Conversation with Ron Leonard (February, 1996)
Interview by Tim Janof Ronald Leonard is well known as a soloist, chamber musician, and teacher. He has been Principal Cellist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic since 1975, and is the Gregor Piatigorsky Professor of Cello at the University of Southern California. He has performed concertos with Zubin Mehta, Michael Tilson-Thomas, Carlo Maria Giulini, Andre Previn, Simon Rattle, and Esa-Pekka Salonen. He has appeared as guest artist with the Juilliard, Guarneri, Angeles, Mendelssohn, Borremeo, Chilingarian, and American Quartets. TJ: You studied with Orlando Cole and Leonard Rose at the Curtis Institute. How did their teaching methods compare? RL: I studied with them at the same time, believe it or not. They were two very different musical personalities. They approached the instrument, both technically and musically, from quite different viewpoints, [...]
A Biographical Sketch of David Popper
The following was written for inclusion in a new performing edition of the High School of Cello Playing that will be released soon. Robert Battey David Popper (1843-1913) It’s not commonly known that the composer of the famous Hungarian Rhapsody and cello professor at the storied Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest was actually Bohemian (Czech). David Popper was born in Prague to Jewish parents, his father a cantor at two large synagogues. Popper’s musical talent was evident from early childhood, first at the piano and then on the violin, which he studied from age 6 to 12 (this was not so unusual; others who began on the violin included Piatti, Servais, Becker, Casals, and Carter Brey). But at his audition for the Prague Conservatory, Popper was accepted with the curious [...]
Conversation with Nathaniel Rosen (March, 1996)
Interview by Tim Janof Nathaniel Rosen, former Teaching Assistant for Gregor Piatigorsky at the University of Southern California, is renowned for being the only American cellist to ever win the Tchaikovsky Competition in Russia. Mr. Rosen is in much demand as a soloist, recording artist, and chamber musician. He teaches at the Manhattan School of Music and the Thomas More College in New Hampshire. TJ: Eleonore Schoenfeld, Professor of Cello at USC, was your first teacher. What was she like? NR: I studied cello with her from the beginning, starting with open strings. She was well organized and patient, but still very demanding. Because of this, she has become one of the best in the business. The finest young talents from all over the world seek her guidance. She stressed [...]
Conversation with Steven Isserlis (April, 2004)
Steven Isserlis is a remarkable cellist whose commitment to and obvious pleasure in music making is an inspiration to audiences and fellow-musicians. His artistic profile is characterised by a uniquely beautiful sound, a diverse choice of repertoire, a passion for finding neglected works and, above all, empathy with the music he plays. Steeped in music from birth - his grandfather was the Russian pianist and composer Julius Isserlis, while older branches of his family tree have a direct line to Felix Mendelssohn -- Steven Isserlis has communicated through music from an early age. As Artistic Director of IMS Prussia Cove in Cornwall -- a role he inherited from founder Sandor Vegh -- this energy and passion for communicating and educating is evident in the annual master classes and chamber music [...]
Conversation with Pieter Wispelwey (April, 2002)
Interview by Tim Janof Pieter Wispelwey is one of the first of a generation of performers equally adept on either the 'authentic' or modern cello. His expert stylistic knowledge, augmented by a phenomenal technique enable him to render individual, yet remarkable interpretations of the cello repertoire from J.S. Bach to Elliott Carter. For years now, he has won the hearts of critics and public alike with his unique performances of the Bach and Britten unaccompanied cello suites, and with his recitals of the Beethoven and Brahms sonatas either on baroque or modern instruments. Born in Haarlem, Netherlands, Wispelwey's diverse musical personality is rooted in the training he received -- from early years with Dicky Boeke and Anner Bylsma in Amsterdam to studies with Paul Katz in the USA and William [...]
Reflections on the 17 Beethoven String Quartets: The Metronome Markings (Part 5 of 5)
Beethoven's Metronome Markings By Paul Katz It’s been a personal joy for me to revisit the album notes I wrote 45 years ago for the Cleveland Quartet’s recorded Beethoven Quartet Cycle on RCA Victor. The 17 quartets of Beethoven were the core of our 26-year career as we immersed ourselves in research, score study, years of exhilarating rehearsals, two recorded cycles, 30 complete cycles in the major capitals of the world, and literally thousands of Beethoven quartet performances. Musicians generally agree that there is no other music as rewarding or profound in all of western music. These masterpieces have challenged me as a musician and enriched my life -what a privileged existence! Formed in 1969, the CQ knew only 2 Beethoven quartets for the 1970 Beethoven bi-centennial year, but we joked [...]
Reflections on the 17 Beethoven String Quartets: Some Interpretive Considerations (Part 4 of 5)
Some Interpretive Considerations By Paul Katz It’s been a personal joy for me to revisit the album notes I wrote 45 years ago for the Cleveland Quartet’s recorded Beethoven Quartet Cycle on RCA Victor. The 17 quartets of Beethoven were the core of our 26-year career as we immersed ourselves in research, score study, years of exhilarating rehearsals, two recorded cycles, 30 complete cycles in the major capitals of the world, and literally thousands of Beethoven quartet performances. Musicians generally agree that there is no other music as rewarding or profound in all of western music. These masterpieces have challenged me as a musician and enriched my life -what a privileged existence! Formed in 1969, the CQ knew only 2 Beethoven quartets for the 1970 Beethoven bi-centennial year, but we joked [...]
Reflections on the 17 Beethoven String Quartets: The Late Period Quartets (Part 3 of 5)
The Late Period Quartets By Paul Katz It’s been a personal joy for me to revisit the album notes I wrote 45 years ago for the Cleveland Quartet’s recorded Beethoven Quartet Cycle on RCA Victor. The 17 quartets of Beethoven were the core of our 26-year career as we immersed ourselves in research, score study, years of exhilarating rehearsals, two recorded cycles, 30 complete cycles in the major capitals of the world, and literally thousands of Beethoven quartet performances. Musicians generally agree that there is no other music as rewarding or profound in all of western music. These masterpieces have challenged me as a musician and enriched my life -what a privileged existence! Formed in 1969, the CQ knew only 2 Beethoven quartets for the 1970 Beethoven bi-centennial year, but we [...]
Reflections on the 17 Beethoven String Quartets: The Middle Period Quartets (Part 2 of 5)
The Middle Period Quartets By Paul Katz It’s been a personal joy for me to revisit the album notes I wrote 45 years ago for the Cleveland Quartet’s recorded Beethoven Quartet Cycle on RCA Victor. The 17 quartets of Beethoven were the core of our 26-year career as we immersed ourselves in research, score study, years of exhilarating rehearsals, two recorded cycles, 30 complete cycles in the major capitals of the world, and literally thousands of Beethoven quartet performances. Musicians generally agree that there is no other music as rewarding or profound in all of western music. These masterpieces have challenged me as a musician and enriched my life -what a privileged existence! Formed in 1969, the CQ knew only 2 Beethoven quartets for the 1970 Beethoven bi-centennial year, but we [...]
Reflections on the 17 Beethoven String Quartets: The Early Period Quartets (Part 1 of 5)
The Early Period Quartets By Paul Katz It’s been a personal joy for me to revisit the album notes I wrote 45 years ago for the Cleveland Quartet’s recorded Beethoven Quartet Cycle on RCA Victor. The 17 quartets of Beethoven were the core of our 26-year concertizing career as we immersed ourselves in research, score study, years of exhilarating rehearsals, two recorded cycles, 30 complete cycles in the major capitals of the world, and literally thousands of Beethoven quartet performances. Musicians generally agree that there is no other music as rewarding or profound in all of western music. These masterpieces have challenged me as a musician and enriched my life -what a privileged existence! Formed in 1969, the CQ knew only 2 Beethoven quartets for the 1970 Beethoven bi-centennial year, but [...]
The World of Improvisation
Particularly for many classically trained musicians, the art of improvisation quite often seems like a world of mystery which—upon beginning to delve into the field—can quickly lead to a deep abyss! We spend so much time from a young age practicing and studying how to feel comfortable playing our instruments, how to sense a purpose in our sound, and ultimately how to mold the very fine black dots and stems on the page into a cosmic energy that we call music. The methods to classically train on any instrument are endless, but each has a common goal of building a foundation for the instruction of music education. And through music education, an aspiring musician can embark on a lifelong pursuit into the study and practice of music. But where does [...]
Conversation with Yosif Feigelson (1995)
Interview by Paul Tseng PT: Please describe your association with Rostropovich. JF: In terms of my association with Rostropovich, I studied with him for three years from 1971 to 1974. It was after I took the first prize in the Concertino Prague Competition. Rostropovich also won first prize in a competition with Daniel Shafran [Prague Spring Festival]. He heard about me from a friend. I remember he held an audition in his flat in Moscow and I actually came a year earlier to the conservatory because I had to graduate a year later. But he said I should take a one year extension in my studies. At that time he had gotten involved with Solzhenitsyn and it was a difficult time because he wasn't concertizing very much. But for me [...]
Empowering Community & Creativity – Part II of a conversation with Elizabeth Rowe
Reprinted with permission from Audition Cafe. The completion of a two-part interview with principal flutist of the Boston Symphony Elizabeth Rowe, well known as a performer, mentor, and advocate for equal pay in the orchestral world. I greatly enjoyed connecting with Elizabeth earlier this fall and sharing her inspiring thoughts regarding her approach to the pandemic, as a performer and a human being, and for advice to others on healthily managing their own reactions to it. If you missed it, be sure to check out Part I of her interview! In this second part of a condensed version of our conversation, Elizabeth discusses how her desire to support musicians early in their careers and creative people of all fields and stages of life has driven her to explore some new outlets. [...]
Conversation with David Tonkonogui (May, 1993)
Interview by Tim Janof For those of you who haven't heard of David Tonkonogui, he is the most recent addition to the Seattle Symphony cello section. He is also an active chamber musician in Seattle and has won the hearts of all who have heard him. For those of you who have not heard him play, I highly recommend you go to any chamber concert in which he plays. TJ: First of all, please pronounce your last name. DT: Tonkonogui (Tawn-ko-no-gee) TJ: Where does your name come from? DT: It's derived from Russian. I admit that it's an unusual Russian name. I've never met anybody in Russia with the same last name. But I have met several people in Seattle who trace the origin of their names back to my [...]
A conversation with Elizabeth Rowe – principal flutist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra
Reprinted with permission from Audition Cafe. A two-part interview with Elizabeth Rowe discussing various aspects of her creative life during the pandemic. Aside from her acclaim as a performer, teacher, and mentor to creatives of all ages, you may recognize her from international headlines in 2018 when she shed light on pay practices in the classical music industry by filing an equal pay lawsuit against the BSO. I had the pleasure of speaking with Elizabeth earlier in October, and I am thrilled to share a condensed version of our conversation, which left me optimistic and inspired. In this first part of the interview, we discuss the ways that the pandemic has impacted her attitude towards playing the flute and reaffirmed her belief in the importance of living a balanced life. [...]