Sol Gabetta in Concert.

Concert-goers had a real treat last night to the tune of one Sol Gabetta who played at the Kennedy Center’s Concert Hall with the National Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Chief Conductor of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra and Principal Guest Conductor of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Mr. John Storgårds.  His conducting alone was enough to move mountains, and so did the concert proceed with the ‘Variations on a Theme by Frank Bridge’ by Mr. Benjamin Britten, who is celebrating his centenary this year.  IN any regard, it was a piece fit for a king with string, string, string.  And evoked for one the peacefulness of the English countryside, for indeed the ending gave a kind of pallor of a certain dying of the light in the distance that one could hear stretching way out into the yonder horizon across the fields.

            Next on the program, came Sol onto the stage in a flowing red dress which suited her Argentinian, tango-style on the cello.  She rocked and swayed back-and-forth in a tango-esque manner which suits her instrument.  Indeed, she could not have managed the kind of back-and-forth melodies which she played across the cello last night if she had not undertaken this style of playing.  Just as she had shown herself to do two years before in the Shostakovich Sonata for Cello and Piano, so she did last night.  Her glorious instrument made sweet melody and the orchestra was well in-tune as well, for not only did Sol play, but also did she flourish in the playing of the Concerto, which was of course memorized.  Her style is different from that of the late Mstislav Rostropovich.  One finds that Rostropovich’s playing is rather more forward and he has a sound which is very good, but not quite as sexy as Sol, if I may be so bold.  In any case, it was a marvelous concert to which the audience responded with a standing ovation immediately after her performance.  It was such to move mountains indeed, and everyone was very appreciative of the temperature which had certainly been raised that night by Sol’s playing on the cello.  One could well imagine how Sol could be taken up into the heavens on a cloud of angels with her playing: Just how magnificent it truly was.  It was all one could have hoped and more. 

            The tempo during the piece changed as well and this change was heightened by the changing moods in the piece and Sol’s solo playing which highlighted the grandiose scheme of Shostokovich, who truly knew what he was doing when writing for the cello.  He had enough long-bows to satisfy the enthusiast and the Sol’s plucking was demonstrative and done with aplomb.  She may be the next Jacquoline Dupré.  For truly one stands mesmerized when confronted with her sweeping playing and etc. 

            Then audience members were treated to a final triumphant “Spring” Symphony by Robert Schumann which rocked the socks of all in attendance that night.  It was truly big and significant.     

 

SOL: A Cellis that plays with SOUL

Sol Gabetta:

                The featured soloist on the program for the night’s show was French-Argentine Sol Gabetta.   She is a cellist, and boy, can she play the cello!  It was quite something to watch as she dipped and soared, playing first the Schumann, then the Shostakovich, and finally the Mendelssohn and some “smaller” Russian pieces that featured some pretty fancy footwork up and down the cello.  But first on the program was the Schumann. 

                It was a piece fit for a king and not only that!  It was lyrical and quite something to boot.  She played it with passion and verve, her whole body swaying to the music.  The pianist was very good as well, coming from Italy.  They had met at a recital in Switzerland and remained in touch ever since. 

                Next came the featured piece on the program, the Shostakovich Sonata.  While some commented that the cello part was not quite as sustained as one might expect, she gave it a tremendous effort evidently and that was all well and good.  The audience in the Terrace Theater was surely appreciative that day of her performance.   One reviewer thought that Sol might have been “upstaged” by her pianist, but this was not the case.  How could that be possible?  The piano is only acting in a supporting role.  Be that as the case may be, I certainly enjoyed it, even if some of the strokes on the cello were a little halting.  Still, she was quite impressive and got through it alright. 

                The Mendelssohn, on the other hand, was little boring, but maybe that is just Mendelssohn.  I prefer his organ works, personally, and choral pieces, but Sol played soulfully, and that is what matters at this point.  But the real pieces to shine out were the following Russian ones which names I cannot quite recall, but were certainly a treat that afternoon.  And there followed no less than three encores (!).  Perhaps they were overdoing a tad, but it was, as I say, an appreciative audience.  Ms. Gabetta played one piece by Rachmaninoff and another from her home country of Argentina.  The last piece was a bit of a tango-esque one.  If only there had been dancing!  Sol Gabetta’s next performance will be in the south of France.  She resides in Switzerland where she plays quintets with the Gabetta Ensemble in the French-speaking part of Switzerland.  She will return to DC for another concert come November 2012.  Thank you.  –B. 

French Folk Song

So, I kind of got away with a lesson the other day after having missed a week of practice.  BUT it should be noted that I did watch some lessons on YouTube during this time and they were very instructive.  My hat goes off to Hans for getting me started on the cello and for all his bowing technique and exercises.

Now I'm back to practicing every day, more or less.  What should be apparent is that my teacher was utterly "blown away" (her words) by my bowing technique the other day.  I was using my wrist just the way that I should, etc.  Everything was going well.  Then, we played some duets and they went really well.  I was listening while we were playing and it was just awesome, even playing something as simple as "French Folk Song."  I'm secretly hoping to make a YouTube video of this and sending it to my secret crush for Valentine's Day (who also happens to be.. French!).  Haha.  In any case, I'm looking forward to it and I'm listening to a lot of cello music on Pandora.  That's always helpful.  You know, Yo-Yo Ma et al.  But really, I'd like to learn the Prelude to the 1st Bach Cello Suite, but the fingerings are really weird.  Well, I did just learn the D Major scale for the entire cello.  It's not like I know everything or anything yet.  Well, I will keep you all updated.  Cheerio!  And here's to more good times on the cello!  Peace~ B.  

Zeuill Bailey at Strathmore

It was Saturday afternoon and all were quite excited to hear Zeuill Bailey, famed cellist from the DC area, play the Bach Suites. Six in a row! Hot dog. Well, I arrived in enough time to obtain a ticket: the very last one!! Then, I proceeded downstairs to sit, unbeknownst to me, behind a fellow cellist (!). But first I had to wait, and wait I did, reading the book about the history of J.S. Bach and his super sweet Suites. Well, in short order, the late-comers all filed in after the first Suite and I was pleasantly surprised to find that I would be sitting in a seat in the center orchestra. The man sitting next to me would ask at the end of the concert, 'Are you a cellist?' To which I responded, "Yes, yes I am." He wanted to see my hands, for Zeuill Bailey himself was rather freakish with his large left hand (!). Be that as it may, it was an excellent concert, and Mr. Bailey proved himself not only an excellent cellist, but also a stand-up comedian to boot! For between each Suite, and sometimes in between movements, he would talk about himself and the Suites. For you see, each cellist has an interesting story to tell as it relates to Bach's cello Suites. He talked about encountering an airplane stewardess who screamed because he was indeed a famous cellist and asked if he knew Mo-Mo Ya. Haha, said Mr. Bailey, I do; everyone knows Mo-Mo! Haha, indeed. Well, then Mr. Bailey went on to play the fourth Suite, the one before the intermission. And what confidence he displayed and mastery as his hands went up and down the string board. I took care as well to note how he held the cello and the bow, the placement of the fingers, etc. It was a joy to watch and listen! Mr. Bailey had a way of playing, so he said, that treated the Bach Suites as romantic music. For, as he noted, Bach did have some twenty-something kids in total (!). But seriously, his interpretation took this into account and he was able to render them excellently, such that all kow-towed at his playing. Some of the passages in the Bach Suites are really quite fast, and he performed them, again, excellently. Supposedly, it took Mr. Bailey ten years to master, which as it turns out, is two years less than Mr. Casals. Be that as it may, the concert this past weekend was out-of-sight and he received a standing ovation at the end. The sixth Suite, supposedly, requires one to have five strings and Mr. Bailey cello is a giant cello, so he could play it. But, as he noted, he was trying to enjoy it, yet "bleeding on the inside" as he did so. Haha. Well, he performed it quite admirably, excellently in fact and that was all well and good. Then, finally, as an encore, he played the Prelude to the first cello Suite again for all to hear, as it completed the cycle of the Cello Suites. This was all well and good, for I had in fact missed it. Then, he called it quits, as he had another concert to play that very night, and many stayed to hear it, but the Cello Suites was the main event of the day at Strathmore that day and was sold out, in part thanks to me, me and my cello teacher, that is, who I also saw at the concert. She had an excellent seat about three rows back from the stage. We confirmed our next lesson and so, I will go back to Bethesda and endeavor to play Bach (!). His Minuet in C and Minuet #2, no less. That should be fun!

Cello Lesson, Followed by Chamber Music Concert by NSO Quintet

So, first I had my cello lesson, which went well. Although, I must say that I seem to be incredibly tense et al in my arms and hands. Hmm. Well, I toyed with the idea of getting a massage before each of my lesson, but that could get rather expensive in the long run. So, what's to be done? Well, I suggested that I could do the Aikido stretching techniques. Ms. London thought that that was not a bad idea, so I figure I'll give it a try. Couldn't hurt! I must say, however, that Ms. London is pretty liberal when it comes to helping me out. I mean, that is to say, there does seem to be a lot of physical contact when it comes to the teaching of the cello, that is, between the student and the teacher. I don't think that I've had that much physical contact in like five years (!). Lol. But seriously, Ms. London is an excellent teacher, I think. She is always so approving of my playing et al. Well, that's all one. Then, we played some more duets pizacatto, which was exciting. We played 'Long, Long Ago' and 'Allegretto', as well as 'The Wind Song'. We had started with some scales, after having tuned my instrument. Although, I did hear that there's this new technology which really helps with the tuning of the cello, as the gears are so small and fit right into the head of the cello. They have it for other instruments, too, but supposedly it costs around $200. Well, who has two-hundred bucks to spare these days? Maybe if I had a job. Lol. But seriously, I think I should get one (a job, that is). Haha. Then I went off into the night to catch a Chamber concert. I hadn't realized it, but there was a cello. One Ms. Rachel Young, who is supposedly married to the bass player, which is pretty cool actually. Anyway, the venue was Busboys & Poets, which is part of the NSO in your neighborhood series this week in Columbia Heights. It's all very cool. The piece, I was pleased to hear, started off with a piece by none other than Ludwig van Beethoven. It was the String Quartet Op. 59, no. 1. It was pretty exciting.

The first I heard Beethoven on the cello came in the movie 'The Soloist', so this was a treat! The NSO Quartet treated the audience at Busboys to four movements, which was pretty sweet, especially as one is allowed to eat while they play, which would never happen at the Kennedy Center. We were also allowed to drink and clap between movements (!). I was digging it, as was Daniel, who was sitting right next to me, and also happened to be a cellist. We compared notes and he gave me his blog web address as well. He seemed quite knowledgible, obviously. His favorite composer came next with a Strink Quintet by Antonin Dvorak Op. 77. It was pretty serious stuff with an 'Allegro con fuoco' section, as well as a Scherzo section which is to be played 'Allegro vivace'. Awesome! I hope to hear more NSO stuff in the neighborhood soon! Here's to more good music. :)))

Lesson #2

So I basically taught myself the G-major scale from scratch, but now I have a scale book, so it's all good. Score! My teacher kinda forgot that I had a lesson the other day, but it's the holidays, so no sweat. My folks have kept asking me if my cello lessons were free and whether or not I was giving her piano lessons in return, as a kind of "barter system" trade. No, I replied, I'm paying her! which was the truth. I am giving her $20/ lesson and paying her with a check every five lessons. So far, I've had two so far. So far, so good! So, after a peek at the immaculate main part of the house (oh, your niece was over playing-- playing the cello??-- no, just playing), and a quick glance at the upright in the living room, we headed downstairs. She was dressed in a black jumper, which was good-- no distractions! In any case, I got my cello out and assumed the position. Of course, I'm still managing, but am doing well with it all. I mean, it was only my second lesson after all. Haha. But seriously, I am incredibly tense in my shoulders and probably my arms as well. Should probably get a massage before my lessons (!). Well, we settled down then to playing something for her, so I gave 'Twinkle, Twinkle' a go, not having heard back from Nellie. It went well. Of course, I had to tune the cello again, or rather, have my teacher tune it for me, but it's all good. Then, we played together with me picking away. It was great! Having never played in an ensemble, it was a great feeling to play a string instrument with another string instrument (!). Haha. But seriously, it WAS great and I enjoyed it thoroughly. Then, we went onto 'Go Tell Aunt Rudy' and 'Lightly Row', which are both some of my favorites, although my all-time favorite in D major would have to be 'Allegro'. Haha. But seriously, it was fun and we worked on my bowing technique et al as well. We played both with the bow and 'pizzacato'. Finally, we went over the G & C major scales and she gave me the scale book. With a tip of the hat, then, and a happy new year, I was back out in the cold, headed to the Safeway store nearby for to buy some ham. Sweeet. Peace~ B.

First Lesson

Well, my first lesson took place the other day and it was a BIG success! I took it with one Laura London, who is an excellent teacher, having graduated from the Cleveland Institute of Music. First of all, we went over the proper technique for holding the cello, as well as the bow. One could virtually spend an entire lesson going over the proper bowing technique, but suffice it to say, we went over the pizzicato scales first, starting with D major, my late music director's favorite key! Lol. But seriously, it was good, having marked on the cello with a pencil the proper place to place one's fingers for the proper scale, as well as where to place the thumb, being marked with a little sticky pad. No, not your typical "sticky pad" per se, but one that would suffice nevertheless. It's all good. Well, then we progressed to a point at which I played through half of 'Twinkle, Twinkle', which happens to also be the first piece in my new book following the Suzuki method. Yes, I'm using Suzuki, as recommended to me by Ms. London. It seems good to me! Besides, I have it on good account, being that of one Johnny-Mac, that this is indeed a good method, as Jonny started in that very same way, as did Ms. London. Like a doctor, she skillfully maneuvered my arms and hands into the right configuration, making sure to note that I needed to loosen up (!). Well, it was my very first lesson after all, and that was all well and good. Perhaps I needed a massage? Haha. Well, no matter. She did not take me up on my subtle hint, but no matter. Maybe next time? Then, we went over the D major scale, after correcting the position of the cello so that it was positioned with the cello resting against my chest, which was supposedly totally correct. Then, it came time for the bow. Supposedly, I can practice with a pencil (or pen?), using it like a mini-weight such that my hand contracts in such a way, similar to that of the action with the bow. Using a pencil will help to build up the muscles in my hand hopefully enough. Then, it's off to the races! Another thing I can do is to use a squishy ball/ tennis ball and use that for my left hand, so that I will assume that position on the cello whilst playing. I will also practice with my hand off the cello, and then coming back to assume the position. With enough practice, I should be able to attach my hand lightly to the neck of the cello and find the right position. Then, eventually I should think I will have enough practice under my belt to find the finger positions without looking. Some such practice is similar to that on the organ when my feet can find the right pedals without looking even. Soon I will be able to play simple pieces, like 'Twinkle, Twinkle', and already I was assigned three, but told to go on if I had mastered those, of course without mistakes et al. I shall practice this evening before choir, I should think, and see how it goes! That's all for now. Like I said, a successful first lesson by all accounts, and looking forward to the same time next week, which will fall right between Christmas and New Year's and a day before my next piano lesson. Good times! Haha for now. Peeeeeeeeeace. -B.