Mischa Maisky in my hometown, ... a try of an "blow to blow acount" Options

[schraeubchen]

I hope this is the right forum for posting it, if not I apologies for the wrong choice.

Yesterday evening Mischa Maisky performed over here and I was lucky to had tickets for this. Some of you asked me to tell about it, so I will try.

He started the concert with Suite for Cello Solo no. 1 in G-major by Bach. Somehow it seemed to me like a warming up. But that might be very subjectiv, because I realised especially how he played different voices at one time and that is something I am working on myself right now, so it might be, that it was only my own condition to feel it like this. Beside the point of this I was focused on the variety of different sounds he produced on the cello.
The next piece was Sonate for Cello and Piano in e-minor, op. 38 by Brahms. The accompaniment was done by Lily Maisky. Once again I was fascinated by the different sounds and he expressed a hugh amount of different emotions in this. Beside that the playing with Lily felt quite symbiotic.

After a break, they played:

Spanish dance from "La Vida Breve" by Manuel de Falla
Andaluza, spanish dance op. 37/5 by Enrique Granados
Playera op. 23 no. 1 by Pablo de Sarasate
Tango by Isaac Alb?niz
Reequiebros by Gaspar Cassad?
and
Suite Populaire Espagnole by Manuel de Falla

I wouldn't be able to say something about each piece, because I was cought up in watching his bowing and trying to find out, if it was the reason for the different sounds (sometimes my brain seemes to be hyper active). I unfortunally do not know a bit about how to play a string instrument, but it was fascinating.
He varied the location of his bowing from the bridge up to the lower part of the fingerboard. And sometimes he did this during one tone. I could see it pretty good from my place, and to me it seemed absolutly controled. I would be delighted if one of the cellist or players of other string instruments could tell me if the sound changes by the location of bowing.
To me it seemed like the sound became more harsh if the boing was close to the bridge and softer close to the fingerboard, but I couldn't get the clue during the concert due to my lack of knowledge.

Afterwords I felt a bit like having had a cello lesson but not understand much of what I was teached, but I once again should say that it was due to my own condition, that didn't let me get all the emotions of this concert. My best friend went with me to listen to the concert and already during the break she wasn't able to say a single word about it, because she was filled up with emotions. It reminded her to something Sir Simon Rattle says to the orchestra in the Film "Trip to Asia": "Please would you play this phrase dirctly to the wall!"

I apolgies for this not very emotional account.

[pianoeater]

I'm so jealous of you schraeubchen! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

That must have been a wonderful evening - I can't wait to hear him live one day.
Thanks for your recount (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Hooplah]

He varied the location of his bowing from the bridge up to the lower part of the fingerboard. And sometimes he did this during one tone. I could see it pretty good from my place, and to me it seemed absolutly controled. I would be delighted if one of the cellist or players of other string instruments could tell me if the sound changes by the location of bowing.

Still jealous! I have to wait until May to see him, and am already counting the days!

Your observations are right - essentially playing closer to the fingerboard will produce a quieter sound, increasing in volume as you move the bow towards the bridge. Other factors which would have been more subtle to pick out would be the amount of hair that is in contact with the string as the bow stoke is made, as well as pressure applied by the first finger of the bowing hand. Then add that to the type of bow stroke being used, and bow speed and so on, to determine the sound produced.

His bowing for the Bach is quite interesting, in that it varies quite a bit from the 'traditional' in places. One of the beauties of the Bach Cello suites is the amount of different ways there are to interpret them, and still produce something that's good to listen to. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[barry-clari]

Glad you had fun (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

That's the sort of 'cello playing I can only dream of achieving...

[schraeubchen]

Thank you for your answers. I was unsure, because it was so much of the technical stuff that I remembered from this concert and many people don't like this.

@hooplah,

I hope you will be seated close enough to the stage during the concert in may to see all of what he is doing. To me, as a non cello player, it was already fascinating, it must be even more for a cellist. Do you already know what he will be playing? If he will be playing works for Cello and Piano I hope that it will be with Lily, because it is so amazing how symbiotic their playing together is.


The next well known musician I will be able to listen to in a concert will be David Fray on april 20th. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Sunrise]

Thank you for your answers. I was unsure, because it was so much of the technical stuff that I remembered from this concert and many people don't like this.

@hooplah,

I hope you will be seated close enough to the stage during the concert in may to see all of what he is doing. To me, as a non cello player, it was already fascinating, it must be even more for a cellist. Do you already know what he will be playing? If he will be playing works for Cello and Piano I hope that it will be with Lily, because it is so amazing how symbiotic their playing together is.


The next well known musician I will be able to listen to in a concert will be David Fray on april 20th. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Thanks for the report....ahh I dream of being able to see people like play, but sadly they don't come to this neck of the woods very often (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[pianoeater]

The next well known musician I will be able to listen to in a concert will be David Fray on april 20th. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Even more jealous! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

[schraeubchen]

The next well known musician I will be able to listen to in a concert will be David Fray on april 20th. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Even more jealous! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

I will know more about his playing afterwords and it is still nearly two month until then.

@dawn
I can imagine that. I am just wondering why they rarely go to perform in Gibraltar. It is pretty suprising, that so many of them accept to perform in such a small town like my hometown (about 270,000 people living here). And the hall does not have a typical concert atmosphere. It is an auditorium belonging to the local university.

[schraeubchen]

He varied the location of his bowing from the bridge up to the lower part of the fingerboard. And sometimes he did this during one tone. I could see it pretty good from my place, and to me it seemed absolutly controled. I would be delighted if one of the cellist or players of other string instruments could tell me if the sound changes by the location of bowing.

Still jealous! I have to wait until May to see him, and am already counting the days!

Your observations are right - essentially playing closer to the fingerboard will produce a quieter sound, increasing in volume as you move the bow towards the bridge. Other factors which would have been more subtle to pick out would be the amount of hair that is in contact with the string as the bow stoke is made, as well as pressure applied by the first finger of the bowing hand. Then add that to the type of bow stroke being used, and bow speed and so on, to determine the sound produced.

His bowing for the Bach is quite interesting, in that it varies quite a bit from the 'traditional' in places. One of the beauties of the Bach Cello suites is the amount of different ways there are to interpret them, and still produce something that's good to listen to. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Sorry, I was in a rush yesterday and thatfor I forgot to thank you for answering my question. If I would have had a cello I would have directly tried out, what I saw. I realised, that he went up with his bowing especially when playing long notes, but I wasn't awake enough to realise, that this made the tone quieter.
All in all it was so inspiring anyway.

[Hooplah]

@hooplah,

I hope you will be seated close enough to the stage during the concert in may to see all of what he is doing. To me, as a non cello player, it was already fascinating, it must be even more for a cellist. Do you already know what he will be playing? If he will be playing works for Cello and Piano I hope that it will be with Lily, because it is so amazing how symbiotic their playing together is.

I'm sitting about half way back in the Royal Festival Hall (rear stalls), but pretty central. I'll be able to see what's going on well enough.

He is playing with a piano/violin, but it's not with Lily. The pianist is Lang Lang, and the violinist Vadim Repin, they are playing a selection of Trios, listed below:

Sergey Rachmaninov: Trio elegiaque No.1 in G minor
Felix Mendelssohn: Piano Trio No.1 in D minor, Op.49
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Piano Trio in A minor, Op.50

Should be a great evening! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[schraeubchen]

I'm sitting about half way back in the Royal Festival Hall (rear stalls), but pretty central. I'll be able to see what's going on well enough.

He is playing with a piano/violin, but it's not with Lily. The pianist is Lang Lang, and the violinist Vadim Repin, they are playing a selection of Trios, listed below:

Sergey Rachmaninov: Trio elegiaque No.1 in G minor
Felix Mendelssohn: Piano Trio No.1 in D minor, Op.49
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Piano Trio in A minor, Op.50

Should be a great evening! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Wow, three of the worlds famous musicians in one concert. You are indeed lucky. And the rear stalls are pretty close. Still it might be worth taking a lorgnette with you (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) . Have fun with it.

[Sunrise]

The next well known musician I will be able to listen to in a concert will be David Fray on april 20th. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Even more jealous! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

I will know more about his playing afterwords and it is still nearly two month until then.

@dawn
I can imagine that. I am just wondering why they rarely go to perform in Gibraltar. It is pretty suprising, that so many of them accept to perform in such a small town like my hometown (about 270,000 people living here). And the hall does not have a typical concert atmosphere. It is an auditorium belonging to the local university.

Gibraltar is a tiny place - only 30,000 people live here! Maybe that is why the amateur music scene is so busy here....we have to make our own entertainment!