Contents

VOL.134 ISSUE NO

1600

AUGUST 2023

24 COVER STORY Nicola Benedetti

46 Jacques Thibaud

4 THE STRAD AUGUST 2023

EDITOR’S LETTER 7 CONTRIBUTORS 8 SOUNDPOST 10

FEATURES

24

32

38

44

46

52

NICOLA BENEDETTI On the eve of her first season as director of the Edinburgh International Festival, the 36-year-old Scottish violinist talks to Rebecca Franks about her journey so far

MARINO CAPICCHIONI Lorenzo Frignani examines the life and instruments of one of the 20th century’s most idiosyncratic Italian makers, whose work still inspires the luthiers of today

CHANGE WITHIN STRING QUARTETS How can a group of just four musicians retain its individual sound when one member leaves? Peter Quantrill asks players from several quartets to find out

SESSION REPORT The Escher Quartet’s cellist talks to David Kettle about the group’s new album of Czech music, combining Janáček’s quartets with the second by Pavel Haas

JACQUES THIBAUD Tully Potter marks the 70th anniversary of the influential French violinist’s death with a retrospective look at his life and legacy to the string world

STRADIVARI’S GROUND What did the master luthier use as the preparation layer prior to varnishing? Giacomo Fiocco presents the results of an investigation into the age-old question www.thestrad.com