Editor’s letterIt’s no secret that Antonio Stradivari lived to a great

ContributorsRACHAEL DURKIN (The viola d’amore, page 46) is a senior

SOUNDPOSTLetters, emails, online comments

LATE…BUT WORTH THE WAITMade when Antonio Stradivari was 90 years old, the 1734 ‘Willemotte’ bears all his hallmarks including a deep, complex tone quality. Sam Zygmuntowicz examines the violin and compares its design features with other gems of the great master

FOLLOWING THE CLUESThe recent discovery of another cadenza to the first movement of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, likely by Vieuxtemps, sheds an interesting light on the early performance history of the work, writes Martin Wulfhorst

Light-bulb momentsGiving formal chamber music training to students during their school years is vital for fostering a lifelong commitment to the art, writes Graham Oppenheimer, senior chamber music tutor at Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester

NO HOLDS BARREDFor Amandine Beyer and her Gli Incogniti period ensemble, the string symphonies of C.P.E. Bach represented an opportunity to record difficult but exhilarating repertoire. Charlotte Gardner recalls attending the 2019 sessions, as the album nears its release following Covid-19 delays

FOR A sympathetic EARThe viola d’amore is undergoing a resurgence in popularity among early music groups, with a wealth of repertoire still to be rediscovered. Rachael Durkin tracks the development of this unique instrument, examining its many precursors along the way

THE LONG AND WINDING ROADThe development of the great violinists from fresh young artists to profound musical thinkers can be charted through their recorded interpretations. Nathaniel Vallois uses his time in lockdown to examine changes in the playing style of some of the best-known names

On the beatNews and events from around the world this month

NEW PRODUCTSA chinrest-only version of a system that claims to

Life lessonsAn encounter with her instrument’s human qualities was a turning point for the Japanese violist, who looks back over a long career

Innovative solutionsCremona’s Mondomusica trade fair, held annually in the Italian city, was unable to go ahead as planned this year due to coronavirus. Charlotte Smith attended the alternative Special Edition, and witnessed a host of creative ways to deal with the pandemic

IGINO SDERCIA close look at the work of great and unusual makers

TRADE SECRETSMakers reveal their special techniques

MY SPACEA peek into lutherie workshops around the world

All laid out in black and whiteStradivari’s method for laying out f-holes has long been a mystery. Torbjörn Zethelius reveals the method he believes the Cremonese master may have used, and how it can still be useful today

SAINT-SAËNS CELLO CONCERTO NO. 1In the first of two articles, Alban Gerhardt shows the importance of pulse, planning and precision in the first two movements of this underestimated Romantic concerto

Memory and mental practiceTechniques to help you learn music off by heart and protect against memory slips

RECORDINGSSOLO II

CONCERTSZLATOMIR FUNG (CELLO)

BOOKSHouse of Music: Raising the Kanneh-Masons

From the ARCHIVEA reader (and a master of the long sentence) pens a letter extolling the merits of British violins and makers, in contrast to the current trend for Italian instruments

IN THE NEXT ISSUEJean-Guihen Queyras

RAY CHENThe Preludio and Gavotte en Rondeau from Bach’s Violin Partita no.3 were the violinist’s key to the Sonatas and Partitas - and provide meaning in the depths of the Covid-19 pandemic