September 2019 issue

Belcea Quartet: The 25-year-old ensemble on the importance of insiring and guiding the next generation of chamber musicians.

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Cover features

Perfect 5ths

British violinist Rodney Friend has spent many years formulating his method for achieving a relaxed left-hand position. Here, he shares his voyage of discovery with Charlotte Smith

Kató Havas, the celebrated and much-loved Hungarian violinist and pedagogue, died on 31 December 2018 aged 98. Five former colleagues and students remember her important and generous influence on their own playing and teaching

Passing the Torch

Expert encouragement in their early years helped turn the Belcea Quartet into one of today’s most formidable chamber ensembles. Twenty-five years after they started out, they talk to Tom Stewart about passing on their experience to the next generation – as well as continuing to gain knowledge themselves

History is now

Growing numbers of young musicians are incorporating elements of historically informed performance into their playing. Charlotte Gardner investigates the reasons behind this phenomenon, explores the options for aspiring period artists and receives advice from both fledgling and long-standing practitioners

Life out of balance

While many luthiers are happy making stringed instruments to the standard form, others are keen to explore the possibilities of alternative patterns. Peter Somerford discovers how asymmetric designs can affect tone quality, projection, acoustics and player comfort

Session Report: Christian Tetzlaff on Beethoven’s Violin Concerto

At the end of last year violinist Christian Tetzlaff made his second official recording of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto in two live performances, resulting in an interpretation much more in keeping with his own personal understanding of the work