Alban's Blog

Two very good questions of an Australian interviewer

Why do I write the blog?

I felt that we classical musicians have the tendencies to hide in our little ivory tower, expecting to play concerts which are attended by attentive audiences, but not wanting to deal with the audience directly. For me my blog is actually meant to reach people (I don’t know if it does) who are not really hooked to classical music (yet) and who may need a more personal approach to be drawn into it. By knowing a bit what’s going on in the mind of a traveling musician whom one might have seen on stage once or twice I hoped it could break down a bit the barrier and the distance between listener and performer.

I feel the ideal “performance”-situation is that the aura of the performer mixes with all the auras of the audience members. When that happens we have the typical performance situation which is sooo much better than any recording. In order to achieve this mix of auras I thought it might be helpful that the people know more about the artist on stage and come with an opener mind towards the musician on that podium. Do I use my blog for people to like me more? Maybe not “like-me, like-me!”, but to understand me or at least know where I am coming from. Since I have nothing to say as a musician (as one reviewer once put it) I thought I have to explain what I am doing with words 🙂

Why do I play in the cello section in the second half after doing a concerto?

My father is a member of Berlin Phil since 43 years now, and since I can think (since the beginning of time more or less) I have been going listening to this amazing orchestra – my first Wagner opera (Meistersinger) I slept through in Salzburg at the tender age of 4, and one of my punishments for not having done my homework at age of 9 was that I wasn’t allowed to go to listen to Bruckner No.4! My dream was while growing up to become a member of my father’s orchestra – and if this dream wouldn’t fulfill, any orchestra. When I joined the German Youth Orchestra at the age of 15 I was mesmorized by the beauty and intensity of playing in an orchestra – it was even better than what I imagined.
The older I got, the more my enthusiasm for music grew, the more I became opinionated, thought I knew how music should be interpreted and had fights with the conductors of the university orchestra during my studies (and during gigs I played as a student). I realized that I was too much of a rebel to become a good orchestra musician like my father who is the perfect “soldier” for a conductor – 100% loyal and willing to do what they want him to do. When the position of principal cello at Berlin Phil became vacant about 4 years ahead of time (the principal Otomar Browitzky retired early because of back problems) I was just 21 years old, had just soloed with this orchestra and realized that I was still far away from having reached my limits (if there ever are limits) as musician. By joining this wonderful group of musicians I was afraid that I would get self-content and would not continue the journey of questioning myself and working hard just on my own; thus I decided not to audition for this job, and because I became more and more busy playing concerts on my own I was never tempted to take any other job. By sitting in the cello section during the symphony in the second half of a program I fulfill this childhood-dream/desire to play in an orchestra without having to give up my freedom of being a free-lanced musician – so I have the best of the two worlds in a way 🙂 (except I don’t get paid extra for playing in the orchestra, so no securities…).
Difference between playing solo and in the section: yes, there are many, but I am not doing any conscious switch, it just happens automatically, because the common denominator is that for being a good orchestra musician or a good soloist you have to be a good musician. In the section I just have to pay much more attention of what is going on around me, I have to think much more chambermusician and teamplayer than extrovert performer, which actually comes natural to me. It took me some years to become less conscious of what is happening around me as soloist; often I was listening too much, waiting for the orchestra instead of showing what I want and giving the pace. I have learnt this now, hopefully in a good combination of being in a way  leader while still listening what the orchestra has to offer. As a section player I have to follow the conductor, as a soloist I have to more or less lead conductor plus orchestra.

Comments

  • Robert

    If I’d been the interviewer I’d have asked another question that intrigues me: when you join a cello section for the other half of a concert, do you do so without having attended the rehearsals for those pieces, and if so do any of the cellists resent this? I don’t think I’d mind, but I wonder if some do.
    Best wishes, Robert.

    Reply
  • Alban

    Hi Robert,
    yes, I do join the section without having rehearsed – I could play the dress rehearsal obviously, but I choose not to, because this way I am much more focused in the concert. Once the principal cellist wanted me to play in the dress rehearsal, which I did, and consequently I felt to sure of myself in the concert and screwed something up. Most orchestras like when I do it, some don’t, especially if the don’t know me as a person – they might think I do it out of arrogance or pity, no idea, but mostly orchestras like it when I join them. Sometimes I haven’t got the energy to do it though…
    Best wishes,
    Alban

    Reply
  • George

    Alban, You give so much to so many thru this blog…your insights and descriptions of your life have been helpful and thought provoking on many occasions. This is why I have continued to check in periodically. Professional writers are so narrow/limited in their views as to make one wonder how they go their job to begin with. Best Regards to you this year!

    George

    Reply
  • Thomas Walter

    Hi Alban,

    I heard the Haydn concerto yesterday in Cologne and I was wondering why you take so less time to practice for concerts (well I read from your Lalo/Haydn trip, too) and how you can be sure that the performance will “work”? I must admit that I was a bit disappointed by it.

    Sincerely
    Thomas

    Reply
  • Alban

    Hi Thomas,

    I don’t really know how you got the idea that I wasn’t practising much for my concerts. I do practise a lot, and maybe I have not been as well prepared for a Haydn Concerto since about 20 years, because I had so much respect for my collaboration with Ton Koopman. I felt that the two performances of the Haydn in Cologne and Siegburg were probably the best I have given of that piece – I am sure that on recordings you might get more perfection, but I felt very free and “in charge” while playing, took all the risks possible (musically and technically) and didn’t miss too many notes (not an easy task with this highly dangerous piece – especially with radio live and in a style I am not really at home…). Sorry that you were disappointed, but I can’t fulfill everybody’s expectations (to tell you the truth, I am not even trying, it’s hard enough to fulfill my own).
    Best wishes,
    Alban

    Reply
  • Philip Sheppard

    Hey Alban

    I think you’re a fantastic cellist with exactly the right attitudes. I find many of my students enter their studies with the idea of becoming a famous soloist, without worrying generally about being a musician or an artist. A good initial test is to play a concerto through with me accompanying on cello, then swap roles. It’s really interesting when someone can’t feel the harmony they should be putting in to say the Haydn D Major, despite having memorised the solo part…!
    Have you played the Kraft concerto? – Haydn’s principal cellist – It makes you wonder if he had rrather a lot to do with the C major concerto…

    best wishes – yours in rosin!

    Philip

    Reply
  • Alban

    Hey Philip,

    sorry for answering so late – no, I haven’t played the Kraft Concerto, but I heard it once on cd and liked it very much, andyes, sounded as if he had to something with the writing (or at least co-writing) of the Haydn C Major…
    To tell you the truth, I am not great in filling in the harmonies of pieces which I know real well – I could sing them, but I am not really a great improviser, don’t have perfect pitch to actually do the accompaniment on the cello without any music (or at least Ihaven’t really tried – maybe with the Haydn, in slow motion, but otherwise I would be searching around). So chapeau that you are able to do it and expect it from your students, not bad!
    Best wishes,
    Alban

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Alban Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *