Posted on 01/15/2012 2:25:59 PM PST by billorites
On a cold day last winter, an ailing Bernard Greenhouse, wearing an elegant bathrobe and attached to oxygen, was wheeled into the living room of his Cape Cod home, which was festooned with paper cutouts of musical notes. Relatives and students, locals and caregivers had gathered to celebrate the 95th birthday of one of classical music’s most respected cellists, a founding member of the famed Beaux Arts Trio and a beloved teacher. Young cellists performed for him, and then Greenhouse indulged in a martini and a plate of oysters. Thus fortified, he decided he wanted to play for the company. He picked up his cello and, though a bit wobbly, rendered “Song of the Birds,” a Catalan folk melody transcribed by Casals, with whom he studied many years ago.
“And then he laid down the bow and praised the cello for its beauty,” Nicholas Delbanco, Greenhouse’s son-in-law, recounted. “He said it had been his lifelong companion and the darling of his heart.” Indeed, the instrument, known as the Countess of Stainlein, ex-Paganini of 1707 — perhaps the greatest surviving Stradivarius cello — had been with Greenhouse for 54 years. It was his voice on numerous recordings and a presence at up to 200 concerts a year. Toward the end of his life, Greenhouse asked his nurses to lay the instrument next to him in bed.
But in a twist of exquisite poignancy, Greenhouse was not actually playing his precious cello that day on Cape Cod. It was an exact replica that was made especially for him, a beautiful instrument but not the Strad. As they listened to him talk of his love for the cello, his daughter Elena grieved that he could not tell he was playing the substitute. “We knew that this was the beginning of the end,”
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
“maybe their dad was unstable and they were concerned he would fall with it.”
It’s none of their business. It’s HIS cello and it’s HIS decision. There was no evidence he wasn’t of perfectly sound mind; there’s plenty of evidence he just wanted to play HIS damn cello.
And anytime you decide to abscond with your parents’ possessions to “protect” them, you better go in front of a judge and get him to agree, or you’re guilty of theft, elder abuse, and conversion.
They didn’t even float the idea by him!
How do you not see how wrong this is?
That was nice. Do you know if the cello is playing the low bass notes or is that a bass?
They were very disrespectful (at the very least) to their father in their actions regarding his beloved cello. Terrible.
S. Isserlis cello solo— he uses gut strings, which produce that wicked sound.
It is definitely a wicked sound. It’s chesty and woody and just has a great thrummm to it. He must be playing those bass notes on the open strings because he’s playing a melody line at the same time. At least that’s how I’d have to do it on guitar.
Do you know of any particularly good cello recordings that can be found on LP?
Here's another sample from youtube: Steven Isserlis- J.S. Bach Cello Suite No. 2 in d minor; Prelude
I think you're right about his playing style on that first piece...I'v been looking for a video to confirm but not found it.
But they should remember: there’s always room for a cello!
C-E-L-L-O !
I think you have to be a bit old to get that one, I am. LOL!
(didn’t that originate on the Jack Benny show?)
Both of those youtube recordings were really nice. I found this LP on eBay of Isserlis from 1989:
Are you familiar with it?
No, I’m not but that’s really quite a find.
Why oh why did they release this recording?
I predict that the speakers in the amp will need to be reconed, and the electrolytics replaced.
≤}B^)
I was at a concert of the Chicago Symphony (on tour, in 1971). Solti at the podium and the young (and destined to die far too soon) Michael Rabin was on the program with the Tchaikovsky violin concerto.
The first piece was Bruckner’s 7th. Near put me to sleep—maybe I wasn’t ready for Bruckner at that point. Anyway, the violinist on the front row to the conductor’s right had a string break. She immediately handed it over her shoulder to the violinist behind her, and took that performer’s instrument. It was almost as if they had drilled the exchange in the past. Then it was up to the second-row violinist to restring the instrument and get back in action before the end of the movement.
I can totally relate. I had two Ibanez guitarsz, one a Strat copy, one a Les Paul copy. Both had the ugliest brown finish that looked painted on, just hideous. But the feel of the necks were both perfect. Back when CD players were extremely expensive and I couldnt afford one. I traded the Paul copy for one. I still regret it decades later. I still have the Strat copy.
I can totally relate. I had two Ibanez guitarsz, one a Strat copy, one a Les Paul copy. Both had the ugliest brown finish that looked painted on, just hideous. But the feel of the necks were both perfect. Back when CD players were extremely expensive and I couldnt afford one. I traded the Paul copy for one. I still regret it decades later. I still have the Strat copy.
Here’s another anecdote about string instruments in danger.
In 1987, Solti and the Chicago embarked on a U.S. tour that turned out to be the “tour from Hell.”
Their instruments arrived late to a concert in SanFran, so in the meantime Maestro Solti improvised a little Mozart recital at the piano.
Then they were on their way to Austin for the next concert, where we had tickets. On the afternoon of the concert, the semi got blown over by a west Texas wind, and an emergency semi had to be dispatched to retrieve the instruments.
We found this out that evening at concert time, when CSO manager Henry Vogel stepped onto the stage and announced that there would be delay for the reasons mentioned above. My friend and I stayed around of course, hoping that the concert could still go on before the night was through.
After an hour or so, we wandered out of the hall and back around to the loading dock. Some of the musicians were there too. Evidently they had word that the substitute truck and driver were soon to arrive. The owners of the larger instruments (such as the double basses) were understandably worried sick about possible damage to their instruments. Members of the U.T. faculty and of the Austin S.O. had rushed to the hall, ready to lend their instruments to any CSO member whose own was damaged in the crash. This turned out to be necessary for several of the players.
Finally, the truck arrived. It took an agonizing 15 minutes for the semi driver to maneuver his trailer to the dock, due to its really dumb layout. The driver was 50-something, with an open silk shirt and bling that made it look like he’d been called away from a disco.
I stood next to this tall somwhat elderly gentleman with wavy, thinning blond hair as we watched the instruments being unloaded. He remarked, “I’m glad I can take my instrument with me on the plane.” His instrument, as it turns out, was the trumpet; and his name was Adolph Herseth, principal trumpet of the CSO since 1948.
Anyway, about an hour later, Mr Herseth played the beginning notes of the signature piece of the CSO: Mahler’s 5th Symphony. After all the tension and confusion, the performance blasted right through you.
I’ll probably snag it.
Wow.
I had the privilege of hearing Sir Georg Solti conduct the SF Symphony in 1994 (or 95?), not long after Immortal Beloved was released. I’m not sure how he was credited on the soundtrack, but it was amazing. Unfortunately, Yo Yo Ma did not tour with him, but to this day, I can hear Ma’s rich opening notes to Ode to Joy.
It was exquisite.
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