An Incomplete History of the Art of Funerary Violin: The History of the Art of Funerary Violin and of the Mysterious Guild that Guards its Secrets [Hardcover]

"'And so I resolved that henceforth I would only play the saddest music, indeed I would market my concerts as The Saddest Music in the World' Rohan Kriwaczek"

During the Protestant revolution in Europe, a new kind of music emerged, one that ultimately sought to recognise the deceased and to individuate the sense of loss and grief. Reaching its zenith in the early 19th century during the age of Romanticism, when every town and village had their own Funerary Violinist, the tradition was virtually wiped out by the Great Funerary Purges of the 1830s and 40s. "An Incomplete History" tells the fascinating story of this beautiful music, condemned by the Catholic Church for political as much as theological reasons, and of the mysterious Guild of Funerary Violinists. Discussing the evolution of European culture, musical form, politics, religion and society's changing attitudes to mortality and the emotional effects of music upon the soul, this is a dark and magical history whose secrets will both fascinate and educate its readers.

Rohan Kriwaczek is the Acting President of the Guild of Funerary Violinists. He lives in Brighton.