All Focus articles
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FocusHow I went about relearning to play the violin with two fingers
Despite losing the function of the third and fourth fingers of his left hand through focal dystonia and a shoulder injury, violinist Clayton Haslop was determined to continue playing. Here he shares his story
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Focus
Which cello strings? Steven Isserlis, Alisa Weilerstein and others tell us what their choices are and why
Finding the ideal combination of strings is a process that can take a lifetime. Here, some of the world’s leading cellists – and two up-and-coming chamber musicians on the competition circuit – discuss their choices
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What can we learn from CT-scanning the ‘Messiah’?
In 2016 the ‘Messiah’ Stradivari was the subject of an extensive CT scanning project. Francesco Piasentini and Gregg Alf examine the resulting data, discovering repair work in the neck, and attempt to determine how it had originally been set
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Why we should all be violists
Violist and teacher Hsin-Yun Huang makes the case for her instrument of choice
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What to do if your violin pegs keep slipping or sticking
Korinthia Klein presents a simple player’s guide to violin maintenance, without encroaching on luthiers’ territory
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’I don’t feel at all guilty about tinkering with the "classical canon" – David LePage
Violinist David Le Page explains how he found the connections between Rameau and Radiohead, Schubert and The Smiths through arrangements for Orchestra of the Swan’s new album Timelapse
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The Pandemic Paganini Project: how I decided to fill in the blanks of 2020
When the arts were extinguished by the pandemic, orchestral violinist Sarah Atwood was galvanized into creating a new musical pathway for herself – and she learnt a lot from doing it, as she explains here
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‘He inspired us to believe we could master anything we wanted’ – remembering cello pedagogue George Neikrug
Cellist George Neikrug, who died in 2019 at the age of 100, was a celebrated performer and orchestral principal. However, his skills as a pedagogue were second to none, writes University of Wisconsin-Whitewater professor Benjamin Whitcomb, who has gathered personal recollections
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What to do if your violin bow won’t tighten or loosen
Korinthia Klein presents a simple player’s guide to violin maintenance, without encroaching on luthiers’ territory
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Learning at the speed of childhood
A willingness to engage in challenges outside of our ability level and to embrace making mistakes can help adults to learn as efficiently as young children, argues clarinettist and performance psychology researcher Christine Carter
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‘It just feels like home’ – Renaud Capuçon on recording Elgar’s Violin Concerto with the LSO
For Renaud Capuçon, recording Elgar’s Violin Concerto with the London Symphony Orchestra and Simon Rattle was a dream come true – and one that he couldn’t allow to be derailed by Covid-19’s lockdown restrictions, as he tells Charlotte Gardner
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Tips for changing your violin strings
Korinthia Klein presents a simple player’s guide to violin maintenance, without encroaching on luthiers’ territory
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Which shoulder rest to buy, from $25 to $1,100
In recent years manufacturers have come up with new shoulder rest designs and materials, and new dependable models have appeared both at the low end of the market and at the very highest. Femke Colborne talks to the makers with an eye on improvement, and to those who feel they ...
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Focus
Why I had to relearn to play the violin with two fingers
Despite losing the function of the third and fourth fingers of his left hand through focal dystonia and a shoulder injury, violinist Clayton Haslop was determined to continue playing. Here he shares his story
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Focus
Violinist Tomás Cotik on how to produce clear and controlled ricochet bowing
The violinist demonstrates ricochet technique in a series of videos
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'I disagree strongly with idea of a “deeper” Beethoven and “lighter” Beethoven' – Jean-Guihen Queyras
Recording Beethoven’s ‘Triple’ Concerto last June allowed French cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras to step back into near normality, among colleagues and friends. He tells Pauline Harding about recording at a social distance
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James Ehnes: ‘You should never be scared of Beethoven's Violin Concerto'
Beethoven’s Violin Concerto has been a mainstay of the Canadian violinist’s repertoire since his teenage years, but it retains its ability to inspire
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Rohan de Saram: Life Lessons
The former cellist of the Arditti Quartet on his journey from the 19th to the 20th century, and returning to his childhood studies of traditional Sri Lankan drumming
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I gave up a Montagnana for my c.1696 Cappa cello, says Jean-Guihen Queyras
The French cellist and January 2021 cover star tells Pauline Harding about his cellos and bows
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Focus
What were the forerunners of the viola d’amore?
The viola d’amore is undergoing a resurgence in popularity among early music groups, with a wealth of repertoire still to be rediscovered. Rachael Durkin tracks the development of this unique instrument, examining its many precursors along the way
