Cellist to Offer Great Journey Through Beethovens Sonatas
By Kwaak Jeyup
Korea Times Intern
One of the most celebrated cellists in the world today, Pieter Wispelwey, is giving a recital at the Seoul Arts Center, southern Seoul, Saturday. Wispelwey will present Beethoven's five cello sonatas and Die Zauberfloete and Judas Maccabeus variations, accompanied by the Russian pianist Alexander Melnikov.
In an e-mail interview with the Korea Times, Wispelwey described the program as ``a great journey'' that represents the composer's three creative periods: early, middle and late. The cellist finds Beethoven's energy, humor and emotionality ``paramount'' in these sonatas, which make ``very powerful music ― original, shocking and often unconventional.'' These works have featured regularly in the cellist's packed concert schedule. In the next several months alone, he will perform in Russia, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, the US and Canada.
Wispelwey is famed for his natural and lyric sound, communicative interpretations of a wide- ranging repertoire from J. S. Bach to Elliott Carter and his versatility on both the modern and the period cellos. He was the first cellist to receive the Netherlands Music Prize in 1992, awarded to the most promising young musician in the Netherlands, and has garnered numerous accolades throughout his career.
Born in Haarlem, the Netherlands, Wispelwey had a musical family, and by the age of two had assisted in his father's string quartet rehearsals ``because (he) didn't move and disturb.'' He was already attracted mainly to the cello and started his first lessons at the age of eight. He also took piano lessons from age four, but cello never let go of his heart. For musically-gifted children today, he advises a similar early start to achieve technical dexterity by the late teen years, in order to be able to ``focus on the meaning of music (instead) of the struggle how to do it technically.''
Regarding the process of forming this meaning, he said ``extra-musical inspiration'' was helpful. ``There is hardly a piece that I start performing without some kind of image in my head,'' he said. ``It can be a landscape. It can be weather, temperature, a character, a face or a storyline.''
These creative resources seem to be founded on his ability to squeeze and capture pleasures from his individual experiences. Outside music, Wispelwey listed searching for remote places and landscapes that are ``quit (sic.) and timeless'' among his passions.
When asked whether his home country could qualify, he unambiguously rejected the notion and cited instead France as his favorite destination for these journeys. He was in the middle of one in Besancon, close to Switzerland, at the time of interview. Other passions included friends, food and literature.
The cellist's career is truly international, one that spans five continents. With regular recital appearances in London, Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Berlin, Milan, Buenos Aires, Sydney, Los Angeles and New York, Wispelwey has established a reputation as one of the most charismatic recitalists on the circuit. He has also appeared as soloist with many of the world's leading orchestras, including Boston Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Dallas Symphony, Tokyo Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, Halle Orchestra, Gewandhaus Orchester Leipzig, Danish National Radio Symphony, Budapest Festival Orchestra and Camerata Salzburg, collaborating with conductors including Ivan Fischer, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Jeffrey Tate, Kent Nagano and Sir Neville Marriner, to name a few.
When asked about his homeland, his words displayed both humor and seriousness. ``The only thing I'm proud of in my country would probably be the rebellion this small country started in the late 1500's against Spanish rule,'' he said, as he called it the ``first Western revolution'' with an exclamation mark. While calling himself quite unpatriotic and describing the Dutch culture as rather down to earth, he cited the continuous fruition of individualism as a key achievement in its history. ``A bit of rebellion never hurts,'' he said.
While rebellion may not be in his immediate agenda, he does not seem contented to stay still in his well-established career. He said he finds new horizons in new partners and new repertoire. He calls Melnikov a partner who inspires him "to do new things" and looks forward to the piano trio recitals with violinist Viktoria Mullova and fortepianist Kristian Bezuidenhout. Other cellists' improvisations and different fiddle techniques are also constructive shocks. Based on these experiences, he hopes to program a cello festival as artistic director. ``I can invite those (cellists) and learn,'' he said. ``How is that for a new horizon?''
Wispelwey's Beethoven Sonata Cycle recital with Melnikov takes place at the Seoul Arts Center Saturday 27 September at 7pm. Tickets cost from 30,000 won to 80,000 won. Call 1577-5266 for more information.