SOUNDPOST

Editor’s letter

For violists of a certain vintage Karen Tuttle is revered

Contributors

WENDY CASE

On the beat

Support is growing for the eff orts of a fledgling

NEW PRODUCTS

A new approach to chin and shoulder rests for violinists

Life lessons

There’s more to the instrument’s repertoire than meets the eye, says the young British viola player

GO YOUR OWN WAY

Musicians today are encouraged to play it safe by a recording culture that encourages perfect homogeneity. But, writes violist Paul Neubauer, It is still possible for Individuality to thrive

The promise of youth

The 2019 Highgate International Chamber Music Festival showcased a variety of repertoire performed in partnerships established especially for the event. But, says Tom Stewart, it is the festival’s commitment to educational outreach that is particularly admirable

The violists‘ champion

Violists, particularly in the US, regard Karen Tuttle as a pioneer of pedagogy, tirelessly committed to improving the playing freedom of her students. As this month marks the 100th anniversary of her birth, Carios Maria Solare pays tribute to her career, teaching methods and formidable strength of character

MATCHES MADE IN HEAVEN?

It’s both a privilege and a challenge to build a quartet of instruments that are intended to be played together from the start. Peter Somerford speaks to players and makers to discover both the pitfalls and the opportunities

BOUNDLESSEXPRESSION

The legacy of Pablo Casals is alive and well in the cello playing of today – and can be traced primarily to the methods of his colleague Diran Alexanian and favourite student Maurice Eisenberg. Oskar Falta explores the Catalonian cellist’s main vibrato theories, as communicated by his two important associates

INTERESTING TIMES

For luthiers worldwide, European wood is still viewed as the best for making stringed instruments - even though China's forests are filled with high-guality spruce and maple. Xue Peng presents the results of a study comparing the tonewoods of China and Europe, with some startling conclusions

FREEDOM OF CHOICE

For Jack Liebeck, recording the Brahms and Schoenberg violin concertos has feit like a homecoming - a chance to reflect on the life of his grandfather, and to appreciate the libertfes we enjoy today, as he teils Harry White

THE PEOPLE’S VIOLIN MAN

During the 19th century there was an upsurge of interest in violin playing in Britain. At its centre, writes Kevin MacDonald, was the Scottish violinist and writer William C. Honeyman – purveyor of string secrets to the masses and perhaps the inspiration for Sherlock Holmes

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JEROMOS CIGL

A close look at the work of great and unusual makers

Inlay techniques

Giving a decorative flourish to an instrument can add a personal touch - and be a true test of skill

DANIEL BRISTOW

LOCATION Tetbury, Gloucestershire, UK

Ahead forfigures

Luthiers such as Jacob Stainer often surmounted their instruments with elaborately carved heads rather than scrolls. Lloyd McCaffery, a professional wood carver, explains how he developed a modern take on an ancient art form

BEETHOVEN VIOLIN CONCERTO

In the first of two articles, Augustin Hadelich looks at direction and flow in the first movement of this notoriously simple and yet deceptvely difficult work

A scientific approach to violin resonance

How a basic knowledge of acoustical physics can help us to produce a richer, more ringing tone

Reviews

Your monthly critical round-up of performances, recordings and publications

From the ARCHIVE

Paganini researcher S. L. Salzedo gives his effusive first impressions of the violinist’s birthplace Genoa, as well as his initial thoughts on seeing ‘Il Cannone’

IN THE NEXT ISSUE

Anne-Sophie Mutter

LEONIDAS KAVAKOS

For the Greek violinist, Beethoven’s Violin Concerto stands apart from the rest of the repertoire - and requires a very special method of interpretation