So, after many years of thinking about this subject, I now feel that I have the adequate knowledge to comment. Enjoy!!! Opinions vs Consistency Almost every concert I go to, when a performer plays exceptionally for the most part of the public, there are always those people who say : ‘’It was too fast’’ or ‘’It was harsh’’ or the favourite ‘’He’s good technically, but MUSICALLY’’. I believe that Janos Starker was completely correct when he stated that we are living in a ‘Golden Age’ and that the majority of musicians on the ‘next level’ below the world’s soloists etc, play far better than those of previous generations. Of course, from a cellist’s point of view, once can easily criticize the playing of Gabetta, saying that she is obsessed with ‘careerism’. Yes, one has to admit in Starker’s words that these days, when one is a soloist : ‘’only the FIRST aspect of being a concert cellist is being able to play the cello well’’. How about the playing of Daniel Müller-Schött, saying that it is simply too aggressive ? Of course! He tends to finish powerful notes with an accent, oh God, how terrible! And Capuçon ? He plays incredibly in tune and phrases well, but his sound is a bit one-sided – too ‘sporty’. And that two-finger vibrato ? Well… Opinions are spread far and wide, and as one might say, we are all incredibly OPINIONATED, especially music students, who tend to go around to one another and ignorantly talk absolute nonsense about the professional world. “I decided at an early age that I was going to be a professional, which means to have the ability to play on a consistently high level from performance to performance under any rain or shine situation. Consistency is the key word, and one cant achieve this if one doesnt know what one is doing. One cant rely on luck or pure instinct.” – Janos Starker The fact is, the three wonderful, incredibly hard-working cellists mentioned above, have incredible consistency in the following. 1) tuning 2) physical fitness 3) emotional stability These people are not particularly soloists because they necessarily play better than anyone on earth, they have these careers because they are ABLE to maintain them. They keep fit in their playing, they keep themselves healthy, and they can deal with anything. Gabetta is a teaching assistant and is probably on the road every single week. Apart from that, she speaks six languages and never gave up as a child – having to drive more than 100 kilometers with her father to cello lessons back Argentina, her homeland. Capuçon is a father – enough said. Müller-Schött ? Well, he did his work at 16, when he won the Junior Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. The fact that he kept the same consistency from such a young age is astounding ! As soon as people such as these three set foot on stage, they have the same motto as the great conductor Herbert von Karajan : ‘’Keep one thing in mind and forget EVERYTHING else’’. Often, those who judge can play well, VERY well, but perhaps only once in every 10 performances, when compared (a dangerous but much needed word here) to the top soloists of today. So, next time the temptation of judgement sets in when you watch a concert, take a minute to consider what kind of life these people lead, and how wonderful it is to have them play for you ! You will be much happier, and far more satisfied…
Posted on: Thu, 24 Apr 2014 18:45:07 +0000
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