All Focus articles – Page 10
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FocusTokyo Stradivarius Festival: A Celebration of Genius
Ending on Monday 15 October, the Tokyo Stradivarius Festival 2018 has brought together 21 of the finest Stradivari instruments from all over the world, together with some of the master’s tools and templates, an acoustic demonstration, and concerts performed on several of the instruments.
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Rachel Podger: 'I played Bach at home in secret'
Bach’s E major Violin Concerto proved to be a defining work on the Baroque violinist’s path towards the period performance movement – despite the peculiar attitudes of her teachers
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In numbers: the cost of maintaining an instrument during the course of a career
Have you ever thought about how much you will spend in total over the years to keep your instrument in working order? Drew McManus spills the beans, and then counts them
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How do you go about making your first recording?
From capturing the attention of a suitable label to choosing appropriate repertoire, making your first album isn’t easy. Charlotte Gardner talks to those in the know about how to get it right.
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The secrets of the Brescian lutherie tradition
While the Cremonese making tradition has been well documented, that of neighbouring Brescia has remained mysterious. Evan Davenport examines the available evidence for clues to the working methods of the region
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Postcard from Verbier Festival
Peter Quantrill reports from the 25th anniversary of the Verbier Festival, where a wealth of A-list musicians rubbed shoulders with enthusiastic younger players from the Festival Academy and Orchestra
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In focus: a 1927 'Stroh' violin by Buffa Baretti
In this article from the January 2012 issue of The Strad, Christopher Germain examines the history and construction of an unusual horn violin made in Trieste
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In focus: an 1800 viola by Giovanni Gagliano
Carlo Chiesa takes a look at a viola which makes up in warm and powerful sound what it may lack in luxury materials [click ‘+’ to zoom]
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Do string players who refuse to embrace popular music face extinction?
String players must embrace the vernacular of today’s popular music or risk being consigned to a bygone era, writes electric violinist Tracy Silverman
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How do you copy a Kittel?
Nikolai Kittel remains one of the most enigmatic bow makers, so when the assembled talents at this year’s Oberlin workshop set about making copies, they uncovered a host of interesting points, as Robert Ray explains
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Masterclass: Dittersdorf Double Bass Concerto, K172
Berlin Philharmonic bassist Edicson Ruiz advocates Viennese tuning and a period bow to bring out the best in this sonorous Classical work
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Hilary Hahn on recording a second instalment of solo Bach – 20 years after the first
The violinist recorded her first disc of Bach when she was a teenager. Now, two decades on, she returns to complete the set. Pauline Harding talks to her about constancy and change, and new meanings given to music through experience and memory
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How do you prepare for a concerto competition?
Performing as a soloist with an orchestra can be a nerve-wracking experience, particularly for competition finalists who have very little rehearsal time. Pauline Harding talks to jury members, conductors and soloists about how to prepare
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10 ways to avoid tension in your playing
Advice on how to be flexible and relaxed as a string player from 120 years of The Strad
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Postcard from Yerevan: the Khachaturian International Competition
Cellists from around the world descended on the Armenian capital in June for the Khachaturian International Competition. Tom Stewart reports from its thought-provoking final round
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Piecing together the history of the
'Mara' Stradivari celloIts fate was almost to be consigned to the murky depths of an Uruguayan river but it continues to delight and inspire audiences of the present day. Alessandra Barabaschi delves into the dramatic life of the ‘Mara’ Strad
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The gift of studying with Josef Gingold
Josef Gingold was as big-hearted a teacher as he was a violinist according to his former student Gwen Thompson-Robinow
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How Eugène Sartory became France's most important bow maker
Isaac Salchow and Stephan Jansen explore what Eugène Sartory’s hidden treasures tell us about the evolution of his style
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Functional Fingering
An article on ways to move around the fingerboard without upsetting your musical flow by Leo Phillips
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In focus: A 1791 Aegidius Klotz violin
John Dilworth explores an instrument that showcases the finest achievements of the Mittenwald school [click ‘+’ to zoom]
