SHOSTAKOVICH, Dmitry

Sonata for cello and piano in D minor op. 40

I. Allegro non troppo

Pablo Ferrández, guest professor

Luis Aracama, student

Ofelia Montalván, accompanying pianist

For Ferrández, there has been a lack of active listening and attention to what the student is playing. The notes sound hollow; he needs to react more to the music to make it sound more vibrant, paying more attention to the ending of each note and the connection between them, and being careful to avoid any unwanted sounds.
They are working on issues related to musical direction, phrasing, and the relationship between notes, the expressiveness of which must be more exaggerated and intense, with more energy, and focusing on sound quality, etc. To produce a good sound, it is important to know one's own instrument but also one's own body, while being completely emotionally involved. The two aspects combine: awareness and control over the relaxed body along with emotional tension that expresses the music. They also review listening and reaction to what the piano plays to achieve more musical rapport. One must master every note played.
Finally, they review the ending with the mute, and Ferrández makes suggestions regarding the bow's contact with the string to achieve a better balance and obtain a more controlled piano sound of higher quality.

Language: Spanish