All Focus articles – Page 8
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FocusAll kitted out: violin accessory set
Manufactured in India to Italian designs, these accessory sets comprise four heart-shaped pegs, a decorative end-button, a Guarneri-style chinrest with Hill-style clamps and a Hill-style tailpiece. They are available in ebony and rosewood with a black trim to the tailpiece and black pin collars and pegs, and in boxwood trimmed ...
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Firmly fastened: the Schilbach Kevlar tailgut
Using military-grade materials to improve set-up stability Kevlar is familiar to most people as a material used inside bulletproof vests. According to German manufacturer Schilbach, however, this strength also makes Kevlar a useful component in the tailgut that fastens an instrument’s tailpiece to the button at ...
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Pinky promise: the Pinky Hold bowing aid
By helping to anchor a student’s little finger in place on the heel of their bow, the Pinky Hold is designed to avoid stiffness and encourage the development of muscle memory. Made of soft, hypoallergenic silicone and available in a range of colours, it weighs 3g ...
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A cut above: Lee Valley stainless steel pocket plane
To celebrate its 40th anniversary, Canadian woodworking firm Lee Valley has produced a limited-edition version of its pocket plane in corrosion-resistant stainless steel and with a nickel-plated lever cap. The plane measures approximately 115mm by 30mm and weighs 285g; its blade measures 22mm across and is ...
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Core values: Warchal Timbre violin strings
A new answer to an old problem – and novel packaging too Developing a string with the warmth of gut, the stability of synthetics and the projection of steel has long preoccupied engineers faced with the complex demands of 21st-century musicians. As Warchal founder Bohdan Warchal ...
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Firmly grounded: the Cellobrett endpin anchor
The Cellobrett has been designed to offer the security of a cord-fixed endpin stopper with the flexibility of one adhered to the ground. According to the manufacturer, the polyoxymethylene plastic body neither squeaks nor ‘rings’, will not slip against any floor surface and is suitable for straight ...
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Stay Tuned: the Jameasy bluetooth practice device
Clipped to the scroll of the violin, the Jameasy device monitors intonation and rhythm and displays its findings via a smartphone or tablet connected with Bluetooth. Hundreds of pieces at numerous levels are available from the Jameasy music library, with detailed visual feedback given for accuracy of ...
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Hot off the press: A violin to download and print out
In 2014 David Perry created the F-F-Fiddle, an electric violin for which anyone (in theory) could download the ‘parts’ and ‘print’ them out on their 3D printer. Building on subsequent technological advances, Perry has now designed the Modular Fiddle, a 3D-printed acoustic violin with parts – or ...
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In focus: 1764 violin by Giovanni Battista Gabrielli
In this article from the February 2009 issue, Gabriele Rossi Rognoni examines an instrument by probably the most prominent Florentine maker, about whom very little information survives. Photographs by Marco Rabatti, Serge Domingie
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Leila Schayegh's top 5 tips on historically informed vibrato
The Baroque violinist shares her wisdom on how to use vibrato authentically
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Life Lessons: Alban Gerhardt
The German cellist on an 18th birthday gift and the accessible appeal of the cello repertoire
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Masterclass: Schubert Quartet no.14, ‘Death And The Maiden’
Second violinist of the Chiaroscuro Quartet, Pablo Hernán Benedí , looks at the first movement of a work filled with secrets, threats, drama and tension
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In focus: The ‘Wieniawski’ Stradivarius of 1719
In this article from the May 2009 issue, Florian Leonhard takes a close look at a violin which ’encapsulates everything that made Antonio Stradivari such a legendary figure’. Photographs by Richard Valencia
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Kim Kashkashian's top 5 tips on combating stage fright
The Armenian-American violist used to get ‘terribly nervous’ when performing as a teenager. Here she shares her tips on preparing psychologically for a concert
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Mischa Maisky on working with Leonard Bernstein
The cellist, who celebrated his 70th birthday this year, reminisces about performing Dvořák’s Cello Concerto with Leonard Bernstein. Interview by Peter Quantrill
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Vilde Frang on the mentors who steered her from talented teen to fully-fledged artist
In this extract from her December issue cover story, the Norwegian violinist discusses learning that raw talent and the pleasure of music making need a solid technical backing. Interview by Charlotte Gardner
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Masterclass: Carolin Widmann on Schumann Violin Sonata no.2
Interpretational insights into the first movement of a work written by a musical genius with an increasingly unsettled mind
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5 views on building a portfolio career
Solo performer, orchestra member, teacher, conductor – most string players juggle roles. Sarah Mnatzaganian talks to some portfolio musicians to see how they do it
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Cecilia Zilliacus brings a distinctly Nordic flavour to the Brahms Violin Concerto
In our latest Session Report we join the Swedish violinist in the studio as she records Brahms. Interview by Andrew Mellor
