specialise, then you will gain from reading this. * Jeremy Montagu, FoMRHI Comm. * Sparks gives an excellent and readable account of the makers, leading players, composers and their music, journals, mandolin orchestras, organisations, and phenomenal popularity of the mandolin during its heyday. Anyone concerned with the history of plucked musical instruments or with the history of music in the nineteenth century will want to consult this sequel to The Early Mandolin. * Ann Viles, Journal of the American Musical Instrument Society * Once again, Paul Sparks has presented us with an utterly unique book. Taking up where his The Early Mandolin (Oxford University Press, co-written with James Tyler) left off, The Classical Mandolin continues the story of the instrument . . . thoroughly documented, finely presented, with copious illustrations . . . Sparks' fine sense for both words and history makes the book entertaining and challenging. * Keith Harris, Classical Mandolin Society of America * J'avais dit au sujet du premier livre de cet auteur "s'il est un seul livre que vous devez posseder sur la mandoline et en particulier sur son histoire, c'est bien celui-ci . . ." Eh bien, The Early Mandolin a aujourd'hui un petit frere pour lequel le meme compliment s'applique, et c'est la suite de l'histoire de la mandoline, de 1815 a nos jours . . . cet ouvrage qui, on le voit, est reellement indispensable. * Jean-Paul Bazin, Le Plectre *