There’s Always Room For Cello
Welcome to my blog. I am a 65 year old solo cellist who has been touring the world for the last 40 years playing almost everywhere of note in the classical music scene alongside many of the greatest musicians. Over all these years, I have accumulated many stories, opinions, and insights, and gifts of the spirit as well as objects. It has been and still is incredibly inspiring work and even though I consider myself “techno-challenged” I wanted to have an outlet to share everything.
I plan to use this blog to organize these experiences so, over time, they can be easily found and retrieved. Having an outlet to share experiences along with my observations and outlook on the rapidly changing world of classical music is enormously appealing. I invite, and encourage, you to write back and comment or ask questions and I will do my best to respond whenever I can. I hope to have a number of lively discussions!
I’m already working on posts about the practicality of touring (what does one do with a cello on an aircraft?), what sort of preparations are involved for performances, funny things that have happened, what the future will – and is – bringing, what problems do we face in the present academic environment, and more. the more I think, the more topics I come up with so I can sincerely say that I am truly excited at what I will learn and to be inspired by your feedback!
Welcome to my blog. I am a 67 year old solo cellist who has been touring the world for the last 40 years playing almost everywhere of note in the classical music scene alongside many of the greatest musicians. Over all these years, I have accumulated many stories, opinions, and insights, and gifts of the spirit as well as objects. It has been and still is incredibly inspiring work and even though I consider myself “techno-challenged” I wanted to have an outlet to share everything.
Hi Lynn,
Great to see you here, and looking forward to your posts.
See you in October….
Frank
Thanks so much. See you soon!
Looking forward to reading your blogs. Welcome to Inside The Arts and congrats on the new blog!
Thanks! Looking forward
Holly and Drew- So looking forward to seeing y’all in Chicago next week! Lynn
How wonderful to find you online on twitter and with a blog! We are thrilled to welcome you to San Luis Obispo in November.
It will be fun! Lynn
Lynn,
How fantastic you are blogging with as at Inside the Arts! Whilst we have never worked together we have had near encounters, I was at the Royal Academy but graduated before you became principal although I do remember your master-class when Phillip Shepherd’s accompanist didn’t show up and you accompanied him in the Shostakovich 1st concerto….on your Cello!!!!!! It is the stuff of legend, I think it was in 1987 or 88? Also you know my brother Ariel, he’s in Australia now. Looking forward to your posts!
Ron
Ron, you are too flattering! Thanks, looking for more! Lynn
Hello Mr Harrell,
Greta idea with this blog, and please keep the cello-playing videos coming, the more you put down for posterity the better. I still have very fond memories from your Dvorak with Susanna Mälkki, and the good time we had with you here in Stavanger!
Hjalmar
Hope to get around to many more videos on the cello “secrets”! lynn
What would you like me to touch on? Lynn
Pretty much anything you care to share would be great! I find that my approach to the cello, how to expand my expressive range, is constantly evolving, and I learn more from studying great players than anything else. Having the opportunity of seeing you explaining how you go about playing the cello, is a great gift to us all. The basic mechanics are in a way the most challenging, and rewarding when one succeeds in improving them. I have had the joy of seeing and hearing your playing and teaching both in the flesh and online, and it has had and, continues to have, a profound influence on me.
Mr. Harrell,
I’ve wanted to thank you for some time for your video celebrating the 100th birthday of our teacher Orlando Cole. It was great to see one of his most successful students paying homage. I studied with him in the 60s at New School.
Thanks ! Keep checking for the 101st birthday tribute! I have a flip camera! Lynn
Hi Lynn,
Great idea for your blog; I’m sure you have TONS of experience to share with us! Do you know if you will be in Chicago soon, and are you still using the Stevens rosin?
Jon Pegis
Dear Jon_ gone back to andrea Casals -sol cello and Bernadel occasional Pirastro evah and Olive…. That rosin I fel ta bit too hard… Lynn
Lynn,
This looks like a great beginning! I am sure many would love to hear (read) your blogs about your experiences and stories and opinions. Keep it up!!
Johann S. Paetsch
Johann: Do you still live in Colorado Springs? With the wonderful string playing family? Lynn
Lynn,
No, unfortunately, I do not live in Colorado right now. I am living and working (playing) in Switzerland and raising 3 children, who also play and are getting better each day. I guess they also have music in their blood as do many of the children of my brothers and sisters. I suppose we inherited these traits from my own parents whom you met many times in Colorado Springs. I always was totally amazed at your your playing during your concerts those many years ago. We all very much look forward to your very interesting blogs to come.
Johann S. Paetsch
I hope to meet you some day! Maybe at the Verbier festival this coming summer? I remember your father Very well, indeed ! One of the highlights of my trips to Colorado springs. Where is your sister these days. I remember her recording of Paganini1 Lynn Harrell
I met and heard your young nephew in chicago a few days ago! What a wonderful talented boy . He played the last movement of the dvorak concerto! Lynn
Welcome to blogland. I’m a 58 year-old cello student who has been blogging about my personal journey to learn the cello since 2005. Over the years I’ve gathered links on my blog to more than 300 cellists who blog (185 are currently active), in case you are interested.
In addition to looking forward to reading your blog I hope to hear you play one day.
oh! How marvelous! Keep enjoying our wonderful instrument!! discovery is the best! Lynn Harrell
Welcome to cultural blogland and Inside The Arts Lynn, we’re happy to have you with us and I’m looking forward to hear what you have to say.
Drew! Thanks so much for your site and support! Lynn
Lynn,
I’ve been a fan of yours since playing Beethoven A Major Sonata in your Ravinia master class way back in 1976. Since then I’ve enjoyed your performances with us of Dvorak and Herbert concertos.
While watching your utube birthday greeting to Orlando Cole, I was interested to hear about how much you like your new cello by Christopher Dungey. My colleagues in the orchestra have had cellos by Lawrence Wilke, David Caron and Carl Becker. Yo-Yo Ma recently played Dvorak Concerto with us on a Moes and Moes cello. While I love the sound of my old Italian cello, the cost is out of range for my students. Do you have any suggestions of makers of quality cellos for students or young professionals?
Yes! The new great makes have distinctive personalities in their work and have come a very long way in the last 20-30 years. My Dungey is a great instrument. An equivalent old italian or French etc. with a name would be way over $100,000! They are just not worth it until one can afford the best of the old and utilize it in a meaningful way. Look at the makers who are judged favorably in the biannual competition at the violin society of america. There are great new instruments out there!
I’m excited that you are blogging now! I recently purchased a Dungey cello and couldn’t be happier with it. Looking forward to reading more from you!
Lynn,
So glad you are doing this. What a wonderful way to stay connected.
Best from “Big D.”
Victor
Victor! I think of you so often! It is rare that we artists have lovers of music and the craft such as you . And such a great sense of humor! Can’t wait to come back to Dallas! Lynn
Lynn,
Have you read the new book about Lev Aronson?
Yes – well I am reading it now! I was traveling all day to Ottaw today and am now deeply into it. Lynn
Oh Wow! I’m a student cellist and I can’t wait to hear words of wisdom from a real master!
I teach on skype every week a few students. what would you like for me to cover? Lynn Harrell
Hello Lynn,
Long time since I saw you in Sarasota and we really didn’t have time to talk then. I have not moved around as much as you have since then but I run my own chamber music organization now, with a focus on contemporary chamber music. I have actually officially become a composer as well and was voted into ASCAP last spring. I have written many different works but keep coming back to 8 cello compositions. There is another work I wrote for double bass and piano recorded on Albany Label but it was always intended to be played either on cello or bass. Anyway..hope we can catch up thanks to cyberspace!
all the best
Chris
Great to hear from you! This will be an adventure for sure!
Let me know more about your organization. Maybe I could help at this stage. I am and will be playing much more new music. A Paulus world premiere last august, new premieres in this season or next of works by Bright Sheng, Marc Neikrug, Yehudi Wyner, Lalo Shifren, Previn etc. Yours, Lynn
Hi Lynn,
When I checked back I saw you had replied. A death in the family set me back a few months but I was happy to hear from you. Glad you are exploring contemporary music so much. Though I will always be a cellist first, writing music has been a wonderful direction for me and has made me look at the composers we play everyday from a new, more human vantage point. If you are interested, I could send you some of my music. I have two works for 8 cellos, a string sextet, and a work for either double bass and piano or cello and piano. This has been recorded on Albany Label on double Bass, but was always intended for either cello or Bass. To date, a cellist hasn’t performed this work, largely because double bass players are always seeking new works in all areas…more so then cellists I think!
Sorry to take so long to write back and hope to hear from you when you have time.
Chris
How wonderful to be able to write so conveniently to one of the great cellists of our age – thank you! We’re really excited that you’re coming to Ottawa next week for two performances and a master class here at UOttawa. We have three talented young cellists enthusiastically practising away, (and you’ll be hearing some pieces which you may already have played…) – Lalo, Schostakovich and Prokofiev. It’s fabulous that you find time in your schedule to work with the next generation and to pass on your inspiration.
Looking forward to welcoming you to our city again!
Paul Marleyn.
I am looking forward so much to the class! I am teaching on line now here in california some, but at no institutions. Sometimes difficult to arrange with the time change to Europe and asia! Lynn Harrell
Paul- Nice to meet here and tomorrow in person. The cellists must be good -their rep is very demanding! See you in 10 hours, Lynn
Paul- It was very exciting to me to hear how wonderful your work is going . I hope to be part of your plans in the future. The class was very good and your young people are so willing to have new ideas. Lynn
Dear Lynn,
I am so delighted to hear about your new blog! Those of us who have had the pleasure of speaking with you over the years are well aware of how much you have to say. I look forward to your next post as well as your next appearance in Columbus!
Best wishes,
Betsy Sturdevant
Dear Betsy:
Thank you so much! What is happening with the Columbus symphony? How old is your child (children?) I have a 2 and 5 year old now and am so happy in Santa Monica.
I finally played the Mozart duo summer before last with Rufus Oliver of the San Francisco Opera . Warmly, Lynn
Hello,
Thanks for starting a blog about the cello. I enjoy your playing very much. I’m an amateur pianist, harpsichordist, singer, and cellist (modern and baroque) from the Chicago area. I hope to gather little tidbits about technique from this blog in the future. In particular, could you consider writing a post about reducing the scratchy sound produced by plain gut strings? I’m having some severe trouble with that at the moment.
Yes, I will! I have performed mostly on 3 gut strings in my career, a number of times with an unwound D , covered G and C. My recordings of Victor Herbert and andante cantabile and the Brahms sonatas with Kovacevich are all with the unwound gut D. Make sure that you don’t use too much rosin, that the strings are clean ,that you don’t have dried out strings(Pirastro makes a good oil to lubricate them but not where the rosin goes!) The bow should feel a little slick for the first 10 minutes and then wake up and bite enough. Good luck! I originally tried gut because all the great players used these strings and didn’t have these symptoms- I figured their bow arms were better because of it. I am convinced that that is true: it takes much more precision of balance and attack on gut than on the modern marvels of steel strings.
I will be giving a master class at Darnton House in Chicago 0n October 6th. Hope to meet you there.Lynn Harrell
Hi
Its great to see all the comments.
I have been told you have written an arrangement of Liszt’s Liebestraum but haven’t been able to get a copy. Played by Seelo Tovio on youtube its beautiful. Any ideas where I can buy the score. Im in the UK.
All the best
I don’t know of this transcription- I will look it up. Lynn Harrell
I was excited to see the blog!!! Thanks for sharing your time. Do you teach online through Skype? Wish I could jump back to RAMO times, just found Paula F. on facebook! Tess
Tess! You have given so much to so many people! I am proud to have been your teacher! Lynn
Thanks so much…you have no idea how much you are quoted in my class:-). In addition to all the great playing and teaching you exposed us-you always had such a healthy and supportive outlook on life. It really changed my life as a person and musician…Can’t wait for Atlanta!!!
I am working with new online software right now for a Pilot project for our school which is great for music. We started to fundraise for a possible lesson with you (??), and I wanted to ask you in Atlanta if we would be able to have a lesson through Wimba for one of my students with everybody else listening? Thanks from Tess
Yes ,I do have some people who I see on Skype for lessons! It’s limitations are obvious but SO much can still be accomplished! Lynn
Lynn, this is fantastic! I love this webpage. I never knew so much about you and the struggles you’ve had. I commend you for your fortitude. I look forward to part II. Tell Helen I said hello.
I have passed on the greeting to Helen. No, the resiliency of the human spirit is always a source of inspiration. Lynn
Hi Lynn. I have admired you and your playing for several years. I am an adult beginner. I have been playing cello for going on 8 full years now. After much practicing I have been able to successfully audition for a very high caliber community orchestra in my area. I wish I had begun this instrument at a young age, but my mom struggled with just keeping me in instruments as they continually had to be returned to the store when she was unable to keep up the rentals financially. As a result, I learned to play 9 instruments but none of them really well. So, I decided when I picked up the cello at 40 years old that I would work very hard and attempts mitigate some of the years of lost playing which my colleagues in the orchestra are blessed to have. I have somewhat large holes in my theory knowledge but I study all the time to try and fill those. I struggle and have to rehearse longer and harder to keep up with everyone in orchestra but I had one full season last year and I couldn’t believe I made it. I find the most difficult thing to master is sight reading in tenor and treble clef. I can read the clefs but for pieces such as, “The Miraculous Mandarin”…well…as you know – quite difficult. Any advice on building sight reading chops both in note recognition and rhythms? Thanks.
Mandarin! That is tremendous. I sight read pretty poorly now. But when I was in the Cleveland orchestra over those 8 years I developed it by just doing it-not looking at it at all! You probably don’t have such an often chance. I suggest you take recording of the orchestral and chamber music lit. And play along with the records. This way you hear the harmony and you must continue and not slow down afterwards. Look at those spots where you failed and without playing try to realize a better fingering and/or bowing . Good luck
Lynn, if you want…I have taken Lev’s record and transfered it over to CD. It’s pretty good quality. I can get a copy to you at no charge. Let me know.
Rich
Yes please. What is your email? I’ll send you my address… Lynn
Lynn: You list the San Luis Obispo concert on 11/12 but their web site lists it Saturday 11/14. Just an FYI.
Terri
I know and I think we have changed it! Thanks, Lynn
Lynn,
It was so great to see you here in Chicago, and many thanks for your wonderful class. My students loved you and learned so much! Looking forward to seeing you in January.
You bet , Steve! I enjoyed giving this class and playing with Stefan the night before! What stuff would you like to see on my youtube video tidbits? Lynn
Lynn: I heard a colleague (Clive Greensmith) say that he worked with you and you were amazing at pulling sound out of your instrument. He said that if anyone can pull sound out of a cello, you can. How about putting some of those tidbits on the youtube videos? “How to get the sound you want.”
Terri
I hope to. It is starting to trouble me that no one has asked for a private session with me on iChat or Skype to cover their individual questions… Lynn Harrell
Hi Lynn,
I’m very sorry I missed your masterclass in Chicago. We had a death in the family that very day. But I’ll be at your Northwestern concert in January and hope to bring a couple of high school students.
Your Beethoven Triple clip on Youtube is stunning, and I’m the one who posted as “Penguinsailor.” (KHRaccoon was my son Jason!)
Very best,
Jon Pegis
I’m very happy to read your blog!
I’m your big fan who live in Korea.
I love your sonatas and concertos.
Hope your big healthy life and good playing.
Dear Lynn,
Thank you for sharing you knowledge and promoting this online space. I have just found out some of your extremely helpful learning videos on youtube and am trying to apply your tips on my playing.
I am 32 and began taking weekly cello lessons about 4 months ago and it has become one of the most demanding endeavors that i have ever taken on my life. I would love to hear from other late learners some tips/encouragement.
Kind regards to all.
Luis
Good for you , Luis!
You should know that one thing that is really difficult for the over 25 year olds that begin cello more than the violin is that our bones have hardened and learning to stretch is particularly challenging.I can show you that my left pinky finger is 3/8 of an inch longer than my right. And my right 1st finger is warped much more to the right because of the bow hold than my left. So there are skeletal changes brought on by early development. But the good news is that you can practice SO much more efficiently as an adult than as a child! Good luck
Dear Lynn,
As a son of an old, now long retired, violinist with the BSO it was
doubly wonderful hearing you do such a fine job on the great “Don Quixote.”
Best regards,
Paul Nagy
Dear Paul:
When did you play with them? I can thank the Nazis for my good fortune. Let me explain:
I was born in 1944 and later joined the Cleveland Orchestra. I am an American, but because of the great musician immigrants that I learned from, I can boast that I am the only cellist who worked Don Quixote with 2 who knew and worked with Strauss directly: Piatigorsky and Szell. They may have never come to America to stay and build a new new life here except for the destruction of their lives and culture at home.
P.S. This summer I am converting to Judaism . Sincerely, Lynn Harrell
Hey, Lynn! Long time no see! I’m still in PA, but in State College, now. Program Director of WPSU-FM. One of the Classical 24 announcers just played your Faure Sicilienne and mentioned this blog, ,so I came to have a look and just say “hi”.
Kris
Dear Kris:
I don’t remember you!
Fill me in , please. I’m going to WFMT in Chicago this week(May 9 etc.) to be part of their 60th Birthday . Tune in -It will be a great program! Lynn
Dear Mr. Harrell,
I’m a student cellist in New York City, and I’ve been playing for a few years now. In a different comment you mentioned skypes/chats to answer certain questions, and I’ve been having a little trouble with both wider, more expressive vibrato and pulling more sound from my (admittedly quiet) instrument. Do you think it would be possible to skype at some point? I wouldn’t need continuous lessons, of course, but I’d just like to obtain advice from someone whose playing I admire. If you’re too busy and cannot, I completely understand.
Thank you for your unbelievable recordings (I now listen to them more than anyone else’s),
Mac Taback
I also own a david caron, and I also gave Aronson money every week.
I also played for you, in a master class long ago.
You shared a bit of wisdom I have kept: The faster one plays, the lighter the fingers may be.
David Caron knew Aronson, and Aronson loved his cellos. What number is/was your Caron and can you share some details about the difference between your Caron and your older italians?
So far I have only played one cello that was obviously better than my Caron, a 115K 1915 Carlo Carletti.
It was glorious, and I wonder how much of the difference can be attributed to age.
Your thoughts would be helpful.
Thanx
Philip