The Luthier of Cremona

In a small workshop on Via Palazzo in Cremona, Italy, master luthier Stefano Conia selects a piece of spruce he has been aging for twelve years. He holds it to his ear, taps it gently, and listens. He already knows what sound this particular piece of wood will make before a single string is ever drawn across it. He knows its density, its grain, its hidden flaws, and its extraordinary strengths.…