All Focus articles – Page 9
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FocusAmandine Beyer's top 5 tips for aspiring Baroque violinists
The French violinist shares her wisdom on giving a convincing historically-informed performance
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Eldbjørg Hemsing's top 3 tips on maintaining the spark in your playing
The Norwegian violinist, whose disc we review in our December issue, shares her insight on warding off boredom in performances
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3 views on developing a positive approach to learning an instrument
Three musicians share their ideas, developed from years of teaching experience
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Master stroke: Schilbach varnishing brush
The tapered and split synthetic fibres of this brush are designed to absorb a large volume of oil or spirit varnish, to enable its controlled and uniform application. It has an untreated hornbeam wood handle and solvent-resistant plastic ferrule, eliminating the risk of staining to the ...
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Travelling light: Musafia Lievissima Evolution case
A high-specification case that makes easy work of instrument transport
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8 questions for Thomas Riebl: on being a violist, his five-string instrument and more
Following his workshop at the Shanghai Conservatory’s Viva La Viola Festival, the Austrian soloist and chamber musician talks to our correspondent Nancy Pellegrini
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Arc Rest: support without elevation
A cellular foam pad attached to a piece of lightweight balsa wood, the Arc shoulder rest for violin and viola is held in place using a durable silicone band that minimises its contact with the instrument. The rest weighs just 11 grams and is designed to ...
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All 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
