- News
- Premium
- Playing & Teaching
- Artists
- Lutherie
- Accessories
- Issue archive
-
- Current issue
-
- April
- Crossover superstar David Garrett discusses his career so far, and we examine the legacy of bow maker Ludwig Bausch.
-
- Issue archive
- Whether you're a player, maker, teacher or enthusiast, you'll find ideas and inspiration from leading artists, teachers and luthiers in our archive which features every issue published since January 2010 - available exclusively to subscribers. View the archive.
-
- Shop
- Directories
- Subscribe
- Debate
Historical
News
French luthier Philippe Dupuy dies aged 88
The grandson of Eugène Sartory, Dupuy was an accomplished violin maker and author in his own right
Blogs
Desmond Cecil: my search for the perfect violin
Excerpt from Desmond Cecil’s newly published memoir: ‘The Wandering Civil Servant of Stradivarius’
Current issue
April
Crossover superstar David Garrett discusses his career so far, and we examine the legacy of bow maker Ludwig Bausch. Leading string players talk about their chamber collaborations with pianists, and we learn the ins and out of gut string making. Plus, a Haydn Masterclass with the Chiaroscuro Quartet.
ArticleA 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.
- Premium ❘ Feature
Ludwig Bausch: Gone… but not forgotten
Respected during his lifetime, Ludwig Bausch was almost unknown just a few years after his death – and his bows were considered unremarkable junk. Josef P. Gabriel reveals why the maker and his family were almost lost to history, and why his work deserves to be listed among the greats
- Premium ❘ Feature
Song of the gut string makers
In 1877, Markneukirchen in Germany was at the heart of the world’s string making industry. The townsfolk were so proud, they even composed a drinking song all about it. Kai Köpp explains what the lyrics (translated into English for the first time) reveal about this convoluted process
- Focus
Steven Staryk on violins and bows as investments
The former concertmaster of the Royal Concertgebouw and Chicago Symphony Orchestra, among other ensembles, shares his thoughts on the value of violins and bows as investments
- Premium ❘ Feature
Lutherie Dynasties: a family affair
In this globalised era, there are still many families that keep up their strong lutherie traditions, with parents passing on their secrets and skills to the next generation. Peter Somerford asks how such formative influences can affect their craft, for better or for worse
- Focus
Steven Staryk on being a virtuoso violin collector
The former concertmaster of the Royal Concertgebouw and Chicago Symphony Orchestra, among other ensembles, shares examples of virtuoso violinists who were also virtuoso violin collectors
- Premium ❘ Feature
Francesca Dego: chance of a lifetime
For Italian violinist Francesca Dego, the opportunity to perform and record on Paganini’s ‘Il Cannone’ Guarneri ‘del Gesù’ of 1743 was a dream come true. She shares with Tom Stewart her experiences with the rarely accessed instrument – which came complete with security guards and its own dressing room
- Premium ❘ Feature
Dawn of Parisian splendour: Charles François Gand
A talented luthier and a shrewd businessman, Charles François Gand had a seismic effect on the Paris violin world despite his relatively small output. Florent Boyer presents an in-depth examination of several Gand instruments to show the development of his style
- Premium ❘ Feature
Behind the Curve: the evolution of the bow
The evolution of the bow is inextricably tied up with the needs of the player, and the changing face of society. Paolo Sarri examines the development of the ‘ancient’ and ‘modern’ curves of the bow stick, dispelling a number of myths along the way
- Premium ❘ Feature
In Focus: A 1675 violin by Antonio Casini
Jonathan Marolle describes an instrument by Modena’s first violin maker, born around 1630
- News
Omobono Stradivari violin loaned for Biden’s inauguration ceremony
The violin, valued at just under $4 million, was played by the Irish violinist Patricia Treacy
- News
Guarneri ‘filius Andreae’ violin at centre of Holocaust storm
The German foundation holding the instrument has failed to pay €100,000 compensation to the heirs of its former owner
- Focus
I gave up a Montagnana for my c.1696 Cappa cello, says Jean-Guihen Queyras
The French cellist and January 2021 cover star tells Pauline Harding about his cellos and bows
- Premium ❘ Feature
CT-Scanning the ‘Messiah’
In 2016 the ‘Messiah’ Stradivari was the subject of an extensive CT scanning project. Francesco Piasentini and Gregg Alf examine the resulting data, discovering repair work in the neck, and attempt to determine how it had originally been set
- Premium ❘ Article
Auction Report: January 2021
Despite the problems of Covid-19, the October sales went ahead as planned in London. Kevin MacDonald reviews some of the highlights
- Focus
Made when Stradivari was 90 years old, the ‘Willemotte’ is a fitting subject for our times
The 1734 ‘Willemotte’ bears all of Antonio Stradivari’s hallmarks including a deep, complex tone quality. Sam Zygmuntowicz examines the violin
- Video
Sara Zeneli plays ‘il Cremonese’ Stradivari at the Museo del Violino
In this video the violinist Sara Zeneli plays Monti’s Csárdás on the 1715 A.Stradivari ‘il Cremonese’ in the Chamber Hall of the Museo del Violino in Cremona.
- Video
The Strad Calendar 2021: Antonio Stradivari 1707 ‘Rivaz, Baron Gutmann’ violin
The ‘Rivaz, Baron Gutmann’ is a powerful instrument, made from a beautiful single piece of deeply figured maple
-
A subscription to The Strad brings you:
- Monthly issue in print and as a digital edition
- Three special supplements and The Strad Directory
- Archive of digital issues from January 2010
- Unlimited access to all premium online content
- Two detailed instrument posters a year
- Interviews with star string players
- Masterclasses with commentary
- Sheet music annotated by international concert artist
-
