BRAHMS, J.: Cello Sonata No. 2: I. Allegro vivace (Masterclass with Frans Helmerson) (Vardai, Llorente)
Cello Sonata No. 2 in F Major, Op. 99
Composer: Brahms, Johannes
Helmerson, Frans
Vardai, Istvan
Llorente, Maruxa
Catalogue Number: RSS12575_1
The student has to think in a horizontal bow movement to ensure a continuity in the sound. The phrasing may be freer and not so rigorous in a specific passage. The relaxation of the arm is necessary when the bow is out of the string. The bowings must sound as a great line, not as an independent movement. The sixteenth notes have to be played different every time they are repeated in a passage.
Other considerations during the class are sound preparation, string rapport with the piano, sound balance and quality, different attacks, lyrical character, triplets, and contact point close to the bridge in certain passages.
The feeling of the arm in the air, when the bow is out of the string, is similar to that of a tennis player. Body movements and sound preparation: do not be passive, but active and relaxed and ready to react. When you want to play forte -with more intensity- a previous relaxation is necessary, and when you play, the attack must have more contact in the string and should be closer to the bridge. Finger, arm and hand position should be at the same level as the strings, not opposite. Relaxation (instead of crashing) is very important. Sound balance and rapport between cello and piano. In the central passage, the student must calm down and does not need to lead. Phrasing is shown through articulation and tempo. It is advisable to save energy in passages with no special intensity. Attention to the accuracy of note duration, without cutting them. Two steps in bow technique: contact point with the string and relaxation in the air. The rhythm does not have to be so strict, but more flexible. Rhythm in duplets has to be more marcato. Relation between quality of sound and bow length, both related to expressiveness.
