The History of the Violoncello by Lev Ginsburg is a large volume, 8 1/2" by 11", and 384 pages in length. It was published in 1983 by Paganiniana Publications, translated from Russian by Tanya Tchistyakova, and Edited by Herbert R. Axelrod.
This book is a history of violoncello persona and technique covering the 19th and 20th centuries, and it is full of illustrations, both in color and black and white. The biographies begin with Bernhard Romberg, and end with the Japanese School of the late 20th century. Ginsburg also includes an extensive introduction to 20th century composers and their works for the cello.
Lev Ginsburg lived from 1907 to 1981, and was Professor of cello at the Moscow Conservatory most of those years. He devoted himself to study and to teaching, and wrote extensively about the history, theory and aesthetics of musical interpretation. This book is actually a compilation of a larger four volume work published earlier by Dr. Ginsburg, and brought to the English world through the efforts of Herbert Axelrod, who also edited the famous "The Way They Play" series of books about famous string players.
This is one of the more important books ever published about the history of the cello, and cellists, and should be in the library of every cellist. Unfortunately it is now out of print. You may be able to find a used copy at Montagnana Books, or from Amazon.Com.
Selections from the book may be found in the various Cello Heaven Biographies.
Reviewed by "drcello," February 3, 2001.