Progress report

Editor’s letter

ANGELA LYONS For most string players, performing on

Contributors

HUBERT DE LAUNAY (The Strad Calendar 2022, page

SOUNDPOST

Letters, emails, online comments

NEWS IN BRIEF

Violinist Vilde Frang receives 1734 ‘Rode’ Guarneri ‘del

OBITUARIES

IGOR OISTRAKH Russian violinist Igor Oistrakh has died

Blank canvas

A viola concerto that celebrates contrast and defies expectations

COMPETITIONS

1. Lyris Quartet 2. Elizabeth Wallfisch 4. David

NEW PRODUCTS

FEATURED PRODUCT INSTRUMENT CASE Cast in a

Life lessons

Advice and memories from before and during the German musician’s decades-long tenure as the Berlin Philharmonic’s principal cellist

ACROSS THE DECADES

Karen Gomyo revisits recordings by ‘golden age’ violinists, and explores why these performances are still so meaningful today

A spiritual CONNECTION

Even for one of the most revered violinists, it is a daunting task to get to know twelve of the world’s finest Stradivaris, many with jaw-dropping pasts, within only a few weeks. Janine Jansen talks to Pauline Harding about how she did just that for a new recording and documentary

BENEATH THE SURFACE

The inclusion of minerals in Italian varnishes from the 16th to mid-18th centuries has long been a source of speculation. Balthazar Soulier, Stefan Zumbühl and Christophe Zindel present the first results of a long-term study showing that key answers can be found in early German recipes

GOLDEN GIRL

Documentary maker Christopher Nupen made several groundbreaking films with Jacqueline du Pré. Here he shares his memories of the legendary British cellist who tragically died at the age of 42 after battling with multiple sclerosis

TWO’S COMPANY

Violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja and cellist Sol Gabetta’s new recording is the culmination of many years of music making and friendship, as the pair tell Charlotte Gardner

A NEW DAWN

The first school to offer US-accredited music degrees in mainland China, Juilliard’s Tianjin campus is the next step in the long history of East-West partnerships. Tom Stewart discovers how the institution is attracting students from all over the globe

DUTCH TREASURES

The Strad Calendar 2022 showcases twelve of the finest instruments belonging to the Dutch Musical Instruments Foundation. Head of collection Frits Schutte outlines its work, while Hubert de Launay gives a tour of the riches

AGUSTÍ ALTIMIRA

IN FOCUS

Decorating a copy of a historical violin

Gold and silver leaf, glass powder and ink are all necessary in this detailed and complex process

LUTHIER YUJI KANEKO

LOCATION Matsuyama, Japan ALL PHOTOS YUJI KANEKO A

In the light of experience

Most violin makers will have a UV cabinet in their workshop, but how many realise the differences between the light sources? In the first of two articles, Andreas Hampel and Andreas Hudelmayer examine several of the available options

BEETHOVEN VIOLIN CONCERTO IN D MAJOR

MASTERCLASS

Trills and embellishments

How to develop finger strength and control for even, well-articulated ornaments

Reviews

CONCERTS

BOOKS

A Life in Music: Memories of 80 years

From the ARCHIVE

Eleven years after Henryk Wieniawski’s death, his former accompanist Arno Kleffel recalls how the famed violinist and composer told him how he achieved his famous staccato

TIM KLIPHUIS

Richard Strauss’s song Morgen! proved to be the Dutch violinist’s route into cross-genre performance – and one of the most popular pieces performed by his trio