All Focus articles – Page 58
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FocusBTHVN2020: gearing up for Beethoven's 250th birthday
In just two years’ time, one of the biggest and most wide-ranging tributes to a composer in history will take place – and preparations have already begun. Katinka Welz reports
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FocusTeaching lutherie the Red Wing way
Instrument repair requires great attention to detail, knowledge and patience – and teaching new students is no different. Here lutherie pedagogue Steve Rossow gives some tips acquired from his years of tutoring at Minnesota State College Southeast
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FocusWhat is the secret behind Stradivari’s red violins?
Varnish maker Joe Robson explores the mystery of the special deep red varnish colour that makes Antonio Stradivari’s later instruments so attractive
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FocusThe darker side of Heifetz the autocratic teacher
The great violinist was an inspirational teacher but not always kind or reasonable, remembers former student Gwen Thompson-Robinow
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FocusThe Strad Quiz: Know your cellists
Test your knowledge of 20th- and 21st-century cello players with our latest photo quiz
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FocusDo different rosin brands actually perform differently? We put 7 to the test
The Strad’s editor Charlotte Smith and contributing editor Pauline Harding put seven rosins to the test and discover a world of difference between brand and type
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FocusWhy are female composers still markedly behind in terms of prominence?
Are quotas the solution, or do public attitudes still need to change, asks Peter Somerford
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FocusAsk the Experts: minimising excessive body movements
We asked four string pedagogues to give their thoughts on eliminating or cutting down on excessive body movements when playing
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FocusLife Lessons: Aldo Parisot
The venerable cello teacher, who celebrates his 100th birthday in September, recently announced his retirement from the Yale School of Music. He shares his insights and looks back at the beginnings of his distinguished career
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FocusNurturing limb-differences in students
The benefits of accommodating and encouraging limb-different string students far outweigh the challenges for teachers, says University of North Texas lecturer Elizabeth Chappell
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FocusMaxim Vengerov: ‘It is no longer good enough to be simply a good violinist’
As one of the world’s most celebrated violinists, Maxim Vengerov has always been a dedicated educator. But, as he tells Charlotte Smith, his own education is a lifelong undertaking
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FocusA step-by-step guide to keeping your bridge healthy
Tuning your instrument will naturally pull your bridge out of position, so you need to overcome your fear of touching it – as well as knowing when professional help is needed, writes Adam Pelzer
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FocusMaking sense of Bartók
The Arcadia Quartet’s violist Traian Boală discusses his experience of recording Bartók’s complete string quartets. Interview by Gavin Dixon
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FocusIn focus: a 1895 violin by Eugenio Degani
A very fine and representative example from the most accomplished period of the grandfather of the modern Venetian school. Article by Roland Baumgartner, photos by Gertrud M. Reuter
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FocusRe-rediscovering the lost secrets of classical varnish
When Koen Padding died in 2012, the violin making community was not just bereft at losing a loyal friend but also thrown into confusion about whether his varnish making knowledge, on which many relied, was gone with him. As a collection of his writings is republished, we take a look ...
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FocusFour iconic pop arrangements for strings on YouTube
To go with our August issue article on the most compelling arrangers of pop songs, we’ve brought together some of the best examples from recent years
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FocusThe competition teaching China how to love chamber music
Shanghai Conservatory of Music’s chamber music competition aims to popularise the form for students, teachers and listeners alike, as Nancy Pellegrini discovers
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Focus5 experts on what every string teacher should know when starting out
We asked five enormously experienced string pedagogues what advice they would give to an instrumental teacher at the beginning of their career
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FocusBrett Dean on his journey from Berlin Phil violist to full-time composer
The Australian violist and composer on taking career risks and the unique insights that came from playing the viola in an world-class orchestra
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FocusIn focus: Pablo Casals' 1733 Goffriller cello
The cello on which Pablo Casals made his landmark recordings was for a long time believed to be by Bergonzi, writes Philip Kass
