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HAND und INSTRUMENT
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Christoph Wagner
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neue musikzeitung  1/2006  
G) „
musicians' hands – musicians' fates
“. Who till now considered the matter of this book still as an optional extra for interested people (...), this chapter will be able to open one's eyes. ...
... this is by its clearly defined topic the standard book about hand and instrument, at all. May it become a beneficial source of information for everybody in our highly-perfectioned music world!
complete review

Physikalische Medizin - Rehabilitationsmedizin - Kurortmedizin 2007; 17
There is no comparable international or national publication known to the reviewer which covers the topic of the musician's hand in such a differentiated way.
complete review

Codex Flores  28.2.2006 

The rather unspectacular title would hardly let presume that here exists a book which is perfect in all aspects, extremly exciting to be read despite the subject's complexity. It sets highest standards for future publications on this topic. Whoever wants (or has) to think about the physiologic and mechanic conditions of making music will have no alternative. The pioneer of music physiology from Hannover who - by the way - understands to write in an unusally clear, unpretentious and stimulating style draws a wide circle: ... Wagner does away with a lot of myths and prejudices arguing in a refreshing pragmatic way on the basis of plenty of experimental data. ...
complete review

Musikphysiologie und Musikermedizin  1/2006   
From the described enquiries of measurements arises the individual „hand profile" of the instrumentalist, which represents a mosaique of advantages, limitations and ways of compensation and therefore allows valid statements only as an overall view in regard to the individual instrument.
The enormous extent of the inter-individual differences of the musician's hand becomes obvious from the collected results of research in an impressing way.
"Hand und Instrument" is a worthy help for those
musicians who meet limitations with the natural conditions of their hand. It's a help for those who are pampered by nature and have hardly any limitations but have to find solutions for students with non-optimal conditions. It's an enrichment for the pedagogic, ergonomic and therapeutic partial disciplines of music physiology and musician's medicine!
complete review

Forum Musikbibliothek  1/2006
One of the most fascinating effects of this book is that it does not only present the extreme range of variety of musicians' hands but also allows the reader to compare his own hands with the data given. ...
complete review

Üben & Musizieren  3/2006
A book, eagerly expected has appeared! Expected eagerly because, until now, such a publication had been missing in German literature, which, on scientifically based knowledge of medical anatomy and physiology, is understandable also for the "normal" musician . ... This claim has been kept in an optimal way.
In the chapters "The instrument-specific investigation of the hand", "How different are musicians' hands?" and "Musicians' hands - musicians' fates" it (just again) becomes obvious for musicians and pedagogues that, on the basis of numerous detailed view-points of anatomic predisposition, there can hardly be a general valid technique, but each physiologic disposition requires different consequences and, at the same time, possibly shares its individual problems. ...
complete review

TIBIA  4/2006
Christoph Wagner has admirably managed to merge the seeming contradictions between art and science in the field of music physiology. (…) From the easily presented and understandable basic knowledge of anatomy through to a differentiated analysis of the special demands, which second instruments put on players, answers can be found for almost any question. (…) For example, based on case-studies from the teaching environment it is being illustrated how misunderstandings between the teacher and the student can easily be clarified, at least concerning the flexibility of the hand, once the knowledge about the individual givens of the hand is taken as a point of departure…
In favour of up-to-date professional formation and a later activity free of  ailments, this book should become a useful “must” for any musician.
complete review

ÖMZ 2/07
The author is involved in basic research for music physiology for more than four decades. (…)  and convinces: The author always bears in mind  the artistically motivated requirement behind physiology . Many examples illustrate his findings… and challenge the reader to re-think questions, for which we have seemingly found answers. A very interesting book worth recommending!
complete review

Windkanal 1/2007
… practically oriented and illustrative. A must for anyone wishing to better understand his “utensils”.
complete review

ESTA-News 10/07 (Nr. 58)
Clear findings derive from this research, which anybody involved in making decisions in view of a professional musical career, anybody teaching an instrument and any doctor responsible for the healing process connected to incorrect posture or overuse-syndromes, should be aware of.  
complete review