November-2010
Jascha Heifetz is the cover star of our North America-themed issue, in which we examine his career Stateside. We ask whether there’s such a thing as an American string sound and talk to visionary quartet Ethel. Plus, Joseph Curtin on the ‘Vieuxtemps’ Guarneri ‘del Gesù’, and luthier Carl Becker’s favourite things.
December-2010
In an issue themed around the question of ‘Real or fake’, we speak to Dutch violinist André Rieu and consider his impact on the world of popular classics. Experts talk about spotting a fake Stradivari and we investigate the fake Baroque works written by modern composers. Plus, interviews with Jack Liebeck, Christian Ferras and Sheila Nelson.
January-2011
February-2011
Violinist Lisa Batiashvili discusses her empathy with Shostakovich’s music and we discover what happens when top instruments are stolen. We also visit the Amsterdam Cello Biennale, explore the history of gut strings and appraise the career of Russian pedagogue Yuri Yankelevich. Plus, Norman Lebrecht asks whether concertmasters have lost their punch.
March-2011
Stradivari’s ‘Messiah’, one of the most revered instruments ever made, gets a full appraisal including dendrochronological analysis. Fabio Biondi discusses Baroque performance and we examine the legacy of Czech violinist Jan Kubelík. Plus, interviews with Harrison Birtwistle, Christian Tetzlaff, Baiba and Lauma Skride, Philip Dukes and Lesley Robertson, as well as Daniel Hope’s practice diary.
April-2011
In our special focus on Germany, cellist Alban Gerhardt discusses Casals, fellow players and allowing imperfection. We look back at the career of violinist Georg Kulenkampff, and investigate lutherie in Markneukirchen. Igor Oistrakh recalls his past career as he reaches his 80th birthday, and John Goldsby explains how to interpret Gershwin’s I Got Rhythm.
May-2011
Violist and pedagogue Kim Kashkashian kicks off our viola special, in which we consider why this century is proving to be a halcyon era for the instrument. Steve Reich and David Harrington consider their myriad collaborations, there’s a focus on great violinist Jelly d’Arányi, and Peter Cropper hands on tips for playing Mozart’s K526 violin sonata.
June-2011
In our Benelux special, Dutch violinist Janine Jansen discusses her return to performing after an enforced break, there’s a focus on the string scene in Luxembourg and an examination of the Belgian string playing school. Mischa Elman is the subject of our Great Violinists feature, and William Conway advises on achieving balance in Shostakovich’s Piano Quintet.
July-2011
This month’s issue features a detailed analysis of the ‘Plowden’ Guarneri ‘del Gesù’ violin, an interview with double bass pedagogue Evgeny Kolosov, an essay on the career of US violinist Maud Powell, tips on coping with desk partners, and interviews with Benjamin Hughes and Charles Mutter from the BBC Concert Orchestra.
August-2011
September-2011
In a special edition on teaching, we talk to psychologists and string instructors about how students react to words of feedback, encouragement and criticism. Cello pedagogue Aldo Perisot talks to his former student, Ralph Kirshbaum, and Thomas Kemp analyses Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht. Plus a look at a groundbreaking instrument scheme in South Africa.
October-2011
November-2011
Cellist Yo-Yo Ma, cellist and founder of the Silk Road Project, is the cover star for our North America-themed issue, which includes reports on the Marlboro summer festival and the Lafayette Quartet. Hilary Hahn gives her thoughts on the Ives Sonata no.3 and there’s an interview with Joseph Silverstein of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
December-2011
In an issue themed around money, we ask: How much could a violin cost you over a lifetime? Why do players pay huge sums without getting proper instrument checks? Can the Internet help you with project funding? Does a portfolio career make good financial sense? Plus: a Tasmin Little Masterclass, Stephan von Baehr’s workshop, movement exercises and lots more
January-2012
In an issue that takes ‘fresh thinking’ as its theme, we talk to UK-based duo 2Cellos, who secured a record deal and concert tour through the power of YouTube. We learn how particle-accelerator technology unlocked the secrets of a Guadagnini, and get the lowdown on using ‘extended techniques’ in playing.
February-2012
Can professional players tell a Strad from a modern instrument in a blind test? We report on the experiment and its controversial findings. There’s also a discussion on the perils of teacher–student relationships and a look back at the life of master restorer René Morel, who died in December. Plus a report on dendrochronology.
March-2012
Germany is the theme for this issue, with an interview with player and teacher Antje Weithaas, a Masterclass with cellist Alban Gerhardt, and a report on the resurgence of lutherie in the Vogtland region. Plus, quartet members discuss the works of Wolfgang Rihm, and violinist Frank Peter Zimmermann explains his love for Beethoven’s late string quartets.
April-2012
The members of the Brodsky Quartet talk about their love of experimentation, and Maxim Vengerov discusses his return to performing after years away. There’s also a report on Scottish fiddling, a rtrospective on viola player Frederick Riddle, and an analysis of violins in 17th-century Dutch artworks. Plus, Mats Lindström’s tips on playing cello scales.
June-2012
This issue’s guest editor, violinist Hilary Hahn, has chosen a theme of ‘conversations’, in which members of the string world talk to people from other professions to discover new perspectives on their craft. Teachers give their thoughts on tackling difficult subjects with students, and in Masterclass, Jean-Guihen Queyras takes us through Bach’s Cello Suite no.5
July-2012
In this issue, Finnish violinist Pekka Kuusisto discusses his experiments in sound, and we find out how Les 24 Violons du Roi – one of the first string orchestras – has been recreated. There’s a guide to busking, tips on teaching different styles, and interviews with final-year string students as they start their professional careers.
August-2012
Cellist Antonio Meneses graces the cover of this Latin American-themed issue, which includes features on string teaching in Venezuela and Colombia, lutherie in Mexico, Piazzolla’s string music and cellist Carlos Prieto’s favourite things. Plus, as he reaches his 90th birthday, violinist Ivry Gitlis looks back on his long career.
September-2012
Teaching is the focus for this month's edition, in which we discover how Suzuki teaching has spread across the world in recent years. Lutherie pedagogues give their views on the contentious issue of studying restoration, and we consider the legacy of Francesco Geminiani, author of one of the earliest books on studying technique.
