'TUTTI CELLI' Newsletter


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    /  ` INTERNET CELLO SOCIETY © 

    |    http://tahoma.cwu.edu:2000/~michelj/ 

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\ _/    'TUTTI CELLI' Newsletter, September/October 1996

TUTTI CELLI CONTENTS

ICS New Members Message
ICS News and Announcements--ICS NEW SERVICES
John's Jabber-- Opinion Poll Results: "T O P 4 0" C E L L I S T S !
Letters to the Editor
New Member Letters




Featured Artist !!! ICS EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW !!!!
*** CONVERSATION WITH LYNN HARRELL***

Feature Articles SCHUMANN BACH SUITE ACCOMPANIMENTS

ABOUT SEATS AND SITTING FOR CELLISTS

Member Spotlight *** KEITH HALL ***

Review ***NATIONAL CELLO CONGRESS REPORT ***

Ongoing Serial ***CASALS, #4:
POLITICAL LEADER, INSPIRING MENTOR***









Forums Young Cellist
Cello Teacher-- Dead hard drive
Professional Performer
Cellist-By-Night--The thumb
Department Highlights Music Festival Watch--Manchester and Congress Reports ICS Library and Reference --"Plaisir D'amour"
Activities and Notes Board--1995 EDIP International Competition Results
Other Internet Music Resources --The Jacqueline Du Pre Page

Classifieds and Advertisements --Scottish-American Tunes

NEW ICS MEMBERS MESSAGE

WELCOME to the Internet Cello Society! We are currently 2000 members strong and represent 28 different countries around the world! Countries represented include Argentina, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Israel, Italy, South Korea, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Japan, Portugal, Russian Federation, Singapore, Switzerland, Sweden, South Africa, Taiwan, United Kingdom and the United States.

'TUTTI CELLI' is the Internet Cello Society's bi-monthly newsletter and serves several purposes: 1.) to make announcements of what is new at the ICS World Wide Web site, within the Internet music world, and throughout the real music world. 2.) to feature a distinguished cellist, an ICS member, and interesting articles. 3.) and to summarize activities in ICS cello forums and departments.

The WORLD WIDE WEB houses the Internet Cello Society at this address:
http://tahoma.cwu.edu:2000/~michelj/
The WWW allows for the quick transfer of information in the form of text, graphics, movies, and sounds to anywhere in the world. If you have direct Internet access, all you need is a World Wide Web browser like Mosaic, Netscape, MacWeb, or the text only Lynx application (Netscape is highly recommended!). After opening your browser application, simply open the URL address of the Internet Cello Society WWW site:
http://tahoma.cwu.edu:2000/~michelj/

ICS ONLINE SERVICES include the following:
*A Cello Introduction, an interactive multimedia presentation
*'Tutti Celli', an online copy and back issues
*Young Cellists, Professional Performers, Teachers, Cellist-By-Night Forums
*Library archives including various cello society newsletters, articles, etc....
*Membership register (optional) searchable by various criteria
*Classifieds and advertisements via The Web Classical Music Store
*Links to other Internet music resources

ICS MEMBERSHIP affords benefits as well as responsibility. As a virtual community of cellists, ICS relies on its membership to write articles, volunteer time, share expertise, and submit archive materials. If you have any documents that you would like to share with the global society of users, send them directly to CelloTalk@aol.com or on disk via snail mail. For a truly global perspective of the music world, the Internet Cello Society needs the active cooperation and contribution of each of its members.

Members are requested to fill out the online REGISTRATION FORM to be added to our ICS online directory. The Netscape browser is recommended for form submission. As more ICS members voluntarily register in our online directory , members can search for other cellists by name, address, schools attended, teachers, city, country and more!!! Check out this incredible database of cellists from around the world.

ICS ONLINE CHATTING is real time online two way communication with other members over the Internet via IRC (Internet Relay Chat). Thanks to the efforts of our IRC host Nicoletta Pintor, ICS maintains its own chat channel: #ICS
Everyone can open the channel at any time, and our IRC host will be online:
every Saturday at 1:00pm PST or 4:00pm EST
If noone is online when you check, email Nicoletta at cellos@icom.icom.it or John Michel at director@cello.org and set up a time.



ICS NEWS & WHAT'S NEW!

Marshall St. John has been busy expanding the services of the Internet Cello Society. He is moderating the ICS Bulletin Boards which anyone can read or post to for free, and is generously offering to make a web page for the first 300 members, again for free!

ICS Bulletin Boards
http://www.voyageronline.net/~webmaster/read.htm
Free Cellist's Web Page Service
http://www.voyageronline.net/~webmaster/web4u.htm
Cello Pen Pals
http://www.voyageronline.net/~webmaster/penpals.htm
Cello Job Openings
http://tahoma.cwu.edu:2000/~michelj/openings.html


WELCOME TO NEW ICS STAFF
David Black will serve as a new CGI Programmer and join Josh Childers!
Jonathan Grover will be serving as our ICS FAQ Maintainer!

CURRENT ICS POSITION OPENINGS
Step right up! There are still a few positions left that would make the operation of ICS smoother. We need a few more leaders to contribute their time and talent to the following areas in particular:

Reporters/Writers/Reviewers
ICS needs more members writing about what is up in their particular area--documenting concerts, masterclasses, new publications, new music and events. All members are welcome; international members strongly encouraged.

Job Openings Maintainer
Several members have requested that ICS maintain a list of current job openings for cellists. Are you interested?

Forum Assistants
Our forum directors need help in stimulating discussion within each ICS forum. Armed with a list of ICS members that are most likely to be interested in forum, the FAs and forum directors solicit conversation and interaction with other members.


***f you would like to volunteer to cover one of the above positions, please contact me at CelloTalk@aol.com***


JOHN'S JABBER


OPINION POLL RESULTS -- "T O P 4 0" C E L L I S T S !

Because only 40 votes were cast, many excellent cellists were not included in this list. I will ask our CGI programmesr to set up a web form so that we can continue to count votes as they come in. But for the ever curious, I have printed the short list anyway. The nine cellists listed received at least two votes and are in order of most votes to least. The results are interesting but I will refrain from commenting until more votes are cast.

SHORT LIST
YoYo Ma
Pierre Fournier
Mstislav Rostropovich
Jacqueline DuPre
Steven Isserlis
Pablo Casals
Leonard Rose
Emmanuel Feuermann
Heinrich Schiff

Some comments from voters:
I have heard YoYo Ma perform several times in London and his playing is so natural and unaffected, and quite simply sublime. Add to that he is so modest, unassuming and without any pretensions, he is my choice as the No. 1.

My favorite cellist is Jacqueline Du Pre, often overlooked perhaps due to her short career. Her sensitivity and expression is moving and beautiful.

Leonard Rose has a sweet, lyrical quality about his playing, without sacrificing anything in the technique department - always very clean and exact.




LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

***If you would like to respond to something you have read in 'Tutti Celli', write to CelloTalk@aol.com and type "Letter to Editor" in subject field. (Letters may be edited.)***

I just wanted to thank you for the interview with Margriet Tindemann. As someone else who is interested in early music and also plays the viola da gamba (after dark, like the cello), it was wonderful to read such a rational and fascinating discussion. It led me to join up! Thanks and keep up the good work.
Mai-Lan Rogoff
***Kudos again to Tim Finholt, our Exclusiver ICS Interviewer! All appreciative members, please drop him a note of thanks at editor@cello.org!

Love the site! I'm looking for an old friend who is a superb cellist/guitarist. His name is Jeffrey Seagrams Johnson. Comes from Modesto, CA. Moved to San Diego late 80's to teach. He plays electric cello as well. Can you help?
Eric Van der Wyk
>Check the ICS membership directory at our website! Good luck!
> JM
Thanks, I found him! He changed his name to Jeffrey MacFarland Johnson when he got married 12 years ago. Do you know him? He has developed a midi cello. Check out his web site: http://community.net/~johnsong/
Eric
***My hope for the ICS directory was to reunite cellists with colleagues and friends from the past, and it seems that the growing database, 1500 ICS registrations at present, is starting to realize its purpose!



NEW MEMBER LETTERS


Mr. Michel: I have recently registered with the ICS and have enjoyed thoroughly the service which you offer. The ICS provides wonderful access to the cello world in a comprehensive but unpretentious manner. Thank you for undertaking this task and maintaining it so admirably. I will be traveling for some time and will miss keeping current with your updates.
Tot ziens, JBR.

Thanks for the fabulous service to the violoncello community around the world. Please let me know how I can help to keep this service alive for the next generation of violoncellists. I would like very much to start a Home Page and post all my pedagogical material. I would like very much to serve the young cellists of the world by keeping them in touch with creative ways to practice and solve technical problems. Again, a World of Thanks for your efforts. Please write me back if you have time.
Serving you with great delectation,
D. Gustavo Pineda
Atlanta, Georgia

I am a student at Lansing Community College in Lansing, Michigan. I hope to transfer to the University of Michigan soon. I have been playing the cello for almost 11 and a half years. I've studied with Professor Owen Carman at Michigan State University through high school. I am very enthusiastic about ICS because it allows cellists from around the world to interact with each other.
--Michael
Michigan, USA



FEATURED ARTIST

CONVERSATION WITH LYNN HARRELL
***An Internet Cello Society Exclusive!!!***
by Tim Finholt

Lynn Harrell is known throughout the world as a cellist, chamber musician, recitalist, conductor, teacher, and recording artist. Mr. Harrell is the recipient of numerous prestigious awards, including the Piatigorsky Award, the Ford Foundation Concert Artists' Award, and the first Avery Fisher Prize (jointly with Murray Perahia).

"LH: My approach has changed throughout my life. As a youth, I was all instinct. But then I met George Szell and James Levine, who were more analytical musicians. These musicians, as well as many others, really knew what they were doing, and I found that my instincts weren't enough. I soon discovered that knowledge was a key to maintaining a high level, even though there were days when I didn't feel like playing. Your mind can carry you a long ways if you use it. They would say to me, "So sometimes you don't feel like playing, what are you going to do? Are you going to give a bad performance just because you don't feel like it?" You've got to know what you're doing so, if you have a fever and you're really feeling awful, that you can still give very close to your best performance. The only way to do this is to really know what you're doing, and to study and to learn. So there was a long period where I just didn't trust my instincts anymore. But after awhile, I grew tired of this approach and felt like it was time to let go and to trust my instincts. I was willing to let my instincts take me where they wanted me to go.

TF: In other words, for example, you knew how the Dvorak was "supposed" to go, but then it was time to dig deeper into the music and search deeper within yourself.

LH: Yes. I suppose I've come to a stage in my life and career, where I do certain things that somebody 25 years my junior would perceive as being an indulgence, which is how I, as a youth, used to view Fournier's or Casals' playing at times. I probably do this in part because I feel that I've paid my dues and that I am entitled to some "liberties. " But this also comes from a great deal of introspection, thought, and analysis over the years, and so I see things differently than I did years ago."


!!! A handsome photo is included in the Web version and a recording excerpt of Lynn Harrell will be posted later this month!!!



FEATURE ARTICLES

SCHUMANN BACH SUITE ACCOMPANIMENTS
Summarized by Tim Finholt*

Schumann's intense interest in Bach, whom he once qualified as the "praiseworthiest" and as "one of the greatest creators of all times," accompanied him from the awakening of his artistic talent as a musician up to his breakdown in the Spring of 1854. The peak of Schumann's multi-faceted occupation with Bach was reached in his arrangements of the six sonatas and partitas for violin solo and the six suites for violoncello solo, to which he added a piano accompaniment. His arrangements of the violin sonatas were printed in 1854, but the publisher did not accept the violoncello suites.

Three years after his death in 1856, Clara Schumann sent the manuscript of the violoncello suites to the legendary violinist Joseph Joachim for his opinion of Schumann's arrangements. After six months, Joachim reluctantly expressed his opinion to Clara, "I must truly seriously warn you not to have these published. Every day I look up to his music with ever greater admiration and thankfulness for such magnificence. But precisely because the laurels on the wreath of his immortality with which posterity has crowned him are still so fresh and dense, we should be cautious not to be so forbearing as to add a withering leaf to it, but rather conceal it from the gaze of the musical world as an act of solicitous love." The fate of the arrangements was thus sealed; they remained unpublished and the autograph itself is considered lost. In fact, it was not until 1981 that a transcription of Suite No. 3 was found by the hand of cellist Julius Goltermann (1823-1876), a student of David Popper.

Schumann's piano accompaniments should not be seen as "stylistic transgressions" or as a wanton meddling in the work of another master, but rather as "harmonic braces." These "braces" were "fastened" to the pieces solely in order to bring out the musical qualities of the original in a more vivid manner, and to heave the pieces into the view of a public which was not used to solo instrumental music. Even today, the discretion of Schumann's arrangements deserves our full admiration; the piano accompaniment never takes the upper hand and treats the original with surprising variety, while remaining in harmony with the character of each movement.

* Summarized from a preface by Joachim Draheim, Karlsruhe, Spring 1985.

ABOUT SEATS AND SITTING FOR CELLISTS
by Victor Sazer

"Oh, My Aching Back! Musicians suffer a higher rate of back pain than the general population. The rate of such pain among cellists is higher than for any other group of musicians. A major cause of cellists' back problems is faulty sitting.

Sitting is more complicated than standing and is usually more stressful. Poorly supported sitting creates more pressure on your spinal disks than standing. Standing permits greater freedom of movement. It allows your body to maintain better balance and to shift your weight naturally as you move your arms. Unless your feet can fully support all of your body's movements when you are sitting, your body cannot be completely balanced. In addition, when your feet are not properly placed, your knee and hip joints tend to lock, impeding mobility..."



MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

KEITH HALL

"At the pre-concert dinner there were 12 people invited to a typical Chinese style banquet in a Taipei restaurant. I was seated two away from Rostropovich at the early part of the dinner but as the evening went on we all moved seats. I was asked to sit next to him as we "had something in common". We spoke for a while about the cello and the repertoire - he seemed interested in the fact that I was tackling the first Britten Suite - he later autographed my copy of the suites which I now have framed. He was extremely entertaining during dinner telling many stories of his life and experiences - including the one mentioned in an earlier edition of ICS Tutti Celli regarding the "contract" between himself and Britten over the suites."

"At that point, a young Taiwanese violinist started to play "The Swan" fairly close to our table. He played it beautifully - although Slava pointed out to me he took 5 bows for the high B eight bars from the end! We all suggested that we invite the violinist to our table for a drink after he finished playing. I went up to him and asked him to come to our table where there was a very "special guest" who wanted to meet him. As he approached our table I saw his lower jaw drop about 3 inches when he recognized who was sitting there. He had heard Rostropovich in concert two years earlier in Taiwan and recognized him immediately. Imagine the feeling of knowing you had just played the Swan to Rostropovich! Slava was very interested in listening to the violinist (who spoke excellent English) in relation to his studies and his work. The young violinist explained that he traveled from one nightclub to another on his motorbike each night giving small recitals - sometimes up to seven nightclubs each night. Slava responded with - "maestro, you are seven times greater musician than I am, I can only manage one concert hall each night!! "The young violinist was completely bowled over by the comment. It certainly made his night a memorable one!..."



REVIEW

NATIONAL CELLO CONGRESS REPORT
by Tim Finholt

Tim Finholt shares some of his notes on the 1996 National Cello Congress in Tempe, Arizona. He gives the highlights of the masterclasses given by distinguished cellists Fritz Maag, Zara Nelsova, Janos Starker, Lawrence Lesser, Eleonore Schoenfeld and Ron Leonard. Lecture topics covered in his notes include Orchestral Playing, Competitions, Self-Management, New Directions by Victor Sazer, Cello Technique Studies by Starker, and Career Development.


ONGOING SERIAL

THE LIFE AND INFLUENCE OF PABLO CASALS
PART 4: POLITICAL LEADER, INSPIRING MENTOR

by Marshall St. John

An ongoing serial story of the most influential cellist of the early 20th century. Rostropovich and Piatigorsky describe their experiences with the inspiring legend. Several quotations of Casals are also included.



FORUM HIGHLIGHTS

***This newsletter section will draw from correspondence and discussion in the following on-line departments. All members are encouraged to join a specific forum mailing list. Send any pertinent discussion, questions & answers, articles or other correspondence to the appropriate department. ***

DEPARTMENTS


ICS LIBRARY AND REFERENCE



If you know of cello society newsletters, bibliographies of music, teaching materials, references, indices, lists or articles that should be added to ICS Library, please send data to CelloTalk@aol.com or send disks to Internet Cello Society; 1309 Skyline Drive; Ellensburg, WA 98926.(Library contents will be available to all Internet users; please include author and written statement of release for unlimited or limited reproduction.)


ACTIVITIES AND NOTES BOARD

***All members are welcome to post announcements or news that are pertinent to our global cello society. Send information to director@cello.org***


1995 EDIP INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION RESULTS
Composer and publisher Edward J. Hines is proud to announce the
winners of the 1995 EDIP International Competition:

YENI MAKAM 3
(Solo Violoncello)
FIRST PLACE
Ms. Oreet Ranon, Bloomington, Indiana
HONORABLE MENTION
Ms. Julia Kostenko, Ellensburg, Washington

YENI MAKAM 4
(Clarinet and Percussion Duo)
FIRST PLACE
Mr. Patrick O'Keefe, Clarinet, La Jolla, California
Mr. Terry Longshore, Percussion, La Jolla, California
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Mr. Mark Goerner, Clarinet, Lancaster, New York
Mr. Nicholas Auriemmo, Percussion, Ronkonkoma, New York
Mr. Garrick Zoeter, Clarinet, New York, New York
Mr. Brad Fuster, Percussion, Malverne, NY
EDWARD HINES MUSIC
ehines@k12.oit.umass.edu




OTHER INTERNET MUSIC RESOURCES

***Paul Critser, ICS Net Surfer
Marshall St. Paul, ICS Net Surfer "Internet Cello Societys"
Paul Stauffer, ICS Net Surfe: Instrumentalists and Symphony pages***


FEATURED WEB SITES The Jacqueline Du Pre Page
Interesting information about a much admired and missed cellist.

The Guild of American Luthiers
All you ever wanted to know about constructing instruments.

The Musical Instrument E.xchange
Looking for a Strad? This is the place.

The Galveston Symphony Orchestra


Viola da Gamba Society of America


The Cello Club of Great Britain


Baroque Cello Home Page


BMG: Classics World


Worldwide Internet Music Resources--Indiana University
http://www.music.indiana.edu/music_resources/
(please note change of address)

Cremona Mondomusica

International Salon of Stringed Instruments and Accessories for Violin Making in October


Newsgroups rec.music.classical
rec.music.classical.performing
rec.music.early
rec.music.makers
rec.music.makers.bass
rec.music.misc

EMail Lists/Listserves: allmusic@auvm.bitnet
acmp-list@isi.edu (Amateur Chamber Music Players)
amslist@ucdavis.edu (American Musicological Society)
bass@uwplatt.edu (The "Bottom Line" list)
ASTA-L@cmsuvmb.bitnet (American String Players Association)
ATMI-L@uiowa.edu (Ass. for Technology in Music Instruction)
classm-l@brownvm.bitnet
music-ed@uminn1.bitnet (music education)

MUSPRF-L@cmsuvmb.cmsu.edu (Music Performance and Pedagogy)


CLASSIFIED & ADVERTISEMENT HIGHLIGHTS

Scottish-American Tunes for the cello and more...
ARCO MUSIC
204 Preston Road, Milford, NJ 08848
800-411-6802

STRINGO@aol.com
*I found these orginal tunes and arrangements to be refreshingly new and musically satisfying cello solos. JM*

Classifieds are possible via the Web Classical Music Store! Any businesses or individuals that might be interested in posting advertisements, please write rikkamiche@aol.com and type "advertising" in subject field.




Address letters to the appropriate department editors listed above and any other correspondence to John Michel at CelloTalk@AOL.COM

Send comments on the content of this server to John Michel at director@cello.org.
Copyright © 1996 Internet Cello Society