All Premium ❘ Feature articles
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Premium ❘ FeatureFrom the archive: Interpreting Bach
When asked to record Bach’s Cello Suites, violist Simon Rowland-Jones chose to produce his own edition from which to work. He discusses his approach and the various problems it posed.
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Session report: Bach unravelled
With her long-awaited recording of the Bach Sonatas and Partitas finally here, Korean violinist Kyung Wha Chung discusses her special affinity with the works and explains how 50 years of playing them has shaped her approach Taken from the October 2016 issue of The Strad
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Masterclass: Bach’s Cello Suite no.1 in G major arranged for viola
Finding the correct articulation and paying close attention to the score are key to performing Bach’s masterpiece, in this guide by Antoine Tamestit
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Pedagogues’ top studies: Etude of choice
There’s a wealth of variety when it comes to the studies string teachers can use with their students. Vicky Hancock asks some leading pedagogues which ones they find most useful
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Popper cello etudes: Rites of passage
To mark 100 years since the death of cellist and composer David Popper, we ask top cello teachers from around the world: how valuable are his notoriously tricky cello studies to today’s students and players?
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In Focus: A c.1680 double bass by Girolamo Amati II
René Zaal details an instrument by the son of the more well-known Nicolò Amati, and the grandson of his namesake Girolamo Amati I
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Trade Secrets: Making a martelé button
A simple method for adding this small detail to your bows
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My Space: Gertrud Reuter
The luthier’s workshop, based in Basel, Switzerland, contains furniture from the Paris firms of Caressa Français, Maucotel Deschamps, and Daniel Moinel
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Making Matters: Something in the air
Steve Sirr and John R. Waddle use CT scans to examine the internal air volume of 20 Cremonese violins, and make a surprising discovery about the soundpost position
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Masterclass: Antoine Tamestit on Brahms Viola Sonata op.120 no.1 third and fourth movements
Folk dance and fireworks all feature in Antoine Tamestit’s discussion of the third and fourth movements, in the second of two articles about the complete F minor Sonata
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Technique: Playing with expression
How to build an emotional connection with music that shines through in every note
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From the Archive: August 1901
Dr T.L. Phipson recounts the curious case of one ‘Roslin le Beau’, whose exploits on the streets of 1860s London fell afoul of the law
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Esther Yoo: A sunny disposition
In the past few years, US violinist Esther Yoo has seen her career blossom as a soloist and chamber player. And despite the pandemic, she has seized every opportunity to grow as a musician, as she tells Amanda Holloway
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Herrmann bow making dynasty: An enduring legacy
Like their close contemporaries the Knopfs, the Herrmann family of bow makers left behind a large number of bows, many of which show exquisite craftsmanship. In the second of two articles, Gennady Filimonov examines their history, their connections with the Knopfs, and several examples of their work
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Neck setting: Adjustment to change
The method of connecting an instrument’s neck to its body has undergone seismic changes since the Baroque era. Joseph Curtin analyses the ancient and modern procedures, and examines the benefits offered by fixing an adjustable neck
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Bach Solo Violin Partitas: Lord of the dance
Three centuries ago, Bach had completed his set of six Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin. In the second of two articles, Lewis Kaplan, senior member of the Juilliard School faculty, discusses interpretation of the three partitas – with reference to Bach’s autograph score
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Female violinists of 18th-century England: Portrait of a lady holding a violin
Taking a Regency portrait of an unknown violinist as his starting point, Kevin MacDonald investigates the lives and careers of Louise Gautherot and other female violinists of Georgian England
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Recording arching profiles: Ahead of the curve
Recording the archings of instruments is one of the most difficult areas of violin making and restoration. Charline Dequincey describes a method using dental compound which is accessible to anyone, and gives high-quality results
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Session Report: Weathering the storm
Violinist Karen Gomyo’s new album, dedicated to Astor Piazzolla and recorded during the Covid-19 pandemic, was a profound and personal project for all involved, writes Rita Fernandes
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Evolutionary Road: Baroque Instruments
In the first of a two-part article, Roger Hargrave traces the development of the violin from the Baroque era to modern times – and refutes some long-held beliefs in the process
