Comments on: Holidays combined with Work in Paradise

By: Alban

Alban — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 18:47:21 +0000

Hi Thomas,

sorry for the late answer – no, I am not playing my own candenzas of the Volkmann concerto, it’s just the ones written in my edition (don’t remember which edition that was, sorry…).
Yes, it is better to try to make the best out of one’s own instrument, since that is what we have to work on. Whenever I give a masterclass, I always play on the student’s instrument to demonstrate what is possible to do with a lesser instrument when using the bow the right way… 🙂

Best wishes,

Alban

By: Thomas Walter

Thomas Walter — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 16:39:16 +0000

Hi Alban,

its great to read how much you respect your instrument and push yourself to the limits instead of complaining about it. While reading the article it came to my mind ones more that I personally should just do all what I’m able to do and not wishing me a new instrument 🙂

At this moment I listen to your cd of Volkmann concerto; are that cadencas you play your own?
I the old Schott publication of the concerto a printed others.

Nice greets!

Thomas

By: Pablo Hernandez

Pablo Hernandez — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 17:28:42 +0000

Hi Alban,

Thank you so much for giving an answer to my comment. To be honest, cello performance was my primary profession, but when I was studying cell performance in the Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music, I had to retire after the second semester due to health problems. I have been able to leave most of those problems behing, but I left my cello studies behind as well. The beautiful thing of all of this, is that after quit music I finally realized that love music and the cello with all my heart, something I was not able to find out before in my life. Life continues and my passion for cello too, that is what counts.

Best wishes for you and your family,
Pablo

By: Alban

Alban — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 14:40:05 +0000

Hi Pablo,
well, it has been a while that I have not performed in Puerto Rico which I regret very much, but I guess that right now there hasn’t been enough interest – also I am not good in staying in touch with the important people who could invite me (Casals-Festival), or rather, I am totally incompetent in doing that. I have the addresses of the right people to contact but I am far too lazy in doing that.
Sure, whenever I play here again, please feel free to come backstage and talk to me. Good for you to keep up the cello while having another creative profession, photography!
Cheers,
Alban

By: Alban

Alban — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 14:32:55 +0000

Hey Michael,
I completely agree – to blame ones instrument is the easy way out and a very stupid thing to do, because especially as a pianist there is nothing you can do, you have to deal with the instrument you have got and try to make it work. Best way to make something work well is if you believe in it.
This is the reason I have been playing on a cello with a broken neck for probably about 2 months now – I ignored the fact that it became more and more difficult to play on it, blaming myself and pushing it to the limits, until now, here in Puerto Rico, I could not push down the strings anymore without being in pain… Well, this is stupid, I know, it also has to do with my laziness in shlepping myself to the violinmaker. For years I never went to a luthier for a soundpost adjustement (you can play around with the soundpost to get the best possible sound out of your instrument) because I just couldn’t be bothered, and it is the same today – maybe once a year I go to have the sound checked and I am always amazed how much better the cello sounds afterwards.
Best wishes,
Alban

By: Michael Chen

Michael Chen — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 13:06:50 +0000

Hey Alban:
I can’t comment on the technicals regarding the cello but as far as “mental practice” and practicing on a “wounded” instrument, you ARE in very good company! I remember reading that Walter Gieseking once learned a concerto he had to perform in New York(?) while traveling aboard a ship without a piano. I believe Charles Dutoit also told the story of his ex-wife Martha Argerich’s student days and how she learned a difficult concerto piece almost overnight in her room, again without the piano, prior to the public performance the next day. In terms of “wounded” instrument, Alfred Cortot once said a pianist should never blame the instrument, no matter how out of shape the instrument at hand was. A good pianist should always be able to adapt his/her skill to the instrument. Now , I am not sure how far one can take that suggestion seriously when applied to the Cello!!!LOL

cheers,
Michael

By: Pablo Hernandez

Pablo Hernandez — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 22:48:02 +0000

Hello Alban:

Even though I am a professional photographer, I have been playing the cello for 15 years, I began playing when I was 11. Throughout the years, you have become one of my favorite cellists (among a few others like Yo-Yo Ma, Lynn Harrell and my first cello teacher Orlando Guillot). I always enjoy your blog entries, but I definitely enjoyed this one with all my heart since I was born and raised in Puerto Rico. I enjoyed it that much because every time I hear or see somebody from other country, fall in love with Puerto Rico, that makes me feel even more proud of my beautiful country. I would love to see you playing the cello in Puerto Rico. I have never had that opportunity. Maybe we can even talk for a few minutes. I wish you success both in your family life and in your cello life :D.

Best wishes,
Pablo Hernandez

By: Alban

Alban — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 13:56:21 +0000

Lieber Manfred van Os,

thank you for your entries – please forgive me for responding in English but since most people understand it I make my life easier by sticking to one language 🙂
I found your entries in my obviously bad spam-filter (maybe because it was in German?) and now I am afraid that other messages of readers went by unnoticed – the spam is really, really awful on this site, at some point it was 500 per day and I gave up checking on it. Today, just by accident (and because the coffee was too big and the e-mails too few…) I checked the spam for the first time, and there was your message…
Sorry for all these I didn’t find, it is NOT meant as a censorship – anything gets posted, also critical stuff, except spam.
I don’t know if I will be playing at the ECHO-Award ceremony – I am free, but it will be probably somebody who records with a major label, and I am with Hyperion, an indepedent label. We’ll see.

Beste GrÃ¼ÃŸe auch an Sie,
Alban Gerhardt

By: Manfred van Os

Manfred van Os — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 07:44:06 +0000

Lieber Alban Gerhardt,
so gut wie Ihr Englisch ist meines nicht, deshalb erlauben Sie mir, dass ich diesen Eintrag in unserer gemeinsamen Muttersprache schreibe.
Hoffentlich erholen Sie sich gut in Puerto Rico. Neue, andere EindrÃ¼cke geben einem die Kraft, die Aufgaben der Zukunft zu meistern. Sie kommen ja wahrlich in der Welt herum, aber was sehen Sie davon? Geniessen Sie daher die Zeit mit Ihrem Sohn. Sie Beide profitieren davon. Hier in Billerbeck ist es seit Wochen sehr feucht und warm. Wenn das so weitergeht, dann bekommen wir auch im MÃ¼nsterland den tropischen Regenwald :-))
Ich will versuchen, zu Ihren Konzerten in Minden oder Paderborn zu kommen. Spielen Sie auf Ihrer Echo-Preis-Verleihung im ZDF?
Herzliche GrÃ¼ÃŸe und erholen Sie sich gut.
Manfred van Os

By: Alban

Alban — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 03:08:00 +0000

I am very impressed – you managed to get the soundpose up’n running? Incredible, I didn’t even consider trying it – I guess I was happy not having to touch this cello for two days and instead trying the “mental work” which I am always too afraid of doing, because I HATE using my brain, but it does me well…
Yes, yes, the Caribbeans, rather enchanting! Jamaica – we went there in 1998, and the day after our arrival my wife found out she was pregnant; good memories 🙂