Playing – Page 4
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Session Report: composer Ailbhe McDonagh and violinist Lynda O’Connor on The Irish Four Seasons
Composer Ailbhe McDonagh and violinist Lynda O’Connor talk to Harry White about The Irish Four Seasons, a new work inspired by Vivaldi’s masterpiece, and their approach to recording it alongside its namesake
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Bass instinct: a new generation of double bass players
The Strad speaks to five double bassists who are helping to shape a multifaceted and forward-looking new generation of players
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‘It’s incredibly important in one’s career to do it your own way’ - violinist Tasmin Little’s life lessons
The British violinist considers how to differentiate yourself as a musician and person
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‘This violoncello is perhaps the most perfect specimen’- From the archive: August 1924
William Whitehouse, a professor at London’s Royal College of Music, recalls some stories about his friend and fellow cellist Carlo Alfredo Piatti (1822–1901)
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Postcard from Norway: Bergen International Festival
At the Bergen International Festival in Norway, Tim Homfray enjoyed some first-rate chamber performances as well as Hardanger fiddle music – and an unlikely heatwave
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Violinist Rachel Podger: Music from every angle
The celebrated British violinist and Baroque and Classical specialist Rachel Podger chats with Tom Stewart about her new guest director role, her approach to teaching Baroque playing and striving to create an exciting musical experience for her audiences
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Sentimental Work: Adrian Chandler on Vivaldi’s Four Seasons
Vivaldi’s op.8 set of violin concertos – including the Four Seasons – was an early inspiration for the British Baroque violinist and founder of the orchestra La Serenissima
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Violinist Samuel Grimson: a life of triumph and tragedy
British violin virtuoso Samuel Grimson had his playing career cut short by a wartime accident in 1918, but he went on to co-author a groundbreaking book that paved the way for modern violin teaching. Clifford Hall explores his life
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Serge Koussevitzky: 150 years of the double bass virtuoso and conductor
July 2024 marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of Serge Koussevitzky – the Russian-born double bass virtuoso turned music director, educator and mentor. Fellow double bassist and conductor Leon Bosch examines his hugely influential life
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Violinist Daniel Rowland reflects on his career
Dutch–British violinist Daniel Rowland has had multiple strands to his career – among them soloist, concertmaster, festival director and quartet leader. He speaks with David Kettle about trusting himself to make meaningful connections and go with the flow
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Masterclass: Ida Haendel on Bach’s Chaconne in D minor
To mark the 120th anniversary of The Strad, the great virtuoso Ida Haendel draws on a lifetime of playing to explore what is for many the pinnacle of the solo violin repertoire. From the May 2010 issue.
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Remembering Ida Haendel: Grande dame of the violin
Following Ida Haendel’s death at the age of 96 in July 2020, Tully Potter surveys the career of an exceptional performer and a remarkable woman. From September 2020
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Session Report: the Takács Quartet on re-recording Schubert
For the Takács Quartet, re-recording two of Schubert’s string quartets, albeit with a new line-up, has been an eye-opening experience, as first violinist Edward Dusinberre and violist Richard O’Neill tell Charlotte Gardner
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‘An old country man playing on a fiddle’ - From the archive: July 1894
In ‘Fiddlers on Canvas’, The Strad surveys paintings at the London art exhibitions of interest to string players. The young lady ‘lost in reverie’ grows up to be Agatha Christie
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‘We musicians are so spoilt’ - Letters to the editor: July 2024
A selection of letters The Strad receives each month from its readers around the world: July 2024 issue
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Opinion: Independence of the left-hand thumb
To free up left-hand technique, violinist and teacher Martin Goldman encourages players to think more carefully about their thumb as an independent entity, yet still in close partnership with the four fingers
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The Henschel Quartet: ‘Music will never let you down’
The Henschel Quartet celebrates its 30th anniversary this season. Co-founder and violist Monika Henschel-Schwind speaks to Andrew Stewart about the group’s longevity, and looks forward to the premiere of Freda Swain’s neglected ‘Norfolk’ String Quartet at Aldeburgh this summer
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Sentimental Work: Andrés Cárdenes on Chausson’s Poème
The Cuban-born violinist feels a rapport with the opulence of Chausson’s Poème – particularly with the revisions by its dedicatee, Eugène Ysaÿe
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Three’s company: the rise of piano trios
Are piano trios having a sudden renaissance? Charlotte Gardner hears from industry professionals and from musicians who relish the repertoire offered by this flexible but underrated chamber grouping
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‘We must be aware of our choices’ - violinist Jennifer Koh’s life lessons
The US violinist on the importance of our decisions and promoting inclusivity