In March, Lynn Harrell spent a week at UNC-G giving a cello-piano recital with Victor Santiago Asuncion, and working with music students in preparation for a concert at the end of the week. This is not his first time at UNC-G, and it was obvious that he had a great rapport with the students and audience. A lesser known side of Lynn Harrell, beside his enormously successful musical life, is that he is the founder, director and Artist Ambassador (along with his wife, violinist Helen Nightengale) of the HEARTbeats Foundation, a Los Angeles based charity to reach out to children in need harnessing the power of music to enable them to better cope with, and recover from, the extreme challenges of poverty and conflict. Mr. Harrell serves as a board officer and Artist Ambassador and works directly with children in need. CONCERT REVIEW: LEGENDARY CELLIST LYNN HARRELL PERFORMS IN UNCG’S RECITAL HALL BY CAROLINIANWEB on MARCH 21, 2018 • ( 0 ) Emily Cramton Staff Writer PC: Emily Cramton Saturday, March 17, 2018 The Duo recital with Victor Santiago Asuncion, piano Program: Boccherini A major Sonata, G4 - Adagio and Allegro Moderato Schumann Adagio and Allegro op.70 Beethoven Bei männern variations, WoO 46 Rachmaninov Sonata in g minor, op 19 - Andante Beethoven Sonata Op. 69 - Allegro ma non tanto, Scherzo, Allegro molto, Adagio cantabile- Allegro vivace Saturday night, the one and only Lynn Harrell performed a cello recital at UNCG as a part of the University Concert and Lecture Series. From Boccherini to Beethoven and more, Harrell showed off both his virtuosity and sense of humor in an exciting evening full of music. Last week marked Harrell’s second residency at UNCG in as many school years. He spent many days in rehearsals with string students, culminating in a chamber concert on Monday. He also offered a masterclass, where he shared his best advice and expertise to performing music students. Spending time with a world-renowned musician such as Lynn Harrell is truly invaluable, and he has left a mark on the school of music. Saturday night was Harrell’s chance to perform for a Greensboro audience, full of music students and community members alike. He opened the concert with two contrasting movements from the Cello Sonata No. 4 in A Major by Boccherini, an Italian composer and cello virtuoso. As a cellist himself, Boccherini pushed the technical boundaries of the instrument and the musician in his works, making them very difficult, yet rewarding. These two movements proved no match for Lynn Harrell’s talents, as his fingers delicately and smoothly ran the lengths of the fingerboard. First came the Adagio movement, slow and beautiful with many decorations and ornaments. Its lyricism and relaxed tempo served opposite to what followed – a quicker, technically demanding Allegro moderato movement. Though this is traditionally the first movement of the sonata, Harrell chose to place it after the Adagio for this recital to demonstrate contrast with the following piece. Next came a piece by Schumann, also two Adagio and Allegro movements. Before playing this piece, Harrell explained that he programmed the Boccherini and Schumann together to demonstrate how differently two composers could interpret the same tempo markings and instrument. Boccherini was much more focused on technical challenges, while Schumann was more concerned with lyricism and a song-like character. For Harrell, this offered an opportunity to demonstrate the different facets of his unending musical talent. Harrell’s tone was so lush and beautiful, his cello soaring over melodic lines. The beauty was only elevated by pianist Victor Asuncion, who provided flawless accompaniment and swelled to make the most of his lyrical moments. Together, the two made an unbelievably musical and talented team. A highlight of the evening was Beethoven’s 7 Variations on “Bei Männern, welche Liebe fühlen,” with a theme based on a duet from Mozart’s Magic Flute opera. It offered Asuncion a chance to shine in a more prevalent role, taking on much of the melody and trading it back and forth with the cello. Some of the variations were melodic, while others were quick and playful. It was clear that Harrell was having a lot of fun with it. After an intermission came the largest work of the evening, Beethoven’s Cello Sonata No. 3 in A Major. Harrell noted that it was written during an extra impressive time in Beethoven’s career, as they were composed the same year his famous Fifth and Sixth symphonies were premiered. Considered the first cello sonata where the two instruments are given equal importance, this piece offered many chances for both Harrell and Asuncion to demonstrate their virtuosity. Running just under 30 minutes in length, it’s a sizable work that flirts with many different tempos, characters and styles. From cadenza-like moments in the first movement to a playful scherzo to the beautifully expressive ending, Harrell and his cello made the most of every note. The night ended with the Andante movement from Rachmaninoff’s Cello Sonata in G Minor, a slow and beautiful work that left the audience with a peaceful and reflective mood. Though a loud and energetic ending is an exciting way to end a lengthy recital, Harrell proved Saturday night that a quiet and beautiful closing moment is just as effective. This memorable evening with Lynn Harrell was a part of UNCG’s University Concert and Lecture series, as well as a partnership with the University Libraries. The closing event of the series will be a lecture with Michael Kimmelman, critic for the New York Times. For more information on this event, check the College of Visual and Performing Arts website. Monday March 19, provided a real treat of an evening of chamber music with Lynn Harrell and UNC-G student musicians. Here are some observations from Ray Falk, cellist in Chapel Hill. I enjoyed the opening Vivaldi cello concerto 40 and was surprised to recognize the Villa-Lobos Bachianas Basileiras 1. For the Brahms clarinet quintet 115, clarinetist Darkson Magrinelli stands out in melding flawlessly with the string quartet in all ways. The Brahms piano trio 60 received a positively feisty performance, with interaction among the performers audible and visible. It was a pleasure to end with the Schubert C-minor cello quintet 163. I would have loved to hear all movements of all the works over a much longer performance; (easy for me to say~{;-).
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Notes by Dr. Timothy Holley
Sunday, February 25, 2018, Recital Hall, Edwards Music Building, North Carolina Central University Fourteen cellists gathered in the Recital Hall of the Edwards Music Building at North Carolina Central University for the North Carolina Cello Society Improvisation Workshop. Dr. Alex Ezerman of The University of North Carolina at Greensboro served as guest clinician, and much of the the 2.5-hour event consisted of group activities focused on playing, listening creativity as “idea derivation”!! The notion of “creativity” in musicmaking is one of comforting familiarity, and yet it carries with it a necessary underside of terrifying vulnerability and criticism. (After all, don’t we TUNE our open string before we play a one octave scale, much less a complete piece?) It is also no less comforting (or sensible) to imagine ANY moment…that hasn’t already been subjected to “prefabricated, packaged sonic creation”. Who among us believes that “there is NO SUCH THING…as a wrong note?” (Such a question sounds counterintuitive and perhaps even anti-intellectual.) Alex had no trouble getting his fellow charges to “just make sound”. Seated in a large circle (with NO music stands!!), he led the group in a variety of short-motive exercises geared to develop active connection between the ear and fingers, using already familiar scale ideas “available within reach” (of ear and left hand). The following outlined listing covers the topics and exercises covered during the workshop:
Cellist, Nancy Green writes for the London Cello Society about Beethoven's cello works and introduces Marc D. Moskovitz and R. Larry Todd's important new book, Beethoven's Cello - Five Revolutionary Sonatas and Their World, as well as her upcoming 2-CD set of The Complete Works for Cello and Piano by Beethoven with pianist Frederick Moyer on JRI Recordings. Here is a video of Nancy Green performing Beethoven's Cello Sonata #3 in A major, op.69 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTrwBtpWPE0 A video on the Sonata- Behind the notes (full performance, illustrations and commentary) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=113jxYMnC1s&t=190s The London Cello Society Newsletter
Issue 30 (Photos to come ) • Nancy Green In October of 2017, the landmark new book by Marc Moskovitz and R. Larry Todd, Beethoven’s Cello: Five Revolutionary Sonatas and Their World, was released by the U.K. publisher Boydell and Brewer. In Steven Isserlis’s preface, he states that, solo cello are understandably often referred to as “the cellist’s bible”; but actually, our bible, like the other, somewhat older one, consists of two books. The second comprises Beethoven’s sonatas for cello and piano… A monumental contribution to the cello repertoire, these works the instrument.’ Approaching the task of recording this musical genius’s accompanied by a deep sense of It’s hard to believe that in the time these historically all-important works were written they had, at best, a small fraction of the attention and appreciation that we now give them. The context within which one brings a new recording into the musical world in the 21st century is, of course, jarringly different to the context into which the works were actually born when first composed by Beethoven. The musical ears of the public were accustomed to what we now consider to be light-weight virtuosic fluff, Keith Harvey (1938-2017) clearly meant to entertain instead of plumb the depths of the human spirit. One can imagine the shock it must have been for audiences of the time to hear even the early Op. 5 sonatas on first performance; No. 1 in F major, with it’s minicadenza near the end of the first movement, or No.2 in G minor, with its extremely long rests at the end of the first movement, must have left the audiences of the day completely confounded. And imagine hearing for the first time the strange drone-like effect in the F major sonata (which Beethoven also revisited in the later Op. 102 No. 1 C major sonata) or, a few short years later, the Op. 102 No. 2 D major sonata with its transcendent fugue, and middle Adagio movement that is as heart-wrenching and profound as anything ever written for the instrument, before or since. As the title of Moskovitz and Todd’s new book suggests, Beethoven’s ground-breaking sonatas were indeed revolutionary, and clearly the precursors of the modern cello sonata. They opened the door and laid the groundwork for the great sonatas of Mendelssohn, Chopin, Richard Strauss, and Brahms, among others. Bernhard Romberg premiered Beethoven’s Op. 5 sonatas in F major and G minor in Vienna with the composer at the keyboard, but apparently never performed them again. In fact, for the first two thirds of the nineteenth century Beethoven’s cello sonatas were rarely played. It was with dismay and shock that I first read in Todd and Moskovitz’s book that Bernhard Romberg, one of the most prominent cellists of Beethoven’s time, declined Beethoven’s offer to write a cello concerto for the cellist, because Romberg only played concertos he himself had written. If only Romberg had appreciated the enormity of what was being offered to him. What a pity for future generations of cellists that we were so close to having a concerto by Beethoven in our repertoire! Interestingly, all five sonatas were published as piano sonatas with obbligato cello parts, and they were issued in two separate parts, as was the custom of the day. But Beethoven’s writing was complex and the cello and piano fundamentally interdependent. It quickly became clear that this parity caused not only difficulty in rehearsal, but major problems for the performers in trying to understand the piece as a whole. So when Nikolaus Simrock released Op. 102, he hit upon a novelty in the music publishing business: now the piano part included the cello part above, creating a score for easy reference. When learning pieces by Ferdinand Ries, a student of Beethoven’s, I experienced first-hand the difficulties of trying to learn complex works in this way since there was no published version with the cello and piano in the same score. I came to realize how much I had taken for granted having a modern score. Since Beethoven’s five cello sonatas and three sets of variations represent the sweep of his creativity, from his early (Op. 5) to middle (Op. 69) and late styles (Op. 102), recording the entire cycle has felt like a task of epic proportions. The closing statement in Moskovitz and Todd’s new book reads, ‘as we look to the future, these monumental works will no doubt continue to meet us halfway, ever demanding the most profound interpretations we can summon, and in return, granting players and listeners alike something akin to a Homeric odyssey - a voyage for the mind, the soul, and the human spirit.’ Their statement couldn’t ring more true; it has been a monumental journey. I feel deeply privileged as an artist to have been able to spend the last two years living, breathing, and experiencing these works on a daily basis. Embarking on the spiritual journey of recording Beethoven’s complete cello works, one starts with the early sonatas, youthful in their exuberance and vitality. The op. 5, no. 1 and 2 sonatas in F major and G minor respectively, written for the King of Prussia Friedrich Wilhelm II, were in the grand, elevated style, suitable for the monarchy. In both sonatas, their extended adagio openings with dotted rhythms (considered since the seventeenth century a musical metaphor for the literal or figurative presence of royalty) were followed without pause by an energetic Allegro movement. The piano writing in both of these early sonatas is virtuosic, with cascading scales and arpeggios. In contrast, the relatively simple cello line is often lyrical or engages in playful dialogue with the piano. The piano is the dominant force, although there are occasional outbursts of brief melodic statements and memorable themes in the cello. In the sweeping grandeur of the Op. 69 A major sonata, the third of the five, which owns a special place in history as an important precursor to the modern cello sonata, the cello finally plays an especially prominent role, an equal partner to the piano. In fact, the opening statement belongs entirely to the cello, all alone. This gesture was something quite revolutionary for its time. The two opus 102 sonatas, in C major and D major, are the culmination of Beethoven’s writing for the cello. Although listeners and reviewers struggled to understand Op. 102 (one reviewer described them as ‘among the most remarkable and strange piano works written in a long time’, and found the ‘melody often rough, the harmony sometimes harsh’), they are now a treasured and important part of the standard repertoire. Moskovitz and Todd’s book states that ‘freedom vs. control became the watchwords of his last sonatas. The first of the two, in C major, Beethoven actually labeled in the manuscript a ‘freie Sonate’ (‘free sonata’). The sweet tenderness of the first movement of the C major sonata, where long, singing lyrical lines predominate, is followed by a playful and humorous Allegro movement, which seems to begin as if it were a cat and mouse chase. Also radical for its time is the rustic-sounding drone in the cello; first one note, then the fifth as a double-stop. When the piano tries to approach, the cello jumps right after it in a whimsical chase. The D major sonata, Op. 102 No. 2 is, to my mind, one of the most sublime works we cellists have in our repertoire. But just three years before Beethoven’s death the two Op. 102 sonatas, especially challenging and way ahead of their time, had still not yet been accepted. One critic wrote of the incredible Adagio middle movement of the D major as ‘sustained in a gloomy, almost weary and diseased mood’, and, of the last movement, ‘a fugue such as the one in question will hardly be liked by anyone, not by the expert and even less by the dilettante.’ The fugue was considered to be not only incomprehensible but unplayable, with its complex mirror inversion, stretti, and pedal points, in stark contrast to the emotional intensity of the slow movement. In my experience, the slow middle movement is possibly the most profound music ever written for our instrument. It starts with an aching chorale, as if we are speaking our last words in the face of impending death. The stern starkness of the chorale melts into a middle section of a totally different sentiment, a loving caress, as if remembrances of those we have loved and who have loved us are being held gently and lovingly in the heart for the last time. And as we turn to face death, there is almost a commanding quality to the dotted rhythms in the cello, as the piano continues the movement’s original chorale theme. The dotted rhythm has a power and nobility, a commanding poise, and we are pulled inexorably with it until we ultimately arrive at long, held notes in the cello and piano. Here we feel as if we no longer know where we are, as if we have lost our bearings and are suspended in mid-air. As the harmonies slowly unfold, there are two expressive hairpins, swells, as if our last breaths are being exhaled. Then the breath stops and we are resting on an A. There is a long rest, then an A an octave below. Yet another long rest, and then, at the final breath, we sink to a long G#. This incredible moment in the last of Beethoven’s sonatas for cello is inexpressibly profound and a revelatory moment of transformation. From this pivotal moment, all the lines begin to rise. First the cello seems to resolve to a C#, and as it holds this pitch, the piano harmonies seem to be searching for direction, at once hopeful and more light-filled. Then the cello speaks in a series of rising arpeggios, holding its breath and resting finally on a fermata E, before spilling gently, all alone, into a fugue that begins with a rising scale that pauses mid-air like a question mark. The piano answers similarly. They then join hands and embark into a transcendent fugue, a world of pure abstract thought, untethered from physicality. Rhythmically, in the last bars of the fugue, the listener loses momentarily the feeling of where the strong beat is, only for the movement to end with an unmistakable placement of the strong beat as if to say, yes, we are home now. The unworldly ecstasy of this fugue must have been bewildering to listeners in Beethoven’s time, and probably still confounding to many even today. But in its sublime transcendence, what a spectacular way to close the last cello work of one of the most visionary creative geniuses of all time.
https://www.jrirecordings.com/index.php Boydell & Brewer, the music book publisher, is delighted to offer members of the London Cello Society a 25% discount on Beethoven’s Cello: Five Revolutionary Sonatas and Their World by Marc Moskovitz and R Larry Todd. As the first English-language book to explore the beloved cello repertoire of Beethoven, it is the ideal companion for cellists, pianists, and chamber-music devotees. The book explores the changes that string instruments underwent during Beethoven’s lifetime, including the newly-invented Tourte bow, and looks at a cello owned by Beethoven. You can read more about the book here: http://boybrew.co/2umK3LN. The discount will make the price £22.46, instead of £29.95 RRP. Simply quote the promotional code BB529 when prompted at the checkout at www.boydellandbrewer.com or via telephone when calling 01243 843291 or emailing [email protected]. Offer ends 31 March 2018. *************************************************************** 04 Of Special Interest For the Love of Learning An interview with Kim Mackrell, incoming Director of the Amateurs and Adult Learners Division Kim Mackrell studied cello at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with Leonard Stehn, where she won the Guildhall School Cello prize. Work abroad followed, in Bermuda with the Guildhall Quartet, and as principal cellist in the Las Palmas Philharmonic Orchestra. She joined the BBC Philharmonic in Manchester, leaving after six years to freelance with Orchestras in the north. Since returning to London her freelance work has been an eclectic mix of genres; regular LSO concerts and tours; solo cellist with the Kosh Dance/ Theatre Company; twenty years with contemporary music group Harmonie Band performing original scores for silent film, taking projects to schools, and giving concerts; twelve years a member of the Solarek Piano Trio; founder of the Pisces String Quartet in 2004. Her teaching practise began to attract adult amateurs, and through the cello section coaching and group work that followed, Chamber Cellos Courses was formed in 2008 http://chambercellos.co.uk. Her recent appointment with the London Cello Society has been a very happy one. How did you come to the cello? At primary school there was only one music teacher. He was completely dedicated to the task of getting as many kids playing as was possible. He taught all instruments, wind included, in order to have an orchestra. He was ferocious, passionate, and large. We decided he was six feet round the waist. Both he and the headmaster believed strongly in music as a vital part of children’s development. What reasons do you hear from adult learners about why they pick it up later in life? Many adults gave up in their early teens or earlier and have always regretted it. Picking it up again often coincides with a time in life when a space opens up, like kids going to school or leaving home, or a job change or retirement. They want some ‘me time’ and the absorption of learning an instrument is perfect. It is sociable, challenging, fun. Some players continued as far as music college before settling for other careers, but have carried on playing at a high level in the amateur world. Those who decide to start from scratch later in life have usually fallen in love with the sound of the cello and want to be a part of the cello world. What do you enjoy about teaching adult learners? I hugely enjoy their enthusiasm and the fact that they will do anything for a playing opportunity. I find it so interesting to find out their different backgrounds and how they came to the cello. Are adults more disciplined about practice than children? How do you motivate regular practice for people with many responsibilities? Busy adults can have difficulty finding time to practice regularly. But unlike children, they don’t feel the need to pretend they’ve practiced! I think it’s something they want to have more time for; after all this is something they are doing for enjoyment. The trick is to not worry if there are only fifteen minutes spare in a day, but to do that short practice and enjoy it. Playing is a physical thing and short and often is far more effective than one long session a week. Do you think pitch is something that can be trained or must there be an inherent aptitude for it? I think it can be trained. It may just take a while longer for intonation to become secure, and it may be that the subtleties are difficult to perceive. The fingers can learn where the ‘in tune’ spot is and players who aren’t blessed with a refined ear can still play perfectly well. Ensemble playing is revealing and extremely good for learning to tune in to others. 05 Which piece would you recommend to an adult learner who wanted to hear something they are unlikely to already know? How do you seek out new and interesting repertoire? If ‘astounding’ is what they want then Kodály’s Sonata for Solo Cello (Opus 8) is one to listen to. It is almost impossible to believe it’s coming from just one instrument. There is a live performance by Janos Starker on Youtube and it’s worth watching. He is one cool dude, giving no hint of the extreme technical difficulties involved. Word of mouth opens up repertoire, discussions with other players and enthusiasts. I find that many amateurs know more about repertoire than I do! Following up on music heard in passing on the radio is also a good way to expand. What’s your greatest success story or surprise so far during your adult teaching career? I have recently begun to teach a lovely man, an ex professional wind player who was a member of one of the London orchestras for 28 years. Since retirement he has taken up the cello with real enthusiasm and determination. I am finding it so interesting teaching a musician, and am enjoying seeing the progress he is making. When you run workshops, what drives your planning? What are the important factors about the day or weekend? The enjoyment and inclusivity of the players is foremost in planning. The venue must be a pleasant place to be, warm and with enough space for cases and the all important tea urn. Programming is based on the level of ability, and all parts are individually allocated to ensure challenges are within the player’s range. I’ve found that support amongst the players for others seems to be the norm, which makes for a lovely warm atmosphere. And there must be enough tea and cake to sink a ship! Is there anything you’d like to add for members of the LCS Adult Learner division? I‘m very much looking forward to meeting all the members and hearing their thoughts and ideas. I hope the division will grow in a form that works for all, with events that appeal to a range of interests. Playing together is going to be at the heart of planning, with as many hands-on events as can be squeezed into a year. I hope friendships will form over time, and that the events become a social occasion as much as a musical one. Can you share any thoughts about the next divisional event? Cello Talk ******************************************************** Viva Vivaldi! • Sue Sheppard This will be a day of making music, all hands on deck. There will be time for discussion and idea swapping, but the main objective is for everyone to have a really good immersive play. I will send parts out in advance so those who have time can have a look at what’s in store. For some players the day could be a bit of a reunion, for others a chance to meet like minded people. I am always surprised that most of my students at the RNCM and Trinity Laban have never played a Vivaldi sonata. This is extraordinary! Vivaldi is one of the world’s most famous composers, he wrote nine sonatas (all very good pieces) and they are not technically too challenging. Maybe that is the problem: teachers at the colleges are focused on perfecting a student’s technique and perhaps they don’t consider practising Vivaldi will help much towards that end. Of course, if you can manage Brahms and Beethoven sonatas you won’t have much trouble playing the notes of Vivaldi but there is so much more to learn than that. Firstly, we should put Vivaldi in the context of the solo cello repertoire. In the 17th century the cello was mostly an accompanying instrument, playing the bass line for the flashier ones, e.g. the violin, or for dance music. But towards the end of the century its solo possibilities began to emerge. Have a look at the seven Ricercars of Domenico Gabrielli, written c.1680, and see how, though the first piece is almost like a bass line, by the time you reach the seventh, Gabrielli is imaginatively exploiting the cello’s potential. By the 1720s the cello was often used in its solo capacity and Bach was writing the most sublime music of the whole solo cello repertoire— in my opinion! Vivaldi was writing his sonatas at around the same time (though they were not published until c.1740) and they clearly show the advance in Italian cello technique from those early works by Gabrielli. The slow movements are expressive and lyrical, the fast movements full of variety of articulation and excitement. However, there are no dynamic markings and most of the sonatas are designated largo for all the first and third movements and allegro for the second and fourth. It is quite possible to look no further, play the right notes at the right time and produce very boring performances. So how do we find the secret to exciting Vivaldi? There is a secret, though it’s easy enough to find. The most vitally important piece of information you will ever learn about how to perform baroque repertoire is that composers were imitating speech. The magic word is RHETORIC, not in the rather derogatory sense we often use it now but in its true meaning: the art of persuading your audience. There is plenty to read on the internet about rhetoric in music, particularly an article from New Grove, which explains how baroque composers turned the techniques of verbal rhetoric into musical ones. It’s a complicated and fascinating subject but fear not, the principles are easy to understand. Just as effective speakers do not speak in a monotone or without emphasis on important words, so in music we have to vary our expression constantly. The listeners should be on the edge of their seats waiting for the next surprise, great or small, and should never have the feeling that the music is trundling on like a well-oiled machine. Just as in speech, the music consists of syllables, words, phrases, sentences and paragraphs. No two notes should be played identically, just as when we are speaking, a word of two or more syllables will have a natural stress on one of them. Baroque composers loved variety and inequality—a group of eight semiquavers, for instance, is not technically ‘better’ if played exactly equally in a machine-like way, however perfectly in tune they are. They need the quality of a human voice, which can never achieve such consistency. Baroque composers wanted to engage the listener to experience many different emotions in one movement, so deciding that ‘this movement is sad’ or ‘this one is happy’ is too simplistic. Have a look at any movement of a Vivaldi sonata and see how you can make the mood change within four bars. These mood changes are helped by the great variety of articulation (bowings) that is in the early printed editions. Never try to iron out the differences and make the bowings too similar. You have great freedom, also, in the use of ornamentation. There are quite a few trills marked in the cello part but you can put in extra decorations wherever you like, especially on the repeats. Listen to lots of recordings to hear how and where this can be done and notice that there is huge variation between performers. This is as it should be! Roel Dieltiens is particularly imaginative and sometimes breathtaking in his ornamentation, making his performances sound as if they are improvised on the spot. Finally, always buy a good edition of any piece you are studying. That means an edition that gives you all the information contained in the manuscript or first edition and is very clear about the additional markings made by the modern editor. The one to buy in this case is Bärenreiter BA 6995. It is a meticulous edition of 2003 by Bettina Hoffmann and armed with that, and lots of imagination, you will have a wonderful time exploring these delightful sonatas. ********************************************************* From our Members
players at Frinton on Sea every summer. The book costs £15, but I am happy to let LCS members purchase it for £10 plus postage. To do this you should go to my website www.wendymax. com and download and send the completed form back to me with a cheque for £15.50 (incl. 5.50 p&p). Or you can email me on wendymmax@aol. com or telephone 0208 4559308. Please telephone me if you need my bank details.
Luberon (France) Last August, I attended a five-day chamber music for amateurs course organised by ProQuartet in Apt (Luberon). The idea is to turn up as a group, with one piece of your choice, which is performed in public at the end of the course in the lovely Baroque church next door. Two coaches (both professional chamber musicians) share the task of getting you ready, in the form of a 90-minute session every day. You pay the course fee and sort out your own accommodation (information is available) and food solutions. Apt is a small town where almost everything can be done on foot, including visits to the local restaurants (if meals aren’t taken as improvised pique-niques) and the cave cooperative (for lunch and wine tasting!). Car parking is not really a problem either. The course runs in conjunction with the Conservatoire in Apt. There is plenty of (cool!) rehearsal space, the pianos were good and the Conservatoire staff made us feel very welcome. Pierre Nentwig (Marseille Conservatoire) was our inspiring cello coach. We were also welcome to attend the string quartet masterclasses for young professionals which took place at about the same time. Cooperation between ProQuartet, the Conservatoire and the Luberon String Quartet Festival meant we could also easily go to the concerts taking place on most evenings in the various picturesque Luberon village churches. Of the concerts I attended, two stand out in particular. The first was the all-Shostakovich programme offered by the David Oistrakh Quartet. Serious stuff, beautifully played with breath-taking technique whilst doing full justice to the sharp and rough edges of the music. The second was given over two successive evenings by the joyful and versatile Modigliani Quartet, with Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Tchaikovsky (sextet) and Mozart, Shostakovich and Brahms. If that doesn’t make you want to play chamber music, nothing will. If you’re tempted to try this great course, it’s taking place this year between 20 and 24 August. For more information, see https://www.proquartet.fr/en/ luberon-workshop. How about an all-cello ensemble this year? ProQuartet also organizes courses for young professionals and runs a data base for amateur musicians across Europe which can be found at https://www.proquartet.fr/en. Details of this year’s String Quartet Festival will soon be available on http://www.quatuors-luberon.org/ North Carolina Cello Society Fall Practicing Workshop "All about Practicing". by Jane Salemson. Hosted by Brent Wissick at UNC-Chapel Hill, panelists, teachers and students of all ages convened together for a fun and very informative afternoon. It was all in a very relaxed atmosphere so that everyone felt comfortable reading through music and asking questions of the panelists. After an hour or so of Cello choir music from Brahms' Canons, to Red Rose Rag, Vertigogh, Thunderer Sousa and "Heartache" by Max Reger, it was the turn of panelists Susan Gardner, Debbie Davis, Doris Powers, Alex Ezerman, Tim Holley and Brent Wissick. Each panelist had a different slant on practicing techniques, so we all were the recipients of many ideas for mulling them over and tailoring those that fit our individual needs. Debbie says "a new concept (to me, at least) was the term, "proprioception," a concept which figured strongly in Dr. Alex Ezerman's presentation. Here is the Wikipedia definition (in part): "Proprioception...is the sense of the relative position of one's own parts of the body and strength ... perceptual information about joint position and movement"... *********************************************************************** Here is Dr. Timothy Holley's precis of his presentation. Dr. Timothy Holley, North Carolina Central University (NCCU) Title: Thoughts on Practicing…While Learning…A New Solo Cello Work… Introduction: “Habit, Posture and Technique” Our fingers and hands have natural habits that develop into our postural formation; the study of cello technique is the investigation of our respective hand and finger habits, and the ways in which our digital habits develop at the instrument over time. The Main Topic, and its connection to practicing: Learning a new work…that no one has played before…ever: This “process” of editing, learning and practicing actually unfolds in at least three (3) stages (and these stages take more than one run-through!!): a. the “fumble read” through the work, one short section at a time; b. the investigation of the writing, and its technical challenges for either the left hand or the bow; c. Larger challenges, such as the development of “ear and finger memory”, rhythmic and melodic phrasing, and the consideration of alternate means of “playing the same notes but making different music at the same time.” Important Points:
**************************************************************************** Dr. Doris Powers Director, UNC Introductory Chamber Music Program, June 4, 2008 APPROACHING STRING QUARTET PRACTICE Adapted for North Carolina Cello Society Blog, October 17, 2017 EFFECTIVE PRACTICE ROUTINE • Play through a movement. o As you play, remember and make note of the rough places that need work. ▪ For example, A to B, or mm. 15 to 20 o Make a practice list of “rough places.” • Begin practice session with Rough Place #1 o Using a score, practice the instrumental parts that are similar. ▪ For example, depending on how the piece is written at that point, rehearse the passage several times with combinations of players, such as: vln 1 and cello, orvln 1 and vla, or vln 2 and viola, orvln 1, vln 2, vla, etc. o Then when the passage goes well, all players join in playing the passage CORRECTLY three consecutive times. ▪ Now, if you mess up at any point along the way, set your counter back to one !!! ▪ Repeat (and repeat and repeat!) until you play the passage CORRECTLY three consecutive times. o After mastering the task of playing correctly three times, then play a larger section including before and after the Rough Place #1, • Move on to “woodshedding” Rough Place #2 following the same procedure as for Rough Place #1. And so on. Ervin Schiffer (1932-2014), Hungarian-born violist and pedagogue, introduced and used this routine during the more than 20 summers he coached at UNC’s Adult Chamber Music Workshop. He served for many years as Professor of Viola, Royal Conservatory of Brussels, and was a highly regarded chamber musician (Haydn Quartet, Tahor Quartet) and coach throughout Europe (Morges International Summer Master Classes). ~~~~~~ G O A L S • Each player needs to know his/her part in relation to all the other parts. • Listening to a recording and studying a score serve as invaluable resources. o Mark important cues in your part—in pencil. • When playing, listen to all the parts while playing your own part. • Solve intonation problems by playing and holding each note from the lowest sounding note (cello?) to the highest sounding note (violin 1?). • The cellist serves as the foundation of the quartet, and is responsible for holding a steady tempo without rushing. The cellist is also the gate keeper for establishing correct pitch upon which the other players build their intonation. • Pay attention to a composer’s expressions and articulations. Score study is a wonderful tool for spotting special moments. Surprising harmonies can be a call for an interpretive change, as does an unusual inclusion, perhaps the repetition of a motive just before the Development and the Recapitulation, serving as a call for a major structural change. Most important, shape a movement or a work’s flow of feelings in a fashion that touches the hearts of the listeners. Students, amateurs, and professionals can all walk down this interpretive path in varying extents. • ~~~~~~ “The very existence of music is wonderful, I might even say miraculous. Its domain is between thought and phenomena. Like a twilight mediator, it hovers between spirit and matter, related to both, yet differing from each. It is spirit, but it is spirit subject to the measurement of time. It is matter, but it is matter that can dispense with space.”--Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856), German poet ******************************************************************* Dr. Alex Ezerman - Associate Professor of Cello, UNC-G School of Music. Do Prodigies have a Sixth Sense? In kindergarten, we are all taught about the five senses, but there is a sixth sense that is of particular importance to string players. Proprioception is the sense of where our body parts are in space, and the force that they are applying. When we think of “physical talent” it seems mysterious – why can the rare individual learn an instrument so quickly? It seems almost supernatural. The secret is their excellent proprioception. Think how easy it would be to learn a string instrument if you could perfectly recreate a motion, find a location in space after only a few attempts, or if you were acutely aware of tension, and sought to avoid it right from the beginning. Of course, most of us are not gifted in this way. Or are we? Our senses are not fixed attributes; they can be changed, trained and radically improved through deliberate practice. Think of the sense of touch developed to read braille, or the heightened color awareness of artists, and of course the way that musicians develop and refine their ability to listen! So how do we train our proprioception? It starts with awareness; simply reframing it as a discrete sense that can be improved begins the process. You are no longer practicing an instrument; you are practicing feeling what your body is doing. Instead of hitting a shift, you are remembering what it feels like to have your arm in that location. When you draw the bow, you are tuning in to the grace and smoothness of an effortless movement. Away from the instrument, practice recalling the physical sensation of playing as specifically as you can. The key is where you place your attention. When you cultivate an open and relaxed awareness of feeling, instead of a laser focus on doing, you are improving your proprioception. SHIFTING: HOME AND AWAY There are two components for a successful shift; the sliding motion of the arm, and the establishment of the new position in the hand. When practicing a shift, string players often focus exclusively on repeating the movement of the arm, gradually homing in on the desired target like a heat seeking missile, until they have finally hit the note. They then congratulate themselves on a job well done and move on to the next practice activity. This results in a practice session where they may have missed the shift many more times than not, even with good focus and high standards. The next day, they are frustrated to learn that the shift is no better. In fact, a cellist may practice a shift hundreds, or even thousands of times over the years, and find that it is still very inconsistent. This makes sense, as they are practicing the wrong skill! They are practicing how to find the note through the shifting process, rather than establishing a sense of location on the instrument that is comfortable and familiar. In fact, the typical shifting practice of most students teaches them the exact opposite – they must leave the established and familiar position, reaching into the unknown with fear of missing. Even as a cellist becomes experienced and accomplished, the residue of this is evident; tension during the shift, tight vibrato after, and general inconsistency. Is there a way to practice shifts that avoids this pitfall? Yes! 1. Home The first step is to establish a sense of “home” in the target position. This means that it is physically and emotionally comfortable and familiar. The best model for this sensation is how we feel about first position. We have spent years playing there, and naturally, it is our favorite place – it feels comfortable and we certainly do not fear it. Luckily, we can learn to transpose that sensation rather more quickly to other positions. The key is to understand that a position is more than just a place for our hand; it is a state of body and mind. Spend time in the target position and make it friendly; breath, relax, get as comfortable as you can. In short, make yourself at home. 2. Homes have addresses We need to give each position and hand shape an address, an identity. This occurs as the brain has many different kinds of sensory and intellectual information combined in one idea or symbol. Think of every way to conceive the position: note names, pitch sounds, position name, hand shape, and the physical sensation are the most important. Make all of these elements vivid and clear to yourself – try saying them out loud, take your hand away and imagine it is still there, imagine playing the notes and seeing the note names float out of the cello. Tie it all together, and you have made your position a real thing, a home with an address. 3. Go Away! When you leave your house to get the mail, do you sometimes find yourself back inside with the mail in hand, without remembering anything about the trip back? Returning home is a thoughtless (in a good way!) automatic procedure. Do the same with your new “home” position. Just briefly slide away and return without thought – try to feel through the process without analysis. It is important not to try (insert Yoda quote here). This can be the biggest challenge – after all, most students have practiced shifts for years, and *know* that their arm is not to be trusted! If the hand can’t find the position, review steps one and two briefly, and do it again. This may also be the time to check your shifting motion. 4. The Shifting Highway Our “Highway” here is the fingerboard. The idea is to find one smooth motion that covers the entire instrument. Every shift is a smaller portion of this movement. Start with a round hand “car”, finger pads on the string, thumb on string, at the far end of the fingerboard. Do not hold the strings down – just lightly rest the weight of the hand. Relax shoulders. Slide the hand down the string, maintaining the same approximate elbow height. The forearm should graze the shoulder of the cello. Allow the thumb to slip off past the body of the cello. Reverse directions, with a very relaxed shoulder and rounded hand. Repeat on each string several times. This should create a good benchmark for your elbow level, and a smooth shifting movement. The speed limit on the highway is your bow speed! Never shift faster than your bow is moving (or get a ticket!). 5. Highway ramps The highway shows us a generic elbow level that is good for navigating the instrument, but it is fine to exit the highway when you are going to be “home” for a while. The key is to make a smooth exit on and off. Bring the elbow up to the level of the highway before initiating the shift (later, this can be part of the shifting movement). This way, all shifting is part of the same movement. There are often details to be resolved e.g. what is the thumb doing going in and out of 5th through 7th position, but these depend on context. 6. Back home After successfully repeating step three several times, it is time to begin to examine the context of the actual shift, as required in the passage. It is important to refer to steps one through five occasionally throughout the process. The basic idea is to gradually move to “reality”, but always starting from the target. This should result in many more successful shifts than missed shifts, though it is important to stay relaxed and let mistakes happen, rather than practicing in too much thinking and control. Here is one possible practice session.
This practice method is not a quick fix! It will still require multiple sessions to really make a difference. However, it will have much better results much sooner, will carry over from piece to piece much better, and allow the student to advance much more quickly if used consistently over a year or two. Emotions and Learning 3 archeology Many learned skills contain old emotional associations. Perhaps we were afraid of a shift when we faced it for the first time - we flinched and our body tightened, we held our breath - we assumed a fear posture (arms pulling to the sides, head down, legs and stomach tight). Then we repeated the skill with those physical qualities. The physical characteristics of the emotion became imbedded in the learned skill. Over time we became more comfortable, and were able to shed most of the obvious physical signs - but the flinch and the feeling of uncertainty is still affecting our consistency in subtle ways. Emotions and physical characteristics are a two way street - the emotion triggers the body, and the body triggers the emotions. Even years later, that relationship is buried within our physical approach to the skill - it is very hard to dislodge, because it is self-reinforcing - a thousand repetitions has concealed it under layers of familiarity, but a careful observer can see the physical signs of fear. I call this emotional archeology, and we all need to become archeologists of our own technical/emotional past. It is not just fear - humans physically react to the unfamiliar, frustration, effort and discomfort with many of the same physical characteristics as fear, and typically, all these states are encountered as we expand our skill. But there is something about classical training which exaggerates this issue - perhaps it is the perfectionism modelled by our teacher, the harsh self-assessment, the instant audio feedback. Whatever the cause, the awareness of this phenomena is important for becoming a better, happier player. To visit the practice room without a visit from the ghosts of ancient experience pulling us back in time, we need to "re-parent" our practicing. For example, find the position you want to shift to, and practice feeling good there; find the warm emotions of comfort, familiarity and balance and create a model for yourself that connects your physical being to these emotions. When you begin to practice the shift, aim for this feeling instead of the note! Suspend any negative or judgmental reactions, and use "home and away" practicing. With a little bit of experimentation, you will be able to succeed internally and externally! *************************************************************** Serendipitous bonus regarding practicing: Michael Haber, who gave such a worthwhile master class for the cello society at NC State in 2016, has sent links to two articles he wrote on the subject of practicing. Please take the time to read these when you can. They are well-written, interesting, practical and insightful. http://www.cellobello.com/cello-blog/in-the-practice-room/practicing-practice-advice-part-1-michael-haber/ http://www.cellobello.com/cello-blog/in-the-practice-room/practicing-practice-advice-part-2-michael-haber/ Yo-Yo Ma on Intonation, Practice and the role of music in our lives. http://www.cellobello.com/cello-blog/self-discovery/yo-yo-ma-on-intonation-practice-and-the-role-of-music-in-our-lives/ Fingerboard Calisthenics: 5 Keys to a Musician’s Training Regimen http://stringsmagazine.com/fingerboard-calisthenics-5-keys-to-a-musicians-training-regimen/? utm_source=Strings&utm_campaign=2ebdda8fb6-STN_Notes_09_09_169_6_2016&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_7811abf900-2ebdda8fb6-223326777&mc_cid=2ebdda8fb6&mc_eid=2be8ba8d4e 3 Top Players warm up for concerts http://stringsmagazine.com/how-3-top-players-warm-up-for-concerts/?utm_source=Strings&utm_campaign=87b03bd5cc-STN_Notes_09_09_169_6_2016&utm_medium=em by Jane Salemson.
Our second year of an enthusiastic afternoon of cello ensemble playing at NCCU, hosted by Dr. Timothy Holley was enjoyed by over 20 members who came from near and far (Morganton) in the state, to enjoy the camaraderie of the members making the unique sound of a cello choir. The music was wide and varied, from a Mozart Divertimento, Bizet's Carmen to "A Game of Thrones", "Robin Hood Changes his Oil", Leaders Tim Holley, Bonnie Thron, Paula Peroutka, Debbie Davis helped everyone to stay together. Emma Dunlap did a great job of preparing the large number of parts of each piece, so that we could download it beforehand. Here are some photos, more to come. Hot off the Press from Tracy Maxwell, Winston Salem.
Mike Block is an amazing cellist and teacher who performs regularly with Yo Yo ma. I have studied with him at numerous camps and workshops. Hello Fellow Cellists! We are excited to announce that we have launched the online fundraising campaign for our new book, “Contemporary Cello Etudes: Studies in Style and Technique”, featuring 30 brand-new, never-before-published, non-classical cello etudes, composed by 13 contributors! It was an honor and a privilege to be a part of this unique project, and we hope it can be a valuable resource for the cello community. CLICK HERE to view our fundraising campaign! LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS: Ashley Bathgate, Stephan Braun, Rushad Eggleston, Rufus Cappadocia, Erik Friedlander, Eugene Friesen, Natalie Haas, Giovanni Sollima, Mark Summer, Jacob Szekely, Matt Turner, Jeffrey Zeigler, and Mike Block. The book spans Beginner through Advanced levels, and each Etude is accompanied with background text/advice, reference recordings, and “Ideas for further practice.” If you are interested in playing cello in a variety of styles, than this book is for YOU!! We are hoping to pre-sell 500 books through this campaign. Please consider purchasing the book, and helping us spread the word on social media! :) THANK YOU!! Sincerely, Mike [email protected] Dear NC and SC Music Teachers,
I am writing to announce a new opportunity for the musicians of North Carolina and South Carolina. If you have adult students who struggle with pain and tension, the Alexander Technique can help show them how to become more aware of movement and playing habits that are impacting their music-making in a negative way. By undoing these habits, movements become freer, techniques become easier, and musicality is expressed through sound instead of effort. At the request of a local teacher, I have started an Alexander Technique workshop for adult violin and viola students (future classes are also available for younger students and non-string players, as well). The classes will be happening about once a month in Wilmington, NC and are designed to help students apply the Alexander Technique to their playing, so that they can get the most out of their private lessons and performances. The coursework is not designed to replace private lessons. The workshops help students work to their fullest potential by playing with less tension. Instrument positioning and equipment will also be addressed. If you have any students (or you) who you think could benefit from this class, I would love to have them participate. Please have them get in touch with me via email ([email protected]) or phone (910-777-1809). The class is limited in size and is an hour and a half. The next class is at my home in Wilmington, NC on Saturday, May 20th, from 11 am - 12:30 pm and is $75. Please let me know if you have any questions and feel free to share this with other string or instrumental teachers in the area. I look forward to continuing to provide the Alexander Technique to the musicians of our community and surrounding areas. My Modest Invention - A Simple Thumb Cushion
Given that I'm playing a difficult recital soon, I've been concerned about getting a split between my right thumb nail and skin, a painful problem that happens to me when I'm doing heavy playing. None of the usual solutions, a piece of surgical tubing on the bow, surgical tape, a pencil holder, a sponge of one kind or another, work well for me and all of them interfere with my other fingers' comfort on the bow and the stability of my bow hold. So - here's a solution that I came up with last week: this goes onto the thumb itself. It starts with a vinyl medical or all-purpose glove (from a box of 50, about $5, which you can buy practically anywhere). Cut off the thumb of the glove and stuff into it (with a pencil or pen) a piece of soft sponge to go over the entire end of your thumb. I'm using soft packing sponge from when I moved here, cutting pieces about 1 1/2 inches by 2 inches by 3/8 inch). When you put your own thumb into the middle of the sponge in the vinyl thumb, it's necessary to adjust it into a comfortable, non-bunched up position. It makes a very comfy pad for the end of the thumb without affecting any of the other fingers. As long as the vinyl thumb is firmly ensconced it does not come off by itself. I find that the padded vinyl thumb cushion also doesn't slip on the bow the way my own thumb tends to do. I can turn pages more easily with it. The main downside is with pizzicato. It's possible to do thumb pizzicato, but more difficult and doing an arpeggiated pizzicato with the thumb cushion sounds like the lute stop on a harpsichord. I'm experimenting with substituting first finger for arpeggiated pizzicati which would normally be done by the thumb. From Debbie Davis. First, thanks to all who participated in our Health and Wellness event for cellists of all ages yesterday at Meredith College! Dr. Tim Holley demonstrated his personal warming-up regimen. We all had a great time playing music together, (thanks are due to Emma Grube for leading the group and putting the music in the dropbox for downloading). Then we had some valuable conversations including cello-related injury accounts from Susan Gardner and Stephanie Vial (who broke her left elbow running on ice in Indiana before Christmas). We also had expert advice from Janet Lee, Acupuncturist and Dr. Mark Niemchak, chiropractor. FYI, Stephanie has healed beautifully and her left hand is getting closer to being fully functional all the time. ************************************************* Dr. Timothy Holley's notes on the NCCS Health & Wellness Workshop at Meredith College, February 26, 2017, 2-5 pm. A. Warm-Up, Left Hand: 1. In cold weather, run a basin of warm water and submerge BOTH hands up to the forearms for at least two (2) minutes. 2. Focus on slow, two-finger combinations of motions, keeping the fingers CLOSE to the string. (I demonstrated a “seven-note combination”, using “2-4-2-4-2-1-3”.) 3. Focus mainly on one string at a time once moving smoothly and comfortably, then gradually move across the string. I start warm-up exercises on the C string, as it is thickest and takes a split second longer to speak. B. Warm-Up, Right Hand (Bow-Arm): 1. Lower half, long tones, 20-30 seconds nonstop; 2. Upper half, long tones, 20-30 seconds nonstop; 3. Rhythm bowing exercises: slow spiccato; slow legato (no speed across the strings). 4. Start on the C-string (fattest, thickest string); 5. Practice creating “that sinking feeling”…of natural arm weight sinking INTO the string without applying undue pressure or exertion. This can be done particularly on the lower two strings in conjunction with the long tones exercises. Cello Ensemble Reading Notes from Susan Gardner’s Presentation: Performing Artists Medical Association (PAMA) Books: Medical Problems of Performing Artists, Janet Horvath (Minnesota Orchestra) The Musician’s Survival Guide, Richard Norris (ICSOM) The Rapid Recovery Handbook, Dr. Moteka Susan had the following surgeries: Rotator Cuff Surgery; Carpal Tunnel Surgery (both hands) Recommended “accessories”: too many to jot down but a few were the MELT system of therapy balls (“MELT”); AsperCreme Janet Webb Lee, Acupuncturist 36-gauge needles are used in acupuncture treatments (15-gauge needles are used as the standard in medical treatment); “Arrival of Qi” (“chi”), the energy which sustains health and life in the human body, and fights disease and pain. Irritation is brought on by the stagnation of “qi”; through acupuncture, stagnation can be treated in one of several ways: Tendon palpation (or palpitation?); Motor Point palpation; Palpation of distal body points; The “AcuMan” model was used to identify and trace nerve and channels of qi and connections between internal organs and places on the body. Fascia Release Treatment (“cupping”, with oil and flame); Grastin treatment (guacha??); Herbal Oil use: Cinnamon, Moxa (Mugwort) Stretching exercises; Mark Niemchak, Chiropractor Posture, Movement, Pain and Injury I. The Bad News: “We are in a war against gravity”!! The Good News News: “There is something we can do about it”!! Posture, Longevity and the Goal Musicians of the past had more to do out of sheer necessity, which kept them from injury and illness. II. Structure & Function: Optimal and Sub-optimal practices to aid posture development; “Sitting is the New Smoking”!! Our joints are link in a chain; when the joints get out of line, many subjective symptoms can result. Your body ALWAYS gives Coming Attractions!! (There are NO postural surprises!!) “Lifestyle Illness” is brought on by inattention to the balanced connections of joints, posture, diet, etc. Music is a “Total Brain-Cortex Unification” III. Chiropractic Services: 75-minute long Posture Diagnosis Analysis (computer based software), and a “workplace observation”; Recommendation of a 3-5 minutes posture regimen to be done at the beginning and end of each day; Chiropractic services and treatments are generally “Alexander Technique-friendly; both focus on “body awareness”!! Sunday, Jan. 29, 2017
Brent Wissick directed a large group of cellists that filled the newly renovated stage of the Hill Hall auditorium now known as Moeser Auditorium. The group consisted of his current UNC students and many alums from all over the state. It is a great credit to him personally and to his teaching, that his students flock back to play with him on these occasions. The program included many genres of music for the choir, solos and a dramatic pop trio, of which two of the three players have been, or are on, the current Board - Paula Peroutka, and past member, Caroline Iantosca (recently off the Board to pursue exciting travels). The opening piece for all the cellos was of course by Bach "Wie schon leuchtet der Morgenstern" followed by the Canon for Two Cellos by Gabrielli. What a great sound the cello choir makes. Solos with piano accompaniments were performed by Rachel Evans "Song Without Words" by F. Mendelssohn, Devin Cornacchio "Pampeana#2 by A.Ginastera, and the 4th movement of Elgar's Cello concerto by Hannah-Lohr Pearson. All the soloists were confident in their playing and presented very musical performances. Emily Russ did an excellent and sensitive job of accompanying them. The trio of alums, Paula Petrouka (who arranged the Michael Jackson song "Smooth Criminal") Audrey Cook and Caroline Iantosca gave a dramatic rendition of the song which garnered many whoops and clapping from the audience. A great way to show another facet of cello sounds. The remaining pieces for all the cellos included "Fratres" by Arvo Part, "Ad Pacem by J. Fitz-Rogers, who wrote this piece for a South Carolina Cello Festival in memory of Rostropovich. The excellent and inspiring concert ended with the frenzied "Tarantella" by W. Squire. Nothing is better than a Cello choir! Congratulations Brent. |
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November 2020
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