All Focus articles – Page 15
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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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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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FocusDo violin making competitions stifle originality in favour of perfection?
Peter Somerford asks what luthiers should do to maximise their success when entering a competition, and whether winning really is everything
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FocusWhat's the difference between a £1,000 and a £20,000 violin?
How do violin dealers and auction houses settle on the prices of instruments in the ‘middle range’ – and what should a potential buyer bear in mind when browsing?
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FocusAsk the Experts: how to eliminate tension in the bow arm and hand
Three teachers give their thoughts on eliminating right hand, arm and shoulder tension in a young student
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FocusMoonkyung Lee: add a 21st-century miniature to your recital
The violinist delves into one of the contemporary pieces from her latest album and explains why expanding the instrument’s repertoire is not just worthwhile but alo fun and exciting
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FocusSentimental work: Jennifer Koh on Kaija Saariaho’s 'Graal théâtre'
Saariaho’s violin concerto contains multiple layers of meaning for the US violinist – as well as a personal connection with the composer
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FocusBaroque violin: How to get the most out of a bow stroke
Bow control and son filé with Simon Standage, professor of Baroque violin at the Royal Academy of Music and leader of the Salomon Quartet
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FocusNew materials: Comparing violin tops made from various composites
Tim Duerinck reports on a research project investigating the possibilities of flax, carbon, aramid and more in violin making, while describing the surprisingly simple methods luthiers could use to create their own
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Focus7 tips from the class of Jascha Heifetz
Sherry Kloss was Heifetz’s student and later teaching assistant – he even left her a Tononi violin and a Tourte bow in his will. Here she recalls some of the master’s methods
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FocusJoshua Bell: Don't impose bowings and fingerings on your students
There is no ‘one size fits all’, argues the American violinist. It is important to discuss why students chose their fingerings and why there may be better alternatives
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FocusPickup or microphone? Choosing what's right for your bowed string instrument
With such a variety of electronic pickups, microphones and now hybrid systems on the market, finding the perfect amplification solution isn’t always easy. Kimon Daltas considers the options
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FocusIn focus: cello by Giovanni Grancino, 1693
In this article from the January 2006 issue of The Strad, Ed Keohane studies a cello which had just been sold at Sotheby’s for nearly £210,000. Photographs by Richard Valencia
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FocusThe Strad poster: the 1741 ‘Vieuxtemps’ Guarneri
Additional measurements including weights and densities of the top and back plates
