All Focus articles – Page 6
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FocusThomas Demenga on studying with Grimmer, Janigro, Rose and Rostropovich
The Swiss cellist compares himself to a quattro stagioni pizza of the combined influence of his teachers. From September 2008
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Players of tomorrow: Johan Dalene
The 18-year-old BBC New Generation Artist and winner of the 2019 Carl Nielsen International Violin Competition talks about his musical background, his idols and more
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Conductor Daniel Harding to take sabbatical to fly planes
The British conductor is to take a break from conducting and become a commercial pilot for Air France
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Lisa Jacobs’s top 5 practice tips
To tie in with the release of her Nielsen CD, the Dutch violinist shares her insight into getting the most out of your practice
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Can bowing-wrist suppleness improve intonation?
John Krakenberger has made a number of interesting connections between good tuning and loosening the bowing wrist in his teaching
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Stringtelligence by Thomastik-Infeld: vibrating string length and string tension
These factors can seem a bit too technical or just matter of preference, but it is definitely worth understanding what to look and listen out for
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10 tips for performing from memory
Guidance from The Strad’s archive from how to incorporate memorisation into your practice, what the benefits might be – and when not to bother
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10 views on dynamics for bowed strings
Advice on how to produce effective dynamic contrasts from 120 years of The Strad
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Michael Barenboim’s top 5 practice tips
The concertmaster of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra shares his insights into the art of practising the violin
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Alan Beavitt: how I became a violin-maker on a remote Scottish peninsula
The luthier shares his experience of living and working in Scorraig, a remote peninsula in the north-west Scottish highlands, recently featured in the news
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From the Archive: Why do so many musicians have long hair?
Whether as a mark of distinction or genius, the trend is embodied by Eugène Ysaÿe, according to The Strad's June 1897 issue
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Overcoming our addiction to tropical hardwoods: the latest alternatives
As ebony and rosewood become endangered, the likes of spruce, maple and boxwood are being scientifically modified to offer luthiers alternatives. Tom Stewart explores the brave new world of sustainable fittings
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Woman of the World: Ševčík’s female pupils
At the beginning of the 20th century, a small number of female violinists became internationally renowned. Linking the members of this intrepid group was the famous Czech string teacher Otakar Ševčík, as Rosalind Ventris discovers
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In focus: the 1728 'Milanollo' Stradivari
Roger Hargrave examines the Stradivari ‘Milanollo’ violin of 1728, one of the few of the master’s instruments to keep its original sharpness
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Schubert's Arpeggione Sonata played on arpeggione
Nicolas Deletaille, arpeggione, and Alain Roudier, fortepiano, play Schubert’s Arpeggione Sonata. The arpeggione was invented in 1823 by instrument maker Johann Georg Stauffer in Vienna. It is fretted, has six strings and is tuned like a guitar, but played with a bow like a cello or gamba. Although ...
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Words of Wisdom: Alice Schoenfeld
An interview with the late violinist and pedagogue Alice Schoenfeld
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Stringtelligence by Thomastik-Infeld: whistling E-strings
In the third part of his blog series for The Strad celebrating Thomastik-Infeld’s 100 th anniversary, Franz Klanner, the Austrian string manufacturer’s director of engineering and technology, concentrates on whistling and other common issues of violin E-strings
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Tabea Zimmermann's top 6 practice tips
To tie in with our review of her Berlioz CD, Tabea Zimmermann shares her wisdom on getting the most out of your practice
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Masterclass: Philippe Graffin on Ravel’s Violin Sonata no.2
The French violinist explores how to create an orchestra of abstract colours and characters in the first movement of Ravel’s last chamber work
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7 warming up and cooling down exercises for musicians
Suggested warm-ups prior to playing and cool-down stretches following performance and/or practice
