All Focus articles – Page 63
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FocusFüssen, Germany’s first lutherie capital, began as a hotbed of lute making
Nowadays best known for its neo-Gothic castles, this south German town has possibly the oldest lutherie tradition of any in the country. In this extract from the April 2018 issue of The Strad, Thomas Riedmiller traces its beginnings
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FocusFrom the archive: a c.1744 violin by Michele Angelo Bergonzi
In this article from the October 2010 issue, Christopher Reuning examines a violin by Carlo Bergonzi’s eldest son which has previously been misattributed as a Guarneri ‘del Gesù’ and Lorenzo Guadagnini
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FocusPeter Buckoke: The hardest thing I’ve had to learn
As the Schubert Ensemble performs its 35th and final season, its double bass player reflects on lessons learned the hard way
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FocusFrom the archive: a 1724 cello by Alessandro Gagliano
In this article from the May 2005 issue, John Dilworth examines a fine 1724 cello by Alessandro Gagliano, founding father of the Neapolitan violin making dynasty
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FocusStrings in film: Leading screen composers discuss their use of the broad string palette
Strings have played a fundamental role in the history of film music, but exactly what makes them so effective at ‘tapping into the invisible’?
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FocusFrom the archive: the 1734 ‘Spagnoletti’ Guarneri ‘del Gesù’ violin
In this article from the February 2005 issue of The Strad, John Dilworth looks at the history of the 1734 ‘Spagnoletti’ Guarneri ‘del Gesù’ violin, which, unusually, can be traced all the way back to its Cremonese origins
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FocusThe mislabelled template which proves Stradivari's role in inventing the modern violin case
For decades, debate has raged over whether instrument cases were ever made in Stradivari’s workshop. Now, a template has come to light that apparently proves that they were, writes Glenn Wood
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FocusLeonidas Kavakos on his ever-deepening relationship with the Sibelius Concerto
In this article from January 2016, a quarter century after the Greek violinist made his pioneering recording of the Sibelius Concerto alongside its original version, he talks to Andrew Mellor about his relationship with the work
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FocusObituary: Bela Katona, 1920-2018
Distinguished Hungarian violin pedagogue who moved to England in 1960 and maintained a long career at Trinity College of Music
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FocusCase history: an overview of the instrument cases made for Stradivari violins
In the March 2018 issue, Dimitri Musafia and Glenn Wood examine a template that apparently proves that instrument cases were made in Stradivari’s workshop. In this article from April 2008, Musafia looks at the cases used to house Stradivari violins, while Wood gives an overview of Italian cases
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FocusFrom the archive: an 1752 violin by Tomasso Balestrieri
This is an extract from an article in the July 1993 issue of The Strad, in which John Dilworth examined the Mantuan school – and the connections of its luthiers to Piacenza
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FocusViolist Lawrence Power on conventional wisdom and not being shy of picking up the violin
The British viola virtuoso is held up as a champion of his instrument by many young players. But, as he tells Toby Deller, he is more interested in being an adventurous performer and teacher who’s prepared to challenge norms
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FocusJean-Luc Ponty: 'Nothing was too intricate for me because I had that solid technical background'
The French violinist, who celebrated his 75th birthday last year, is a trailblazing figure in the world of jazz. Yet his grounding in classical technique was important in shaping his musical approach, he tells Toby Deller
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FocusLisa Batiashvili: My Most Memorable Musical Experience
The Georgian violinist recalls memories of a pop superstar and clicking with a superstar conductor and orchestra
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FocusYou can only diversify the audience by having a diverse group of people on stage
Half a century since the New York Phil hired its first black musician, the percentage of black and Latino players in US orchestras remains woefully low. But some organisations are taking action towards inclusivity
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FocusGallery: 10 violin Valentines of varying quality and tastefulness
The Strad dutifully presents some card ideas for that special string player in your life
