This is Elgar's Cello Concerto, first movement, It is a highly impressive piece featuring the cello as the main instrument and is considered one of the masterpieces among cello concertos. Although both artists have passed away, the piece gained widespread recognition through Jacqueline du Pré’s passionate performance under the baton of Sir John Barbirolli.
This time, as an introduction to sequencing a full-scale concerto, I have only completed the first movement. I first sequenced the entire solo cello part and then proceeded to sequence the strings, woodwinds/brass, and timpani in sections. However, even when sequencing each measure precisely, I struggled quite a bit with the timing of string instrument attacks. Even within the same library, the attack speed varies depending on the articulation, so simply adjusting with a delay function was not enough to achieve a natural result.
As I mentioned before, the opening cadenza of this piece took quite a bit of time to perform. I felt that the way this section is played determines the overall impression of the piece.
By the way, speaking of Jacqueline du Pré, I find that in this section, she tends to rush a little, which makes it feel somewhat unsettling to me when I listen. However, aside from that, the more I listen, the more I am impressed by how the orchestra enters—it’s truly remarkable. My advisor highly praised Barbirolli’s conducting.
The solo cello leads the orchestra, demanding various instrumental responses, and balancing this interplay was quite challenging. While sequencing, I listened to several recordings considered masterpieces besides Du Pré’s and studied elements like, “Ah, this is where the woodwinds come in…” It was a learning process throughout.
That said, my advisor gave me quite a few detailed critiques, which made the process even more time-consuming. In particular, I had a newfound appreciation for the role of the clarinet—it was a real “Aha!” moment for me. I couldn’t help but wish for something like a conductor’s blueprint; for someone like me, whose musical knowledge isn’t very advanced, that would be invaluable.
That’s why I feel that, beyond the final performance, it would be incredibly educational to have recordings of rehearsals as well. But I suppose there wouldn’t be much demand for that…
At my mentor’s recommendation, I read Sekai no Shikisha (The Great Conductors of the World) by Yoshida Hidekazu (published by Chikuma Bunko). There’s a passage about Karl Böhm’s rehearsal with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra (though not for this piece). I won’t go into detail here, but for those interested, I highly recommend reading the book. The meticulous attention to seemingly trivial details in sound production ultimately shapes an extraordinary musical whole. Each of these refinements, like peeling back delicate layers, builds Böhm’s musical vision, compelling listeners to accept it. Yoshida captures this process with his unique sensibility.
Title: Elgar Cello Concert Op.85(1st. Movement)
Sound Source: Solo Cello:Emotionak Cello
Strings:Modern Scoring Strings
Woodwinds:Berin Woodwinds
Brasses:Modern Scorin Brass
Timpani:Vienna Timpani
Audio file format: mp3
YouTube:Elgar Cello Concert,Op.85