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Life is a competition. In some ways that is unfortunate but in other ways it gives us the incentive to strive, do better and maybe make it to the top of the heap. Every body competes. Whether it is in school, sports, getting into college, university or even for a better job, the competitions are there. The world of classical music, though largely out of the public limelight, is no less competitive. Most musicians in this field work hard at their craft with a succession of teachers and programs. This is to acquire the skills and practical experience for the rigorous demands of the classical music world.
Amanda Anderson is a young cello player from Creston who grew up in a musical family. Her mother, father and two older sisters are accomplished musicians and it was natural for her to gravitate towards music. Her initial interest was in violin but she switched to piano at age 4. The interest in the cello was sparked by the presence of an old cello around the house. Why cello? She was attracted “to its rich warm tone which portrays the human voice”. This led to some lessons from a local teacher and then lessons with Dorothy Bishop (and others). She is currently studying in Leipzig, Germany at the Mendelsshohn-Bartholdy School of Music. She has been accepted into the Bavarian Radio Symphony to play and study with the cellists in the orchestra. That’s quite a leap from small town Creston in Canada to big city of Leipzig Germany. Behind the huge leap there are lots of smaller, but momentous, trials, successes, challenges and experiences that are all part of her substantial resume.
Amanda will be performing with Florian von Radowitz, a young pianist from Germany. He also has a family back ground in music and over the years has accumulated an impressive number of experiences on his resume. Amanda and Florian first met in Quebec during a summer music program. He has been invited this summer by the Mountain View Festival in Calgary to do a Lieder Class and chamber music program. This invitation is providing an opportunity for Amanda and Florian to perform in concert in Creston and Cranbrook in late July.
The competition in classical music, and in jazz for that matter, is geared up a notch by the ghosts of musicians past. Every young musician in both of these genres has do deal with the ever present ghosts of past masters. The ghosts in the modern era are more substantial than, say, in the 19th century when communication technology was still relatively primitive. Most of the modern ghosts have recorded their music and their best performances are a frozen in time as a constant reminder of what are now the gold standards. Current cello players are in the shadow of Pablo Casals, Mstislav Rastropovich and, of course, Jacqueline du Pre. Jacqueline’s interpretation of Elgar’s Cello Concerto in E minor has been described as “definitive” and “legendary”. That’s a tough act to follow. Her interpretation is a measuring stick for the young and not so young performers on the classical concert circuit. In the late 1960s Jacqueline du Pre and the pianist Daniel Barenboim had an almost rock-star status. Their duo performances left their mark on their own and future generations of piano/cello duos.
How do you compete with ghosts? The only way is by performing. The masters are gone and therefore can no longer provide us with the magic of a live performance. So instead we can look forward to some live magic at the Prince Charles auditorium in Creston on July 26th and at the United Church in Cranbrook on July 27th. Amanda and Florian will be performing a varied program that will include selections from J.S. Bach’s Second Unaccompanied Cello Suite, Robert Schumann Opus 102., Felix Mendelssohn Opus 109., three Frederic Chopin pieces and a Manuel De Falla Spanish Suite arranged for Cello and Piano.
Prince Charles Auditorium, Creston
Sunday July 26th, 2009, 3pm
United Church, Cranbrook
Monday July 27th, 7:30 PM
Admission by donation
