The Strad Magazine Archive – I: 2015 to 2019
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The Strad Masterclass: Solo Violin
£15.00James Ehnes, Hilary Hahn, Leonidas Kavakos, Maxim Vengerov, Nikolaj Znaider: some of the violin world’s top names have given their thoughts on key works of string repertoire within The Strad’s pages. Now, for the first time, Masterclass: Solo Violin brings together articles from the magazine’s popular Masterclass section over the past nine years.
Domenico Montagnana ‘Farina’ cello 1730 – FOLDED VERSION
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Domenico Montagnana was possibly the greatest cello maker in history, and the 1730 ‘Farina’ was made during the period when he was at the height of his powers. Unlike most Montagnana cellos, it has never been cut down and retains its original proportions. Now owned by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the instrument has a very powerful sound with a wide array of colours. Previous owners have included May Mukle, one of the first successful female cello soloists.
‘The abundant famous Venetian varnish is of a rich, dark red colour, with a fascinating array of textures and patinas. In the areas where the varnish has worn off, a beautiful golden amber ground is revealed. As with most uncut Montagnana cellos, the outline is wide in the upper bouts and corners, and deeply swept in at the C-bouts, with big, broad lower bouts.’ – John Waddle and Steve Sirr in the July 2025 edition of The Strad.
‘When making recordings, the sound engineer has to turn down my microphone because it sounds up to eight decibels louder than any other cello’ – Ilya Finkelshteyn, principal cellist, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
Find out how more than 30 luthiers collaborated to build a copy of the c.1730 ‘Farina’ in the November 2023 Strad magazine article, “COPYING A MONTAGNANA CELLO – Robin Aitchison reports from the annual Oberlin Violin Makers Workshop”
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Montagnana c.1720–Guarneri ‘del Gesù’ c.1742 ‘Paderewski, Wendling’ violin – FOLDED VERSION
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This is a unique instrument with a body by Montagnana and a top plate by Guarneri ‘del Gesù’. Artists such as Vilde Frang, Isabelle Faust and Augustin Dumay have unanimously praised the violin’s sound, recognising its unmistakably ‘del Gesù’ character, with dark basses, great projection and a particularly warm and open E string.
‘The large Venetian model combined with the distinctive ‘del Gesù’ front arching, well-preserved thickness and f-holes, offers a particularly attractive and inspiring reference model.’ – Balthazar Soulier in the January 2025 issue.
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Carlo Bergonzi ‘Salabue, Martzy’ violin 1733 poster – FOLDED VERSION
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This stunning instrument, still in immaculate condition, bears all the hallmarks of the luthier Carlo Bergonzi, who moved into Antonio Stradivari’s workshop following the latter’s death. The famed instrument collector Count Cozio di Salabue called it ‘my largest and most beautiful Bergonzi’. It was later used as the principal performing instrument of Hungarian virtuoso Johanna Martzy (1924–79).
‘The f-holes of the ‘Salabue, Martzy’ are bold and distinctive. In concept, they derive from a Stradivari model but the stems are more angled and the wings are broader’ – Jason Price in the July 2024 edition of The Strad.
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Girolamo Amati II violin 1671 poster – FOLDED VERSION
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The son of Nicolò Amati, Girolamo Amati II was the last instrument maker of the illustrious Amati dynasty. Although he made fewer violins than his forebears, the ones that have survived show the work of a skilled luthier in his prime. This violin, made in the early part of his career, is a pristine example of his craftsmanship and shows many stylistic similarities to the work of his father. It is now housed in the Royal Academy of Music.
‘The maple is delicately figured on the back and ribs, and plain for the neck-block. It has been perfectly quarter-cut. Unevenly scattered bearclaw figure ruffles the surface of the one-piece spruce front’ – Barbara Meyer in the July 2022 issue
Read more in The Strad
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Antonio Stradivari ‘Boissier, Sarasate’ Violin 1713 poster – FOLDED VERSION
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Made during Antonio’s Stradivari’s so-called ‘golden period’, the 1713 ‘Boissier, Sarasate’ is in an excellent state of preservation. Housed in the museum of the Real Conservatorio Superior de Música de Madrid, it has rarely been played since it was left to the conservatoire by its last owner, the Spanish virtuoso Pablo Sarasate. This poster includes full outlines and measurements taken from a state-of-the-art 3D scan of the instrument.
‘The surface retains a very good amount of varnish. It is remarkable that it has not been ‘protected’ with a layer of French polish, making it ever more outstanding and appreciated in today’s shop standards. The colour of the varnish is a light reddish-brown over Stradivari’s wonderful golden ground.’ – Roberto Jardón Rico in the January 2024 issue of The Strad
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Antonio Stradivari ‘Harrison’ violin 1693 poster – FOLDED VERSION
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A perfect example of Stradivari’s Long Pattern, the ‘Harrison’ was for many years the principal performing instrument of Kyung Wha Chung. It is now part of the collection of the National Music Museum in Vermillion, South Dakota, US.
Read more in The Strad
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Antonio Stradivari ‘King Carlos IV’ violin 1709 poster – FOLDED VERSION
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The ‘King Carlos IV’ is one of the few instruments remaining from the collection of the Spanish king, who ruled from 1788 to 1808. Made during Stradivari’s ‘golden period’, it is one of the rare examples that is so well preserved that its sound is seldom matched by other violins of the era. The maple back has deep, wide flames descending slightly, which shimmer like water in the light. The scroll is incredibly round and bold, displaying an ultimate strength in making.
Florian Leonhard examines its history and present condition in The Strad magazine July 2023
Read the review in The Strad, June 2023
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G.B. Guadagnini ‘Cozio’ viola 1773 poster FOLDED VERSION
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This viola is one of the first to be made by Giovanni Battista Guadagnini during his ‘Turin period’, which saw the crafting of some of his finest works. His regular income from Count Cozio di Salabue gave him greater freedom to experiment, as evidenced by this small-size viola with high-set f-holes and enlarged centre bouts. With a back length of 400mm, it has wide, full arching and a brilliant yellow-orange varnish. The poster includes high-definition CT scans as well as full measurements.
‘The workmanship of the viola is of great quality and care: the archings are perfectly cut and finished, the interior appears to be in an excellent state of conservation, and it bears a number of the maker’s marks’ – Alberto Giordano in the January 2022 issue
‘Armingaud, Fernández Blanco’ Guarneri ‘del Gesù’ violin 1732 poster – FOLDED VERSION
£14.95An extraordinarily well-preserved violin from Guarneri’s middle period, the ‘Armingaud, Fernández Blanco’ languished for decades untouched until its rediscovery in a Buenos Aires wardrobe. The quality of its varnish and workmanship are exceptional.
‘The “Armingaud, Fernández Blanco” is so well preserved that we can learn a great deal about the maker from it’ – Frédéric Chaudière in the November 2017 edition of The Strad.
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Antonio Stradivari ‘Willemotte’ violin 1734 poster – FOLDED VERSION
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A masterpiece of Antonio Stradivari’s late period, the ‘Willemotte’ has a muscular ruggedness and strong character: massive, with generous edges, full arching and broad f-holes. It is now the principal performing instrument of violinist Leonidas Kavakos. Includes measurements, thickness maps and life-size CT scans.
‘The sound of the “Willemotte” leaves one grasping for the right adjectives: complex, deep, pungent, something you almost taste as much as hear’ – Sam Zygmuntowicz in the December 2020 edition of The Strad.
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Antonio Stradivari ‘Benecke’ violin 1694 poster – FOLDED VERSION
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A masterpiece from Stradivari’s ‘Long Pattern’ era, the 1694 ‘Benecke’ remains in an almost pristine state of preservation. It was named for its owner Paul Benecke, a friend of Mendelssohn, and was greatly admired by the Hills, who called it ‘probably the finest of the Long Pattern that we know of’. As well as containing full measurements, this poster includes micro-CT scans, thickness and arching maps, and all the information luthiers need to make their own copy.
‘In contrast with the earlier production of Stradivari, the refined aesthetic of the ‘Benecke’… communicates a sense of fluidity and softness… which was a primary source of inspiration for other Italian makers working at the beginning of the 20th century, particularly in Milan’ – Andrea Zanrè in the July 2020 edition.
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Carlo Bergonzi ‘Baron Knoop’ violin 1735 poster – FOLDED VERSION
£14.95FOLDED VERSION
This violin demonstrates all the hallmarks of Carlo Bergonzi’s mature style, as well as the influences of both Antonio Stradivari and Guarneri ‘del Gesù’. Made from top-quality spruce and maple, it shows the exquisite care with which Bergonzi prepared all his finest instruments.
‘Bergonzi’s varnish has a deep, subdued fire which doesn’t try to emulate the visual effects obtained by his competitors’ – Andrea Zanrè in the July 2021 edition of The Strad
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Rostropovich: A Celebration
£10.00Discover the man behind the legend, from interviews with the renowned cellist and the people who knew him.
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Returned or Flawed Posters
£9.99We have a number of rolled posters that have been returned or have minor defects, which can be obtained at a massively discounted cost. These are ideal for students or makers who do not require pristine posters to work from. Although some posters are damaged, this is usually to the sides of the posters and not across the printed images.
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Cello Heroes
£9.95Steven Isserlis, Ralph Kirshbaum, Mischa Maisky and Natalia Gutman are among the cellists featured in this special publication from The Strad. It also includes a selection of historic articles from the magazine’s archives on Pierre Fournier, Daniil Shafran, Pablo Casals, Emanuel Feuermann, Jacqueline du Pré, Gregor Piatigorsky and others.
October 2025
£5.95Cellist Alisa Weilerstein talks about her new project Fragments and we examine the Tieffenbrucker family of luthiers. There’s a look at the Carnatic violin tradition of South India and an exploration of Biber’s Mystery Sonatas. Plus a Dvořák Masterclass and a Technique article on pizzicato.
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September 2025
£5.95We talk to violist Tabea Zimmermann and report on an innovative adult strings camp in Denver. There’s a look at the the history of lutherie in Berlin and a tribute to the late double bassist Gary Karr. Plus an Ysaÿe Masterclass and Thomas Demenga’s Sentimental Work
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August 2025
£5.95We talk to South African cellist and composer Abel Selaocoe and mark the 150th anniversary of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s birth. There’s a look at a project to train young luthiers in Latin America, and we investigate the resources for players hit by injury. Plus bassist Joseph Conyers’ Life Lessons and a Beethoven Masterclass with Kristin Lee.
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July 2025
£5.95We examine the 1730 ‘Farina’ cello by Montagnana, and pay tribute to instrument expert Charles Beare, who died in April. There’s a look at adventurous US string quartets and an interview with British violinist–composer Adam Summerhayes. Plus a Dvořák Masterclass with Camden Shaw of the Dover Quartet.
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June 2025
£5.95We celebrate 50 years of the Australian Chamber Orchestra and the 90th birthday of composer Terry Riley. There’s a look at 18th-century instrumental innovations, while Tanja Tetzlaff hands on her Life Lessons. Plus Baiba Skride’s Sentimental Work and our annual Accessories brochure.
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