Next Level Cellist Musicality Issue

The Well-Traveled Musician
I think a big reason why I enjoy splitting my time evenly between
the North America and Europe is that I get so many different
perspectives and thoughts from both cultures. My own approach
is really the result of osmosis, thanks to having had contact with
so many unique musicians. Musicians are capable of learning so
much from interaction with other great artists. This is one of the
most important components of anyone’s musical education. I feel
like I’m an eternal student, trying to take in as much as possible.
One of the things I’ve always hated is labels. I’ve found that no musician
falls into a particular category, and you can always find something else
when you’re looking for it. One comment on my playing has always
stood out and made me happy: “You don’t really have a school, I can’t
tell where you’ve been trained.” Sounding like a mishmash of traditions
to me is a comment on forming your individual voice. How do you go
about forming this voice? Get your hands on everything - old recordings,
new recordings, different nationalities, different artists! No matter
where you come from, we do communicate in a universal language.
It doesn’t matter what your background, it’s what you do with
the information.
I try to practice what I preach and listen to a great variety of recordings.
I do go through periods where I don’t listen to a large quantity if I’m
too busy, or if I’m developing a relationship with a new piece. Most
of the time, though, I mix the old and the new because it’s important
to reflect on the past and find new sources of inspiration. Like many
professional players, I don’t have much time to attend concerts and
find out what’s currently out there.
These days I’m not listening to that many cellists. I’m listening to a lot
of symphonic recordings, with both living and deceased conductors.
I’ve always listened to a lot of Claudio Abbado recordings with the
Berlin Philharmonic and Vienna, and his passing has been a reason
to reflect on them again. I listen to a lot of Bernstein and Barenboim
as well - these are minds that I respect so much. It’s always been
fascinating to contemplate how you structure a Mahler symphony, or
how you make sense of 9 Beethoven symphonies, or Wagner operas.
I was scared by Wagner in my early twenties but now I’m absolutely
entranced by it.
When I’m listening to cellists, I listen to Casals and Jacqueline du Pre,
Rostropovich, Piatigorsky, Yo-Yo Ma, and of course the cellists of my
generation. It’s very interesting for me to hear different perspectives.
I’ve always been in love with Casals’ recordings of the Bach suites.
In terms of stylistic differences, they seem “outdated” in some ways,
but I find them to be the most honest and intelligent recordings of
the works. Jacqueline du Pre had such a short career, but she really
recorded every concerto that was major at the time - every great
Romantic concerto she performed is an excellent resource. Rostropovich
takes me right back to when I was studying the Shostakovich concerti,
Prokofiev Sinfonia Concertante, and Britten Cello Symphony. We
almost owe him above anyone else for his recordings of the 20 th century
cello repertoire. Beyond the classical world, I’m a big fan of Bjork, and
I think the Beatles are geniuses. I listen to bossa nova, Venezuelan folk
music, some Argentinian folk music, and Portuguese fado.
The Future for Cellists
Cellists today still don’t fully pursue their instruments as being as
versatile as a violin. They’re not fully convinced that it is a true
solo instrument. This is despite the fact that cellists agree that our
instrument covers the range of the human voice and as such, it is a
very relatable instrument. Honestly, I believe that it’s the chameleon
of instruments, and it can really be anything we want it to be. Students
especially need to embrace that fact and pursue it.
One skill I would love to see my fellow musicians cultivate to a high
degree is the performance mentality. I find a lot of performance
anxiety in students today. I remember I was around 7, and I was
preparing to do a small recital at the Cleveland Institute of Music.
I was all dressed up and ready to go with my fractional sized cello.
My mom looked at me and said “There’s no reason to be nervous
because you’re very talented and you’re very prepared.” I think about
that to this day, even though it’s so basic. We forget this in the throes
of our doubts and the stress of trying to absorb everything we’re told.
Knowing that, and really believing that to your core, for me was
really powerful.
Ultimately, any musician’s primary job is to communicate. We are so
lucky to have this incredible language that touches everyone if we do it
right. We can convey these ideas and emotions to touch everyone all at
once, yet in an individual way. The Prokofiev Sinfonia Concertante is
one of my favorite vehicles for this, because it’s a playground of voices
and colors. Someone asked me once: Alisa, there are so many notes,
and it’s so weird! The 2nd movement is twice as long as the others,
and there are all these crazy characters. What do you imagine?
To me, it’s like a big ballet - I think Romeo and Juliet is all over it.
That piece in particular seems to me like a sequence of paintings, with
colors and images that alternate being vivid, bucolic, wild. For me, as
an artist to delve into that, it’s so much fun. I really enjoy performing
it, and I hope that I can share that experience with audiences.
A Note on My Gear
I found something that really works in most halls - as a soloist you
need to be able to project in 3,000 foot concert halls as well as recital
halls. I use Jargar forte A and D strings - they are not a common string
in the US - and I use Spirocore medium tension G and C strings. I
have a 1790 William Forester cello and an Emile Ouchard bow. I have
used the same cello since I was 16. I use Bernardel rosin, and I am
a very heavy rosin user (ask anyone I know!). The only reason I use
different rosins is when I forget mine, which happens much more
often than I’d like to admit.
For bow rehairs, I am very particular about the hair I get on my bow,
when I have the luxury of choice. One of the strenuous aspects of this
lifestyle is not always having control over who performs these services
or where I can get them done. I’ve had jobs done is various cities when
I just need it done, but if possible I like to go to Gregory Wylie in New
York. I’ve also gone to Salchow, who has done a fantastic job. The
single greatest rehair I’ve ever had done in my life was done in Vienna
by Christina Eriks, and it actually lasted me more than a month, which
is extraordinary for me!
SPRING 2014 NEXT LEVEL CELLIST
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