All Blogs articles – Page 3
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BlogsMarcus du Sautoy explores the symmetry of Stradivari
The Oxford professor for the public undestanding of science attempts to discover what makes Stradivari so special
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BlogsDesmond Cecil: my search for the perfect violin
Excerpt from Desmond Cecil’s newly published memoir: ‘The Wandering Civil Servant of Stradivarius’
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BlogsDesmond Cecil: My time with violinist Max Rostal
Excerpt from Desmond Cecil’s newly published memoir: ‘The Wandering Civil Servant of Stradivarius’
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BlogsTomás Cotik: How I interpret Bach
Ahead of his 2020 album release of Bach’s Sonatas and Partitas, the violinist presents a new blog series, in which he discusses the contradictions between the opposing trends and traditions in Bach interpretation, and his personal solutions to them
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BlogsRecording Bach’s Violin Concertos with John Eliot Gardiner
Kati Debretzeni, leader of the English Baroque Soloists, explains the thought processes behind her recent Bach recording
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Blogs11 ways to be a better chamber musician
Violinist, composer and chamber music festival founder Natalie Klouda writes the advice she would like to have been given when she was starting out
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BlogsViolinist Jack Liebeck and composer Stuart Hancock interview each other
Having just worked together on recording a new violin concerto, the composer and soloist sit down to discuss the challenges and rewards of the process
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BlogsAlban Gerhardt on playing the Britten and Shostakovich sonatas side by side
Their composers may have been friends but these two 20th-century masterpieces, written 30 very eventful years apart, could hardly be more different
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BlogsAn introduction to Neo-Classical
As Australia prepares to host a festival dedicated to ‘neo-classical’ music, cellist Peter Gregson introduces some of the main exponents of the genre
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Blogs7 steps to self-releasing your album
Advice from composer Matthew Whiteside on a 21st-century approach to recordings, as he prepares to release his new album of string quartet music
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BlogsRaphael Wallfisch: Bloch vs Clarke, in concert
100 years after the composers came head to head in a competition, Wigmore Hall audiences are getting a chance to judge for themselves this week
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BlogsPlayers of tomorrow: Maxim Tzekov
Following his win at the Kloster Schöntal International Violin Competition, 18-year-old Maxim Tzekov shares his top practice tip and reveals how he mentally prepares for competitions
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Blogs5 reasons why I love playing viola transcriptions
To tie in with the release of The Tale of Two Violas, Peter Mallinson, one of the disc’s two violists, shares his insights into the advantages of playing transcriptions
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FeatureChoose a modern instrument to kickstart your career
MyLuthier co-founders Ariel Lang and Pedro Silva share some tips on how to start the search for your perfect instrument
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FocusWhy record the music of Goya’s Madrid?
On the heels of ‘Heritage’, the Cuarteto Quiroga’s latest CD release, Cibrán Sierra, violinist with the ensemble, explains why they decided to delve into the music of 18th century Madrid
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BlogsAaron Rosand: 5 ways good posture will improve your playing
Good standing and sitting positions, and avoiding using a shoulder rest, are all important for optimum performance, wrote the American virtuoso in 2014
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BlogsCellist describes multi-leg travel nightmare
Jacob Shaw has written an exasperated post about a recent trip from Denmark to Mexico in which the airlines seems to fail him in a different way each leg
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Feature13 rules of desk partner etiquette
Classical music agony aunt Alice McVeigh offered these tips for a harmonious musical relationship in our September 2004 issue
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BlogsIstván Várdai on winning competitions and beyond
Having picked up prizes early in his career, and more recently served as a jury member, the cellist offers some advice for those preparing to join the competition circuit
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BlogsRachel Barton Pine: 10 tips for practice and performance
The Strad attended a masterclass with the American violinist in 2015 and took down these practical pointers