Pierre Fournier Archives

Schools of Cello Playing: France

Reprinted with permission from Interlude. Martin Berteau Like the German school of cello playing, the French School had a centuries-long impact, which continues today. When we think of French playing, refinement, finesse, and elegance come to mind, but during the 18th Century in Northern Europe the cello was still considered a lowly, rudimentary instrument compared to the viola da gamba. The French cello school evolved due to the exquisite playing of Martin Berteau (circa 1700-71). Despite maintaining the underhand bow-hold of the gamba, his sweet tone and depth of expression greatly influenced his students, Jean Pierre Duport, Tillière, and Jean Baptiste Cupis. Berteau developed an effortless fingering system, incorporating the use of the thumb, and introducing the use of both natural and artificial harmonics, which was quite unusual [...]

By Janet Horvath|2024-07-05T20:11:43-04:00March 6th, 2022|Categories: Historical|Tags: French Cello School, Bernard Greenhouse, Jean Louis Duport, Leonard Rose, Joseph Platel, Pierre Fournier, Adrien François Servais, Felix Salmond, Auguste Franchomme, Paul Tortelier, Chopin, Andre Navarra, Jules Delsart, Maurice Gendron, Paul Bazelaire, Frank Miller, Elsa Hilger, Eleanor Aller, French|

A Survey of Bach Suite Editions (1995)

I recently read that there are over 80 editions of Bach's cello suites in existence with publication dates ranging from 1825 to the present. When reading this, my initial reaction was one of incredulity; what significantly different information could the 80th edition, for instance, have to offer over the previous 79 editions? Fortunately, I didn't stop there. I realized that this could be viewed as a great tribute to Bach and a testimonial to the beauty of his cello suites. So I decided to investigate some of these editions and get a glimpse at the insights of each player. The Bach Suites have always been a point of contention in the cello world. Unlike violinists and their solo violin works, we do not have a manuscript copy of Bach's cello [...]

By Tim Janof|2024-07-05T20:21:01-04:00November 30th, 2021|Categories: Internet Cello Society Archive, Repertoire|Tags: Internet Cello Society Archive, Editions, Bach Cello Suites, Pierre Fournier, ICS, Manuscripts, Dimitry Markevitch, Pablo Casals, Diran Alexanian, Bach, Hugo Becker, Janos Starker, August Wenzinger|

Conversation with Ofra Harnoy (December, 1996)

Born in Israel, Ofra Harnoy studied with her father, Vladimir Orloff, and William Pleeth. After her family moved to Canada, her debut as soloist with orchestra at age 10 was followed immediately by solo engagements with the Toronto and Montreal Symphony Orchestras. Winning the 1982 International Concert Artists Guild award (the youngest ever) led to her concerto and recital debuts in Carnegie Hall, which won both public and critical acclaim; in 1983 she was named Young Musician of the Year by "Musical America" magazine. She has appeared as soloist with major orchestras on five continents, and has been featured in hundreds of televised solo concerts in Canada, Japan, Australia, England, and throughout Europe. Twice she has played before H.R.H. Prince Charles by invitation, and several times before members of Japan's [...]

By Tim Janof|2021-07-05T18:34:19-04:00June 28th, 2021|Categories: Internet Cello Society Archive, Artistic Vision, Interviews, Performance, Repertoire|Tags: Pierre Fournier, Jacqueline du Pré, Ofra Harnoy, Practice, Vladimir Orloff, performance, repertoire, Technique|

Conversation with Julian Lloyd Webber (July, 2004)

Interview by Tim Janof Widely regarded as one of the most creative musicians of his generation, Julian Lloyd Webber has collaborated with an extraordinary array of musicians, from Yehudi Menuhin, Lorin Maazel, Neville Marriner, and Georg Solti to Stephane Grappelli, Elton John, and Cleo Laine. Julian's twenty-year partnership with Philips/Universal Classics has produced many outstanding recordings, including his Brit-Award winning Elgar Concerto, conducted by Yehudi Menuhin (chosen as the finest ever version by BBC Music Magazine), the Dvorák Concerto with Vaclav Neumann and the Czech Philharmonic, Tchaikovsky's Rococo Variations with the London Symphony under Maxim Shostakovich, and a coupling of Britten's Cello Symphony and Walton's Concerto with Sir Neville Marriner and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, which was described by Gramophone magazine as "beyond any rival." Julian [...]

By Tim Janof|2024-03-28T00:03:20-04:00October 21st, 2020|Categories: Internet Cello Society Archive, Artistic Vision, Interviews, Performance|Tags: Stradivarius, Recording Contracts, Phillip Glass, Commissions, New Music, Pierre Fournier, Mstislav Rostropovich, Douglas Cameron, Joan Dickson|

Conversation with Zara Nelsova (June, 2000)

Interview by Tim Janof The second generation of a distinguished Russian musical family, Ms. Nelsova was born in Canada, educated in England, and is a citizen of the USA. She made her debut with the London Symphony at age 12, and since that time has regularly toured every continent, including her triumphant tour of the Soviet Union in 1966 as the first to be made by an American soloist. Zara Nelsova has appeared with virtually every major orchestra in North America including those of New York, Boston, Chicago, and Philadelphia. She has appeared with numerous European orchestras including the Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam, Royal, Berlin, and London Philharmonics, the BBC and London symphony orchestras, and in Warsaw and Poznan with the Amadeus Chamber Orchestra. She has collaborated with such [...]

By Tim Janof|2022-05-09T13:53:00-04:00October 27th, 2019|Categories: Internet Cello Society Archive, Interviews, Performance|Tags: Schelomo, Zara Nelsova, Pablo Casals, Concerto, Pierre Fournier, soloist, Barber, Bloch|

Conversation with Shauna Rolston (January, 2006)

Interview by Tim Janof Having been named "Young Artist to Watch" by Musical America and the youngest recipient of the Pro Musicis International Award, celebrated cellist Shauna Rolston is considered to be one of the most compelling musicians of her generation. She has been praised for the ease and naturalness of her technique, her pure intonation, sheer fearlessness, and her ability to produce a huge tone and to play with great delicacy. According to Classic CD Magazine "her recording of Elgar's cello concerto is worthy to stand alongside Jacqueline du Pré's classic account. This could be the most remarkable performance of the last 20 years." Following her formative studies at the renowned Banff Centre, Shauna earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History from Yale University and a Master [...]

By Tim Janof|2020-03-01T18:12:44-05:00October 25th, 2019|Categories: Internet Cello Society Archive, Artistic Vision, Interviews, Performance|Tags: William Pleeth, Banff, Shauna Rolston, Elgar, Pierre Fournier, Aldo Parisot, Yale|

To Change or Not to Change — by Selma Gokcen

“Change involves carrying out an activity against the habit of life.” “You can’t do something you don’t know, if you keep on doing what you do know.” —F.M. Alexander Summers take musicians to new places where teachers and students meet for the first and sometimes the only time, and within this one or perhaps two or three encounters, Chance and Fate can open unexpected doors. Being out of our familiar circumstances and roles and away from the people we see every week in the same place—and for the same reason—provide just the right marinating sauce for Serendipity. It was during a summer festival in Belgium that I met two Alexander teachers and had my first lesson. I wasn't aware of the effect of that lesson at the time but four years later I [...]

By Selma Gokcen|2021-11-22T14:18:43-05:00September 16th, 2015|Categories: Alexander Technique for Cellists, Playing Healthy, Self Discovery|Tags: Selma Gokcen, cellobello, change, Alexander Technique, Pierre Fournier, CelloBlog|

Bach Suites and You – by Robert Battey

“In a work of art the intellect asks questions; it does not answer them” -Friedrich Hebbel Few tasks are more daunting than attempting to discern and convey J.S. Bach’s precise intentions for his Cello Suites. Just playing them is hard enough, but a true and meaningful interpretation of the Suites requires an entirely different heuristic model than that of our other repertoire. This is because the autograph of the Suites has been lost, and we are left only with several flawed and inconsistent copies. Since there is no original source, everything, from notes to rhythms to phrasings, must be questioned. With many pieces, one can rely on the fidelity and accuracy of a high-quality edition, prepared either from autographs or composer-supervised prints. There, you have the simple choice of either [...]

By Robert Battey|2021-07-26T15:08:34-04:00January 16th, 2013|Categories: Artistic Vision, In the Practice Room, Performance, Repertoire, Self Discovery|Tags: Rhythm, careless, textual, personality, interpretive ideas, accuracy, personal research, cello, conclusions, The Fencing Master, judgment, ambiguity, Pierre Fournier, cellobello, curiosity, transcribing, Instruments, liberation, Anna Magdalena, printing, Bach Suites, dilemma, uncertainties, virtuosity, lute, Anner Bylsma, publications, editors, enjoyment, lute arrangement, artistic, rainbows, flawed, recordings, meaningful interpretations, autograph, response, phrasing, genius, complexities, monochromatic, Pablo Casals, Bach Cello Suites, sloppy, challenges, historical, Battey, normal teaching model, Bach, Bach's original intentions, slurs, repertoire, inconsistent copies, robert, painting, Teaching, Bach’s precise intentions, study, colors, instrument control, Editions, parameters, Janos Starker, Barenreiter, text booklet, interpretive creativity, experimentation, paris|