Lutherie – Page 46
-
Premium ❘ FeatureNot Quite Cinderella: The Viola in Late-Georgian Britain
Britain during the late Georgian era was fertile ground for the viola as a serious chamber and solo instrument – and witnessed a flourishing in standards of playing and making, writes Kevin MacDonald
-
Premium ❘ FeatureThe Lost Art of Cremonese Violin Archings
The old Cremonese luthiers’ method of designing violin archings has been lost in the mists of time. Andrew Dipper uses evidence from 18th-century manuals to propose how they might have done it, through a system encompassing string lengths, internal forms… and a lot of mathematics
-
VideoThe Strad Calendar 2021: G.B. Guadagnini cello 1783
Formerly owned by Rostropovich, the fully arched model provides great depth of tone
-
VideoThe oddities of a luthier’s workshop
As part of a ‘Students stuck at home’ series of videos, luthier Anna Huthmaker introduces us to some of the oddities in her workshop, including a 32nd size violin, the ‘clown’ violin and the ‘super-cool’ violin. For more in the series, click here. Read: 10 unusual violins Read: In Focus: ...
-
VideoThree cellists test out a newly-made cello
In this video, Ian McWilliams, an instrument maker working just outside Berlin, asks three cellists (Rolando Fernandez, Martina Biondi, Mon-Puo Lee) to play a cello that he finished making in early 2020 to get a sense of its potential. They play three different pieces of music with three different bows. ...
-
VideoThe Strad Calendar 2021: Tommaso Balestrieri violin 1759
The Balestrieri has a fine and well-preserved covering of rich red-brown varnish, which has worn softly in the manner of Cremonese recipes
-
FocusThe secrets of Giuseppe Ceruti’s making style
The Cremonese luthier Giuseppe Ceruti is often overlooked in favour of his more famous son, Enrico. Duane Rosengard examines two matching double basses by Giuseppe to discover the secrets of his making style
-
Premium ❘ ArticleSoundpost: Letters to the Editor September 2020
A selection of letters The Strad receives each month from its readers around the world: September 2020 issue
-
Premium ❘ NewsAnalysis September 2020: Weathering the storm
What is the future for violin making schools in the era of Covid-19? Tutors from around the world explain the form their courses are likely to take during the autumn term. By Harry White.
-
Premium ❘ FeatureGiuseppe Ceruti: In the name of the father
The Cremonese luthier Giuseppe Ceruti is often overlooked in favour of his more famous son, Enrico. Duane Rosengard examines two matching double basses by Giuseppe to discover the secrets of his making style
-
FocusHow Western music came to Mexico
The history of Western music in Mexico is inextricably tied up with religion. Pablo Alfaro and Jaime G. González reveal how European musical traditions permeated the culture of the indigenous people
-
Premium ❘ FeaturePride of Norway: The Strad calendar 2021
The Strad’s 2021 Calendar celebrates 15 years since the start of the Dextra Musica foundation, whose instrument collection has swiftly become one of the finest in the world. Unlike many other valuable collections, these instruments are in daily use. John Dilworth highlights some of the treasures
-
Premium ❘ FeatureIn Focus: An 1899 cello by Paul Blanchard
Written by Philip Brown and Kathrin Hügel
-
Premium ❘ FeatureTrade Secrets: Making and using a simple collar for self-centring
A useful tool for bow makers, enabling octagonal sections to be accurately centred in a three-jaw lathe chuck
-
-
Premium ❘ FeatureMaking Matters: Thinking outside the soundbox
What effect do elements such as the bass-bar and neck heel have on an instrument’s sound quality? Jan Špidlen made an experimental violin, with a number of adjustable features, to find out
-
GalleryMy Space: Violin workshops around the world
Some of the most photogenic workspaces to have graced The Strad’s pages in the past few years
-
ReviewBook review: The Sound of Life’s Unspeakable Beauty
Julian Haylock reviews Martin Schleske’s book relating the art of violin making to a profound belief in God
-
NewsGuarneri ‘filius Andreae’ cello goes on display in Cremona
The 1692 instrument is owned by the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory of Music in Milan
-
Focus'The major asset required in finding the perfect bow is due diligence' – Benjamin Bowman
Violinist and Metropolitan Opera concertmaster Benjamin Bowman has spent his entire playing career in search of ever more subtle and responsive bows. Here, he charts the beginning of his journey to finding his ‘forever bow’
