New Zealand cellist, Corrina Connor, is our new moderator for the Young Cellists chat board. To learn more about her, go to her webpage http://www.cello.org/freepage/connor.htm. Welcome Corrina!
Our Webmaster Marshall St. John has added some new features to the website. We now have an interactive calendar that can be used to inform the membership about upcoming cello events. You must register to add an event; the URL is "ICS Calendar of Events" and the password is "cellist." He has also done extensive work on the "ICS Great Cellists of the Past," and has added a scroll-down index of the entire ICS site on our home page. Thank you, Marshall!
After years of being behind the music stand, somewhat compassionately watching my cello students' semi-tortured expressions as they are placed under a microscope, I have decided to take a dip in the ol' petri dish myself.
My inner voice whispers all too familiar messages in my ear during practice sessions:
Okay, okay! Please don't give me The Look. Now I remember what it's like to be studying an instrument again. Though I love taking piano lessons, it's a battle on many fronts. I guess, for the time being, I'll secretly watch my cello students' tortured expressions with more compassion. But don't tell them that.
Tim Finholt
Lois
Victor Sazer replies: Although it is impossible to diagnose without seeing how you use your body when you play, perhaps we can explore a few possibilities. To begin with, there is always a reason for pain. Mother Nature is telling you that you are doing something wrong. It is very likely that, with a little Sherlock Holmes sleuthing, the culprit can be found. My guess would be that it is not RSI. Rest might make it go away, but when you go back to playing in the same way, it will surely return. (I hope that you are aware of the importance of taking a 5 or 10-minute break every hour when you are doing extended amounts of practice.)
It is very interesting (and maybe an important clue) that your fourth finger doesn�t hurt when you play the piano. Did you ever think about the differences in the how you use your body, arms, hands, fingers, etc., with each instrument?
Is it possible that when you play the piano:
You say that your position seems fine, but I have found that some widely used traditional ideas about �position� and methodology can be the cause of pain.
When you play the cello:
>> I am a music education student at a Southern California University. I am a percussionist, not a string player, and I have been assigned the topic of cello shifting: at what age/ability should young cellists start focusing on shifting technique. I would appreciate some advice/direction.
Christina
Bob Jesselson (ASTA President) replies: Shifting is a very important part of cello technique. Since the cello is such a large instrument, cellists are required to shift constantly -- less than bassists, but more than violinists and violists. Learning the basic movements involved with shifting can begin long before actual shifts take place -- in other words, doing exercises or "games" to prepare for relaxed motions up and down the fingerboard can occur quite early in a young cellists development. However, I do not teach real "shifting" until first position is very secure [i.e. knowing how to check intonation carefully with the first finger and string above (P4) and 4th finger and string below (P8)]. Then, it is important to know equally well all the neck positions (1/2-VII), and how to check each position for intonation. i.e. understanding the cello's geography. Only when this is secure can one really begin to work on "how to get to another position" with fluidity and ease. The trick is preparation and release, which is the mantra I use. Preparation involves the use of the elbow and upper arm prior to the actual shift; release involves the releasing of the finger so there is no squeezing into the fingerboard during the shift. However, this is rather sophisticated, and I wouldn't start teaching this until after the student really knows where the positons are. I believe that one has to learn things in a healthy sequence -- first know the positions, then learn how to move between them easily.
>> My son is experiencing pain in his left hand when he plays. What should he do?
Sigrid
Bob Jesselson (ASTA President) replies: I would suggest to your son that he take the pain he is feeling as a signal that something is not right in his approach to playing -- perhaps tension, wrong angles in the hand, incorrect body usage, overuse, or some other underlying problem. There should be NO pain in playing the cello, since it is essentially a very body-friendly instrument (as opposed to the contortions of a violinist!).
I recommend to my students that any pain they feel is significant, and that they should not try to "tough it out." They should respond to the pain by investigating its cause(s). The Alexander Technique is certainly great (and I highly recommend it), but it may not adequately address the problem, especially if the practitioner is not a cellist or is not sensitive to cello issues, or doesn't let you use the cello during the sessions.
Sometimes pain is the result of years of incorrect posture/body usage/cello technique. Often people will play a certain way without fixing some underlying problem. Years later things will begin to fail as the body is less strong or the player becomes more conscious of his/her body. However, if one becomes aware of correcting problems early on (by good teaching and good practice techniques), one can usually avoid this. It is often hard to convince young players that they should really fix a given problem before the pain starts.
One of the biggest sources of tension is the thumb, and that is usually the first place I look for the root cause. Thumbs should be round (bent), relaxed, free, and movable. There are lots of exercises that can be used to explore this. You might look at Tortelier's book, How I Play, How I Teach, for some ideas.
Sometimes the cause of a pain can be as simple as the following: I knew of a professional cellist in Switzerland who suddenly developed a pain in the neck. He couldn't figure out what was wrong, until someone pointed out that the pegs were poking into his neck and hitting a nerve. Instead of changing the way he held the cello, he changed the pegs to a machine-head (like a bass) so that the screws were facing back away from the cello and away from his head!
Good luck with your son's problem, and with playing pain-free!
>> I just found your the Internet Cello Society and am instantly grateful. I have played finger-style jazz for thirty years on guitar, but even that has not prepared me to teach my brilliant son proper cello technique! I would be grateful if someone could suggest cello arrangements of jazz standards so that we might continue learning without my own limited interpretation of the instrument's structured improvisational capabilities. Also, after reading the tip section on amplifying celli, I wish to recommend that some of your readers find a Fishman catalogue. I have an old arch top acoustic and had the same problem! I was led by a violin player to Fishman. They have worked it out! No feedback. I thought it worth mentioning. Thanks for the great inspiration your efforts provide. And, yes, I'm looking for a real teacher for my son!
David Altschuler
Cincinnati, Ohio
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write to editor@cello.org and type "Membership
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by Tim Finholt
German cellist Maria Kliegel's international career started in 1981 when she received the "Grand Prix" of the Concours Rostropovich in Paris. She also won first prizes at the American College Competition, the First German Music Competition in Bonn, the Concours Aldo Parisot, and was in the national selection for "Concerts with Young Artists." After the Rostropovich Competition, the international concerts and tours began: she performed in Basel, and played with the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C., and the Orchestre National de France in Paris -- each time with Mstislav Rostropovich conducting. She has performed at the Konzerthaus Berlin, Stuttgart Liederhalle, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Weilburger Schlo�konzerte, Gidon Kremer's Lockenhaus Festival, Gubaidulina Festival in West Germany, Risor Kam in Norway, Alte Oper Frankfurt, and Kultursommer Nordhessen. She has toured Europe, the United States, South America, Japan, and other countries in the Far East. In addition to most of the standard concerto repertoire, she has recorded works by Sofia Gubaidulina, John Tavener, Bloch, and "Hommage � Nelson" by Wilhelm Kaiser-Lindemann, which is a piece dedicated to Nelson Mandela, as well as chamber music by Brahms, Chopin, Kodaly, Mendelssohn, Schubert, and Schumann. Since 1986 she has taught a master class at Cologne Music Academy.
TF: You almost studied with Andr� Navarra. What happened?
MK: I began to notice that my teacher in Frankfurt rarely demonstrated on the cello and I sensed that something was missing in my training. He usually accompanied me at the piano, which provided a great musical education, but it wasn't helpful in the more technically difficult pieces, where seeing how something is actually done can be beneficial. When I asked people who I should study with, they mentioned Navarra, who was giving master classes in Siena that summer. The thought of sitting out on a piazza and drinking red wine with the maestro was quite appealing, so I decided that I would try Navarra.
Before the classes began, I was invited by a wealthy couple in Frankfurt, Mr. and Mrs. Dohrn, to vacation at their summerhouse near Siena. They had been helping me financially during my studies and knew of my plans to go to Navarra's master class. Everything was set for me to enter the summer course when Katia (Mrs. Dohrn) told me that she had met Janos Starker and had told him about me. He said that, if I was that talented, I should study with him. She then told me that Starker was giving a master class in Canada the following week and that she would pay all my expenses if I went. That night was very difficult because I was already very focused on Siena, but I finally made up my mind to meet Starker. My teacher in Frankfurt always said that I should go to him when I was finished in Frankfurt, but I had never seriously considered it, since my long range goal was to go to Moscow and study with Rostropovich.
TF: If you had gone to Rostropovich, you would have had a teacher who didn't demonstrate on the cello very much, just like your teacher in Frankfurt.
MK: I didn't know that at the time. I was only 19. All I knew was that I had many of Rostropovich's recordings and I adored his playing.
I still remember playing for Starker in that master class. I was scared out of my mind, since I had never played in a master class before. After I had finished playing the Dvorak Concerto, he just sat there in silence, lighting a cigarette for what seemed an eternity, not looking at me, but killing me with his intense stare all the same. I sat nervously until he finally said, "Sing." I thought, "Sing?" and sat in silent confusion. He repeated his request, "Sing!" I thought to myself, "But this is in double stops. How am I supposed to sing it?" The audience members were shrinking in their chairs by this time while he sat there quietly, staring at me. Finally, I attempted to sing and it sounded ridiculous. In fact, it was so ridiculous that I started to laugh, as did the audience. What started as a unbelievably tense situation transformed into a very funny one. He finally said, "Your singing was much too shy. You play like you sing."
(Click here for the complete transcript)
Although I play the piano, I have come to love the cello very deeply. In my eyes the cello is "The King of Expression," above all other instruments. I identify the sound and tone of the cello as the voice I wish to speak with in my music. The cello, with its wide range and innumerable "faces," is to me the only instrument that fully works in ensembles built on a single kind of instrument, i.e. cello quartets.
(Click here for the complete transcript)
by Robert Battey
(Click here for the complete transcript)
The Ancient Middle Eastern Modes
of the Yeni Makam Series
by Edward J. Hines
The idea of a classically trained Western composer using material from another culture (especially the Middle East) as the basis for new works is not a new one. Bartok is a perfect example. Another, perhaps more popular example is Mozart with his wonderful Rondo Alla Turca. In the years following the Fulbright, I discovered the real impact of the Alla Turca in late eighteenth and early nineteenth century European compositions. It was, in fact, widespread and profound, especially in operatic works. The Ottoman Turkish empire occupied all of southeastern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa and was a political force which could not be ignored. After the failed siege of Vienna in 1684, Europeans looked at their Islamic neighbor to the East with less trepidation and more fascination and began imitating various aspects of Turkish culture. There were Turkish style cafes, baths and it even became fashionable to dress like a �Turk� at parties. And, of course, Mozart, Beethoven and others found reason to bring the Turkish sound to their compositions.
(Click here for the complete transcript)
by Victor Sazer
(The following does not necessarily represent the opinion of the Internet Cello Society or its representatives. It is the opinion of an individual ICS member.)
I was intrigued when Tim Finholt asked me to write a review of the "Bambach Saddle Seat." Because horseback riders generally sit upright, I wondered if these seats might be useful for cellists. The Bambach Company sent me two models for evaluation. Both have seats shaped like horse saddles; one with a seat somewhat shorter and with a lower rise in front than the other.
You might notice that in Westerns, it is only the wounded cowboys who seem to slouch. Sitting in a saddle tends to make you sit on your sit-bones with your knees below your hips. Your hip and knee joints are unlocked and your spine is expanded upward. These are indeed good characteristics for healthful sitting.
(Click here for the complete transcript)
by Bob Edgerton
(The following does not necessarily represent the opinion of the Internet Cello Society or its representatives. It is the opinion of an individual ICS member.)
In the fall of 1999 the Krishnaswami-Salman Duo (Rajan Krishnaswami, cello, and Mark Salman, piano) toured the East coast with concerts in Boston, Pittsburgh, and New York City. They wound up the tour with a superb concert in their hometown of Seattle to a very appreciative audience in the Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall at Benaroya Hall.
Concertizing together since 1991 they have earned an enthusiastic audience and have explored together a wide range of musical material. They have specialized in commissioning new works by American composers. They savor energy, melody, wide ranges of mood, tonal, musical expressiveness with evocative phrases and they have been nurturing an audience that now appreciates their vision of contemporary musical composition.
(Click here for the complete transcript)
This fine cello page includes a history and construction of the cello, a cello poem, a list of cello performers and cello works, sound clips, and much more.
**Please notify Tim Finholt at editor@cello.org
of interesting websites that you would like to nominate for this recognition
in the future. Websites will be selected based on their content, cello relevance,
creativity and presentation style!
Yesterday, while in Chicago at the WH Lee shop (whlee@ix.netcom.com) for cello repairs, I tried a brand new 5-string cello. Having performed on an older model, I was very pleasantly surprised at how natural the new model felt and how much resonance there was on top and throughout. The 5-string cello I had performed on previously had a tighter narrow sound on the "e" string. It also had a narrower fingerboard, compelling one to compress the spread of the fingers, which led to more risk of hitting the wrong string. The feeling was like trying to demonstrate a passage on a student's 1/2-size cello. The newer five-string cello is a 7/8-size and felt quite comparable to my English Cello (George Henry, 1810).
The new improved model was markedly absent of the problems I experienced previously with an older Italian model. That Italian model (on loan to me from another cellist) was used by WH Lee to develop the newer five-string cellos. To date he has made new five-string cellos for Laszlo Varga and Peter Rejto. My observations on the new model were better ease using the pegs and fine tuners, much better resonance and responsiveness, and increased playability.
The one thing that is not different is remembering that there is an "e" string and that one has to (and can) use different fingerings. This eliminates the need to use as much thumb position for high notes. 5-string cellos are perfect for playing the 6th Bach Suite, which the suite was originally composed for, the Schubert Arpeggione Sonata, and various piccolo cello lines in Bach cantatas. In addition to using it for this repertoire, Laszlo Varga even uses it to perform his edition of the Beethoven Violin Concerto, which was performed in Indianapolis and Houston.
Barbara S. Hedlund
Musicelli Publications & the Virtuoso Obligato Aria Collection
>>Playing from memory
I have many problems as a cellist, but memory isn't one of them; I've always sort of prided myself on how rarely I used music, back when I performed. But an interview I saw raised issues I'd prefer to ignore. There is a documentary video on the great Russian pianist Sviatoslav Richter (that I highly recommend). He had a gigantic repertoire, but late in his career he started to use music for every piece he played, including those he'd played all his life. The interviewer asked him why and he said "it's more honest." He went on to note that, even in a relatively short work, while someone can memorize the notes, no one can memorize every dynamic, articulation, pedal, slur, accent, etc., the composer indicated. And of course he's right. I've played the Dvorak, Elgar, Shostakovich concertos from memory repeatedly, and could not, if my life depended on it, write out even a moderate percentage of all the nuances of dynamics, articulation, etc.
I also remember a remark that Fritz Reiner once made. He had rehearsed the "Eroica" symphony all week without a score, calling out rehearsal numbers, correcting slurs, and so on. At the performance he brought out the score and used it. When asked why, he replied "when I look at the score I get ideas."
Stuff like this makes me wonder what I've been doing.
Bob
Pat White replies: I have to say I have always performed from things from memory, but have come to the same realizaton as yourself: I would be hard pressed to state what the actual score notations were supposed to be. I know what my interpretation of them is, but whether my interpretation, which has evolved over the years, is true to what the composer intended, well, that is another story. And, I find that when I return to the music after a long period without having looked at it, I do see things in a different way. So, my comments merely serve to ditto yours.
MaryK replies: I can't comment from the perspective of a professional or a seasoned performer. But, I've noticed in my lessons that I often play better when I've memorized the music, i.e., more accurately, more musically. My teacher's theory, if I can articulate it correctly, is that there is an extra layer of processing your brain has to deal with when you read as you play, which could inhibit music-making. So far I think I agree with her.
>>Warm-ups
Does anyone have a set of daily or weekly exercises that they find useful for maintaining good basic set of skills? Perhaps scales, etudes, Bach, etc.?
John Pegis replies: I used to do a warm-up routine when I first returned to work after getting Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. I would play a scale (with bowings of 2,3,4,6,8,12,24,and 48 notes per bow), followed by something slow -- like Apres un Reve. Then I would alternate a few more fast and slow things from Popper, Bach, or whatever else I was working on at the time.
However, I now feel that it's also important to do exercises for the body since playing an instrument causes all sorts of muscle imbalances. I started the Pilates method last fall and I really like it. Although it's much too soon to see if it will help my pain, I already feel stronger and more flexible. If I had started such a program before I got hurt, I would be much better off today.
>>Why does it have to be so difficult?
Emanuel Feuermann once said, the cello is "a terrible instrument. Nobody should play it. Give it up. It's difficult, impossible. Why does anybody want to spend their life labouring over this monster, this beast?"
This is making a lot of sense to me today. Why is it such a difficult instrument?
Theo
Gary Stucka replies:There is also the story of Casals doing some mountain climbing. A huge rock fell on one of his hands and his first comment was, "Thank God, I'll never have to play cello again!"
I think that such statements from great artists are indicative of the sacrifices required to master the instrument and the elusiveness of musical perfection.
>>Bent Endpin
I never cared for the Stahlhammer endpin, aesthetically or functionally. I've heard that it begins to rattle after awhile, but some people really like it. I did find the need to try something different in the last few years of my doctoral studies, when I researched Rostropovich's influence on the cello music of Prokofiev. I decided, for the sake of experimentation, to try using a bent endpin the way Slava does. No, I didn't go out and buy a Stahlhammer, I took my ordinary endpin to the local "pipe-bender" who I found in the Yellow Pages (Joseph Kavanaugh in Baltimore, if any of you are interested) and gave him the specs as to angle and break point of the endpin. He had it bent in his industrial pipe bending machines in about 5 minutes. It was perfectly clean and put the cello at a more horizontal angle.
I will admit it was strange at first, but I had been preparing myself for it prior to actually using it. I began extending my straight endpin out further and further in the weeks prior to switching over. This was so that I could get used to the new angle. The biggest problem I faced in the first few weeks getting used to balancing the cello without gripping it, though, that I was able to play way up in thumb position with much more ease.
About a year or two after switching I began studying with some Russian cellists who studied with Slava. Pantaleyev changed my entire approach to playing and suddenly EVERYTHING about the bent endpin made sense.
This is what I can conclude:
One must examine the way they hold the instrument. Starker holds his cello almost vertically while Rostropovich holds it almost horizontally. STARK contrast, eh? (sorry, I couldn't resist). So, if a cellist has a bowing style and posture like Starker, it would not make sense to use this with a bent endpin unless the cellist plans to change his/her bowing technique as well.
Paul Tseng
1. Looking for Fundraiser
The Internet Cello Society is looking for an experienced or professional fundraiser. This person would help with soliciting corporations for donations and perhaps with grant proposals. If you are interested in this position, please e-mail ICS Director, John Michel.
2. ICS Get-Together at the World Cello Congress
Preliminary plans are being made by ICS members to meet for dinner at the World Cello Congress in Baltimore. The plan is to meet at the Internet Cello Society booth on Wednesday, May 31st, at 6:15pm, and then go to a restaurant from there. If you are interested in taking part, keep an eye on the Cello Chat board, where Walter Lenel seems to be the organizer.
3. Hai-Ye Ni joins the New York Philharmonic
Hai-Ye Ni has joined the New York Philharmonic as associate principal cellist.
4. Amazon Cello Encounter
The third annual Amazon Cello Encounter will occur in Belém Pará, Brazil, May 28-June 6, 2000. The event includes master classes, recitals, and a cello competition. For more information, write to dfreitas@amazon.com.br .
5. World Cello Congress master class audition rules changed
The audition criteria have been revised for participants in the master classes at the World Cello Congress, including the choice of music and the elimination of the application fee. The application deadline has been extended to March 17, 2000. Our own "Bob," a frequenter of Cello Chat, is on the selection committee. For more information, write to hbreazeale@towson.edu.
6. Virtu Foundation
Recognizing the high cost of string instruments can be a hardship for musicians at all levels, the Virtu Foundation places violins, violas and cellos with deserving musicians. Instruments are awarded based on instrumental ability and financial need. Candidates for scholarships are identified through periodic competitions. Competition information and deadlines are posted on the web site, http://www.virtufoundation.org, and applications can be downloaded from the site.
Instruments scholarships awarded by Virtu are made possible through the generosity of patrons who donate or lend instruments to the Foundation. The Foundation is a non-profit organization, and all instrument donations are tax-deductible. Additional information is available on the web site or by calling 1-888-634-6761.
7. Musical Mice
David Mooney created his Whiskerland Mice four years ago and now they are available as greeting cards. One character is named "Moustropovich." For more information, call 619-281-3647, or write to mooneyart@jps.net
8. Symphony appointments
Andrew Eckard is the new associate principal cellist of the Honolulu Symphony.
9. Faculty Appointments
Stephan Forck has been appointed professor of cello at the Hochschule fur Music Hanns Eisler in Berlin.
10. Competition Winners
17-year-old Julian Steckel from Pirmasens has taken the DM10,000 first
prize in the Dominik Stiftung International Cello Competition in Stuttgart.
Finnish cellist Panu Losto and British cellist Thomas Carroll took 2nd and 3rd
prizes.
New Directions Cello Festival
New Directions Cello Festival, Univ. of Connecticut in Storrs, June 16-18. Improv, rock and electronic music, celtic and cello-fiddling. New URL: http://www.newdirectionscello.com.
Viva Cello
Viva Cello, August 23-27, Liestal, Switzerland. Concerts and masterclasses with Julius Berger, Christophe Coin, Patrick & Thomas Demenga, Ralph Kirshbaum, Antonio Meneses, Siegfried Palm, the Cellissimo Ensemble and many young cellists. http://www.vivacello.ch.
Kronberg Cello Master Classes
Cello Master Classes, Kronberg, Germany, September 26 � October 2. Bernard Greenhouse, Young-Chang Cho and Frans Helmerson. Write to Kronberg Akademie, Koenigsteiner Strasse 5, D-61476 Kronberg, Germany. IKACello@aol.com.
There are also summer institutes for study and performance:
International Festival-Institute
International Festival-Institute at Round Top (Texas) June 4 � July 16.
http://www.fais.net/~festinst/festsum.htm
Young Artist Institute
Park City (Utah) Young Artist Institute July 10 � Aug 7.
http://www.pcmusicfestival.com/festindex.html
For those who really like to plan ahead:
Manchester Cello Festival
Please note that the Manchester (U.K.) International Cello Festival scheduled for May 2000 has been postponed. New dates: 2-6 May 2001.
American Cello Congress
Sixth American Cello Congress, College Park, Maryland, May 2001.
Leonard Rose Competition and Festival
http://www.inform.umd.edu/rossboroughfestival
** If you know of any other cello events happening around the world,
please send word to Roberta Rominger, roberta@rominger.surfaid.org
**
(Please do not abuse this valuable service; check local libraries and resources before contacting Sarah.)
If you know of newsletters, teaching materials,
references, lists or articles that should be added to ICS Library, please
send data to director@cello.org. (Library
contents will be available to all Internet users; please include author
and written statement of release for unlimited or limited reproduction.)**
2. Amazing Music World
http://www.amazingmusicworld.com
3. Bambach Saddle Seat
4. Milo Cello Chair
5. Virtu Foundation (String Instrument Scholarships)
http://www.virtufoundation.org
6. Fiddler's Tune Book
7. Boston Virtuosi
8. The Cello Page
http://home.thirdage.com/Music/cellomar
9. Eugene Friesen
10. University of Greensboro cello music and books collection
http://library.uncg.edu/depts/speccoll/cello/
11. Filippo Tampieri Home Page
http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/Waltz/2438/index.html
12. MP3 FAQ's
http://www.serafinotrio.com/serafino/mp3faq.html/
13. Summer Music in Italy
http://www.oberlin.edu/con/summer/casalmaggiore.html /
14. Some piano and violin music
15. Classical Spotlight Newsletter
http://www.mp3.com/skwortsow /
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