Sentimental Work News Today

We talk to South Korean violinist Bomsori about her Deutsche Grammophon deubt and being ‘addicted’ to pushing her limits

We mark the 70th birthday of British cellist Julian Lloyd Webber with a look back at his life and career

Bloch’s Prayer was the Israeli–American cellist’s entry to understanding Jewish music – and in fact provides a perfect example of ‘the Jewish sonata form’ Amit Peled: ‘We can do so much with a piece if we can channel our thoughts into emotions’ © Philip Bermingham In 1924 Ernest Bloch wrote three short pieces which he called ‘From Jewish Life’. The first of these, Prayer, was the first work I studied with the Russian cellist and tutor Boris Pergamenschikow when I began stud...

My Space looks behind the scenes in the workshop of Brazilian luthier Saulo Dantas-Barreto; and in  Making Matters Nelly Poidevin explains her new method of measuring and recording the characteristics of bows. We also bring you news of the latest products and auctions, plus our regular analysis and opinion columns, and comprehensive reviews of concerts, CDs and books. Simply go to the  current issue to explore the full content listing.  Read about Francesca Dego’s experiences of playi...

Recording ‘Never Give Up’ with Stéphane Denève and the Brussels Philharmonic © Universal Music Performing the world premiere of Fazil Say’s cello concerto ‘Never Give Up’ in 2016 was one of the most emotional experiences I’ve ever had as a cellist. It’s mentally and physically demanding, as well as truly inspiring and moving. The genesis of the project was in 2014 when I first met Fazil at the Victoires de la Musique awards and he mentioned that he’d like to write a concerto...

My Space looks behind the scenes in the workshop of Angers-based luthier Marcus Klimke; and in  Making Matters Ulf Kloo explains how to adjust the back thickness on an instrument that’s already been set up. We also bring you news of the latest products and auctions, plus our regular analysis and opinion columns, and comprehensive reviews of concerts, CDs and books. Simply go to the  current issue to explore the full content listing.  View more photos from the Royal Danish Opera’s pr...

Steven Isserlis As part of Kirill Gerstein Invites, a series - hosted by Kronberg Academy - in which the pianist Kirill Gerstein invites leading figures from the musical world to speak about a topic of their choice, the cellist Steven Isserlis is to give a talk on Wednesday 20 January at 5pm GMT about Beethoven’s five sonatas for piano and cello. The talk, which is free to join, can be accessed by registering here. On registration, an email with instructions on joining is sent automatically...

Maxim Vengerov © Uwe Arens Violinist Maxim Vengerov is launching his first website - www.maximvengerov.com - dedicated to music education. The online platform will enable Vengerov to share his expertise with students around the world. The goal, he says, is ’to support students, teachers and young performers affected by Covid-19, to offer a new way to democratise access to music learning, and to give young people new possibilities and a real reason to believe that music is and always will b...

Narek Hakhnazaryan © Marco Borggreve Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Theme has been with me almost since I started learning the cello. I was around six or seven when my father came home with a videotape of Yo-Yo Ma playing the piece with the Leningrad Philharmonic under Yuri Temirkanov. It was the first time I’d ever watched a performance like that – it was a special gala concert for the 150th anniversary of Tchaikovsky’s birth, with Itzhak Perlman and Jessye Norman also in atten...

2020-12-15T19:47:00+00:00 French cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras discusses recording Beethoven’s ‘Triple’ Concerto during the pandemic, and the value of working with his musical ‘family’ JEAN-GUIHEN QUEYRAS: The French cellist talks to Pauline Harding about socially distanced concerts, contemporary composers and his recording of Beethoven’s ‘Triple’ Concerto CT SCANNING THE ’MESSIAH’: In 2016 Stradivari’s best-known violin underwent a non-invasive examination. Francesco Pi...