All Premium ❘ Feature articles
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Premium ❘ FeatureIvry Gitlis: an individual voice
When Ivry Gitlis died on Christmas Eve last year at the age of 98 there was an outpouring of love and affection from the musical community. Tully Potter pays tribute to the great violinist’s life and career
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Astor Piazzolla: a tango phenomenon
In celebration of the 100th anniversary of renowned tango composer Astor Piazzolla’s birth this month, Argentine violinists Rafael Gintoli and Gabriela Olcese pay tribute to him and offer basic guidance to violinists on how to interpret tango music
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From the Archive: March 1941
After literary siblings Edith, Osbert, and Sacheverell Sitwell win £350 each in a libel case, The Strad muses on what the verdict might mean for arts critics in the future
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Making Matters: Secrets of the sticks
New software, soon to be released as a free download, promises to help bow makers measure historical examples and adapt their own methods accordingly. Nelly Poidevin explains how it works
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Technique: Cello warm-ups - the bow arm
How to prepare the whole body for efficient, time-saving repertoire practice
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Masterclass: Simon Standage on Bach’s Violin Sonata in E major part 2
British violinist Simon Standage looks at the Adagio ma non tanto and ‘firework’ finale, in the second of two articles exploring this 18th-century work for violin and harpsichord
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Lutherie Dynasties: a family affair
In this globalised era, there are still many families that keep up their strong lutherie traditions, with parents passing on their secrets and skills to the next generation. Peter Somerford asks how such formative influences can affect their craft, for better or for worse
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Orchestral Tricks: in plain sight
Gerald Elias has spent many years as a professional orchestral violinist – in the Boston SO and Utah Symphony – and has been music director of Salt Lake City’s Vivaldi by Candlelight chamber orchestra since 2004. Here he explores some of the universal challenges faced by orchestral string players which ...
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Session Report: in good time
The Engegård Quartet’s third album of Mozart string quartets was all about timing – from allowing enough space between learning and recording the works, to faithfully honouring the composer’s tempo markings – as Andrew Mellor discovers
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Trade Secrets: Carving the neck on a viola da gamba
One of the last jobs to be tackled in the process of making the Baroque instrument
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Lutherie in China: the enterprise system
China has become a world leader in stringed instrument making, based on a system of bulk production combined with respect for craftsmanship. Sisi Ye speaks to the heads of manufacturing firms in Pinggu, Queshan and Huangqiao to learn more
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Francesca Dego: chance of a lifetime
For Italian violinist Francesca Dego, the opportunity to perform and record on Paganini’s ‘Il Cannone’ Guarneri ‘del Gesù’ of 1743 was a dream come true. She shares with Tom Stewart her experiences with the rarely accessed instrument – which came complete with security guards and its own dressing room
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Modigliani Quartet: the more the merrier
For the Modigliani Quartet, working with other artists has always been a priority – one that continues this year as the group turns its attention to Schubert. Charlotte Gardner speaks to the French foursome about their early development, working through Covid times and acting as artistic directors
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Dawn of Parisian splendour: Charles François Gand
A talented luthier and a shrewd businessman, Charles François Gand had a seismic effect on the Paris violin world despite his relatively small output. Florent Boyer presents an in-depth examination of several Gand instruments to show the development of his style
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Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider: parallel careers
Autumn 2020 was scheduled to be a big one for violinist and conductor Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider, with the start of his first music directorship in France and his conducting debut at the Royal Danish Opera. Did it go to plan? Very nearly, he tells Andrew Mellor
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Session Report: clowning around
For violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja a bout of tendonitis was the perfect opportunity to widen her musical perspective by taking on the title role in Schoenberg’s Pierrot lunaire, as she tells Toby Deller
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Behind the Curve: the evolution of the bow
The evolution of the bow is inextricably tied up with the needs of the player, and the changing face of society. Paolo Sarri examines the development of the ‘ancient’ and ‘modern’ curves of the bow stick, dispelling a number of myths along the way
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Chevalier de Saint-Georges: the remarkable revolutionary
Too long overlooked, the extraordinary life of 18th-century violinist and composer the Chevalier de Saint-Georges has once more been celebrated over the past 25 years. Yet his compositions remain unfairly neglected, writes Kevin MacDonald
