October 2019 issue

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Cover features

Elgar Cello Concerto: The classic interpretation

Jacqueline du Pré’s 1965 recording of Elgar’s Cello Concerto set the benchmark for every cellist who followed her. Tully Potter explores the enduring popularity of her powerful and iconic performance

A Human Heart

To mark the centenary of the completion and premiere of Elgar’s Cello Concerto, cellist Raphael Wallfisch reflects upon the period and circumstances surrounding the work’s creation and subsequent life

The Fab Four

At this year’s Suntory Hall Chamber Music Garden festival in Tokyo the Kuss Quartet performed a complete Beethoven cycle on the ‘Paganini’ quartet of Stradivaris, on loan from the Nippon Music Foundation. Gavin Dixon spoke to the players about this very special project – and learnt a little more about ...

A Master Copyist

Gaetano Sgarabotto was renowned for making replicas of old Italian instruments – and left numerous records of his research on their makers’ styles. Focusing on his replica scrolls, Andrea Zanrè examines the secrets of Sgarabotto’s success

Taste the Difference

Burgundy’s Musique & Vin festival has quickly grown from its humble origins to encompass a rich diversity of elements, not least first-rate performances from international artists and an instrument loan scheme for young musicians. Charlotte Gardner spoke to those involved in this unique project

All Set up and Ready to Go

In the first of two articles looking at instrument set-up, Joseph Curtin examines the acoustic roles played by the tailpiece and fingerboard in affecting vibration, frequency and resonance

Cover story

A Human Heart

Playing

Double firsts: Postcards from Moscow and St Petersburg

At this year’s quadrennial International Tchaikovsky Competition, the judges awarded the $30,000 first prize in both the violin and cello categories. Tim Homfray attended the violin section in Moscow, while Andrew Mellor visited St Petersburg to hear the cellists – and both were impressed by what they saw