Paul Cantrell
Rozendaal’s choice to play the Bach cellos suites was surely a deliberate callback to Rostropovich playing as the Berlin Wall fell.
The contrast between Berlin’s response and NYC’s response could hardly be more bitter, or more ironic: A newly united city shaking off decades of authoritarian repression; a gilded city sagging further into oligarchy and toward authoritarian repression. A peaceful crowd listens somberly; a defiant crowd holds back militarized police.
Paul Cantrell
For those who don’t know the story of Rostropovich playing at the fall of the Berlin Wall, it’s remarkable:
https://www.wqxr.org/story/berliners-celebrated-freedom-rostropovich-played-bach/
An important thing to know here is that Rostropovich is one of the, oh, [waves hand] 3 or 4 greatest cellists ever to live, a •stunning• player, champion of new music and artistic freedom and stripped of his Soviet citizenship for that.
The way he just set up on a folding chair and played in the milling crowd, this giant a tiny figure next to history…!
2/2
Paul Cantrell
Because nobody asked, Paul’s personal favorite cellists:
Mstislav Rostropovich
Jacqueline du Pré
Barbara Thiem ←(my favorite Bach cello suites, even more than Rostro, but unfortunately almost impossible to find the album!)
I have also recently been loving recordings by Abel Selaocoe and Zuill Bailey. And I have to give a shout-out to marvelous improvising cellists here in the Twin Cities: Michelle Kinney, Aaron Kerr, and Jacqueline Ultan. Cello! If my instrument weren’t already piano….
3/2
John Quentin Heywood
@inthehands I was at an NSO July 4th concert back in the 80s in front of the US Capitol in the pouring rain. The NSO couldn't play while it was raining (not wanting to endanger expensive instruments, I'm guessing), so Rostapovich took off his socks & shoes, rolled up his pants, and led a conga line in the crowd and conducted a sing-along. It was epic.
Paul Cantrell
@jqheywood
…!!!!!!!!!
Paul Cantrell
@psu_13 Oo! New to me, and looks like my kind of jam!
psu_13
@inthehands in the improvising area also shout out to Tomeka Reid.
Paul Cantrell
@mycrowgirl
I love breathing in recordings if it’s musical! Will check it out.
Lisa 🦔
@inthehands I’ve really enjoy Victor Yoran’s recordings of Bach’s cello suites. (He was a student of Rostropowitsch’s.) It may be that the recording I have picked up some of his breathing, but there’s a nice depth of emotion that comes through.
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