All Features articles – Page 15
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Premium ❘ FeaturePierre Baillot: Against the odds
Pierre Baillot battled against financial hardship and suffered personal tragedy, yet he became a leading exponent of the 19th-century French violin school. Martin Wulfhorst reveals his importance as an instrumentalist, pedagogue and composer
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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 ❘ FeatureAlexander technique: Thoughts that count
Violinist and Alexander technique specialist Alun Thomas details pathways to effortless expression using three real-life student examples
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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 ❘ FeatureCovid-19 and young musicians: What you make of it
The lockdowns of the pandemic were particularly challenging for young artists looking to make a name for themselves, but providing support along the way were a number of schemes that ramped up their efforts accordingly. And, as Charlotte Gardner finds, for those musicians willing to take the initiative, the opportunities ...
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Premium ❘ FeatureThe Venetian double bass: Venetian splendour
Many of the great Italian double bass makers lived and worked in the city of Venice. Thomas Martin, George Martin and Martin Lawrence tell the stories of some of the leading names in the trade, with commentary on a number of their instruments
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Premium ❘ FeatureWood treatment: The magic touch
New research has revealed how Stradivari, Amati and Guarneri ‘del Gesù’ all used tonewood that had been heavily treated with chemicals prior to carving. Wenjie Cai and Hwan-Ching Tai explain the study’s findings, and suggest it could indicate that the Cremonese makers were influenced by the contemporary alchemical beliefs
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Premium ❘ FeatureAbel Selaocoe: Uniting voice
South African cellist-singer-composer Abel Selaocoe’s genre-defying performances have earned him several recent awards and a recording contract with Warner Classics. Tom Stewart meets the Manchester-based musician following his powerful BBC Proms 2021 debut
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Premium ❘ FeatureChad Hoopes: State of independence
Chad Hoopes launched his career with a spectacular win aged 13 in the Junior division of the Menuhin Competition in 2008, but in subsequent years, the forward-looking, innately positive US violinist has deliberately taken less obvious paths to musical success, as he tells Toby Deller
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Premium ❘ FeatureBlack America: A race for change
Still now, in the 21st century, black people are inadequately represented within classical music. Pauline Harding talks to string players in America about lingering social oppression and what the wider community can do to bring about progress
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Premium ❘ FeatureBay Area bow makers: Bows on the bay
With a large and growing music community, the San Francisco Bay Area became a hotbed of violin and bow making talent in the early 20th century. Raphael Gold tells the stories of the most prominent bow makers of the day
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Premium ❘ FeatureScottish folk baroque fusion: When worlds collide
In the Baroque and early Classical eras a succession of Scottish and Italian composers took an interest in fusing Scots fiddle and song melodies with Italian art music structures. Kevin MacDonald investigates the trend
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Premium ❘ FeatureSession Report: A question of balance
Italian violinist Fabio Biondi’s new album of Bach Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin marks a unique opportunity to challenge established interpretations and beliefs surrounding these seminal works, writes Rita Fernandes
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Premium ❘ FeatureJanine Jansen: A spiritual connection
Even for one of the most revered violinists, it is a daunting task to get to know twelve of the world’s finest Stradivaris, many with jaw-dropping pasts, within only a few weeks. Janine Jansen talks to Pauline Harding about how she did just that for a new recording and documentary
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Premium ❘ FeatureHistorical varnishes: Beneath the surface
The inclusion of minerals in Italian varnishes from the 16th to mid-18th centuries has long been a source of speculation. Balthazar Soulier, Stefan Zumbühl and Christophe Zindel present the first results of a long-term study showing that key answers can be found in early German recipes
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Premium ❘ FeatureNupen and du Pré: Golden girl
Documentary maker Christopher Nupen made several groundbreaking films with Jacqueline du Pré. Here he shares his memories of the legendary British cellist who tragically died at the age of 42 after battling with multiple sclerosis
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Premium ❘ FeatureSession Report: Two’s company
Violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja and cellist Sol Gabetta’s new recording is the culmination of many years of music making and friendship, as the pair tell Charlotte Gardner
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Premium ❘ FeatureTianjin Juilliard School: A new dawn
The first school to offer US-accredited music degrees in mainland China, Juilliard’s Tianjin campus is the next step in the long history of East-West partnerships. Tom Stewart discovers how the institution is attracting students from all over the globe
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Premium ❘ FeatureThe Strad Calendar 2022: Dutch treasures
The Strad Calendar 2022 showcases twelve of the finest instruments belonging to the Dutch Musical Instruments Foundation. Head of collection Frits Schutte outlines its work, while Hubert de Launay gives a tour of the riches
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Premium ❘ FeatureSuzuki teaching: Every child can
Since Japanese violinist Shinichi Suzuki founded his method of bowed string tuition in 1945, it has been adopted and embraced by countries around the world. Samara Ginsberg talks to teachers and students, past and present, about their experiences of Suzuki teaching and its enduring popularity
