It's coming around to that time when the subscription's due on the Strad magazine, produced here in the UK, and I wondered if the Strings magazine produced in the States was more relevant to us fiddle players.
I know that publications such as Irish Music Magazine, or The Living Tradition are specialists in traditional music, and I find the Journal Of Music in Ireland to be a little highbrow, but I wondered if people enjoyed the features and articles in Strings?
It's nice to sometimes look at and read about the exotica that you can't afford. Anyone ever played Jenny's Welcome To Charlie on a Strad?
“Anyone ever played Jenny's Welcome To Charlie on a Strad?”
No, but I once played Morrison’s Jig on a Strat.
I wasn’t aware of Fiddler. Will have to check it out.
I read an interview with Martin Hayes somewhere (might have been Fiddler Magazine) that he once got to play some of the violins in the collection at the Library of Congress (I think that's where it was). That included an Amati--not sure about a Strad or Guarneri. Bet it sounded good.
Tom Sparks brought an IU School of Music-owned Amati to a pub session one time and was passing it around letting other fiddlers try it. Half of them didn't want to hand it back and the other half were scared to touch it. Me, I was busy setting up my alibi so I could claim I was elsewhere when Tom got mugged...
Strings is ok..they try to have a cross section of appeal...usually have a bio, a whats happening...some sort of techie article, some interviews...actually most recently had an article suggesting that Stradovarius was first and foremost a well trained cabinetmaker...stuff like that...The Strad seems to not take the fiddler into much account, and for that reason, I like Strings...Fiddler Magazine is pretty good and printed on nice paper
yes,i think strad magazine is more for a classical audience.
i have n't played a reel on a strad but i did have a go on my mate's very classy old french violin and i found it hard going,oddly enough.
i know fiddles are there to be used but i'ld be wary of taking an amati to a pub!
well,the pubs i used to frequent,anyway...
UK based, but can be subscribed from overseas.
Wide ranging but probably more about Sottish music than other styles.
About GBP9.00 for 6 issues over two years.
I’ve never played a Strad but my cello teacher once let me play his Guarneri cello. It practically played itself in terms of responsiveness, but I had to learn about a whole new world of tone production to get the best out of it - which may go some little way to explaining Ursus’s comment about a classy old French fiddle being hard going. I suspect that when you come to an instrument of that calibre for the first time it’s a bit like the ordinary family car driver being given a chance to drive a Ferrari – he quickly discovers that he needs retraining at a new level.
There are only about 600 Strad fiddles around now (about half of his output), some of which are in museums and never get played (in case they get a minute scratch on them!), or, more sensibly, are owned by the big music colleges (as they do with other big violin names) and are loaned out to suitable post-grads entering on a soloist career. Others are in private hands and presumably get played regularly, while others are in private collections – probably a worse situation than being in a museum. Which doesn’t leave all that many being privately owned by playing professionals.
The good news is that tomorrow’s “Strads” are being made today by the best luthiers, at prices which aren’t ridiculous (otherwise said luthiers would soon be out of business), but, as with the 17/18c instruments, the tone takes time to mature.
Don’t forget that Stradivari and his contemporaries were jobbing craftsmen making a living by making good instruments at prices that people around them could afford. They could have had no inkling that 300 years later their instruments would be priced at a level available only to the extremely rich.
BTW, top quality 18c instruments were much more accessible to the ordinary musician up to the end of the first half of the 20th century (my cello teacher’s generation), and then they started to disappear into investors' private collections
Well-made violins really are worth the investment; five years ago I sold my $175 college fiddle for $4500. The violin I replaced it has already appreciated 50%. Both these fiddles were new when I bought them.
I agree with Trevor about playing top quality instruments for the first time.
I've played (not owned) three top-quality violins (Guarnarius del Gisu, Lupot, Klotz) in my lifetime - make no mistake - they are *totally* unforgiving.
One striking quality of a top violin is how relatively quiet it sounds when you play it, but its power of tonal projection is amazing. Quite the reverse of the powerful-sounding instruments which don't carry much at all.
I used to get the Strad mag, but stopped a while back in favour of 'Frets' (now defunct, but covering fiddles too). Used to get 'Irish Music', but stopped that too. 'Strings' is probably the most comprehensive, I reckon.
A tip I heard a while ago from a professional viola player on tv about buying a top-quality modern instrument is to select a modern luthier with a high reputation, but who is also getting on in years, and buy one of his output. Because, when he is no longer around you can be sure as God made little green apples that the value of the instruments he made during his lifetime will rocket.
Violin Magazines
Violin Magazines
It's coming around to that time when the subscription's due on the Strad magazine, produced here in the UK, and I wondered if the Strings magazine produced in the States was more relevant to us fiddle players.
I know that publications such as Irish Music Magazine, or The Living Tradition are specialists in traditional music, and I find the Journal Of Music in Ireland to be a little highbrow, but I wondered if people enjoyed the features and articles in Strings?
It's nice to sometimes look at and read about the exotica that you can't afford. Anyone ever played Jenny's Welcome To Charlie on a Strad?
# Posted on October 14th 2005 by riverrunner
Re: Violin Magazines
I've never read Strings magazine but I have subscribed to and enjoyed Fiddler Magazine.
Mary
# Posted on October 14th 2005 by Antikhntr
Re: Violin Magazines
Hi
Again, I've not read the Strad but always thought of it as classically orientated. I subscribe to Fiddle On and find it more relevant though compact.
Been to any gigs lately?
Caroline
# Posted on October 14th 2005 by Caraaz
Re: Violin Magazines
I think you're right Caroline - Fiddle On is much more focussed on "fiddles" as opposed to "violins".
# Posted on October 14th 2005 by Mark Harmer
Re: Violin Magazines
“Anyone ever played Jenny's Welcome To Charlie on a Strad?”
No, but I once played Morrison’s Jig on a Strat.
I wasn’t aware of Fiddler. Will have to check it out.
# Posted on October 14th 2005 by Bob himself
Re: Violin Magazines
I read an interview with Martin Hayes somewhere (might have been Fiddler Magazine) that he once got to play some of the violins in the collection at the Library of Congress (I think that's where it was). That included an Amati--not sure about a Strad or Guarneri. Bet it sounded good.
# Posted on October 14th 2005 by Will Harmon
Re: Violin Magazines
Tom Sparks brought an IU School of Music-owned Amati to a pub session one time and was passing it around letting other fiddlers try it. Half of them didn't want to hand it back and the other half were scared to touch it. Me, I was busy setting up my alibi so I could claim I was elsewhere when Tom got mugged...
# Posted on October 14th 2005 by coyotebanjo
Re: Violin Magazines
Strings is ok..they try to have a cross section of appeal...usually have a bio, a whats happening...some sort of techie article, some interviews...actually most recently had an article suggesting that Stradovarius was first and foremost a well trained cabinetmaker...stuff like that...The Strad seems to not take the fiddler into much account, and for that reason, I like Strings...Fiddler Magazine is pretty good and printed on nice paper
http://www.fiddle.com/index.htm
# Posted on October 14th 2005 by Sunnybear
Not too mad for strad
yes,i think strad magazine is more for a classical audience.
i have n't played a reel on a strad but i did have a go on my mate's very classy old french violin and i found it hard going,oddly enough.
i know fiddles are there to be used but i'ld be wary of taking an amati to a pub!
well,the pubs i used to frequent,anyway...
# Posted on October 15th 2005 by biggus dave
Re: Violin Magazines
UK based, but can be subscribed from overseas.
Wide ranging but probably more about Sottish music than other styles.
About GBP9.00 for 6 issues over two years.
http://www.fiddleon.co.uk/
# Posted on October 15th 2005 by TomB-R
Re: Violin Magazines
I’ve never played a Strad but my cello teacher once let me play his Guarneri cello. It practically played itself in terms of responsiveness, but I had to learn about a whole new world of tone production to get the best out of it - which may go some little way to explaining Ursus’s comment about a classy old French fiddle being hard going. I suspect that when you come to an instrument of that calibre for the first time it’s a bit like the ordinary family car driver being given a chance to drive a Ferrari – he quickly discovers that he needs retraining at a new level.
There are only about 600 Strad fiddles around now (about half of his output), some of which are in museums and never get played (in case they get a minute scratch on them!), or, more sensibly, are owned by the big music colleges (as they do with other big violin names) and are loaned out to suitable post-grads entering on a soloist career. Others are in private hands and presumably get played regularly, while others are in private collections – probably a worse situation than being in a museum. Which doesn’t leave all that many being privately owned by playing professionals.
The good news is that tomorrow’s “Strads” are being made today by the best luthiers, at prices which aren’t ridiculous (otherwise said luthiers would soon be out of business), but, as with the 17/18c instruments, the tone takes time to mature.
Don’t forget that Stradivari and his contemporaries were jobbing craftsmen making a living by making good instruments at prices that people around them could afford. They could have had no inkling that 300 years later their instruments would be priced at a level available only to the extremely rich.
BTW, top quality 18c instruments were much more accessible to the ordinary musician up to the end of the first half of the 20th century (my cello teacher’s generation), and then they started to disappear into investors' private collections
Trevor
# Posted on October 15th 2005 by Trevor Jennings
Re: Violin Magazines
Well-made violins really are worth the investment; five years ago I sold my $175 college fiddle for $4500. The violin I replaced it has already appreciated 50%. Both these fiddles were new when I bought them.
# Posted on October 15th 2005 by dmarie
Re: Violin Magazines
I agree with Trevor about playing top quality instruments for the first time.
I've played (not owned) three top-quality violins (Guarnarius del Gisu, Lupot, Klotz) in my lifetime - make no mistake - they are *totally* unforgiving.
One striking quality of a top violin is how relatively quiet it sounds when you play it, but its power of tonal projection is amazing. Quite the reverse of the powerful-sounding instruments which don't carry much at all.
I used to get the Strad mag, but stopped a while back in favour of 'Frets' (now defunct, but covering fiddles too). Used to get 'Irish Music', but stopped that too. 'Strings' is probably the most comprehensive, I reckon.
Jim
# Posted on October 15th 2005 by Worldfiddler
Re: Violin Magazines
A tip I heard a while ago from a professional viola player on tv about buying a top-quality modern instrument is to select a modern luthier with a high reputation, but who is also getting on in years, and buy one of his output. Because, when he is no longer around you can be sure as God made little green apples that the value of the instruments he made during his lifetime will rocket.
Trevor
# Posted on October 15th 2005 by Trevor Jennings
Re: Violin Magazines
Jim, I believe Martin Hayes is playing a 18 century Klotz - or was when I last saw him in Bristol last year. Gorgeous sound, just right for MH.
Trevor
# Posted on October 15th 2005 by Trevor Jennings