This piece is originally for the clarinet and I have been playing it on the clarinet since the age of 15. After this wonderful lesson, I will take a fresh approach to it.
She is amazing I love how she doesn't just play the piece, but puts herself into it. It brings out the storyline of the piece so much better. And her cello helps her out it has beautiful overtones.
Are people really that overly sensitive that they think Isserlis is being arrogant or rude? He isn't trying to force his interpretation of the piece on her, he's trying to get her to hear things differently. Much of musicality is a subtle manipulation of time - how you pull and push the notes within a pulse, and to many it is a foreign feeling to do this. Again, he's not trying to make her play like him, he's trying to get her to really listen and hear the music in a different manner.
A masterclass is supposed to provide the performer to see the piece as a whole beyond mastering the technical aspects to really understand what the composer expects the performer to display. Isserlis does an excellent job here in providing the player with insight on how to express certain colors. There is no doubt that she is an excellent player and has mastered the piece that's why she's at the International Musicians' Seminar in Prussia Cove but Isserlis helps her really capture the character.
I find Isserlis's English quite ideal, every vows are pronounced with great clarity, and it's devoid of any obvious regional accent. I would like to speak like him.
it's interesting to see when you get up to that level of skill how you can actually simply practice the philosophy of a music piece, and your dialogue with your instrument and teacher is much more about the "poetry" of it than anything else... i wish i could get to that place sometimes with something!
This is why it's called a masterclass. A class with a master :) Every clarinetist as I am myself need to study this piece and the Brahms op.120 sonatas by listening to Cello play Schumann and Viola play Brahms to learn to play it beautifully smoothly and to connect each phrase.
People are saying he's strict? What? He's so nice! He's just direct, which is good. I've had a vocal teacher who would get mad if I didn't reach a note perfectly (mind you, she put me in beg. soprano - another teacher later, i find i'm a mezzo) And if she's paying good money to get classes from him - he obviously has to try his best to make sure his student gets the full education of learning how to play cello, and well - before she makes mistakes into habits - which is hard to reverse.
Thanks for your comment on Steven's Schumann masterclass. You know you can order the whole masterclass on DVD from us at the URL on the clip. It's brilliant. We mail them out the same day we get the order. Good luck with the performance!
Well spotted. You must have been there! We took students and teachers from Prussia Cove to a house close by so as not to disrupt the other classes going on in the main house. So apart from the setting it's an authentic Prussia Cove masterclass.
Yes, positively. If you want better insight on how to play Schumann, Steven's your man. I LOVE Schumann, and I've learned tons from Steven just from listening to him play Schumann, as well as from reading his books and articles. I'm a pianist, but I lovethecello, too.
Wow... This makes me miss being in band/orchestra (I've been in band, orchestra and choir - and for some reason I stuck with choir, when I had so much more fun interpreting the music in the other two...) I loved when my directors would talk like this!! It really challenges the performer to think of music in terms of it being a conversation, or a poem, rather than just black and white spots on a page...
It will never cease to amaze me how vague some teachers can be without spelling out precisely what they are doing that gives rise to the effect he/she wishes to achieve. She would have understood this opening much faster if he said: play the 1st two passing notes a little longer than the rest so as to hear the tension/resolution in those chords. Accelerate from the 3rd note. And slow down on the last two to set up an even greater statement between tension and resolution at the lower appogiatura
you have a very clear point, but no intention to strike a debate. But i think Isserlis is just IMPROVING this girl's musicality and sense of awareness in her music. Stuff like good phrasing and tone color are required for a blooming good musician and it's very hard (in my experience) to study these things on your own. These masters, have gone through that and now are here to GUIDE us, musicians. Still, at the end of the day... IT ALL BOILS DOWN TO YOU. Peace!
I don't understand why people are saying that Isserlis is rude or trying to make her sound like him. He's trying to help her understand the contour of the phrases and open up variation in her phrasing and tone colour. Having seen Isserlis conduct a number of masterclasses at my university last year I can definitely say he doesn't want the pupil to sound identical to him, or anyone else. He wants them to sound like themselves, but they have to make the music speak and tell a story.
Thanks for your comment. I think he is aninspiring and strong-minded teacher. You know you can buy the DVD of the full masterclass from the URL shown on the clip.
If people who think Isserlis is too arrogent, they definitely dont take care of all the notes and study the piano part. Its the weakness of all strings and winds players
@Chturinigomes I think it is not only the fluid performance, but also an expressiveness in any note. Just as in singing of course. By the way, we do have a young cellist at our home. And she chose the cello by her own wish when she was 5.5 Year old. So we did as she asked.
It's a Masterclass... the point of it is the student plays, the master teaches. I don't see any bitching or destructive criticism. Also "the emotion comes later" should never be a sentiment any musician has to approach anything they do, whether it be practicing or performing.
@Schtofenbach I really wanted to start playing cello by this age, but now is kinda hard to find a cello, a music teacher and conciliating school with the music. But I'm keeping my fingers crossed to get my cello by next year. Here, a cheap good cello for studying costs about R$800,00~R$2000,00(price of a nice violin). The semi-professional is over R$8000,00 and it's a really hard task to find a good luthier around here.
I am very surprised at what you say...I haven't met Isserlis in person, but I sent him an e-mail once, he was very kind to reply and give me some valuable advice, although he didn't know me at all.
HappyWandy457, Here we have an example of true music analysis shown from a superb teacher with great sense of humor (tremour: see you later). The skill of visualizing melisms is at its best. At pupils side, it is difficult to grasp in one class: Much of listening to music is required to set up emotionally these things. Hans Fröhlich - Germany
To people who argues music is subjective and as long it's "one's own" it's good enough: by your logic, what's the point of having masterclass like this anyway? If it's not established that the teacher's playing must be better than that of students? What is, in general, the point of having conservatories in the first place? Students go to study with these masters because they accept that they plays better than them, and they understand that being just " themselves" just isn't good enough.
For all of their professional anticipation, Jonas Starker states " Master classes are students playing a piece the way that they play it, and then the master plays it and tells the student that his way is better". That quote may not be exact, but one gets the point. Steven is definitely mastering.
Isserlis is truly the coolest cellist on earth! hes extremely respected among all great cellists. That girl's eyebrows are really freaking me out tho...
It's the first of Schumann's three Fantasiestucke (Fantasy Pieces), originally written for Clarinet and Piano but arranged for Cello (and sounding MUCH better on the Cello I reckon =P)
it wouldn't be a very interesting masterclass if he didn't offer any constructive criticism! everything he says makes musical sense...and he's a massive schumann buff, so he knows what he's talking about!
Surely the point of a masterclass is to open yourself to new ideas. Afterwards, you can absorb them into your own approach and make them your own. But during the class, surely you try to put your ego aside and open yourself to input from someone who is farther along the path than you are...
@Chturinigomes Well, her first cello was a 1/16. I used to call it violin all the time by mistake....But, a piano would cost even more,and many people study piano.
So all of the people who think like you are assuming that she is FORCED to accept what isserlis teachs her to do? Why? Of course she can't just say " no i don't agree with what you said." Infront of Isserlis because that would be very rude. She is quite free to accept or refuse what she is taught. On the other hand, WHAT IF she liked the points Isserlis made, what if she agrees and realise she had been playing wrongly, is it not the job of teachers to make sure pupils are fully informed?
the teacher makes me angry, just let her try sometimes... god, perfection don't exists! I think someone, especially while playing his cello, must show what he felt in that song. it's a different feeling for all of us, cellist players. All of us use a personal interpretation and feeling for that song and there's no teacher in this moment
He is extremely critical.. with everything and that’s why you’re looking at him.. if I was that girl I would breathe only when he tells me to. For god sakes listen to his phrasing , she is an amazing player too I can see it and hear it on her
@Philboy50 I know but most music teaches are like that but to become great you should listen to what he says its really helpful :D totally understand where your coming from though.
What clef is cello music written in? Also, if you're just learning how to play cello, how can one accomplish that full rich sound? Nice class, thanks for sharing.
Cellos play in bass clef, treble clef, tenor clef, and treble clef transposed one octave down. And once in while they have to read alto clef (though not very often). In older editions you see some of the other movable C clefs.
@clairannette because that aint what hes trying to explain :) if someone explains it your way itl still be what he doesnt want it to be. fucking solid. You only leave one path. No room for slight adgustments. thats exactly why they cant make juggling robots too... its art. whether a line is a centimeter longer or shorter, it doesnt matter. it just turns into something else....
@Bix12 The instructor isn't full of himself, or vague. She wouldn't pick it up faster if she just played it and he kept his mouth shut. Infact, she would continue to suck and stay at the sub-par level that you prefer. This is a very advanced level of skill that he's teaching; it's about the technicalities and feelings of the piece that the composer intended. Not his own shape of the world. Before you post, maybe you should get to this level of skill in music, and THEN your opinion would matter.
@crimsonlead1 Of course it's mechanical. Anytime you use your fingers to play an instrument, it's mechanical - using motary perception to execute a task. And "you just have to feel it" is not an option. Music isn't always about "feeling", it's about communicating, but you have to know your ABCs before you can make words. You have to know how to put words together in a sentence to get across a particular idea. What you are suggesting is impossible, and what he is suggesting is to copy himself.
@dysoncrystal I could disagree. It depends on his students. Have you seen his other master classes? He's an incredible player, don't get me wrong, but he can be arrogant some times.
Thanks for this insightful video (why is the "G" there...? :) ----------------------------- Rolf, Netherlands. I am a collector of classical 78's and lp's Click "otterhouse" above to see (and hear!) some of my collection. (Gioconda de Vito, Berl Senofsky, Vlado Perlemuter, Carl Schuricht, Gina Bachauer etc)
I like how no one notices the talent and the enthousiasm of the pianist in the back.
People should notice her too!
Isserlis brilliantly illuminates the poetry of this piece. Every phrase he plays sends chills up my spine.
This piece is originally for the clarinet and I have been playing it on the clarinet since the age of 15. After this wonderful lesson, I will take a fresh approach to it.
round of applause for the pianist.
She is amazing I love how she doesn't just play the piece, but puts herself into it. It brings out the storyline of the piece so much better. And her cello helps her out it has beautiful overtones.
Are people really that overly sensitive that they think Isserlis is being arrogant or rude? He isn't trying to force his interpretation of the piece on her, he's trying to get her to hear things differently. Much of musicality is a subtle manipulation of time - how you pull and push the notes within a pulse, and to many it is a foreign feeling to do this. Again, he's not trying to make her play like him, he's trying to get her to really listen and hear the music in a different manner.
Teachers like him who are not afraid to be dead honest are more needed today more than ever, Bravo!
I would so love to hear Isserlis play this specific piece on this precise cello in integrity :(
I just downloaded it from i-tunes. Just type in Steven's name.
Isserlis is truly the coolest cellist on earth! hes extremely respected among all great cellists.
"From the beginiiiing"-Steven Isserlis at 2:38
0hn0haha hahahh
I like how he teaches, I like how he thinks of music.
wow, its amazing how much work can be put into one piece
A masterclass is supposed to provide the performer to see the piece as a whole beyond mastering the technical aspects to really understand what the composer expects the performer to display. Isserlis does an excellent job here in providing the player with insight on how to express certain colors. There is no doubt that she is an excellent player and has mastered the piece that's why she's at the International Musicians' Seminar in Prussia Cove but Isserlis helps her really capture the character.
It's a masterclass...there's not a time that you won't leave the room without almost crying...
"see you later darling" - hilarious!!! Joking aside he's SOOOOO inspirational!
I find Isserlis's English quite ideal, every vows are pronounced with great clarity, and it's devoid of any obvious regional accent. I would like to speak like him.
it's interesting to see when you get up to that level of skill how you can actually simply practice the philosophy of a music piece, and your dialogue with your instrument and teacher is much more about the "poetry" of it than anything else... i wish i could get to that place sometimes with something!
His phraseology is priceless!
soul is singing
while the artist's virtuosly play
thankyou very much...
This is why it's called a masterclass. A class with a master :)
Every clarinetist as I am myself need to study this piece and the Brahms op.120 sonatas by listening to Cello play Schumann and Viola play Brahms to learn to play it beautifully smoothly and to connect each phrase.
He is an excellent teacher
People are saying he's strict? What? He's so nice! He's just direct, which is good. I've had a vocal teacher who would get mad if I didn't reach a note perfectly (mind you, she put me in beg. soprano - another teacher later, i find i'm a mezzo) And if she's paying good money to get classes from him - he obviously has to try his best to make sure his student gets the full education of learning how to play cello, and well - before she makes mistakes into habits - which is hard to reverse.
Thanks for your comment on Steven's Schumann masterclass. You know you can order the whole masterclass on DVD from us at the URL on the clip. It's brilliant. We mail them out the same day we get the order. Good luck with the performance!
Well spotted. You must have been there! We took students and teachers from Prussia Cove to a house close by so as not to disrupt the other classes going on in the main house. So apart from the setting it's an authentic Prussia Cove masterclass.
its not like he hasn't played on a strad before. i was at a concert in Madison, WI where he had a REALLY awesome strad. hes freakin awesome!
He is fantastic!!!!.... excellent teacher.....
This is the hardest thing about he's teaching.
But he looks like a very good teacher.
Yes, positively. If you want better insight on how to play Schumann, Steven's your man. I LOVE Schumann, and I've learned tons from Steven just from listening to him play Schumann, as well as from reading his books and articles. I'm a pianist, but I lovethecello, too.
Wow... This makes me miss being in band/orchestra (I've been in band, orchestra and choir - and for some reason I stuck with choir, when I had so much more fun interpreting the music in the other two...) I loved when my directors would talk like this!! It really challenges the performer to think of music in terms of it being a conversation, or a poem, rather than just black and white spots on a page...
It will never cease to amaze me how vague some teachers can be without spelling out precisely what they are doing that gives rise to the effect he/she wishes to achieve. She would have understood this opening much faster if he said: play the 1st two passing notes a little longer than the rest so as to hear the tension/resolution in those chords. Accelerate from the 3rd note. And slow down on the last two to set up an even greater statement between tension and resolution at the lower appogiatura
you have a very clear point, but no intention to strike a debate. But i think Isserlis is just IMPROVING this girl's musicality and sense of awareness in her music. Stuff like good phrasing and tone color are required for a blooming good musician and it's very hard (in my experience) to study these things on your own. These masters, have gone through that and now are here to GUIDE us, musicians.
Still, at the end of the day...
IT ALL BOILS DOWN TO YOU. Peace!
I don't understand why people are saying that Isserlis is rude or trying to make her sound like him. He's trying to help her understand the contour of the phrases and open up variation in her phrasing and tone colour. Having seen Isserlis conduct a number of masterclasses at my university last year I can definitely say he doesn't want the pupil to sound identical to him, or anyone else. He wants them to sound like themselves, but they have to make the music speak and tell a story.
It's Schumann's "Fantasiestücke" (Fantasy Pieces Op73). Originally written for the clarinet, but most often now played on the cello or violin.
Thanks for your comment. I think he is aninspiring and strong-minded teacher. You know you can buy the DVD of the full masterclass from the URL shown on the clip.
If people who think Isserlis is too arrogent, they definitely dont take care of all the notes and study the piano part.
Its the weakness of all strings and winds players
@Chturinigomes I think it is not only the fluid performance, but also an expressiveness in any note. Just as in singing of course. By the way, we do have a young cellist at our home. And she chose the cello by her own wish when she was 5.5 Year old. So we did as she asked.
It's a Masterclass... the point of it is the student plays, the master teaches. I don't see any bitching or destructive criticism. Also "the emotion comes later" should never be a sentiment any musician has to approach anything they do, whether it be practicing or performing.
1:03 He has the best lagatto in the world. Just one example here... on par with Yo-Yo for sure.
dayum i want more!!
He seems like a very good teacher.
@Schtofenbach I really wanted to start playing cello by this age, but now is kinda hard to find a cello, a music teacher and conciliating school with the music. But I'm keeping my fingers crossed to get my cello by next year.
Here, a cheap good cello for studying costs about R$800,00~R$2000,00(price of a nice violin). The semi-professional is over R$8000,00 and it's a really hard task to find a good luthier around here.
I am very surprised at what you say...I haven't met Isserlis in person, but I sent him an e-mail once, he was very kind to reply and give me some valuable advice, although he didn't know me at all.
HappyWandy457, Here we have an example of true music analysis shown from a superb teacher with great sense of humor (tremour: see you later). The skill of visualizing melisms is at its best. At pupils side, it is difficult to grasp in one class: Much of listening to music is required to set up emotionally these things.
Hans Fröhlich - Germany
To people who argues music is subjective and as long it's "one's own" it's good enough: by your logic, what's the point of having masterclass like this anyway? If it's not established that the teacher's playing must be better than that of students? What is, in general, the point of having conservatories in the first place? Students go to study with these masters because they accept that they plays better than them, and they understand that being just " themselves" just isn't good enough.
@jokitino90: never old to start! I restarted playing cello at 23 years old ;)
For all of their professional anticipation, Jonas Starker states " Master classes are students playing a piece the way that they play it, and then the master plays it and tells the student that his way is better". That quote may not be exact, but one gets the point. Steven is definitely mastering.
Isserlis is truly the coolest cellist on earth! hes extremely respected among all great cellists. That girl's eyebrows are really freaking me out tho...
He's a good teacher
whats the name of the piece, of the song? please can anybody tell me... tks
It's not about the playing but the artistry
Beautiful to see how he coaxes music out of her...
her eyes
It's the first of Schumann's three Fantasiestucke (Fantasy Pieces), originally written for Clarinet and Piano but arranged for Cello (and sounding MUCH better on the Cello I reckon =P)
it wouldn't be a very interesting masterclass if he didn't offer any constructive criticism! everything he says makes musical sense...and he's a massive schumann buff, so he knows what he's talking about!
Can one explain what should be felt? Only adding some theme to imagine and some emotion to the player. He does it beautifully.
Surely the point of a masterclass is to open yourself to new ideas. Afterwards, you can absorb them into your own approach and make them your own. But during the class, surely you try to put your ego aside and open yourself to input from someone who is farther along the path than you are...
R. Schumann - Fantasiestucke, Op. 73. for cello or clarinet
@DoUdO1000 pause at 0:06 the composer and the name of the song is right there
What kind of cello do you play (at least in this video), and what kind of bow?
Una de las MÀS BELLAS piezas
Pippin's mad cello skills.
amazing vid
anyone know what kind of cello isserlis has?
i wish i had him as a teacher
I wish I was nearly half as good as her. :(
do you know where i can find that starker masterclass?
lol he's funneh
the way he interprets music like a life sitiuation
its astonishing
@Chturinigomes Well, her first cello was a 1/16. I used to call it violin all the time by mistake....But, a piano would cost even more,and many people study piano.
So all of the people who think like you are assuming that she is FORCED to accept what isserlis teachs her to do? Why? Of course she can't just say " no i don't agree with what you said." Infront of Isserlis because that would be very rude. She is quite free to accept or refuse what she is taught.
On the other hand, WHAT IF she liked the points Isserlis made, what if she agrees and realise she had been playing wrongly, is it not the job of teachers to make sure pupils are fully informed?
.uito essa violoncelista muitoindo play very good her homan i am Brasil
how can that be at prussia cove?
What Is this piece called? Someone please tell me.
she has her cello up really high.
she good...her soul is playing the note....
the teacher makes me angry, just let her try sometimes... god, perfection don't exists! I think someone, especially while playing his cello, must show what he felt in that song. it's a different feeling for all of us, cellist players. All of us use a personal interpretation and feeling for that song and there's no teacher in this moment
Good for you...
yes it is "Master"class
She was amazing, either way.
what is the name of this peice?
He is extremely critical.. with everything and that’s why you’re looking at him.. if I was that girl I would breathe only when he tells me to. For god sakes listen to his phrasing , she is an amazing player too I can see it and hear it on her
What is the name of this song?
@Philboy50 I know but most music teaches are like that but to become great you should listen to what he says its really helpful :D totally understand where your coming from though.
What clef is cello music written in? Also, if you're just learning how to play cello, how can one accomplish that full rich sound? Nice class, thanks for sharing.
Cellos play in bass clef, treble clef, tenor clef, and treble clef transposed one octave down. And once in while they have to read alto clef (though not very often). In older editions you see some of the other movable C clefs.
@clairannette because that aint what hes trying to explain :)
if someone explains it your way itl still be what he doesnt want it to be.
fucking solid. You only leave one path. No room for slight adgustments. thats exactly why they cant make juggling robots too...
its art. whether a line is a centimeter longer or shorter, it doesnt matter. it just turns into something else....
he's amazing teacher, he picks up the little things, she needs to think about what he's saying!
where can I download it?
@Bix12 The instructor isn't full of himself, or vague. She wouldn't pick it up faster if she just played it and he kept his mouth shut. Infact, she would continue to suck and stay at the sub-par level that you prefer. This is a very advanced level of skill that he's teaching; it's about the technicalities and feelings of the piece that the composer intended. Not his own shape of the world. Before you post, maybe you should get to this level of skill in music, and THEN your opinion would matter.
He isn't rude at all, at least not in this video. Have you ever seen a Starker masterclass???
I agree completely
im not sayinshe isn't bad, but her eyebrows are FREAKIN ME OUT!
@Arghira it's called teaching?
OMG hes so awesome!! lol
when was that?
@joseramonramirez1234 It's said in the beginning of the video
@crimsonlead1 Of course it's mechanical. Anytime you use your fingers to play an instrument, it's mechanical - using motary perception to execute a task. And "you just have to feel it" is not an option. Music isn't always about "feeling", it's about communicating, but you have to know your ABCs before you can make words. You have to know how to put words together in a sentence to get across a particular idea. What you are suggesting is impossible, and what he is suggesting is to copy himself.
@21farenheit it's never too late!!
@dysoncrystal I could disagree. It depends on his students. Have you seen his other master classes? He's an incredible player, don't get me wrong, but he can be arrogant some times.
Thanks for this insightful video (why is the "G" there...? :)
-----------------------------
Rolf, Netherlands.
I am a collector of classical 78's and lp's
Click "otterhouse" above to see (and hear!)
some of my collection.
(Gioconda de Vito, Berl Senofsky, Vlado Perlemuter,
Carl Schuricht, Gina Bachauer etc)
I don't know where you saw me say otherwise, but thanks for pointing at the obvious??!!
I will meet you Steven Isserlis
why?