Playing – Page 17
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‘Its brilliance overwhelmed me with emotion’ - Philippe Quint on Franck’s Violin Sonata
The Russian-born American violinist shares how César Franck’s masterpiece opened his eyes to the vast possibilities of Romantic repertoire
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‘Music is part of our existence, even under shell-fire’: String players of the Great War
In our August 2014 issue, Tully Potter tells the extraordinary tales of some of the myriad string players caught up in the action of the 1914-18 war
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Analysis December 2022: A safe space for musicians?
As the UK government holds an inquiry into misogyny in music, the Musicians’ Union calls for further action to safeguard female players.
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‘Only give it as much as you need’ - Thomas Demenga’s life lessons
The Swiss cellist on the importance of memorisation and the influence of different systems
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‘I was falling in love with chamber music all over again’ - Postcard from Napa Valley
Laurence Vittes finds that the combination of chamber music and the vineyards of California’s Napa Valley makes a festival that’s hard to resist
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‘I want to write music where the sensibilities of the player are encouraged’ - Caroline Shaw
The youngest ever winner of the Pulitzer Prize, Caroline Shaw talks to Toby Deller about her eclectic influences and finding inspiration in the most unlikely places
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Black community orchestras in the US: Hidden histories
During America’s 20th-century social inequalities, African American musicians set up their own community orchestras, Eliesha Nelson traces their history and legacy
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‘It seemed like the Mount Everest of the repertoire’ - Nicolas Altstaedt on Dvořák's ‘Dumky’ trio
Dvořák’s ‘Dumky’ Piano Trio always seemed like the Mount Everest of the repertoire, until the Covid lockdowns gave the German cellist a chance to find the real meaning behind it
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Session Report: the Chiaroscuro Quartet on Mozart’s ‘Prussian’ Quartets
The members of the Chiaroscuro Quartet on combining detailed preparation while retaining a sense of spontaneity when recording Mozart’s ‘Prussian’ Quartets
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Analysis November 2022: ‘The gigging system is not set up for fuel to be this expensive’
With the cost of petrol, heating and food skyrocketing in recent months, the outlook for freelance musicians this winter is less than healthy
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‘Go where there is no path and leave a trail’ - Emerson Quartet: We journey together
As the Emerson Quartet embarks on its final tour, the members talk to Bruce Hodges about their instruments, their future and their past as one of the great string quartets
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‘Paganini’s body was buried and re-buried no less than nine times’ - From the archive: November 1932
Violinist and Paganini expert Julius Siber gives some biographical notes on the ‘demon violinist’ to mark the 150th anniversary of his birth
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Finding your own sound: Standing out from the crowd
In a world that seems to value homogeneous perfection, how do you develop an individual voice on your instrument?
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‘I shall be obliged to drop the fiddle’ - From the archive: October 1892
Under the heading ‘Hot Hands’, readers attempt to help a novice player with that affliction in The Strad’s ‘Correspondence’ section
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Opinion: Does an orchestra’s home hall define its sound?
Edwin Barker, principal double bass of the Boston Symphony, argues that an orchestra’s ‘home’ concert hall shapes the unique character of the ensemble
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Session Report: Recording Florence Price’s Second Violin Concerto
Violinist Rachel Barton Pine and conductor Jonathon Heyward speak to Harry White about recording Florence Price’s lost-and-found late work, the Second Violin Concerto
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‘I was reminded of why short festivals appeal so much’ - Postcard from the Rosendal Chamber Music Festival
Harriet Smith takes a boat into Norway’s west-coast waterways to experience a Beethoven-inspired festival
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Scottish fiddle dance music: Invitation to the dance
The influence of fiddle dance music that emerged in 18th century Scotland still echoes through the reels and strathspeys of today.
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‘As a violist, you’re in the thick of it’ - Hank Dutt’s life lessons
The American Kronos Quartet violist on his enduring love for chamber music
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‘It has to be connected to your soul’ - Nobuko Imai on Mozart Symphony no.40
The Japanese violist recalls how playing Mozart’s Symphony no.40 under Pablo Casals proved a life-changing experience