chamber music Archives

Tyshawn Sorey’s “Cycles of My Being”

Inhale, Exhale. Hope. Whirlwind. Hate. Hope. Each Day I Rise, I Know. These words represent not only a powerful and provocative landscape, but also uniquely form the six movements of Cycles of My Being; a work by the creative genius and living composer/musician Tyshawn Sorey. I had the immense honor and privilege of being invited to perform the 2018 world premiere of Sorey’s work— scored for violin, cello, piano, tenor, and clarinet—on three separate occasions. The piece was a result of a co-commission from Opera Philadelphia, Carnegie Hall, and Lyric Opera of Chicago; while the music was presented by Sorey, the libretto was provided by poet Terrance Hayes (also a MacArthur Genius Grant Winner like Sorey), with the renowned and arresting tenor Lawrence Brownlee at the forefront. What was perhaps [...]

By Khari Joyner|2021-03-22T15:58:22-04:00March 10th, 2021|Categories: Artistic Vision, Chamber Music, Performance, Repertoire|Tags: New Music, Contemporary Music, Tyshawn Sorey, Khari Joyner, chamber music|

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 [...]

By Tim Janof|2023-01-30T12:51:24-05:00February 8th, 2021|Categories: Internet Cello Society Archive, Artistic Vision, Chamber Music, Interviews, Pablo Casals, Performance, Repertoire, Teaching|Tags: Pablo Casals, Zara Nelsova, Interpretation, Contemporary Music, Margaret Rowell, Technique, Colin Hampton, chamber music|

Conversation with Eleonore Schoenfeld (August, 1999)

Interview by Tim Janof Eleonore Schoenfeld earned her Artist Diploma at the famed Hochschule fur Musik in Berlin, Germany. An internationally known cellist, she has concertized in four continents as soloist with leading Philharmonic and Radio Orchestras, in recitals, and in a violin-cello duo with her sister, Alice Schoenfeld, known as the "Schoenfeld Duo." She has made numerous recordings of the solo and chamber literature for major TV and radio stations in Europe and the USA. Among them are works specifically written for the Schoenfeld Duo, which has recorded for Everest and Orion Master Recordings. She has been the Director of the international Gregor Piatigorsky Seminar for Cellists in Los Angeles since 1979. A renowned pedagogue, she is Professor at the University of Southern California (USC), where she has been [...]

By Tim Janof|2020-09-17T02:35:41-04:00March 1st, 2020|Categories: Internet Cello Society Archive, Artistic Vision, Performance|Tags: Teaching, chamber music, Tim Janof, Pedagogy, USC, Piatagorsky, Dvorak Concerto, Popper Etudes, Sevcik|

Conversation with Paul Katz (October, 2005)

Interview by Tim Janof Paul Katz is known to concertgoers the world over as cellist of the Cleveland Quartet, which during an international career of 26 years, made more than 2,500 appearances on four continents. As a member of the celebrated ensemble from 1969-1995, Katz performed at the White House and on many television shows, including "CBS Sunday Morning," NBC's "Today Show," "The Grammy Awards" (the first classical musicians to appear on that show,) and in "In The Mainstream: The Cleveland Quartet," a one hour documentary televised across the U.S. and Canada. In collaboration with the country's largest PBS station, WGBH Boston, and the New England Conservatory of Music, Katz has recently embarked on an extensive DVD/Website project on cello pedagogy, an endeavor that will occupy much of his next [...]

By Tim Janof|2020-08-03T09:05:46-04:00August 5th, 2019|Categories: Internet Cello Society Archive, Interviews|Tags: Paul Katz, Tim Janoff, Gabor Rejto, New England Conservatory, Internet Cello Society, string quartet, Cleveland Quartet, ICS, Greenhouse, Schoenfeld, chamber music, Victor Sazer, Starker, Primrose, Heifetz, USC, Piatigorsky, Casals, Lesser|

The Rep…More than Quartet — by Thomas Rosenberg

More or Less...String Trios, Quintets and Beyond It is generally agreed that the string quartet is the ultimate chamber music idiom. While there are surely those that differ with that assessment, I confess that I agree from my perspectives as both a listener and a performing artist. Many of the greatest composers from Haydn to the present day have tried their hand at quartet writing. Many have succeeded in giving us their best creations, some of which are regarded to be some of the greatest creative work of human kind. When asked about repertoire for other combinations of strings, most musicians can come up with a relatively small list of trios, quintets, sextets and more. However, in reality, there is a lot of music for string ensembles that are not quartets. Although the most well known [...]

By Thomas Rosenberg|2022-12-19T13:19:01-05:00July 17th, 2016|Categories: Chamber Music, Performance|Tags: repertoire, chamber music, thomas rosenberg|

Opening the Beethoven A Major Cello Sonata: Obsessing Over the First Five Bars — by Brian Hodges

The five Beethoven Cello Sonatas are iconic for a number of reasons. First and foremost, they’re some of the first pieces to include the cello in a true duo partnership, something the violin had been enjoying for a long time. While the first two sonatas (Op. 5, 1 and 2) are actually listed as Sonata for Piano and Violoncello, things have changed by the third sonata, Op. 69 in A Major, with the cello now getting top billing. The sonata was written during Beethoven’s middle period and immediately one can sense his expansive creativity at work in full force. The opening is one of the more notorious openings in all of the cello literature. It starts with the famous melody played by the cello alone, like a soliloquy. [...]

By Guest Blogger|2022-07-27T20:58:13-04:00June 15th, 2016|Categories: Artistic Vision, Repertoire|Tags: Sonata, Beethoven, repertoire, chamber music|

Great Chamber Music Reading and Watching — by Thomas Rosenberg

Besides enormously enhancing listening skills, chamber music study also develops a players’ ability to sight-read, note read and watch. These are skills that are vital in orchestral situations as well. However, this is not about that kind of reading and watching! This is about books, movies and videos that will also greatly enhance the skills of anyone playing chamber music. READING: There are some great books out there about chamber music. None of these are long (300 pages or less) and are relatively quick and easy reading. I hope this will spur the interest of those reading this article to check some of them out. Con Brio: Four Russians Called The Budapest String Quartet by Nat Brandt The Budapest Quartet was perhaps the greatest quartet ever…or certainly one of the most important. They existed for nearly [...]

By Thomas Rosenberg|2022-08-11T16:02:03-04:00May 7th, 2016|Categories: Beyond the Traditional, Chamber Music, Self Discovery|Tags: chamber music, CelloBlog, thomas rosenberg, cellobello|

A Chamber Music Concert is Worth a Thousand Words — by Thomas Rosenberg

One of the goals of good teaching is assisting students to develop into interesting, compelling and communicative artists. Of course, there are many influences that create artistic musicians and many of them can be discussed and demonstrated in lessons. However, one of the factors that I believe is extremely important is also one that cannot actually happen in a lesson. For it to get done, you must often rely on the parents of your students or, for collegiate students, the student themselves. That factor is getting students to attend concerts to hear and watch professional and artistic musicians performing “live." Imagine the difference it would make to students who love sports if they could not see great athletes performing. It is relatively easy to see a basketball game, baseball game, tennis match, football game, gymnastic or swim meet, [...]

By Thomas Rosenberg|2024-02-19T13:26:03-05:00March 20th, 2016|Categories: Chamber Music, In the Practice Room, Self Discovery, Teaching|Tags: thomas rosenberg, chamber music practice, chamber music|

What?….I have to listen too?? — by Thomas Rosenberg

For seven long minutes he stood. Then he stirred And he said to the bear, “do you know what I heard? Do you see that far mountain…? It’s ninety miles off. There’s a fly on that mountain. I just heard him cough! Now the cough of a fly, sir, is quite hard to hear When he’s ninety miles off. But I heard it quite clear.” -Dr. Suess In Dr. Suess’s story, “The Big Brag”, the rabbit goes on and on about how well he can hear. Of course, that is not the point of the story, which is about how dumb it is to brag about how great you are. (That is a possible topic for another article…not that musicians ever do that!). But it does have an important message that [...]

By Thomas Rosenberg|2022-11-09T21:17:05-05:00February 25th, 2016|Categories: Chamber Music, In the Practice Room, Performance|Tags: chamber music, rehearsing, CelloBlog, thomas rosenberg, learn to practice, cellobello|

The Viola and 2nd Violin (The Unsung Heroes of Chamber Music Groups!) – by Tom Rosenberg

When violinists are asked what part they prefer to play in chamber music, there are often just two answers. I wish more often that there were three common answers, but more on that later. Some like to feel like they are the star, and so they want to play 1st violin. Others are either unwilling or unable to take on the 1st violin part which often features the most virtuosic part writing in the strings and so they choose 2nd violin. The irony in that decision is that playing 2nd violin well in a chamber ensemble requires a skill set that is in many ways more difficult than what the 1st violin is required to do. And, it is very different than in orchestra, where the individual player can and often should blend into the section. [...]

By Thomas Rosenberg|2021-07-19T02:30:41-04:00February 17th, 2016|Categories: Chamber Music, In the Practice Room, Teaching|Tags: cellobello, chamber music, CelloBlog, thomas rosenberg, chamber music practice|

Developing Musicianship Through Chamber Music — by Thomas Rosenberg

In a typical private instrumental lesson, until a student has reached a fairly high technical level, much of the time in a lesson is spent on issues such as good hand positions, intonation, tone production, fingerings and bowings, and the development of technique in both hands through scales, etudes, etc. The choice of a solo piece or pieces is usually connected to these same issues. Musicianship is hopefully discussed, and hopefully in some detail. But, the fact remains that it is unlikely issues of musicianship will dominate the lesson time. One of the great benefits of having students play chamber music is that it helps them become better musicians faster. A good, well matched chamber music group with a good coach will push forward the abilities a student has already developed and enable them to be able [...]

By Thomas Rosenberg|2024-05-13T13:32:51-04:00January 8th, 2016|Categories: Artistic Vision, Chamber Music, High School Blogs, In the Practice Room|Tags: chamber music, thomas rosenberg, chamber music practice|

Being the Music — by Thomas Rosenberg

What is it that makes one performance more compelling to an audience than another? Of course, there are many things that come into play, not the least of which is the aesthetic taste of individual audience members. However, at most concerts the audience consensus is clear. When it seems dull or not played at a high technical level, they are polite; when it seems good, they are appreciative; and when it seems great, they are compelled to give energy back to the performers by clapping energetically and often standing and cheering. I believe there are usually two primary factors that create those compelling performances that audiences and performers enjoy so much. Both involve artistry, but different kinds. And, in the setting of a chamber music concert, the chances of NOT succeeding are greater than in a solo performance. [...]

By Thomas Rosenberg|2021-05-17T15:31:37-04:00December 8th, 2015|Categories: Chamber Music, In the Practice Room, Performance, Teaching|Tags: chamber music, CelloBlog, thomas rosenberg, cellobello|

Rambling About Tanglewood: Tales of a BSO Survivor

Reposted from The Berkshire Eagle. LENOX—It's been two times 50 for Jules Eskin this summer: the conclusion of 50 years as the Boston Symphony Orchestra's principal cellist, coinciding with the conclusion of the Boston Symphony Chamber Players' 50th anniversary season. That automatically identifies him as a founding member of the chamber ensemble. He's the only founding member still in it, in fact. Eskin, 82, is a survivor. After five months out for cancer treatments, he came back to active duty at Tanglewood on July 6 to play one of his trademark solos, the big, lyrical one in Brahms' Second Piano Concerto. He's also back to doing his pull-ups and sit-ups and hikes up Lenox Mountain to the fire tower, he says. He's tough even when it comes to producing a [...]

By Blogmaster|2017-10-30T05:11:08-04:00August 27th, 2014|Categories: Artistic Vision, Interviews, Orchestra|Tags: Piatigorsky, Tanglewood, Jules Eskin, Lenox, The Berkshire Eagle, cellist, chamber music, BSO|

Working With the Infinite Onion — by Thomas Rosenberg

Here’s a riddle for you: I am like an infinite onion. There is always another layer of me for you to peel back and you might feel like crying the entire time. I am also like doing the dishes. There is always another meal to eat and that means there will always be more dirty dishes for you to clean….forever! What am I? The answer is: INTONATION! Great intonation in a chamber music ensemble is one of the most difficult technical aspects to achieve for any group striving for excellence. It often requires a lot of rehearsal time, can test anyone’s patience, and all your hard work can seemingly disappear on stage, even for professional ensembles. I would like to explore the reasons it can be so tricky and complicated, [...]

By Thomas Rosenberg|2022-09-07T23:44:58-04:00January 27th, 2014|Categories: Chamber Music, In the Practice Room|Tags: Rosenberg, expressive intonation, string groups, fuzzy sound, student ensembles, good instrument tuning, Thomas, great intonation, time management, intonation, group intonation, working, tuning, hand position, Adjustments, intonation exercises, Listening, left hand position, chamber music, onion, patience, open strings, rehearsing|

Reflections from the Bleachers — by Melissa Kraut

I am not cut out to be a swimming mom. Seriously. I am a cellist, an artist that uses classical music to parse the profound issues of humankind. I deal with emotions, both broad and subtle, grand and intimate. I’m on a journey to refine a skill that I will spend my lifetime trying to achieve, and working on finding ways to convey my passion to others, to convey what is in my soul through my instrument. I’m a professor at the Cleveland Institute of Music, how can I possibly take on the role of swimming mom?? My daughter, a freshman in high school, is an avid swimmer, so it came as no surprise when she tried out for the high school swimming team last October. As much as I [...]

By Melissa Kraut|2017-10-22T23:03:30-04:00March 14th, 2013|Categories: Artistic Vision, Beyond the Traditional, In the Practice Room, Self Discovery|Tags: Interlochen Arts Academy, tempo, unhealthy, Cleveland Institute of Music, letter jacket, Wenger chairs, achieve a common goal, Melissa Kraut, frustration, athlete, pool, passion, bleachers, timing, refine a skill, chamber music, competitions, cello, Reflections fro the bleachers, training, early morning practice, cellobello, sick, discipline, eat well, professor, sleep well, repetition, getting enough sleep, orchestra, stretch, progress, high school orchestra assembly, successful musicians, exercise, increments, swimming mom, swimming|

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