COPIED

6 mins

STRINGS of the STARS

How does string selection affect a performer’s sound? Leading artists who’ve recently appeared in The Strad ’s pages or online discuss the strings they use and why

SOL GABETTA, CELLO

I have played Larsen strings for the last 20 years and am now a Larsen artist. Three of the strings I play are Larsen, more specifically Magnacore. I am currently working with Larsen on the C string. My Larsen choice also depends on the season. I usually use Magnacores, but if my instrument has a lot of pressure due to temperature changes, I will use a Soloist for my D string, because it has a lower tension than the Magnacore. It means I can have a better balance and the cello is freer. But mostly I play Magnacores.

‘I often have conversations with other people about strings and they talk about them as if they were talking about cars’

LEIA ZHU, VIOLIN

I use Thomastik-Infeld Dominant for my G, D and A strings. For the E string, I use a Pirastro Oliv. I think because the E string is so bright, using Pirastro helps. It’s really funny – I often have conversations with other people about strings and they talk about them as if they were talking about cars.

GABETTA PHOTO JULIA WESELY. ZHU PHOTO ZHUTEK. OLIV STRINGS PIRASTRO GMBH

HSIN-YUN HUANG, VIOLA

As violists, we’re lucky that the viola can have an A string that’s as sweet as a violin and aC string that can be as deep as the cello. I go out of my way to have a mixed bag of strings because I like the different timbres and possibilities they offer.

On the AI use a Pirastro Permanent; for the D and GI sometimes use Pirastro Obligato and sometimes Thomastik-Infeld Vision solo; and on the CI use the half-gut Pirastro Passione. It’s a strange mix, but I find that for the viola, the middle strings are vulnerable, so if you force the string, the quality of sound isn’t good – you have to lift the sound out. For a middle string I would be careful that it has good clarity, that it isn’t a tough string. The Permanent A has such a sweet sound on the viola. And for the C, I shy away from very strong strings, which I think are overrated, because they only give you one sound. The halfgut gives the C warmth. It’s an amazing way of deepening the sound without having to be loud.

‘I go out of my way to have a mixed bag of strings because I like the different timbres and possibilities they offer’

HEMSING PHOTO NIKOLAI LUND. OBLIGATO, PASSIONE AND PERMANENT STRINGS PIRASTRO GMBH

ELDBJØRG HEMSING, VIOLIN

I use Jargar Strings. I used them on my former violin, a Guadagnini, and they were amazing. Then I wanted to try them out on my Strad and they were even better. I could not recommend them more. They’re so balanced on every level, they’re very brilliant and they last for a long time. I am very happy with them.I used to have an old set-up, which was all about power and strength and trying to get as much sound as possible. When I went to Jargar, they said, ‘That’s not going to work because what’s happening is you’ve put so much pressure on the instrument, it actually makes the sound smaller.’ So we tried all kinds of strings and found some that release so much pressure that the instrument is allowed to flourish. That’s one of the reasons I like these Jargar strings so much – they actually make the sound of the violin bigger because they’re lighter.

ASTRID SCHWEEN, CELLO

Right now, I’m using Pirastro Perpetual strings. I love their flexibility and malleability. They allow me to draw different colours out of the cello and still have punch and power, which is a tricky balance. I find I can demonstrate more what I have to offer if I’m not fighting the strings. It’s been a long search to find the right string.

NILS MÖNKEMEYER, VIOLA

I’m a D’Addario featured artist and I use Kaplan strings. I find they have an easy grip and projection. Also, when you tune them up, they hold their pitch after about 50 seconds.

GARY KARR, DOUBLE BASS

SCHWEEN PHOTO LISA-MARIE MAZZUCCO. MÖNKEMEYER PHOTO IRÈNE ZANDEL. PERPETUAL STRINGS PIRASTRO GMBH

For many decades I have always used D’Addario double bass strings for solo concerts and recordings. To suit my personal needs, I fitted my basses with a combination of Helicore solo strings for the two upper strings and orchestral strings for the lower two strings.

Because I wanted all four strings in solo tuning, I raised the pitch of the lower two strings a whole note higher in order to add more tension to the lower two strings. I used this combination because my instruments sounded better, and I found the bottom two strings to be more responsive than if I used two solo strings instead of two orchestral strings.

The Helicore strings project very well and have a warm sound, similar to gut strings. They are constructed very solidly, evidenced by the fact that I have never had a Helicore string break or fray. I like the thickness and flexibility of the strings, and they feel comfortable under my fingers. I give the Helicore bass strings high marks.

RAKHI SINGH, VIOLIN

At the moment I've got Pirastro Evah Pirazzis, but I have also used Larsen Il Cannone, which have slightly more tension. I go from one to the other depending on how my violin is feeling or if I feel like I need more projection, or if I want a warmer sound. Sometimes I feel like I’m perhaps not loud enough and then I might use the Evah Pirazzis, as they have a bit more direction.

MAXIM VENGEROV, VIOLIN

SINGH PHOTO ROBIN CLEWLEY. ALTSTAEDT PHOTO MARCO BORGGREVE. EVAH PIRAZZI STRINGS PIRASTRO GMBH

I use either Pirastro Evah Pirazzi or Thomastik-Infeld. Which one I choose can depend even on the time of the day! I like to change because each brand has a slightly different sound colour and a different attitude to the way they make the strings. And also, the string has to go well with the instrument.

NICOLAS ALTSTAEDT, CELLO

I use Larsen strings if I play 20th-century repertoire. Otherwise, for period performances or music before 1800 I use gut strings by Gamut – raw gut (Lyon medium plus) for the A and D, and a wound gut for the C and G. I always had trouble with wound gut strings for the lower strings because they don’t speak well enough, but Gamut’s C and G string version is fantastic. It’s wound with a mixture of silver and copper and gives a great grip.

ALEXANDRA CONUNOVA, VIOLIN

I use Thomastik-Infeld Vision Titanium solo strings. For my E string I use the Kaplan anti-whistling string.

JOHANNES MOSER, CELLO

CONUNOVA PHOTO OLGA LUCOVNICOVA. MOSER PHOTO BBC/CHRIS CHRISTODOULOU

‘I was playing Jargar for a while and I really enjoyed that too’

I use Larsen Magnacore A and D and then I have the typical Thomastik-Infeld Spirocore tungsten C and G. There’s nothing extravagant on that front. I was playing Jargar for a while and I really enjoyed that too. But I missed the sound of the Magnacores. I see no reason to change from Spirocores and they’ve been around for decades. My dad, who was an orchestra cellist, played them all his professional life.

SHEKU KANNEH-MASON, CELLO

KANNEH-MASON PHOTO JOHN DAVIS

I use a mix of Larsen Il Cannone strings. I had a session with the people from Larsen and we tried all the different ‘Warm & Broad’ and ‘Direct & Focused’ strings in combination.

AYANNA WITTER-JOHNSON, CELLO