Andrew Ng violin

Editor’s letter

The Shanghai Quartet celebrates its 35th anniversary

CONTRIBUTORS

(Making Matters, page 70) trained in violin making

SOUNDPOST

Letters, emails, online comments

On the beat

News and events from around the world this month

NEW PRODUCTS

A metronome that aims to prepare musicians for the

Life lessons

The Ukrainian violist on long pedagogical relationships and the surprises of concert life

GOING INTERNATIONAL

Despite the large number of young and talented British string players, few seem to make an impact as leading soloists on the world stage. Charlotte Gardner explores the reasons for this phenomenon

A new generation

Stradfest, The Strad’s first live event for budding musicians, tackled a range of issues connected to building an interesting career - and brought together a wide variety of young and enthusiastic string players, writes Charlotte Smith

Musical EMISSARIES

The Shanghai Quartet celebrates its 35th anniversary during the 2018–19 season by performing eight complete Beethoven cycles around the world. The players speak to Charlotte Smith about forming at a time when Western chamber music was barely understood in their native China, and about promoting the art form to Chinese audiences and students today

Variations on a theme

Twelve violin moulds from Antonio Stradivari’s workshop still survive, but how do they correspond to the master’s oeuvre? In the first of two articles, Philip Ihle and Andrea Zanrè present the results of an exhaustive survey to match forms to finished instruments

Standing STRONG

Fifty years ago David Oistrakh premiered Shostakovich’s Violin Sonata, written for the violinist’s 60th birthday. Only two further works by Shostakovich for solo violinist survive: the concertos, both for Oistrakh. Andrew Morris examines all three pieces, uncovering their interpretative challenges in conversation with Gidon Kremer, Julia Fischer and Vadim Gluzman

ZOOMING IN ON BEETHOVEN

Trio con Brio Copenhagen is marking its 20th anniversary by recording the complete Beethoven piano trios. Andrew Mellor attends a session for the group’s third volume, including the monumental ‘Archduke’

SHINING EXAMPLES

Identifying the varnish recipes of the early makers has been a long-held dream among researchers. Now, a team at the Arvedi Laboratory of Non-Invasive Diagnostics, headed by Marco Malagodi, has used a new form of micro-CT scanning to delve further into an instrument’s coatings than ever before

And breathe…

There is a close connection between yogic principles and string playing technique, says cellist Ruth Phillips, who illustrates this with postures chosen in collaboration with her colleague Jane Fenton, and reveals how both Pablo Casals and yoga guru Vanda Scaravelli have informed her musical ideas

PAOLO DE BARBIERI

Paolo De Barbieri was born in 1889 in Genoa. In 1902

Cutting f-holes

A methodical way of completing this elegant but delicate part of the making process

MY SPACE

A peek into lutherie workshops around the world

Beauty is truth, truth beauty

Eric Benning recalls how, with the help of the late William Watson, he identified a long-lost instrument case from the Hill workshop that exemplifies the immaculate workmanship of a bygone age

RAVEL’S SECOND VIOLIN SONATA

Philippe Graffin explores how to create an orchestra of abstract colours and characters in the first movement of the French composer’s last chamber work

Continuous vibrato

The art of using finger, wrist and biceps to create a bel canto effect integral to our sound

REVIEWS

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

From the ARCHIVE

What sets a virtuoso player apart from an amateur, asks James A.

IN THE NEXT ISSUE

Stradivari’s moulds -part two Andrea Zanrè and Philip

RIVKA GOLANI

As well as giving the first performance of Michael Colgrass’s Chaconne, the

DEGREES 2019-20

Welcome to Degrees 2019-20 -your international guide

CHECKLIST

Questions to help you find the right course and to prepare you for life as a student

INSPIRED TO SUCCEED

Find out where you can study with some of the string world’s most in-demand pedagogues

Bery Filsaime cello

Post-baccalaureate Diploma, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg

Nickolas Majic violin

Bachelor of Music, New Zealand School of Music (NZSM), Wellington

Anna Vaughan violin

Bachelor of Arts, music, City, University of London

Mafalda Santos cello

Peabody Conservatory, Johns Hopkins University, Maryland