Join us at the Akustika Fair at the Nuremberg Exhibition Centre from April 4-6 Meet The Strad team at stand F08 and pick up a free copy of the magazine The Strad Directory Jobs By 2025-03-14T09:38:25.82+00:00 Andrew Dipper reviews Bruce Babbitt and Brandon Godman’s latest book on the ‘Musikwinkel’ of eastern Germany which became one of the world’s great heartlands of instrument making in the 19th century Artistic Violins and Bows: The Music Region of Markneukirchen and Schönbach This major book is a record of an exhibited collection of violins curated by Bruce Babbitt and Brandon Godman held in Indianapolis from 17 to 22 November during the Violin Society of America’s 50th convention Babbitt is well known in the violin trade and this publication has brought together his profound study of the violins and violin bows produced in the 19th and 20th centuries by Markneukirchen and Schönbach luthiers He has illustrated the commercial realities and artistic sentiments that rendered the production of high-quality instruments a possibility The historical violin trade in the so-called Musikwinkel and its importance in the mass production of all kinds of musical instruments is covered in fine detail a table of contents and an alphabetical list of the illustrated instruments These essential preliminaries and index are followed by examples of violins and bows supported by four detailed and accurate articles in English curator of stringed instruments at the National Music Museum SD; Gerald Pfretzschner of the famous musical instrument-making lineage; and Brandon Godman These articles support the importance of the international trade in violins exemplified by this unique region of Germany Its complexities and historical roots are explained from various angles which help in the appraisal and appreciation of a usually neglected but significantly important sector of the history of violin making The examples are illustrated by full-page colour plates of the standard three views of the instruments: front The photos of the violins are by Nathan Tolzmann and the bows by the American bow maker Rodney Mohr The book traces much of the development of the violins and bows to the relationship between the master luthiers the German violin export companies and their foreign agents who organised the warehouses for the distribution of the violins and the eventual relationships with the music merchants and the advertising This aspect of the trade is illustrated by full-page colour photos of rare advertising ephemera Read: Markneukirchen: The rise and fall of Germany’s first violin factory Read: Making its mark: How violin making began in Markneukirchen, Germany Read: Freehand carving: identifying historical violins from Markneukirchen The book also covers the history of the imitation of instruments of the great Italian makers which began around 1866 and immediately gained great success with some instruments being misattributed as the real thing and realising high prices in foreign marketplaces The production volume of the highest-quality instruments from the master makers of Markneukirchen is thought to have reached around 800 to 1,000 annually and it is these master instruments and their correct identification that this book attempts to define cello and bass bows made in Markneukirchen workshops bore the brand stamps of the dealers who sold them the famous luthier families developed the trade and stamped their bows with a personal brand they inserted specially designed labelling Arian Sheets’s analysis of the Musikwinkel and the guild system of Markneukirchen with its Wanderschaft system is very clearly written and helps to explain the continuity of excellence of the German commercial model and the violins that it produced This relationship between musicians and their Markneukirchen instruments is a subject that is nicely covered by Brandon Godman The book contains a bibliography and other footnotes that enable those interested to research the complexities of the subject in further detail The book is completed by an index of pseudonyms of the Markneukirchen makers and a pertinent bibliography of Vogtland violin making by Enrico Weller This very appreciated publication brings into renewed focus the ancient familial relationships that were so fundamental in the production of fine violins in the area The workshops of Markneukirchen and its environs made thousands of violins per year – but many were crafted by true artisans Bruce Babbitt explains how these violins became the basis for a new book and exhibition charting their evolution and with an amazingly relaxed approach to performing the Canadian virtuoso charms Michael Quinn in this archive interview from The Strad’s November 2007 issue  The somewhat irascible Belgian cellist Ernest de Munck is remembered by his student Dora Petherick US correspondent Thomas May attends a boldy engaging interpretation of Vivaldi’s inescapable classic featuring Seattle Symphony associate concertmaster Helen Kim at Benaroya Hall on 1 May 2025 An album to seduce and thrill in equal measure A crack ensemble proves its mettle in highly varied fare Site powered by Webvision Cloud There are a large number of violin makers who started out in Markneukirchen found more favourable ground for their development in other cities and achieved honour Violins being made there now meet strict requirements of performance and tone you don’t have to look too far in Markneukirchen until you find a master who can build it for you… Already subscribed? Please sign in We’re delighted that you are enjoying our website you can try an online subscription to The Strad completely free of charge Sign up now to read this article in full and you’ll also receive unlimited access to premium online content including the digital edition and online archive for 7 days Free trial No strings attached – we won’t ask for your card details To enjoy the best in-depth features and analysis from The Strad’s latest and past issues You’ll also enjoy regular issues and special supplements* and access to an online archive of issues back to 2010 Subscribe * Issues and supplements are available as both print and digital editions Online subscribers will only receive access to the digital versions This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page By 2024-11-19T02:47:00+00:00 lectures and demonstrations were all in evidence on the first day of proceedings A small sample of the instruments from the Vogtland region on display at the convention Read more news stories here the Violin Society of America (VSA) has pulled out all the stops to make this year’s event the biggest and best there’s ever been Taking place throughout this week at the Marriott Downtown Hotel in Indianapolis the convention is happening alongside the VSA’s 25th biennial International Violin Making Competition which attracts instruments by luthiers from all over the world To put it into numbers: this year 39 presenters are giving talks and presentations while another 12 will give demonstrations of various parts of the instrument-making process The ‘New Instrument Exhibit’ brings together work by more than 80 makers – double the number from last year over 600 instruments and bows are being examined by more than 40 judges (21 luthiers and archetiers assessing their ‘artisanship’ and the same number of players gauging their tone quality) There are also two separate exhibitions of old instruments the ‘Rare Instrument Exhibit’ hosting works by members of the Amati family while the other is filled with dozens of instruments from the Vogtland region of eastern Germany As for the number of attendees: the main hall has seats for 400 delegates ‘We’re expecting most people to come near the end of the week,’ said Kristin Siegfried Ballenger president and co-chair of the Programming Committee the competition instruments are with the judges The first session of the day was presented by Bruce Babbitt and Brandon Godman and revolved around the Vogtland instruments which mainly came from the towns of Markneukirchen and Schönbach It was designed to be an introduction to the exhibition on the floor above as well as to the VSA’s recently published book The Music Region of Markneukirchen and Schönbach Babbitt explained the social and historical context of the Vogtland region’s making traditions (where around 40 towns and villages were all involved in the instrument making industry) and the role of women in the working environment One striking photo showed a woman carrying 18 white instruments on her back by means of a wooden rack; we learned that she would carry them from Schönbach The rack is still on display at Markneukirchen’s museum The lady on the left is carrying 18 unvarnished instruments on her back by means of the rack shown in the middle picture This was followed by a presentation by Arian Sheets of the National Music Museum in Vermillion which filled in even more details of the Vogtland region We learnt several tricks of the trade from the 18th and 19th centuries; for instance that makers would cut corners (literally) by putting in a ‘fake’ corner-block inside the lower bouts This was in case anyone ever looked through the f-holes to see if there was a block there They would classify instruments for export as ‘toys’ on the basis that import tariffs on toys were much less than those for other handicrafts Instruments were often sold in the US as ‘Russian models’ (with rounded corners) or ‘Turkish models’ (with flame-shaped f-holes) – in fact And US dealers would make up fancy-sounding names such as ‘Carlo Alberi’ and ‘Salvatore de Durro’ to sell instruments from the same area A Vogtland violin with missing corner-blocks in the upper corners This was followed by a demonstration of works in the New Instrument Exhibit Musicians from the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra played on the exhibited instruments just to give a flavour of their tone quality One of the most interesting violins to be showcased in this way was made by Andrew Carruthers; called his Silver Leaf Fiddle followed by sulphurated potash to make it tarnish It was then left out in the sun for a few minutes to give it its final colour Andrew Carruthers gave one of the afternoon’s presentations on his ‘explorations in the aesthetics of violin finishes’ In the past few years he has been making what her terms ‘Off-Beat Violins’ inspired by patterns found in the natural world; here he focused only on the finishing of said instruments Andrew Carruthers’ ‘Silver Leaf Fiddle’ on display at the New Instrument Exhibit Other presentations in the afternoon came from Dmitry Tarakanov who gave a history of acoustic research in the Soviet Union He cleverly drew a comparison with the work of the VSA over the past 50 years: ‘Can you imagine people in the Soviet Union coming together for 50 years inspiring each other at places like this convention Or violin making competitions where you could compare your success with others All the makers were working in isolation and secrecy.’ Read: Violin and bow makers honoured at 2022 VSA Violin Making Competition Read: Raising the bar: Bass-bar experiments Read: Copying a Montagnana cello: The Full Monty acoustician Luca Jost presented an analysis of how the height of a violin’s back arch might influence its acoustic properties using the same techniques and wood from the same tree Their acoustic properties were then examined ‘Evaluation of finished instruments’ - slide from Luca Jost’s presentation the convention enjoyed a fairly intensive first day One other dimension to the proceedings is the vendor room giving away copies of the November issue and offering a 10 per cent discount on subscriptions for all attendees So for anyone thinking of coming along to the convention which runs until Friday: please visit The Strad’s stand and meet the team  Read more news stories here most with actual-size photos depicting every nuance of the instrument Our posters are used by luthiers across the world as models for their own instruments thanks to the detailed outlines and measurements on the back The number one source for a range of books covering making and stringed instruments with commentaries from today’s top instrument experts The Canada Council of the Arts’ Musical Instrument Bank is 40 years old in 2025 This year’s calendar celebrates some its treasures including four instruments by Antonio Stradivari and priceless works by Montagnana The winner of the 2021 Windsor Festival International String Competition shares how personal tragedy emphasises his connection Bloch’s Baal Shem A pioneering Turkish violinist who performed widely around the world and whose career spanned many decades has died at the age of 90 Conductor Leonard Slatkin shares what to expect following the first round of an orchestral audition Our May 2025 cover star describes the instrument as the ‘most extraordinary Strad’ he has played on Our April 2025 issue cover artist discusses her bow and instruments Colin Gough and Jim Woodhouse share their memories of the well-regarded British luthier and acoustician Guinness World Records - World's Largest Violin this ginormous instrument is the largest playable violin in the whole world.. Musicians across the world have set and broken all kinds of Guinness World Records over the years, including the ‘lowest vocal note sung by a human’, and ‘longest melody played by a model train’ But one feat that stands tall above the rest (14 feet, to be exact) is the world’s biggest violin this gigantic string instrument was made in 2010 by 15 different luthiers in Markneukirchen a notable instrument-maker region in Germany it takes three people to play it due to its dimensions: two on each end of the 5.22-metre bow and one to press down on the strings (via a step-ladder) Have a listen to its ground-shakingly low sound below.. Read more: Tiny model train plays huge 2,840-note classical music medley with breathtaking accuracy World's Largest Violin -- Exclusive Shoot While there are bigger violin statues and models out there such as the 40-metre tall ‘fiddle’ which welcomes tourists into the port of Sydney in Nova Scotia the Markneukirchen holds the Guinness World Record (GWR) for size due to its playability The violin was the brainchild of master luthier The historically musical town of Markneukirchen celebrated its 650th anniversary in 2010 and to mark this milestone Seidl decided to create the world’s largest violin with some of his colleagues The team of string makers were presented with the Guinness World Record in 2011 the team were invited to the records headquarters in London to demonstrate their instrument that same year The instrument sounds three octaves lower than your standard violin and even had its own concerto written for it; the ‘Rhapsody for Giant Violin and Orchestra’ no instrument makers have managed to break the impressive record that the Markneukirchen team set with their giant violin You can see the violin for yourself in the Musical Instrument Museum in Markneukirchen which houses over 3,100 instruments from around the world Discover Music Ravel Einaudi Events See more Best classical music See more Classic FM Live Playlists See more Latest news Paderewski Classic FM Hall of Fame See more Latest videos Allegri Lesley Garrett founder of the great American guitar firm C was the son of a cabinetmaker in Markneukirchen Martin learned to build instruments from the famed Johann Georg Stauffer in Vienna Due to the restrictive guilds in Markneukirchen settling first in New York City and later moving to Nazareth Martin encountered the Spanish-style guitar and incorporated elements from that tradition into his own Viennese style of instrument construction a style that would become important as a basis for other American makers of the instrument This exhibition includes approximately thirty-five instruments from the Martin Museum in Nazareth The exhibition is made possible by The Martin Guitar Company Read related blog posts on Of Note Bassist Nick Schendzielos updates fans: “Mayhem was absolutely phenomenal We want to send out a huge thanks – from the massive rabidly energetic crowds every single day (despite the heat!) to John Reese and his amazing production staff and to all the killer bands and crew we were fortunate enough to party/share the stage with Now it’s time to get knee deep in riff-land to start composing our next full length record which will be coming out in 2014 We have a really exciting concept for the record and we can’t wait to share it with you guys Make sure to check out and subscribe to Schendzielos’s zany bass-centric youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/Bassfordays We here at Framus & Warwick have an exciting fall season ahead of us Our Warwick Bass Camp 2013 in cooperation with Gitarre & Bass Magazine starting from September 2 2013 isn’t the only one-of-a-kind event taking place at the headquarters of the German guitar and bass manufacturer – the fun continues directly afterwards with Warwick’s Open Day on September 7 What would you do for the chance to meet more than 40 of the best bass players in the world today Our Open Day 2013 will make what seems like a dream reality this year’s Framus & Warwick Open Day will be all about the large crowd of international bass superstars who will be joining us here in Markneukirchen It’s plain to see that the list of big-name pros who will be here with us reads like a Who’s Who of the international music scene And that is not all – all artists will be on hand for 90-minute group Meet & Greets during the entire day All artists and Meet & Greet dates are listed on the following pages No doubt about it – all bass lovers are in for a one-of-a-kind opportunity they can’t afford to miss Our Open Day 2013 takes place on the Framus & Warwick factory grounds on September 7 and all of our guests can look forward to an event they will be remembering for years to come For more information, visit facebook.com/warwickframus Buy iTunes Artist Page Artist News © 2023 Metal Blade Records, Inc.Privacy Policy (function (w,d) {var loader = function () {var s = d.createElement("script") tag = d.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.src="https://cdn.iubenda.com/iubenda.js"; tag.parentNode.insertBefore(s,tag);}; if(w.addEventListener){w.addEventListener("load" false);}else if(w.attachEvent){w.attachEvent("onload" loader);}else{w.onload = loader;}})(window In this extract, Enrico Weller and William Wisehart analyse trademark features of violins from the southern Saxony instrument-making town Figure 2 Detail of an open violin by Johann Gottfried Hamm The following is an extract from the article ’Making its mark: How violin making began in Markneukirchen, Germany’. To read the full article, click here Markneukirchen maker Ekkard Seidl has documented some 250 historical instruments from the area He has also used dendrochronology to date the instrument top plates and has identified wood used in violins of different makers which came from the same tree. All this research and the handed-down maker traditions in Markneukirchen bears witness to violin making methods that may surprise makers elsewhere The ribs were set up with a freehand method called frei aufschachteln No mould was used and the work was often done without corner-blocks The neck and upper block were one single piece of wood. Figure 2 shows an open violin made by Johann Gottfried Hamm (1744–1817): the ribs are inserted directly into the neck and anchored there with small wooden wedges The neck clearly extends into the violin body and is glued on to a ‘plateau’ carved up out of the bottom plate Traces of the tools used on the ribs are still visible.  between the button and the fingerboard are very characteristic of Markneukirchen violins The style of the f-holes can be best seen in the Glaesel violin in figure 3: note the bevelling on the wings The lower saddle was often larger than on modern violins and it protruded right into the ribs and table The purfling was sometimes inlaid and sometimes painted in in high-quality instruments just as much as in lesser ones the bass-bar was carved right into the violin belly Figure 3 F-hole of a1799 violin by Carl Wilhelm Glaesel Markneukirchen luthiers were aware of other schools of violin making for according to guild rules, all journeymen were expected to work for master makers in other areas before settling down and becoming master tradesmen themselves and some chose to spend time in countries far away from home. Even in recent years apprentices have continued to be taught the traditional methods alongside the use of moulds and other techniques which are now in common use Read: Cutting corner blocks: inside the Markneukirchen violin factory Read: Markneukirchen merging: linking the Herrmann and Knopf bow making families Andrew Dipper reviews Bruce Babbitt and Brandon Godman’s latest book on the ‘Musikwinkel’ of eastern Germany which became one of the world’s great heartlands of instrument making in the 19th century Gennady Filimonov continues his survey of the great 20th-century German bow makers with a look at the Weidhaas–Finkel dynasty which now boasts five generations in the profession Andrew Byun receives a host of prizes including £5,000 and performance opportunities In this extract from the August 2021 issue Gennady Filimonov introduces the Herrmann family of bow makers and their close connections with their contemporaries the Knopfs Several bows by Lothar Herrmann (1914–87) are branded ‘HERRMANN–KNOPF’ In the 19th century, the German city of Markneukirchen was one of the global centres of bow making. It is understandable, then, that the people involved in the industry there might come together and their family lines might merge. While researching my article for The Strad on the Knopf family of bow makers (‘A tangled web’, June 2021) I repeatedly came across links with the Herrmann family of bow makers Not only is the dynasty contemporaneous with the Knopfs it actually lasted for longer; for while the Knopf dynasty ended with the demise of Henry R the Herrmanns continued making bows until the last surviving bow maker The Herrmanns’ bow making style is also linked to that of the Knopfs – not least because the family members worked together in the same shop which frequently did business with Nikolai Kittel in Russia with the marriage of Christian Friedrich Herrmann to Carolina Wilhelmine Knopf in 1861 One might even call the subsequent line the ‘Herrmann–Knopf dynasty’ of bow makers the Herrmann dynasty can be traced back at least six generations in Saxony’s Vogtland region to Johann Gottfried Herrmann He may have been born around 1740 and is named as its first bow maker This is commemorated in the first Herrmann family monogram which can be found on several of the family’s bows it is still uncertain whether he made any bows his occupation is given as ‘Master shoemaker’ and the date of his death as 1 January 1817 Since craftsmen such as Johann Gottlob Knopf (1731–86) turned to bow making as the industry in Markneukirchen flourished it could be hypothesised that Johann Gottfried Herrmann did the same Unfortunately documentary evidence of his birth or his activities as a bow maker have so far yet to be found Perhaps further search in the church registers in Markneukirchen might yield results started out as a musician and carpenter/cabinet maker He immigrated to the region from Bavaria and then devoted himself entirely to bow making His granddaughter Eva Margarethe Strötz married Christian Gottlieb Herrmann (1783–1845) He later joined Markneukirchen’s city gendarmerie both of whom became bow makers: Heinrich Wilhelm (1807–48) and Christian Friedrich (1819–96) Wilhelm enjoyed an excellent reputation as a bow maker in Markneukirchen and later in Landwüst although unfortunately his bows were only occasionally signed as his clients requested unsigned deliveries On 19 November 1831 he married Christiana Wilhelmina Kretzschmann from Markneukirchen who became a bow maker in the family tradition Friedrich learnt bow making in the workshop of Christian Wilhelm Knopf and worked for a long time with his future father-in-law Karl Wilhelm Knopf and brother-in-law Heinrich Knopf Friedrich was one of the principal collaborators along with Heinrich and other members of the Knopf family Ludwig Bausch and Charles Bruno in New York The Herrmann–Knopf family connection undoubtedly helped to combine their mastery and expertise which proved beneficial to the quality of their bows Friedrich briefly worked independently in Schönlind and oral tradition from his contemporaries he was a superb bow maker whose bows were highly valued Friedrich fell in love with Heinrich Knopf’s sister Carolina Wilhelmine (1832–1917) two of the oldest bow making dynasties in Markneukirchen merged The marriage produced three sons: Friedrich August (1863–1945) Karel Ludwig (1866–1945) and Franz Albert (1868–1960) All were born into the Knopf family workshop in Markneukirchen and all three followed the family tradition of bow making Church records indicate that many successful local artisans were godparents to Herrmann–Knopf children including bow makers Ludwig Bausch and Franz Albert Nürnberger Sr; luthier Edward Prager; guitar makers Ernst Ferdinand Fischer and Heinrich August Kepler; and instrument maker August Wilhelm Eschenbach Read: Herrmann bow making dynasty: An enduring legacy Read: Knopf dynasty: A tangled web Read: Unsung masters from America’s ‘first school’ of bow making The British bow maker James Tubbs was born 190 years ago this month work and legacy to the bow making community From a formative guild of emigrés to world-conquering mass production few places have as colourful a lutherie story to tell as Markneukirchen Enrico Weller and William Wisehart assess the history and distinctive character of violin making in this corner of southern Saxony released an edict establishing a new guild for luthiers in a small town on the border of his domain In endeavouring to redevelop a dukedom depopulated several decades earlier by the violence of the Thirty Years War and repeated outbreaks of plague he was addressing a question which has become urgently contemporary: how can political refugees be turned into valuable assets of the society that is their new home which was made in the last quarter of the 17th century by Johann Adam Pöpel closes an important collection gap in the museum The Markneukirchen Instrument Museum in eastern Germany has acquired a rare viola Made by Johann Adam Pöpel in the last quarter of the 17th century it is one of the oldest known from the period of Vogtland musical instrument making which was launched by 12 masters in 1677 (only three instruments from the workshops of the movement’s founding members have been preserved) And it’s particularly significant for the museum which has no other assets from that period in the local instrument making tradition.  which was purchased with the help of a generous grant from the Saxon State Office for Museums will be ceremoniously handed over at an event marking the Markneukirchen Museum’s 136th anniversary on 24th February with musical performances as well as speeches from master violin maker Ekkard Seidl and historian Dr Enrico Weller who specialises in the musical traditions of Markneukirchen Portuguese double bassist José Trigo took first prize of €7,000 plus a future concert engagement Cellist Amber Den Exter is receiving treatment following a car crash last month in Houston which resulted in serious spinal injuries and paralysis 38 violists under the age of 30 have been selected to produce a video recital for the chance to progress to the competition’s live rounds in November Anna Boysen Lauritsen takes up the role of director while founder Jacob Shaw steps aside into the role of artistic director Seven young cellists will compete for a place in the final Dutch-Swiss cellist Anton Spronk is one of seven in the Markneukirchen Cello Competition semifinal roundPhoto ©Sarah Wijzenbeek The International Instrumental Competition Markneukirchen has announced the semi-finalists for its 2019 cello competition The competition’s first prize winner takes €7,000 in cash as well as a BAM cello case and concert engagement with Chursächsischen Philharmonie Bad Elster.  With Markneukirchen being the centre of German instrument making there is also a new bow by a local master bowmaker on offer for the winner of the audience prize Dutch cellist Anton Spronk takes the Turin event’s first prize Japanese 21-year-old wins €10,000 cash prize plus a number of performance invitations Portuguese double bassist José Trigo took first prize of €7,000 plus a future concert engagement Read more news stories here The final round of the Markneukirchen International Competition for the double bass discipline was held on Thursday 11 May 2023 at the Markneukirchen Music Hall where three double bass finalists presented a concerto performance to a nine-member international jury Each contestant performed Bottesini Concerto for Double Bass no.1 in F-sharp minor accompanied by the Clara-Schumann Philharmonic conducted by Leo Siberski First prize was awarded to 25-year-old Portuguese double bassist José Trigo who receives €7,000 donated by the Cultural Foundation of the Free State of Saxony as well as a concert engagement with the Chursächsische Philharmonie of Bad Elster Trigo received his bachelor’s degree from the State University of Music and Performing Arts in Mannheim going on to pursue a master’s degree at the University of Music in Nuremburg with Dorin Marc He is currently a member of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra Previous competition successes for Trigo include victories at the Eixo Atlantico Galicia Graves and Sergey Koussevitzky International Competitions He won second prize at both the Bottesini International Competition and the J Listen: The Strad Podcast Episode #21: Leon Bosch on Bottesini Read: A walk through the Giovanni Bottesini exhibition Second prize of €5,000 went to 26-year-old Hong Yiu Thomas Lai from Hong Kong while 24-year-old Moritz Magnus Tunn took third prize of €3,500 All prizewinners receive a selection of strings The three double bassists will perform at the prizewinners’ concert on Saturday 13 May where Trigo will perform Bottesini Concerto no.1 again while Lai and Tunn will perform Schubert’s Arpeggione Sonata and Capriccio di bravura by Bottesini respectively The jury was chaired by Julius Berger and comprised Frithjof-Martin Grabner where four cello finalists will compete in this year’s cello category Read: String quartet candidates announced for 77th Concours de Genève Read: Great string players of the past: Gary Karr on Sergey Koussevitzky In The Best of Technique you’ll discover the top playing tips of the world’s leading string players and teachers It’s packed full of exercises for students plus examples from the standard repertoire to show you how to integrate the technique into your playing The Strad’s Masterclass series brings together the finest string players with some of the greatest string works ever written Masterclass has been an invaluable aid to aspiring soloists, chamber musicians and string teachers since the 1990s This year’s calendar celebrates the top instruments played by members of the Australian Chamber Orchestra Australian String Quartet and some of the country’s greatest soloists Austrian and Australian violinists took home the senior and junior category prizes respectively Eloise Riddell reviews Lorraine Chai’s two volumes of double bass theory books for younger students South Korean cellist Yeong-Kwang Lee takes first place in all-Schumann final Competition winner Yeong-Kwang Lee performing in the finalPhoto ©Peter Rihde The International Instrumental Competition Markneukirchen has announced the prize winners of its 2019 cello competition Each performed Schumann’s Cello Concerto with the Plauen-Zwickau Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Leo Siberski at the Musikhalle Markneukirchen Lee wins €7,000 in cash and concert engagement with Chursächsischen Philharmonie Bad Elster, as well as a BAM cello case Second and third prize win €5,000 and €3,500 respectively to be announced at the prize winner’s concert this evening and currently studies at the Hanns-Eisler Musik Hochschule with Troels Svane Previously he studied at the Korean National University of Arts having been admitted at the age of 15 under its Prodigy Programme to be taught by Myung-Hwa Chung and Hyungwon Chang comprised Yi-Bing Chu, Danjulo Ishizaka, Zdzisław Łapiński, Jelena Očić, Csaba Onczay and Marko Ylönen The three finalists with the juryPhoto ©Peter Rihde Australian Rachel Siu and South Korean Hayoung Lee share the senior category top prize We talk to violinist Arabella Steinbacher and investigate the work of Viennese luthier Franz Geissenhof and the makers of Markneukirchen There’s a look at concert music written by film composers and we ask top string players for the best advice they’ve ever had Plus a Saint-Saëns Masterclass and Frank Peter Zimmermann’s Sentimental Work To access the digital edition and archive of digital issues back to January 2010 you need to subscribe If you have a subscription sign in here Pauline Harding hears from the German violinist about her cathartic journey into the darkest depths and brightest heights of Lentz’s Violin Concerto its pairing with Beethoven on her latest recording and the impact of motherhood on music making Franz Geissenhof’s instruments have always been highly regarded but how far was he influenced by his Cremonese predecessor Rudolf Hopfner compares a typical Geissenhof violin with Stradivari’s work to find out Carlos María Solare joined the loyal audience at Heidelberg’s String Quartet Festival which celebrated both its 20th anniversary and the upcoming 90th birthday of composer Helmut Lachenmann Rita Fernandes presents a curated list of string works by ten composers best known for their screen work as well as interviews with composers and players Why double bass technique needs to be tailored to the physicality of the individual player Violinist Benjamin Beilman explores how to navigate the athletic virtuosity of a work that requires the soloist to have firm technical and musical command Sharon Que provides an innovative solution to a common – and tricky – repair problem Thanks to a doting uncle, a young Dolly Parton became a passionate fan of an itsy-bitsy Martin Guitar More than 100 years before Dolly began to strum her dreams to life 15-year-old Christian Frederick Martin (C.F Martin Sr.) was dreaming up some big ideas himself Martin knew he wanted to build musical instruments to become a student of Viennese violin and guitar maker Johann Stauffer branched off to start his own company in Europe he was ridiculed by the instrument-building community for being a mere cabinet-maker So he packed up his tools and played to the beat of his own twang in the United States he achieved it in a lasting legacy of the most famous acoustic guitar company which has endured more than 180 years and six generations of Martins So how did a legendary Martin meet a star worthy Parton From the earliest days of Dolly’s childhood her Uncle Owens knew there was a major talent brewing in this pint-sized Tennessean Though there was always a banged-up instrument ready to be plucked around the Parton household Uncle Owens gifted Dolly her first real guitar Though they grew up in different countries—and over 4,400 miles apart—C.F and going against the grain to bring their tunes to the world You might say they marched to the beat of their own drum … or in this case guitars were originally constructed as petite and quiet instruments reserved for women playing parlor music Thanks to C.F.’s innovative X-bracing design he helped them grow in size and sound to ultimately take center stage There may be just six strings on your standard acoustic guitar but there are more than 300 intricate steps and a three-month process that goes into each and every Martin before it leaves the facilities One quote you will commonly hear while touring Martin Guitars: My coworkers make these jobs look effortless Martin’s operations had outgrown its small workshop and were in need of a new space found his business a new home—not only did the township have the space he needed to expand The company has stayed put for more than 180 years Terms & Conditions Contact Us We send out a few emails each week to a bunch of inboxes. They're not terribly bad looking and come with stories news and good stuff you’d likely want to know about (function($) {window.fnames = new Array(); window.ftypes = new Array();fnames[0]='EMAIL';ftypes[0]='email';fnames[1]='FNAME';ftypes[1]='text';fnames[2]='LNAME';ftypes[2]='text';fnames[3]='SIGNUP';ftypes[3]='text';fnames[4]='MMERGE4';ftypes[4]='text';fnames[5]='MMERGE5';ftypes[5]='text';fnames[6]='MMERGE6';ftypes[6]='text';fnames[7]='MMERGE7';ftypes[7]='text';}(jQuery));var $mcj = jQuery.noConflict(true); sales continued at the London auction houses in March Kevin MacDonald gives a tour of the highlights The online auctioneer’s full catalogue for the London-based auction will be released on 4 October German artisans create the world's biggest brass instrument — and more in our collection of strangely compelling feats crafted the world's largest functioning tuba — exactly double the dimensions of a normal tuba the jumbo tuba will travel to Frankfurt for its public debut at the 2013 Music Trade Fair From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com The instrumental virtuoso on his Schecter USA Custom Nick Johnston tells us about his yet-to-be-released signature Schecter from the cosy environs of the GuitCon event in Markneukirchen "This is the fourth iteration of my signature model from the Schecter custom shop Schecter’s interesting; they go back quite a way They started off as a parts replacement company and then they were bought by somebody abroad and they were tasked with making money That’s where the Diamond Deuce came from the Damiens and the Omens and the Hellraisers "I personally had no interest in those guitars and I didn’t think of myself as a metal guitar player so while I was a budding guitar player they weren’t on my radar That was until about five years ago when I found that they were still doing more traditional types of guitars in their Custom Shop The Custom Shop is very small - 40 to 50 pieces a month." "At the time I was playing Fender guitars and I wanted something where I could work with the company more closely Schecter became that relationship that I was hoping for and then they offered me a signature model and we produced my first signature guitar which is in a shade that I call Atomic Frost which when you get it under your mitts feels very We’ve completely done away with rosewood - not because rosewood is bad but because it’s presenting a problem for guitar companies and also I wanted something a bit different My name and logo is burnt into the back of the headstock We have a trust rod adjustment down at the bottom now and if I have to adjust my neck I don’t want to be stripping screws and it’s got these cool silver rings set into the ebony fretboard but they’ve got a licence to do that If you look closely at the guitar it’s got this checking I wanted something that felt vintage without being blatantly relic'd If you have that alien acid sweat (which I unfortunately do not have) I would love to be able to do that – I would love it." "These single-coil pickups are a signature set They have a lower output and they use formvar wiring That’s a very rare type of shielding on this wiring that Fender was using at one point and then Schecter bought all the remaining quantity of it and they’re using it for my pickups It’s adding an extra resistance to the pickups that gives them a different sweetness volume and five-way selection; everything looks real vintage It’s real simple and it should be in your collection "The strings I use are D’Addario NYXL I’ve been using D’Addarios since the beginning I’ve done a bunch of tours with them already and I just changed these today call it trust in the D’Addario brand Nick Johnston talks technique, gear, Guthrie and Gilbert "I also have a sweet strap I just started using last year It reminds me of an old blacksmith’s harness or whatever - makes me want to shoe some horses "That does it for the guitar; let’s move onto the amp I've been using a Mesa/Boogie amp for about three years or so so it handles everything I can throw at it Mesa/Boogie’s great because it’s like a boutique amp company but it’s got a backline pretty much everywhere They have distribution everywhere in the world And it’s great stuff; it’s all American-made "I usually plug straight in, but I might use a delay pedal like the MXR Carbon Copy I’ll use the MXR Reverb pedal by Jim Dunlop I’m thinking about using more pedals "I switched to a Stratocaster - I got a really good deal in the middle of the night for $120 - and then in 1972 Lowell George showed me his MXR compressor pedal”: Bonnie Raitt on how she developed her famous slide guitar style “The melodies work so well in this CGDGAD tuning I’ve absolutely fallen in love with this arrangement”: Magic Mike Dawes is at it again – he’s turned a Sleep Token track into a work of solo acoustic guitar genius "This is a guitar that proves affordability can still bring looks that stun": Gretsch G5230T Electromatic Sparkle Jet FT review I think there used to be a music store where Volunteers in Medicine is now at Ocean and Duval streets and its customers were more than just customers It was a place where cops drank a cup of coffee and wrote their reports It was a place where bluegrass musicians sat in a circle and had monthly jam sessions And it was a place whose customers ranged from preachers to attorneys to rockers who reached rock star status in such bands as Lynyrd Skynyrd and Molly Hatchet came from a long line of skilled German violin makers who bought the band’s first public address system there telling him in what proved to be an understatement “I think this boy is going to make it someday.” Paulus said the store carried everything needed in the music business “We treated everybody like family,” Paulus Paulus was in several smaller locations before buying the building at 41 E which was there for years before going out of business Paulus also had a teaching studio on Beach Boulevard Paulus added a new roof and a 10-ton air conditioner to his new downtown digs trombones and clarinets were housed on the right side of the big showroom with its terrazzo floors and high ceiling A staircase led up to a large mezzanine housed string instruments and rows and rows of sheet music Pianos were brought up via an hydraulic elevator in the shipping room The exterior of the white-painted building was noted for its signature awning and its distinctive 15-foot tall replica of a red bass violin Before the days of sheriff’s office stop stations Paulus set up a round table with an umbrella above it and invited officers in to do their paperwork and drink a cup of coffee “It was a very friendly atmosphere,” he said we never had an armed robbery while we were there.” occasionally someone would break a window and steal a guitar Paulus would move the amplifiers so the 20-plus musicians could sit in a big circle Their instruments sometimes included a gutbucket Sometimes spectators would come in to listen tap their toes and enjoy cold drinks that Paulus supplied and he and his crew would install the system Jean Paulus recalled that her husband kept a cardbox box filled with screws nuts and other spare parts that customers might need Sometimes they would spend 30 minutes looking for a particular item He was taught to make violins by his father who was taught by his father and who knows how many generations before that His father Horst was born in Markneukirchen a town known for making musical instruments he studied in Amsterdam under famous violin maker Horst Paulus settled in Chicago where he was employed as a repair man for a large music store Paulus said his father once repaired virtuoso Jascha Heifetz’s violin He was lured to Jacksonville in 1932 by the Jacksonville College of Music and the promise of steady employment He gathered his few tools and set up shop in a rented room over the Woolworth Building on Main Street His father also worked in Paulus’ store until he hit his 70s and decided to retire He said he doesn’t sell musical instruments anymore but uses his skills to do repairs and does a lot of work for the Duval County school system a nonprofit clinic that offers health care to the working uninsured Brass-lovers in Germany will be able to do just that when the abnormally large instrument is displayed as part of the 2013 music trade fair The world's largest playable tuba is set to be displayed as part of the Musikmesse festival in Frankfurt Measuring an impressive 2.05 metres and weighing in at 50kg the tuba is the world's largest playable brass instrument.At almost eight feet tall the giant tuba is exactly double the dimensions of its normal-sized counterparts Not only does a player need to be tall enough to reach the valves but they need to have the lung capacity to ensure air flows through the 50 metres of tubing to produce a sound.The record-holding instrument was created in 2010 by 20 different companies in Markneukirchen a town known for producing high-quality instruments a solo tuba player in the Dresden Philharmonic recorded the fastest ever performance of the Flight of the Bumblebee by Rimsky-Korsakov on the instrument.The tuba will be on display at Musikmesse It's not the first oversized instrument to feature at the musical trade fair; last year visitors were wowed by the world's largest violin Videos