The Cello Bug

 Rastrelli Cello Quartet Tchaikovsky Andante Cantabile performance The Rastrelli Cello Quartet holds a very dear place in my heart. My mother (cellist Seongheui Jeon) studied alongside three of the cellists out of the quartet including the great Kira Kraftzoff, under the great teacher Anatoly Nikitin at the great St. Petersburg Conservatory. As I grew up listening to the very ‘Russian’ sound my mother produced from her cello, I realized it was shockingly similar to the sound produced by the Rastrelli Cello Quartet. The thin, wispy, melancholic yet warm sound was familiar and beautiful to my ears.                                                                         My mother, cellist Seongheui Jeon       St. Petersburg conservatory alumni This extr...

Andrei Ionita/Seong-jin Cho Bach Arioso link For the enco re piece of Andrei Ionita and Seong-Jin Cho’s performance at the Verbier festival in 2018, they chose Bach’s Arioso (Ada gio in G) from Cantata BWV 156. With the general trend for the past few years of playing anything baroque/ Bach with extreme lightness and a baroque bow hold (Compared to the heavy romantic-ness of Bach in Rostropovich’s time) we can see Andrei using a baroque bow hold and playing very lightly with many adornments/embellishments and Seong-Jin playing lightly with barely any pedal. Although light and beautiful, this piece is brought to life by Andrei’s musical intensity (which in my opinion is the greatest aspect of his playing), however a critique might be that it can get too romantic at times (however ultimately stays baroque). His right hand/bow is masterful in this piece, breathing with every phrase and really letting the Bach stay moving without feeling too airy. It's refreshing to listen to. His vi...

Gautier Capucon Saent Saens Concerto link Gautier Capucon is quite literally the best ever at Saent Saen's first cello concerto. Nobody in history in my opinion has surpassed his playing, in regards of technique, musicality, etc. for this concerto. The specific reason for this is because I believe that the inherent technique for both Capucon’s right and left hand is perfectly tuned for this concerto. To elaborate on the specifics of this, Capucon’s left hand consists of an extremely big and slow romantic vibrato. This is good and bad, as although it is perfect for a piece like the Saent Saens Concerto, it would be too romantic for something more classical like Haydn. Not to mention Capucon is technique wise one of the greatest living cellists, holding impeccable intonation as well in his left hand. With his right hand, Capucon holds one of his most defining features, the use of his shoulder and back when he uses the bow. Capucon uses his shoulder and back to create a huge and power...