This is a surprsingly engaging book about violin making. Carleen Hutchins was an innovator in the making of stringed instruments. She resisted the Stradivarius encampment, and developed her own abilities to create violins for the modern era. Especilly striking is the creation of a violin octet, eight violins ranging from a very small violin up to a large double base. The first five to be made were soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, and small bases violins. Then came the mezzo (to somewhat match the regular violin); the contrabass (the largest string), and finally the treble violin (the smallest - akin to a quarter size child's violin). The purpose was to have a fuller set of sounds to balance somewhat what a piano could do. Hutchins saw four areas of research made her violin family possible: 1) the placement of the main wood and air resonances, 2) tap-tone relationships, 3) methods of putting resonances at desired frequencies, and 4) dimensional scaling.

I've listened to some of the Hutchins Consort efforts on Youtube and was quite impressed with one called Hutchin Consort - Ozark, which displayed a rich palette of sound. The sound seems brighter to what I normally hear at concerts. Perhaps, this is the result of Hutchins' scientific analysis of sound and insrumentation. One comment I would make is that each player has to equal ability to pull off a good concert, as there is no received practice as to how to handle this mix of parts with uniform ability.

The 21 chapters are arranged under intersting musical notations: Exposition, Retrograde, Stretto, Pedal Point, Augmentation, Sequence, Inversion, Coda. These are divided up with a series of smaller Intermezzos. The book and the theme of the violin octet rows on you as yoe read Hutchins story and the many asides. ( )

A fascinating book for its insight both into the science of music and into the life of an American woman scientist of the mid-20th century. I knew I would love it from the moment I randomly opened the newly arrived book to find an anecdote about Carleen Hutchins's time as a science teacher at a private high school, when the new headmistress giving a tour of the school was dumbfounded to find that Hutchins (having had a babysitter bail on her) had pressed a rabbit hutch into use as a makeshift playpen for her toddler.

Unfortunately the book's arrangement alternates chapters about Hutchins's life with chapters about the history of music in general and (when the history finally gets to the point of the invention of violins) the violin in particular. I got the impression that Quincy Whitney wanted to use every scrap of her research, but foisting it upon the reader in the form of periodic information dumps was not the best way to do it. The information should have been integrated into the biography, or omitted from the text altogether. While Whitney clearly has a deep understanding of Hutchins's work and has mastered its scientific and artistic background, her historical scholarship, especially with regard to antiquity and the Middle Ages, is not as profound. Moreover, the alternation between life story and history disturbs the flow of the narrative to the detriment of the book. I would, and have, enthusiastically recommended this book to any musician or music lover, but with the caveat that the historical interludes are better ignored. ( )

I received a free copy of American Luthier as part of Librarything's Early Reviewer group.

This book is a biography of Carleen Hutchins, a woman who became a world class violin maker in what was a male world and someone who did her best to push the violin making world from the practice of "we've always done it this way" to scientific experimentation and understanding how and why the violin works the way it does. (Note: In this review, when I use the word violin, I am referring to the whole violin family. Hutchins is possibly better known for the other instruments in the family that she made.)

I requested this book because I am interested in history, music and science, and this book sounded like it would cover all three of these areas. So, how did it do for me?

The book covered the history of the violin in great detail, and probably more detail then I cared about. A lot of it was, at best, peripheral to Hutchins and her life.

I know a fair bit about music but my knowledge of the violin world is only theoretical. This book did little to tell me more.

One of Hutchins major claims to fame is tying science to the violin world. Most of the science in this book went unexplained. As an example, there were multiple references to Chladni patterns and the fact that Hutchins used them in tuning various parts of the violin. There was no picture in the book of a Chladni pattern and after reading the book, I still have no idea what she was looking for or how she was using them.

Of course, the major question with biographies is, do you feel like you know the person after reading it? With this book, my answer is yes and no. Carleen Hutchins sounds like a fascinating person. I enjoyed reading the first third or so of the book which covered her life into her thirties, and her children up to their teens and preteens. At that point in her life, she got very serious in the violin world. The children and her husband dropped out of the book and we were told that Hutchins went to this meeting, she published this paper, she built this violin. I found this half of the book to be overly dry. At the end of the book, near the end of her life, Hutchins' husband starts having health problems and he and the kids re-appear as does my sense of Hutchins as a person. Her husband dies a few years and a few pages later, and Hutchins lives another decade and a couple more chapters. I liked the "story telling" at the start of the book and the end. The big chunk in the middle was a bit of a slog to get through.

Perhaps my hopes for this book were too high. I'm afraid I'm going to have to give it a C. Two and a half stars out of five. ( )

Carleen Hutchins, a remarkable woman of science and invention was formally educated as a teacher. Her early interest in music evolved into fundamentally understanding the physics of the production of sounds from the violin family of instruments. Carleen developed and then mastered the skills to design and build violin-type instruments and went on to educate many others in the science of violin design. Reading this book from an engineer's perspective I came away with a deep appreciation of the efforts and struggles Carleen experienced trying to capture and then improve the sounds produced by carving, assembling, testing, altering and retesting every intricate component of the violin. Quincy Whitney has revealed, in this book, some of the unique history of a relatively unknown woman who should be introduced to the masses as a hero of hard work, focus and scientific thinking. ( )

Title: American Luther, the Art and Science of the Violin
Author: Quincey Whitney
First Copyright Date: 2016
Type of Book: Biography
Special Features: Black and White photos
Hutchins Archives- collection of documentation and notes

Price: $35.00 Hardcover
ISBN-10: 1611685923

“Trifles make perfection: perfection is no trifle.”
- Michelangelo

“Study the science of art. Study the art of science. Develop your senses—especially learn how to see. Realize that everything connects to everything else.” - Leonardo da Vinci

2 Timothy 4:7 – “I have fought a good fight, I have finished [my] course, I have kept the faith:”
- The Holy Bible

Hutchins’s thesis is proven. “One of the most complex of musical compositions, the figure is as much a technique as a form characterized by the introduction or exposition of a central theme (the subject) and its response (the counter subject), which takes the form of various voices entering the different intervals, but in any order, each treating the central theme in a different way. The retrograde reverses the musical motif—just as Hutchins first played the viola and then reversed her path taking it apart to learn to make one. In the stretto, voices overlap, just as science and acoustics overlapped with lutherie. The musical motif is suspended in the pedal point, alternating between consonance and dissonance, very much like the tension of balancing a home life with a hobby fast becoming an obsession. The argumentation expands the motif, as Hutchins created a new family of eight violins, doubling the size of the string quartet, while sharing her research as an author.” (p.15, Prelude)
Whitney’s point for writing this book is due to her fascination by stories where science and art overlap. She believes Hutchins story is a direct connection between the two. Whitney did not know how to approach Hutchins about writing her biography, but soon she gathered her ideas and presented her pitch to Hutchins, and Hutchins (after a bit of hesitation, had a change of heart), and quickly accepted. Carleen Hutchins story truly an exceptional one, she is a forerunner who transformed violin acoustics and built the first violin octet. For this reason, I believe, is why Whitney wanted to tell her story. This book classifies in the general field of biographies, and fit’s into this category well.
Whitney displays exceptional knowledge of the genre, and subject matter plus, how we can attain a general understanding the art form, in addition to how the appearance of science within this genre works. Throughout the biography Hutchins notes help provide additional information (above and beyond common knowledge) to the reader about complexities, construction, and effects of stringed instruments. (which is a plus). Her challenge she believed was “to create a family of violins across tonal range of the piano”. Mr. and Mrs. Henry Brant suggested that she “create the sound of the violin, the clarity and the full rich tones of the violin projected into seven other tone ranges starting with the double bass at the bottom and going up to an instrument an octave above the violin…” (in other words, the assumption would be, when each instrument played together they should sound like one.) She then knew that this project would be her inspired life’s work. She accepted the challenge, and applied for a Guggenheim fellowship. (p.111, Innovator)
One of the photographic images that I found of value is titled Carlene Hutchins Carving Fiddles In Her Kitchen, circa 1955. Photographer, Russell Kingman. Courtesy of Hutchins estate. This picture caught my eye due to it is a visually strong balanced composition, which shows Carlene in a creative flow. I’m enjoying the repetition of the violins in the picture - of a variety of sizes- on the upper right hand corner of the image. There is a sense of harmony with the curvilinear patters going back into space which successfully plays off of the variety of bottle sizes that are randomly placed in the background. We can see her carving tools, supplies, and pieces throughout the image as she assembles them with a great focus.
This book will appeal to musicians, artists, craftsman, scientist’s, and historians for example. She organizes the book according to: Exposition (Teacher), Retrograde (Luthier), Stretto (Scientist), Pedal Point (Musicmonger), Augmentation (Inventor), Sequence (Catalyst) and Inversion. Which successfully aids in developing the readers understanding of main ideas and concepts historically, and topically adding background information and detail to theory. Whitney’s style is formal, clear, concise, and fluid. Including the correct use of technical words, and phrases which suit the intended audience effectively.
I am a visual art who can connect to Carleen Hutchins drive, passion, and intent to create on several levels. I believe all art forms and (artists) have that creative “flash” or “inquisitiveness” or even inspired vision that can come from any unexpected stimulus. She found that, she was enlightened, and so she was able to tap into a new creative flow; a gift which ultimately she knew would be one of her biggest life’s challenges. If achieved, the project would provide the ultimate artistic fulfillment for her. On a personal note, one thing I would like to have more information about was the development and technical use of family bows. (paint to canvas, violin to bow).
I enjoyed how the author added a bit of history about the first organ that was developed, and explained how it was viewed as a technical marvel. She introduces an organ in Winchester Cathedral, south of London built in the 900’s. Then explains how the Church embraced the organ as a substantial new musical instrument that could be of liturgical use. The essence of why she begins to talk about the organ is because it demonstrated the use of mathematics and science of music simultaneously. As a bonus, I learned a little bit about how the organ works, and the use of single slider keys which ultimately lead to new challenges (for musician’s and the church); and a new contemplation of mathematics of acoustics.
This is truly an inspirational story. One of dedication, hard work, and talent. Here’s a fun fact, because of her dedication- for example- Yo-Yo Ma won a Grammy preforming on her vertical viola. Her work has truly inspired many artists, and non-artists. I would recommend this book for it’s individuality, originality, detail, documentation, and “full length” picture of Carlene Hutchens that gives the book merit. For those who may not be familiar with the technical and scientific language of the development of the instrument, it may be at times a bit challenging, but overall it’s well worth the read. ( )