A new exhibition at Vienna's Kunsthistoriches Museum explores the flourishing of violin playing, teaching and making in the Austrian capital during the 19th century. The exhibition, 'Heaven is Full of Violins: The Violin in the Biedermeier and Romantic Periods', runs at the Neue Burg in Heldenplatz until 25 September 2011.

The Cremonese influence on Viennese violin making is examined – Viennese luthier Nikolaus von Zawicki was one of the caretakers of Paganini's 'Cannon' Guarneri 'del Gesù' and replaced its fingerboard. Other sections of the exhibition look at the development of salon concerts and musical soirees, and the importance of the Society of the Friends of Music (Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde), and its conservatoire where teachers established the Vienna string school.

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