Featured Stories – Page 116
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FocusWhat is the secret behind the Royal Danish Orchestra’s string sound?
The Royal Danish Orchestra has been adding to its collection of fine stringed instruments for centuries – but there is revolution and evolution behind its string sound, which is unmistakable, finds Andrew Mellor
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Premium ❘ FeatureExpanding the limits
Georgian violinist Lisa Batiashvili has recently taken on new challenges, among them artistic directorship of the Audi Summer Concerts festival and performing on the soundtrack to The White Crow. But, she tells Toby Deller, she finds equal joy in creating wonderful interpretations from long-term partnerships
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FocusLessons in Time Travel - Violinists on Baroque Performance
What impact can voyages into period performance have on modern-instrument playing? Four soloists reveal the fruits of their Baroque explorations to Ariane Todes
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Premium ❘ FeatureGrowing pains
Violinist and Ohio State University professor of music education Bob Gillespie has taught countless teenage string players. Here he explores adolescent character traits, and shares with teachers his valuable guide to dealing with adolescent moods and logic
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Premium ❘ FeatureThe Score: Friend or Foe?
The multiple editions of a piece can confuse a musician. Should we always work from an urtext edition in an attempt to access the composer’s most authentic voice? Or can edited versions with interpretative markings be helpful? Cellist Pedro de Alcantara guides us through this minefield
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Focus5 essential recordings by violinist Itzhak Perlman
To tie in with the violin star's 70th birthday in 2015, Julian Haylock rounded up some of the master violinist’s finest recordings
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VideoPrepare with Nicky: Introduction - Meet Your Tutors
With only 33 days until the Benedetti Sessions - Nicola Benedetti’s series of orchestra-based weekend workshops which aim to address the needs of young musicians and of teachers - the violinist is launching a video a day. And she’s starting by introducing some of the tutors involved. ‘The good news’, ...
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Premium ❘ FeatureInvitation to the Dance: Bach’s Cello Suites
A knowledge of French Baroque dance can open up new ways of approaching and performing Bach’s Cello Suites, argues cellist Ulrich Heinen. In this practical guide, he highlights the many steps and gestures evoked in the works.
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Focus8 ways to improve Baroque performance
Tips from The Strad’s archive on the use of vibrato, bow strokes and rhythmic hierarchy
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ArticleHow I interpret Bach: Tomás Cotik on strings, intonation and vibrato
Ahead of his 2020 album release of Bach’s Sonatas and Partitas, the violinist continues his 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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ArticleLife Lessons: Laura van der Heijden
Seven years after winning the BBC Young Musician competition, the British cellist discusses how different forms of music making inspire her
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VideoItzhak Perlman discusses his early days as a musician
In this interview, originally aired in June 2019, Itzhak Perlman discusses his early days as a musician and his battle with polio.
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FocusCasting professional musicians on screen
As the founder of Music in Vision, Kathleen Ross has built a business from supplying professional musicians for on-camera roles. Here she discusses the challenges of introducing instrumentalists to the world of film and TV
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ArticleHow a forgotten chamber masterpiece finally saw the light
A powerfully expressive chamber work by one of the most important British composers of the interwar years failed to make it into print – but why? As Rebecca Clarke’s 1923 Rhapsody for cello and piano is published for the first time, John York, who recorded the piece with cellist Raphael ...
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Focus10 playing tips by violist Lionel Tertis
Sydney Errington, who was to become principal violist of The Hallé, was a student of the great British violist Lionel Tertis in the 1930s. Here, taken from Errington's notebook, are some of the things Tertis told him during his introductory lesson: 1 Feel every note you are performing all the ...
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FeatureSentimental Work: Linus Roth
Weinberg’s Violin Concerto is a work of passionate intensity, as the German violinist found – even though he hadn’t encountered the composer until eight years ago
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FocusPlayers of tomorrow: Shannon Lee
The 27-year-old Canadian violinist, 2nd prize winner at this year’s Sendai International Violin Competition, talks about ambition, motivation and her fear of wardrobe mishaps
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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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FocusConductor Manfred Honeck on achieving his orchestral string sound
Music director Manfred Honeck has brought a distinctly European flavour to the Pittsburgh Symphony. Gavin Dixon asked him how his time as a violist in the Vienna Philharmonic helped him to become the conductor he is today…
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Premium ❘ FeatureFrom the Archive: December 1909
The pseudonymous ‘L.H.W.’ gives his thoughts on teaching, in an article he might himself call ‘profuse and extravagant in expression’
