George Walker’s Sonata for Cello and Piano Deserves a Place in the Standard Cello Repertoire
Reprinted from Strings magazine. © Stringletter Publishing. All rights reserved. By Seth Parker Woods | From the November-December 2020 issue of Strings magazine Hailed by The Guardian as “a cellist of power and grace,” Seth Parker Woods is a soloist, chamber musician, and educator based in Chicago. He serves on the faculty at the University of Chicago and is artist in residence with the Kaufman Music Center in New York City. Title of Work Being Studied: Sonata for Cello and Piano Composer: George Walker Date Composed: 1957 Name of Edition Studied: Lauren Keiser Music Publishing, 2008, but original publishing was in 1972 I first came to know this important work of the cello repertoire, George Walker’s Sonata for Cello and Piano, in 2008, when I first met George Walker. I am [...]
Conversation with Bonnie Hampton (September, 1996)
Interview by Tim Janof Bonnie Hampton leads an active life as a chamber musician, soloist, and teacher. Ms. Hampton has been involved in performances of new music since the beginning of her career and has been active in contemporary music groups. She has also been the cellist of the Francesco Trio for 32 years. A student of Pablo Casals, she participated for many years in the Casals and Marlboro Festivals. Ms. Hampton teaches at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and, during the summer, at the Banff Centre and the Tanglewood Music Center. She has served as president of Chamber Music America. TJ: You studied with the great cello pedagogue, Margaret Rowell. What was she like as a teacher? BH: I started my study with her when I was 8 [...]
The Origins of Haydn’s Cello Concerto No. 2 in D Major (Part 2 of 2)
My research into this topic was inspired by upcoming concerts this weekend with the Houston Symphony. The Saturday January 30th performance is viewable on livestream at 8pm Central time. I am heavily indebted to Thomas Tolley and Dr. George Kenneway, whose groundbreaking research I only survey in this article. Their papers should be read in their entirety for the rich level of background and detail they provide. Unlike most of Haydn’s symphonic commissions, the cello concerto would stay unpublished for two decades. The market for cello concerti was more limited than for piano and violin concerti and was focused on works playable by advanced amateur musicians. Although there was a general increase in the difficulty of published cello writing in the late 18th century, only the concerti of Boccherini rivaled [...]
The Origins of Haydn’s Cello Concerto No. 2 in D Major (Part 1 of 2)
My research into this topic was inspired by upcoming concerts this weekend with the Houston Symphony. The Saturday January 30th performance is viewable on livestream at 8pm Central time. I am heavily indebted to Thomas Tolley and Dr. George Kenneway, whose groundbreaking research I only survey in this article. Their papers should be read in their entirety for the rich level of background and detail they provide. Haydn’s 1783 D major cello concerto (Hob VIIb:2) suffered a checkered reception for much of its early history, with aspersions cast both upon its authenticity and its compositional quality. Even when it finally gained popularity among cellists in the late 19th century, it did so in performing editions that significantly altered both its style and substance. The reception of the concerto was further [...]
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 [...]
Conversation with Jeffrey Solow (May, 1995)
Interview by Tim Janof Jeffrey Solow is currently Associate Professor of Music at the Esther Boyer College of Music at Temple University. He is a renowned performer, cello pedagogue, and author. Two of his articles were recently voted to be in the top 10 of the last ten years in American String Teacher magazine. TJ: How did you get started on the cello? JS: It was from familial influence. There are three kids in my family, of which I am the youngest. When each of us reached about 7 years old, my parents asked us what instrument we wanted to play. My older brother had played cello for awhile and somehow that stuck with me when it was my turn to decide. So I emulated him and picked the cello. [...]