TCHAIKOVSKY, Pyotr Il'yich

Variations on a Rococo Theme for cello and orchestra in A major op. 33 (cello and piano reduction)

Torlief Thedéen, guest professor

Vasily Stepanov, student

Miguel Ángel Ortega Chavaldas, accompanying pianist

At the beginning of the lecture, Professor Thedéen talks about the tempo of the last variation. He recommends not to play 'all tasto' because with the orchestra the sound will not be clear.
In Variation IV, Thedéen corrects some aspects, such as phrasing, rhythm and scales.
The student should be careful when the music goes from quick passages to cantabile notes because these pitches are affected by the speed of the previous passage. So, it is convenient to sing the notes specially.
Professor Thedéen also corrects the articulation and the dynamics of the trills and comments that it is important to have a very good contact point to explote the sound possibilities of the cello. Breathing is crucial in dramatic passages. He explains how to play the spiccato and talks about fingerings and chords -each one has a different resonance depending on the vibration of each string-.
Finally, Thedéen explains that the use of portamento is possible in some expressive passages.

Language: English