Lutherie – Page 56
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VideoClarissa Bevilacqua plays Bach on the 1669 'Clisbee' Stradivarius
Seventeen-year-old violinist Clarissa Bevilacqua performs the Andante from Bach’s Sonata no.2 on the 1669 ‘Clisbee’ Stradivari from the collection of the Museo del Violino, Cremona. Clarissa Bevilaqua’s biography: She started playing the violin at age five, and debuted at the Pritzker Pavilion in Chicago in front of ten thousand people ...
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VideoSheku Kanneh-Mason gets his Amati serviced by Florian Leonhard
Cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, who was recently seen by millions playing at the internationally televised royal wedding, in this video from Classic FM takes the Amati which is on loan to him to have its soundpost adjusted by Florian Leonhard. Read: 17-year-old cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason receives 400-year-old Amati on permanent loan ...
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FocusTitanium: the perfect material for instrument fittings?
Tough and light, titanium is thought to be the leading material for stringed instrument adjusters and fixtures, but does the metal have acoustic benefits too? Peter Somerford investigates
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FocusFrom the archive: the 1697 'Molitor' Stradivarius
This article by Philip Kass was first published in the December 2010 issue, soon after the instrument had been sold to Anne Akiko Meyers for a then-record $3.6m
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NewsTen Stradivarius instruments brought together for D.C. concert
Library of Congress collection joined by ‘Paganini’ quartet for special event. Philip J. Kass reports
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FocusLeila Josefowicz: on choosing to play a new violin
The violinist talks about giving up on old Italian instruments and opting for a bespoke violin by maker Sam Zygmuntowicz
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VideoWhy Stradivarius violins are worth millions
From Vox comes a video exploring some of the mystique behind Stradivari violins. Featuring violinists Philippe Quint and Michelle Kim, luthier Joseph Curtin. Produced and presented by Dean Peterson for Vox.com.
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FocusA beginner's guide to identifying a Stradivarius
Figuring out the maker of an unknown violin takes a trained eye and a detective’s skill, says luthier John Dilworth. Here he gives his personal perspective on the clues and processes of elimination that help experts pinpoint an instrument’s origins. From the July 2010 issue
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VideoThe 5+1 common types of violin maker
Oslo based violin maker Jacob von der Lippe has a go at impersonating some of the violin maker types he’s come across.
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GalleryFrom the archive: a c.1720 violin by Carlo Bergonzi
John Dilworth examines an early violin by the Cremonese maker, which used to belong to Paganini. First published in the April 2006 issue
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FocusBuilding bridges: a photo essay
Have you ever wondered who makes the world’s stringed instrument bridges, and how? In this gallery, we follow the process from tree trunk to blank bridge
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Premium ❘ FocusDid the Cremonese have access to wood with unique special qualities?
Were the old Cremonese luthiers really using better woods than those available to other makers in Europe? In this article from 2013, Terry Borman and Berend Stoel presented a study of density that suggested otherwise
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FocusFrom the archive: a 1709 violin by Carlo Tononi
In the January 2009 issue, Simon Morris took a closer look at a violin from Tononi’s Bologna period, before the death of his father Giovanni
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FocusAsk the Experts: how effective are instrument case humidity gauges?
Four violin makers respond to a New Zealand musician’s query regarding the effectiveness (or otherwise) of humidity gauges built into instrument cases
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FocusFrom the archive: a c.1845 violin by Pressenda
Recent research shows that Giovanni Francesco Pressenda worked as a farmer before turning his hand to instrument making. In this article from the April 2005 issue, Alberto Giordano examines a late c.1845 violin
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FocusWhy is the thickness of the front and back of Stradivari's instruments so unpredictable?
Although there is no record of how the Cremonese makers finished their instruments, Dirk Jacob Hamoen argues that the final scraping was done after they had been strung up and played in the white
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FocusFrom the archive: a 1759 viola by Antonio Bagatella
In this article from the February 2015 issue of The Strad, Jens Stenz takes a close look at a short but broad 18th-century viola made in Padua
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VideoBusoni's Kultaselle played on Stradivarius ‘Chigiano’ cello
In this video, cellist Erica Piccotti plays Busoni’s Kultaselle - variations on a Finnish theme on the Stradivari ‘Chigiano’ cello, with pianist Monica Cattarossi. The cello belongs to the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena and has been exhibited at the Museo del Violino, Cremona, as well as featuring in The ...
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FocusJan Vogler's 1707 ‘Fau, Castelbarco’ Stradivarius
In this extract from an article published in the August 2017 issue, Jan Vogler discusses how he first encountered the cello that is now his constant companion
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VideoA real Stradivarius vs its faithful copy – Can you hear the difference?
Esther Abrami plays a violin by Stradivari and its faithful copy by Florian Leonhard side by side. The video was filmed by Wright Music Media at Florian Leonhard Fine Violins in London. The pianist is Alison Rhind.


























