All Premium ❘ Feature articles
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Premium ❘ FeaturePavel Haas Quartet at 20: Coming home
The energetic and eloquent musicians of the Pavel Haas Quartet are celebrating 20 years of music making with a new recording of Brahms quintets joined by some old friends, as they tell Tom Stewart
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‘I’ve always been led by music’: cellist and gambist Christophe Coin
For Christophe Coin, the French cellist, gambist and musical time-traveller, historically informed performance practice involves a combination of forensic-level investigation and leap-of-faith creativity. In conversation with Helen Wallace, he describes the instruments and scholarship behind his work as an interpreter
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Baroque Set-up: In a Land without Rules
With the growth in popularity of historically informed performance, more players are requesting Baroque-style instruments – but the process of converting an instrument is fraught with uncertainty. Sarah Peck presents an overview of the Baroque set-up process, and corrects some common misconceptions along the way
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The Fulton collection: Magnificent obsession
For decades, top soloists would visit the home of David Fulton to sample the treasures of his legendary collection. Now dispersed, the instruments have been brought together again in book form. The collector shares some of the highlights with Christian Lloyd
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Adult beginner cello: Never too late to learn
When Billy Tobenkin decided to learn the cello from scratch at 25, he ignited a lifelong passion. He shares what turned out to be a bumpy but ultimately deeply fulfilling journey
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Masterclass: Debussy Violin Sonata in G minor
Fedor Rudin explores the emotionally volatile first movement of a sonata written by an anxious composer tormented by illness, old age and war
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Session Report: Looking to the future
Tim Homfray speaks to members of the Navarra Quartet, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year and recently welcomed two new players, about recording chamber works by Edward Gregson
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Serbian string playing: Free spirits
The Serbian school of string playing, characterised by its startling originality, developed out of the Balkan nation’s chequered history and unique place in Europe in the 20th century, finds Jacqueline Vanasse
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Fluorescence: Reflected glories
Viewing instruments in different kinds of light has become standard in documentation and assessment. Leonhard Rank explains how, in addition to ultraviolet light, researchers can now use infrared, and even parts of the visible spectrum, to reveal even more secrets
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In Focus: A 1904 violin by Erminio Montefiori
Alberto Giordano looks at the self-taught Italian luthier’s 20th-century instrument
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Technique: Phrasing musically under pressure
Principal double bassist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra; associate professor of double bass, orchestral studies and chamber music at Boston University College of Fine Arts, MA, US
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‘And the thieves got clean away’: From the archive: June 1892
An anonymous article entitled ‘Fiddle Dealers, Beware!’ reveals how two of London’s best-known violin dealers were swindled by a pair of European con artists
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Trade Secrets: A ‘plug and plate’ repair for a double bass neck
A detailed alternative method for a difficult neck and pegbox repair
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Making Matters: Change and decay?
Matthieu Besseling argues we are currently seeing a ‘second transition period’ in instrument and bow making, analogous to the changes at the end of the 18th century – but are they all to the good?
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Masterclass: Simon Standage on Bach’s Violin Sonata in E major
Early music expert Simon Standage discusses historically informed performance, interpretation and balancing violin and harpsichord in the first two movements of BWV1016
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Making Matters: Historically Informed?
Are the gut strings used in HIP really true to those used by 18th- and 19th-century players? Kai Köpp examines the technical reasons why today’s strings might sound quite different from their predecessors
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Historically informed performance: Baroque revolution
Historically informed performance requires no secret code, argues Baroque violin professor Walter S. Reiter. The information is out there for the taking, and modern music colleges need to get ahead of the game
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Session Report: A royal consort
Richard Boothby of Fretwork speaks to Robin Stowell about the ensemble’s recording of fantasias for viol consort by Thomas Lupo, the Italian who made a name for himself at Queen Elizabeth I’s court
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Pietro Castrucci: Resurrecting a Baroque maverick
When Gerald Elias unearthed music by the little-known London-based 18th‑century composer and virtuoso violinist Pietro Castrucci, he discovered a unique and independent musical voice
