All Featured Stories articles – Page 132
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FocusTechnique: Velocity studies with Hans Jørgen Jensen
Some musicians love playing fast. Others struggle with it, both psychologically and physically: they can’t control their tempo, they play too loudly, their fingers collapse and lose their natural curvature, they have unnecessary tension in different parts of the body, they make facial grimaces, or they lift their fingers too ...
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ArticlePaul Tortelier gives Dvorák Cello Concerto masterclass
‘I give you a little trick because I like you! My second finger is the leader – like Mrs Thatcher, it’s an Iron Finger’ French cellist Paul Tortelier gives a masterclass at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester for the BBC in 1987. Performing the concerto is 20-year-old ...
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FocusStringtelligence by Thomastik-Infeld: dealing with corrosion and perspiration
In the first of a new blog series for The Strad celebrating Thomastik-Infeld’s 100th anniversary, the Austrian string manufacturer’s director of engineering and technology, Franz Klanner, gives his recommendations for players who find their strings corroding too quickly
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VideoSheku and Isata Kanneh-Mason perform The Swan
In this video Sheku Kanneh-Mason and his sister Isata perform Saint-Saëns’s The Swan on the Norwegian-Swedish television talk show Skavlan.
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VideoPatricia Kopatchinskaja on playing Pierrot Lunaire
Here Patricia Kopatchinskaja talks about playing Pierrot Lunaire, a project the violinist first conceived while she was unable to practise due to an arm injury. ‘All my life I’ve felt that I was Pierrot. Whenever I played the piece on my violin as a student which I I spoke the ...
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FocusEdgar Meyer on the Prelude from Bach’s Cello Suite no.2
For the American double bassist and composer, what began as a pathway to technical expertise became a lifetime’s voyage of musical exploration. From the November 2015 issue
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Blogs7 tips for successful practice by violinist Rachel Podger
The Baroque musician reveals the most important elements of her practice routine
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FocusSentimental Work: Anne Akiko Meyers on traditional Japanese songs
A brace of traditional songs from Japan bring back fond memories and inspire a wealth of interpretations for the American violinist
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BlogsThe 5 steps to natural stage presence
Cellist and workshop leader Ruth Phillips explains how yoga and meditation liberated her from the prison of stage fright
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VideoHilary Hahn plays Bach in 1997
In this video from 1997 (first 21 minutes), the 17-year-old violinist performs Bach and gives an interview in which, amongst other things, she admits to knowing about 27 concertos off by heart.
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BlogsTechnique can be developed, but musicianship is inbuilt, says violist Rivka Golani
In this article from 2016, Toby Deller paid tribute to the pioneering musician and teacher as she celebrated her 70th birthday
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Article8 ways for violinists to improve posture
Advice for violinists from The Strad's pages on establishing a relaxed and stable posture for optimal performance, and avoiding strain and injury
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Video'With Nicky' 1: Back to Basics
Kicking off the ‘With Nicky’ series this week, and our media partnership with Nicola Benedetti’s new video venture, it’s Back to Basics, in which the violinist delves further into the fundamentals of the violin and bow hold to develop comfort, flexibility and relaxation. See the full series here
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FocusBach: Six Sonatas and Partitas for Violin Alone
Rachel Barton Pine’s new edition of the scores for these staples of the violin repertoire is meticulous, generous and stimulating
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DebateOpinion: How should a musician respond to a string breaking on stage?
Nobody can blame a musician for their string breaking on stage. But, says Charlotte Gardner, the way a performer responds is certainly within their grasp
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FocusTurtle Island Quartet techniques: chop, slide and hickety mute
Members of the genre-crossing ensemble share some of the unusual techniques they use to give them their unique sound
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Focus6 recording tips from Daniel Müller-Schott
The German cellist reveals some of the practical and artistic conditions he got right for his new album of Russian repertoire
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Focus5 views on chamber playing by Borodin Quartet legend Rostislav Dubinsky
The Borodin's founding first violinist, who played with the quartet for 30 years from 1945, was interviewed in The Strad shortly before his death in 1997
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FocusIsabelle Faust on how playing period instruments has improved her bowing
Our January 2019 issue cover star on bringing her unusually active and flexible right arm technique to bear with a classical Tourte bow and the ‘Sleeping Beauty’ Strad
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Focus8 questions for Thomas Riebl: on being a violist, his five-string instrument and more
Following his workshop at the Shanghai Conservatory’s Viva La Viola Festival, the Austrian soloist and chamber musician talks to our correspondent Nancy Pellegrini
