Playing debates – Page 4
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BlogsTamsin Waley-Cohen: 7 tips for making a successful recording
Making a recording comes with its own special set of pressures, and moving from the stage to the studio isn’t the easiest transition for a musician to make. Here violinist Tamsin Waley-Cohen sets out her advice earned through experience
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DebateMake lesser-known masterpieces part of your repertoire, but only if you have something to say
It is not enough to choose pieces just because nobody else plays them, writes Francesca Dego
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FocusHow to start approaching the dense scores of New Complexity composers
In the first of a two-part guide, Pwyll ap Siôn looks at the challenges presented in performing works by composers associated with the New Complexity movement – and offers tips on how to approach the extended techniques and rhythmic difficulties involved
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BlogsBecoming a better and happier musician through mindfulness and yoga
Violinists Elena Urioste and Melissa White’s musical lives have been transformed by yoga, finding both body and mind freer and more resilient against the rigours of life as a professional musician
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Premium ❘ DebateTake the hostility out of string playing
Today's performers should remember that you don't need to be aggressive to make a searing point, argues Richard S. Ginell
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DebatePerforming works composed before the recording era in an 'authentic' style misses the point artistically
We will never truly know what this music sounded like, argues cellist Jeffrey Solow
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DebateMust all orchestral string sections sound the same?
Orchestras once boasted unmistakable musical identities, but an emotionally sanitised age has brought about a lamentable universality of sound, says Julian Haylock
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DebateListening to recordings can be an unhelpful way to learn well-known repertoire
The pervasiveness of YouTube has prevented many students from developing an individual voice, argues the Royal College of Music’s Mark Messenger
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DebateWhy are string players today so afraid to use portamento?
Composers expected it and the music itself seems to demand it. Tully Potter argues for a return to swoops and scoops
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FocusShould string section bowings always be synchronised?
It is generally accepted that string sections should bow as a collective, but could this uniform approach sacrifice the composer's intended sound? Violist James Boyd argues in favour of greater freedom
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DebateToo many young double bassists prioritise solo technique over orchestral expertise
Chi-chi Nwanoku argues that students need to be more realistic about their career expectations
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DebateMore string players of today should listen to singers past and present
The great string players of the past embodied the ‘singing’ style that signifies their relationship with vocalists of the time. Why can’t today’s stars capture the same atmosphere, asks Tully Potter
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DebateTaking a break from music might just make you a better player in the long run
Pauline Harding considers why having a break from music might be the healthiest thing you can do
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DebateHow much does choice of concerto affect a competition result?
In the past year, big, tuneful, Romantic works have dominated violin competition finals, leaving little room for Classical and 20th Century works, writes Charlotte Smith
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DebateNo sex please - we're classical musicians
Does ‘sexing up’ classical music increase accessibility or is it merely crass exhibitionism? Two well-known string players debate one of the hot topics of the industry in The Strad's March 2006 issue
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DebateIs there a 'right' way to play Sibelius?
Sibelius should be performed in a bleak style representative of his native sound world, not with the luscious richness and colour of the Berlin Philharmonic, argues Andrew Mellor
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DebateThe media was too quick to condemn Kyung Wha Chung's reaction to a coughing audience
Our focus has been wrong all along, argues Toby Deller
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DebateA grounding in music theory can help performance
Far from constricting a player’s response to a new piece, a good grounding in music theory can help them find more possibilities for playing it, as Henning Kraggerud argues
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Premium ❘ DebatePersonality is no longer encouraged in musical performance
Not too long ago mass audiences and critics alike revered overtly personal performances, yet today superimposing one's personality over that of the composer is regarded as poor musicianship, writes Henry Roth