Best Regards,

George from California

I thought it was interesting what you had to say about the Haydn D major. As beautiful as it is, it has never convinced me as a whole – seen in the context of his other late music it is quite an oddball – the movements seem unbalanced with respect to each other, it is somewhat mundane and awkward structurally, and the virtuoso aspects far surpass any of his other concertos. As a another cellist recently pointed out to me – where in any of Haydn’s other music is there a parallel for the structure that this concerto takes? In any of the hundreds of Sonata form movements that he must have written? To me these things tell me that it was written by another, maybe Kraft – his concertos sound very similar to this. I know that there is a manuscript in Hyadn’s own hand, but I remain unconvinced – maybe he orchestrated it as a gift to the court cellist, who knows?

The C major on the other hand – what a wonder! The most glowing, joyous, vivaceous work in the cello repertoire.

Also glad to see that you are recording the Prokofiev concertos – the op.58 is actually a rather good work as I’m sure you’re finding out, perhaps not as masterly as the Symphony concerto, but some really good ideas that I think it was ashame to cut in the ‘final version’ of the Symphony Concerto. I look forward to hearding the recording. (It’s been recorded twice before – once by Ivaskin and once by Starker, though Starker cut lots of it out).

Thanks again
Guido

Hi Maria, thanks for writing, and again, very good point! Yes, you have to enter competitions and convince the jurors, but I think it would be wrong to focus on trying to please the jurors. Convince yes, but to play what they might want to hear – how boring does that get? No, you are right, we can’t go into extremes, and there is also a good point to certain traditions in playing certain pieces of music, but if I was a juror I want to hear also what the young player has to say and not what kind of recordings he has been listening to. The truth in music lies obviously in ourselves as well as in the text, the score itself. Sometimes it ain’t all that complicated, even though if at the end you play exactly what the text wants you to play, it ain’t enough – you have to fill it with something else, which sometimes might even change the text.
Oh, I don’t want anybody to step outside of the realms of good taste, rather start stepping inside it again – with too many empty gestures I feel that some musicians have left the realms of good taste a long time ago…
Thanks for writing,

best of luck and cheers to the others in New Zealand,
Alban

I was one of the students in that discussion – in fact I believe I was the one who exclaimed “you’re so opinionated!”, haha! Not that I mind at all, it was just unusual to see it from a professional/teacher-esque figure whom we thought might keep a polite distance from us. You were very interesting to talk to and all of us I’m sure, had we the time, would have absolutely cornered you for hours.
I agree wholeheartedly with you that we all need to tell our own story with our musicmaking. But so many times as students we’re not quite sure of what’s “right”…and I think it’s so sad that competitions are virtually the only way we can have a crack at making a career these days and if one plays with a totally strong personal conviction then they’re often regarded to have stepped “outside of the realms of good taste”.

…arghh, how does one know what the music TRULY wants to say? Is it all subjective? In which case, who are we to ever judge anyone’s musicality! 0_o So confusing…

I read your article and it was intresting what you said about cellists. Isn’t it a bit hard to say
that yong cellists with a great technique are unintresting if they don’t have own musical ideas? For cellists who play in concerts I would admit, but if they’re so young and maybe are still studying… How did you personally feel when you were so young? I’m going to study music too ( I hope :-)) and I always have the feeling that technique is harder than the music itself. But maybe its only because I don’t realize how hard the music is? Don’t know…
Maybe the quetion is a bit strange to an article about music making a not doing cello, but I’d like to know in which transcription you played the Paganini Caprices? I never heard there are any printed scores all 24 for cello.

Yours sincerely

Thomas

opinionated, huh? Well, personally I always thought it’s better to have an opinion (and be prepared to speak up on it) than having no opinion at all, but I have run into nothing but trouble with that attitude especially since I moved to NZ. 😉 The saying goes that New Zealanders are so laid back they’re horizontal… although I suspect a lot of people here have a secret admiration for people with opinions. They’re so rare. 😛

I couldn’t agree more with what you say about listening to – and learning from – any sort of music, not just your own instrument. I never liked to listen to harp music much – still don’t – and I actually ended up studying with people who played lute and harpsichord and organ, and learning at least as much from them as I did from my official teacher – in fact, some of the things I learned from that guy I would rather not have learned, but that was more in respect of life in general rather than music in particular. On the other hand, can you really keep the two apart? I really do think that anything and everything one learns in life eventually gets projected into the performance in one way or other. Which is also why it is hard for someone who is very young to be a truly mature performer. 🙂

Right. My 2 cents. In one thing I must disagree though: cello is only the second most beautiful instrument there is. 😀

Have a good time at home,

cheers, Asni

PS you know about that Haydn concerto in Wellington you’re so upset about? I heard like, a little squeal in like, the first couple of bars. I probably only noticed that because I know what it’s like to perform. It takes a listener – well, me as a listener anyhow – some time to get into a piece. It’s only fair to assume that it can take the player a few bars to get into a piece. I think the rest of the performance vastly made up for any squeals or missed notes there might have been. I really do think any critics or such who get hung up about stuff like a couple of wrong notes need to go and get a life. 😀

That was pretty opinionated, right?

Thanks for the advice, Tinger, I know the name of Nicolas, met him once backstage, and I heard very good things about him. But again, as you say: “great cellist” – it’s exactly the point I was making; maybe he is the most wonderful musician as well, but just “great cellist” is of no interest for me, since there are at least 100 “great cellists” right now, mastering the instrument beautifully, good sound, perfect intonation, good charisma, but what counts at the end for me is if something original is happening. If that is the case with him, I’ll definitely will try to catch him in performance!
Best wishes,
Alban

ah yes the days at CCM ; ) funny, your reasons and mine for leaving were similar…
anyhow , aside from the nostalgia I enjoyed, I felt compelled to comment:
Absolutely right my man! I totally agree with you in terms of “one being opinionated”- in fact I often get more (perhaps) brash and say that I don´t think anyone has any business playing classical music if they don´t have a strong opinion and hence their own ideas- i mean what would the point be otherwise? We might as well go to a concert hall with a great soundsystem and listen to rostropovich (or fill in the blank with any name) -or for that matter stay at home and do this.
As much as technique is obviously important, I think however, so many musicians (atleast this is what one hears) forget that it is suppose to be a means to an end- if there is no idea to begin with, then all the technique in the world is only going to deliver a note perfect rendition without any understanding. As much good playing as there is out there, it seems there is 10 times more really boring playing going on…sterile and simply technique.
Anyway, i will get off my soapbox! I really just wanted to say hi and agree with you, i often read your blogs, but this one somehow urged me to respond.
– i love it! ” Go home and take a shower” : ) -das ist aber einfach klasse! Sagt alles.
; )
liebe Grüße
Stephen