The Strad March 2014 issue is on sale now

The March issue of The Strad is on sale now, in which we celebrate the Mandelring Quartet’s 30th anniversary and the thriving specialist system of German string education.

Our German-themed issue also includes: changes in the landscape for Germany’s publicly funded orchestras over the past 25 years; adventurous self-curated festivals and concert series in Berlin; changes to the German music scene following the fall of the Berlin Wall 25 years ago; violinist Clemens Huber and bow maker Irina Feichtl on the creation of a new bow inspired by Émile Auguste Ouchard; and how 20th century German instrument prices compare with their French and Italian counterparts.

In our regular sections: In Focus gives a close-up view of a 1767 violin by Gabriel Buchstetter; Torbjörn Zethelius gives his method for creating a Cremonese corner template in Trade Secrets; Berlin-based luthier Ragnar Hayn invites us into his workshop in My Space; Antoine Tamestit guides us through Bach’s Cello Suite no.1 arranged for viola in Masterclass; Simon Fischer talks double-stop sequence practice in Basics; German cellist and pedagogue Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt discusses how to produce a strong and colourful tone in Ask the Teacher; German cellist Jan Vogler takes us through his Practice Diary; and five teachers and health specialists give advice on helping double-jointed students in Ask the Experts.

Plus, we bring you news of the latest competitions, products and auctions, and comprehensive reviews of concerts, CDs and books.

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