Featured Stories – Page 63
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FocusThe final five bars of the Prelude from Bach’s Cello Suite in D minor
Mats Lidström, the Leo Stern Professor of Cello at London’s Royal Academy of Music, examines the curious and sudden omission of rhythm and flow in the final five bars of Bach’s Prelude in D minor for solo cello, in this extract from the January 2022 issue
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FocusOpinion: To speak plainly
Teaching a young student with Down’s syndrome has taught Jacqueline Vanasse the value of simple concepts and hands-on rewards
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FocusHappy birthday, Janine Jansen!
7 January is the birthday of the acclaimed Dutch violinist, who featured as The Strad’s October 2021 cover star
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BlogsShould Scale Systems Come With A Health Warning?
Violinist Hector Scott examines how players can use scales to exercise curiosity and exploration of musical expressivity, as opposed to excessive, grinding, repetitive practice
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Premium ❘ FeatureWhere should string players look when performing from memory on stage?
Teacher Talk: your string teaching questions answered by our panel of experts. From October 2011
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Focus‘Great playing starts at the feet’
Alexander Technique specialist Alun Thomas uses a case study to illustrate how performance success stems from a grounding awareness of one’s feet
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Focus5 Ways Isolation Causes Bow Arm Fatigue
Taubman Approach specialists Edna Golandsky and Sophie Till examine how proper alignment in the right arm can help eliminate tension and allow for fluidity when bowing
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Focus‘People hadn’t heard live music for so long, and were so happy and grateful for the experience’ - Steven Isserlis on performing Bach
The January 2022 cover star speaks to Charlotte Smith about studying the Bach Cello Suites in the form of his new companion book, as well as performing during the pandemic
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Premium ❘ FeatureSteven Isserlis: Instinctive performer
Steven Isserlis used the lockdowns of 2020 and 2021 to work on a trio of projects: a companion to Bach’s Cello Suites, a new performing edition of Dvořák’s Cello Concerto and a recording of British solo cello music – as the cellist tells Charlotte Smith
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Premium ❘ FeatureSession Report: Focusing the lens
For the LGT Young Soloists, recording a newly commissioned string symphony by Philip Glass provided ample opportunity for detailed and thoughtful music making – as the group’s artistic director, Alexander Gilman, tells Toby Deller
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Premium ❘ ArticleSoundpost: Letters to the Editor January 2022
A selection of letters The Strad receives each month from its readers around the world: January 2022 issue
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Premium ❘ FeatureFrom the Archive: January 1892
Pedagogue George Brayley offers a list of Violin Don’ts – possibly intended as New Year’s Resolution ideas for readers
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FocusAmit Peled: Life Lessons
The Israeli–American cellist talks about body awareness and the importance of taking the initiative
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BlogsThe Psalms Project: Contemporary Sacred Music for solo violin
Composer Ng Yu Hng welcomes new audiences to encounter liturgical works channeled through the untraditional voice of a solo violin
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BlogsFinding solace in Solo Bach during the pandemic: Greg Ewer
The violinist illustrates how he, fellow string players and other instrumentalists found comfort in Bach’s solo string works during the uncertain climate of Covid-19 lockdowns
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FocusMy audition journey: Alexandra Gorski, Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra
The Ukrainian-US violinist tells her story of landing the associate concertmaster role with the Sofia Philharmonic, including the additional solo challenges involved in auditioning for a titled position
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FocusFrom the Archive: December 1951
In his lifetime, Tossy Spivakovsky (1906–98) was known for his innovative bowing style. Samuel Applebaum visits him at home to learn his secrets
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FocusOpinion: Playing the game
In addition to technical mastery, musicians need to understand the ‘game rules’ of every performing tradition and musical culture, write Dudok Quartet Amsterdam musicians Judith van Driel and David Faber
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FocusA Violinist’s Practical Guide to Maintenance, Adjustment, Strings and more
In an exclusive video premiere, violinist Daniel Kurganov and violin maker Andrew Ryan discuss tips and tricks on instrument care, maintenance, acoustical understanding, tonal adjustment, proper string care, with the aim to share a practical understanding of how the violin works, and important practices every violinist should know
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NewsThe subversive power of the encore according to violinist Pekka Kuusisto
Before his trip to China was cancelled, the Finnish violinist planned to use his encore to protest against the country’s human rights record
