Overcoming groundedness
It’s so wonderful to go to a concert and recognize a musician’s particular style of playing from their CD covers! Steven Isserlis looks just like this when he performs (although his hair is grayer now!) I remember the first time I heard him live was at at Severance Hall when he played the Schumann Cello Concerto with the Cleveland Orchestra. I was up in one of the boxes overlooking the stage and, as he turned his head soulfully, like this, with the music, I almost felt as if he was looking right at me! Violinists or, for that matter, any instrumentalists who stand to play, have the advantage of being able to be very free with their physical movements, but it’s more tricky for cellists and pianists. Still, both Isserlis and Connie Shih managed to overcome that kind of instrumental groundedness with their wonderful collaboration during the annual Piatigorsky concert at Shriver Hall on Sunday . It seemed at times as if they might both become elevated, so enthusiastic were they in their performances. I’ve been conjuring up other cellists in my mind’s eye since this concert, and thinking that Lynn Harrell and Yo-Yo Ma are also very effective in overcoming the fact that they are seated behind an instrument that is pegged to the ground. The music will out, it seems, with these great cellists!
Tags:chamber music
