All Blogs articles – Page 20
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BlogsEditor's blog: Ariane Todes visits the Kronberg Violin Masterclasses
This spring I was lucky enough to spend a few days in Kronberg. The leafy town, half an hour from Frankfurt, is already known for its advanced training courses, with some of the best international string players coaching the younger generations. Up to now these have mainly ...
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BlogsOpinion: painting pretty pictures on instruments simply degrades them, argues Ariane Todes
Clay, stone metal, paper, canvas, glass, timber: just some of the media available on which to imprint your imagination if you’re a visual artist. So why does anybody insist on painting flowers, clouds, pretty patterns or cherubs on violins? The subject came up in The Strad office ...
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BlogsEditor's blog: Fritz Kreisler's telling me not to practise
I'm knee deep in The Strad archive at the moment, looking for articles to include in a forthcoming supplement about violin heroes, and I just came across a wonderful interview with Fritz Kreisler from a 1933 issue. Asked about his practice routine he replies: 'I am of ...
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BlogsThe advantages of modern instruments
Ariane Todes chairs a panel discussion in which luthiers shed light on the process of commissioning
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Blogs
Publisher's blog: Robin Shute takes his comfortable shoes to Frankfurt
Musikmesse in Frankfurt prides itself on being the world’s greatest music trade fair. The annual extravaganza, this year held from April 1–4, demands both mental and physical stamina – and a comfortable pair of shoes – such is its vast scale. My legs are still aching. This year was different. ...
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BlogsEditor's blog: international relations in London
As the leaders of the free world meet each other and take tea with the Queen in London with the aim of improving international relations, world harmony of a different nature is taking place at the Royal College of Music, with the London String Quartet Competition. I ...
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Blogs
Meet Sir Alan Stradivarius
Sir Alan Sugar might come out with strange musical similes but he has the potential to use his huge financial power wisely, says Catherine Payne
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Blogs
Tell us about your favourite lutherie books
In our April issue we asked some luthiers to discuss their favourite making books. The results were diverse, although several books proved to be particularly popular: Edward Heron-Allen's 'Violin-Making as it was, and is' and Simone Sacconi's 'The Secrets of Stradivari' were among them. What are your favourite lutherie books?
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BlogsEditor's blog: the ASTA conference
I'm just back home from a flying visit to Atlanta for the annual convention of the American String Teachers Association. I had a bumper time, fitting in as many of the sessions as I could as well as meeting lots of lovely people at The Strad stand. ...
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BlogsHe's not the Messiah, he's a very naughty boy
Everyone loves a good conspiracy theory and violin makers more than most - especially one involving Stradivari. The story of the ‘Messiah’ violin is one of the best. The widely accepted version is that the 1716 instrument was one of those sold by Stradivari’s sons to Count ...
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BlogsEditor's blog: a Kavakos double whammy weekend
At the weekend I had a Leonidas Kavakos double whammy: two hours in his company on Saturday interviewing him for the January issue of The Strad and then hearing him on Sunday playing Prokofiev’s First Concerto with Valery Gergiev and the London Symphony Orchestra.In person he’s extremely charming, ...
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BlogsEditor's blog: is Stevie Wonder the new David Oistrakh?
My ears are still ringing with the sound of Stevie Wonder’s voice at his London gig last night: that mighty, bronzed voice, with the depth and timbre of a fine French red wine, and a facility with runs and ornaments that the Mariah Careys and Christina Aguileras of ...
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BlogsEditor's blog: when music stands get in the way
I went to two very contrasting concerts this weekend. On Friday I was at the Barbican to see the Kronos Quartet collaborating with Azerbaijani singer Alim Qasimov. I’d never heard any of his ‘mugham’ music, which sounds very dry to ears attuned to Western classical scales, but ...
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BlogsEditor's blog: Joshua Bell's looking at me!
The new Joshua Bell Vivaldi Four Seasons recording has just come into the office and of course it sounds fantastic – full of the requisite energy and poetry. But with the CD comes a fold-out calendar featuring Bell looking tousled and sultry in what looks like his Baroque ...
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BlogsEditor's blog: moonlit nights with makers at Dartington Hall
I’m just back from a weekend at Dartington Hall in Devon, where the sun was shining and the makers of the BVMA were out in force for their annual conference. The weekend is always a good chance for me to meet people and get story ideas, and ...
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BlogsEditor's blog: getting carried away at last night's Prom
It always happens. In June, I mark the many BBC Proms concerts I want to go to, and then before I know it, it’s September. Summer is over, there are only two weeks left of the season and I’ve been to hardly any. Yesterday I went to ...
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BlogsEditor's blog: trying a Baroque bow and the wobble board at the ESTA conference (but not at the same time)
Last week I popped into the summer conference of the European String Teachers’ Association, at Dean Close School in Cheltenham. It was a great chance to chat to string teachers about what they want from The Strad, and I got to see some of the work that ...
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Blogs
In her second blog entry, Clio Tilton is reminded how tiring orchestral tours are
The last two days have been busy – lots of travelling for our first two concerts. The first was in Berlin at the Konzerthaus as part of the Young Euro Classic series. There was a full house and lots of excitement on our part, as for many of us it ...
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Blogs
In Clio Tilton's first blog from the Moritzburg Festival Academy, she and her fellow musicians decide on a common language
The Moritzburg Festival Academy kicked off with a friendly welcome from the director, cellist Jan Vogler. Crowding into the Eisenberger Hof Hotel restaurant (where we are staying), we listened, glancing around at our new colleagues, looking for a familiar face. For me, being at a festival in Germany is a ...
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BlogsThe editor, Ariane Todes, tries to make friends with the portaloos at the Big Chill Festival, and searches in vain for the classical music
At the ripe old age of [ahem] I’ve just been to my first non-classical music festival, The Big Chill, in Eastnor, Herefordshire. I’ll spare the details of my efforts to embrace the whole camping thing (unsuccessful) but they were worth it for almost round-the-clock great music. This ...
