All Premium ❘ Feature articles
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Premium ❘ FeatureSteven Isserlis: Instinctive performer
Steven Isserlis used the lockdowns of 2020 and 2021 to work on a trio of projects: a companion to Bach’s Cello Suites, a new performing edition of Dvořák’s Cello Concerto and a recording of British solo cello music – as the cellist tells Charlotte Smith
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Bach Second Cello Suite – Prelude: A small but crucial omission
The final five bars of the Prelude to Bach’s Second Cello Suite are often misinterpreted by performers, argues Mats Lidström, Leo Stern Professor of Cello at London’s Royal Academy of Music. Here he traces the source of the problem back to the ink- and paper-saving abbreviations of Baroque composers
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1773 ‘Cozio’ Guadagnini viola: The only constant is change
The commercial relationship between G.B. Guadagnini and Count Cozio di Salabue allowed the luthier greater freedom to experiment. Alberto Giordano and Barthelemy Garnier examine a 1773 viola to show how the 62-year-old maker continued to adopt new methods and ways of working in this period
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Alexander technique: Thoughts that count
Violinist and Alexander technique specialist Alun Thomas details pathways to effortless expression using three real-life student examples
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Session Report: Focusing the lens
For the LGT Young Soloists, recording a newly commissioned string symphony by Philip Glass provided ample opportunity for detailed and thoughtful music making – as the group’s artistic director, Alexander Gilman, tells Toby Deller
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Copying the ‘Titian’: A study in scarlet
Jesús Alejandro Torres reports on a study by the Violin Making School of Mexico, in which three copies of Stradivari’s ‘Titian’ violin were made using wood of varying densities, to examine their signature modes and player preferences
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Covid-19 and young musicians: What you make of it
The lockdowns of the pandemic were particularly challenging for young artists looking to make a name for themselves, but providing support along the way were a number of schemes that ramped up their efforts accordingly. And, as Charlotte Gardner finds, for those musicians willing to take the initiative, the opportunities ...
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In Focus: A c.1815 double bass by Thomas Dodd
Stefan Krattenmacher details an instrument by the English maker
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Trade Secrets: Making purfling
A guide for luthiers who prefer to create their own strips to use in their instruments, rather than buy them ready-made
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My Space: Maria Sandner
The Germany-based luthier specialises in making miniature violins
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Making Matters: Seeing in a different light
Andreas Hudelmayer and Andreas Hampel conclude their two-part investigation into the use of UV light by examining its use in varnish drying – and offer tips on using it effectively
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Masterclass: Mozart Violin Concerto no.4 in D major K218
Violinist Francesca Dego looks at how to play the final movement of this violin concerto with direction, musicality and a sense of fun
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Technique: Playing the viola with a small frame
Fingerings and tricks to reduce pain and over-exertion for petite musicians
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From the Archive: January 1892
Pedagogue George Brayley offers a list of Violin Don’ts – possibly intended as New Year’s Resolution ideas for readers
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Orchestral career development: Personal progress
In many professions, employees are supported in their training and development – so why not orchestral musicians? In this article from April 2014, Andrew Stewart asks if ensembles are doing enough to help individual members thrive
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Masterclass: Bottesini’s Elegy in D major
Canadian soloist and former principal bassist of the London Symphony Orchestra, Joel Quarrington demonstrates how he plays Bottesini’s Elegy in D major. From November 2015
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Historical lutherie methods: Salts of wisdom
Remy Gug examines the treatment of wood described in several manuals of the 16th to 18th centuries, in this article from July 1987
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Double Bassist magazine: Matteo Gofriller c.1708 bass
Barrie Kolstein marvels at a magnificent 18th-century instrument by Matteo Gofriller, in this feature from the Autumn 2001 issue of our now-discontinued sister publication, Double Bassist
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Double Bassist magazine: Nights in the gardens of Spain
Without the arrival of the Neapolitan double bass players at the beginning of the 18th century, the history of the bass in Spain may have been quite different. Xosé Crisanto Gandara examines the evidence, in this article taken from the Spring 2001 issue of our now-discontinued sister publication, Double Bassist
