Comments on: Vibrato – Little Vibrato – No vibrato ???

By: Alban

Alban — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 23:56:48 +0000

Well, did I claim that Ton Koopman said new things? “Ton Koopman said something very interesting which made for me even clearer what vibrato actually means” – at least for me it was interesting, maybe not new, but I have never seen it from that perspective. And yes, Haydn is considered a classical composer, but if you believe that he (Koopman) was solely a Barockspezialist, then you are wrong. Ton Koopman is just a wonderful musician who brought new life into “old” pieces like the Haydn D Major and the CPE Bach symphony they did as well.
Who is the super musician here? You might be super clever, but I would not call my collaboration as anything like “jumping onto a train” but rather taking the opportunity to learn more, even at the mature age of almost 40 years.
I don’t find it so witty to hide behind somebody else’s name though…

By: koopman

koopman — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 18:23:27 +0000

Koopman hat so neue Sachen aber auch nicht erzÃ¤hlt. Er wird ja als Barockspezialist bezeichnet, komisch, ich dachte immer Haydn sei Klassiker. Da muss ich mich wohl geirrt haben. Als super Musiker sollte man nicht auf jeden Zug aufspringen…

By: Brian Hodges

Brian Hodges — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 00:09:25 +0000

Alban,

I’m with you on the Wii Tennis. It’s so addictive, but I pay for it days later. I purposely can’t play it just before a performance. But I do love it–I’m actually getting quite good at it. ha!

Best wishes!

By: Dagmar

Dagmar — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 15:52:31 +0000

Hi, I tried this new position yesterday but must admit, that I did’t hear too much difference. Perhaps it was because I only practised in a small room and not in a concert hall. But could there be as well a relation to the difference between the sentiment as a player and as a listener from the outside? I made the experience, that a cello might sound much more different in from the outside, than I’d have thought as a player. But I think I’ll try this position for a while. It’s not that uncomfortable, but my C-string needs a special treatment, as I have little space between my bow and knee.
When you wrote about Helsinki that you played best, when you did’t want anything at all but focused on your bow, I was reminded to one of my auditions, where I felt like doing nothing and playing tendiously, but the audience liked it so much, that I couldn’t understand, why. But perhaps it sounds much more natural, when one wants nothing. And perhaps that’s why the audience gets much easier affected.
One last question: do you give any masterclasses, preferrably in Germany?
My best wishes,
Dagmar

By: Guido

Guido — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 18:51:08 +0000

What’s the secret to projection then?

By: Alban

Alban — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 17:23:22 +0000

Hi Dagmar – what an amazing compliment. To make the Lalo sound like the world’s greatest concerto is the best thing you could have told me. Because I know it is not, but while playing I truly believe that it is one of the great pieces, and that you thought that at the same moment means that at least one person in the hall felt my enthusiasm, which is very rewarding, thank you! Yes, the C-String of my big fat Goffriller is quite something, I agree, but I think the sound of the cello has lots to do with this new position I am using behind the cello; I am holding the cello a bit diagonal, I don’t know if you realized. My left knee is supporting on the back of the cello the soundpose, which makes the cello sound much freer, warmer and bigger. You should try it, it’s quite amazing how the instruments open up. It feels awkward because suddenly the fingerboard is farther away, but one gets used to it. I think Rostropovich used to hold his cello like that, so can’t be that wrong…
Best wishes,
Alban

By: Dagmar

Dagmar — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 11:47:43 +0000

Yesterday I was attending your rehearsal concert in Wiesbaden and I felt the urge to tell you, how much I liked it. For me it was the first live performance of you and I was really amazed. I loved the Lalo (which for me you played like one of the world’s greatest concertos ;), but especially the Prelude of the 6th Bach Suite was so sensitive played, you barely hear from any other cellist. It’s a question for me, how one can travel so much around and play every day another concert – and especially play with such energy! And furthermore sometimes it doesn’t look as if you even do something, but your cello gets easily over the full orchestra. I think, not only your cello is brilliant, but as well your luthier (whom i’d be interested who he is) did a pretty good job, because it got always over the orchestra, and especially in the back of the hall the sound got more and more focused. (And I must tell you how much I love your C-string 😉 But of course in the end it is you who makes the sound and lets the cello sing!
Well, I can only wish you the best for your future and hope to hear you soon again!

(P.S. I am for one year part of the cello section in Wiesbaden and was a little upset, that I couldn’t directly play the concert with you. But in the end perhaps the joy of listening was bigger from the public than from the orchestra itself :))