Download Transcript lesson 1 27.04.2016

Lessons from Dominique de Williencourt 27/04/2016
Transcript lesson 1
“Bravo, super, very nice, bravo...”
“Good, you know, this music, Jean-Louis Florentz, was an ethnomusicologue, he went to different
places to hear what is possible in nature, like Olivier Messiaen. He wanted to hear the animals,
especially the birds, the nature, and he went in Africa and in France to write what they sing.”
“So this is the first thing, and he went to many place for weeks and weeks just to hear, to know
some special bird you could find. And he found a special bird in Ethiopia which is called Coessyphe
d'Heuglin. I can write you, on internet you can find some records. It's a very special name, in
French. Coessyphe is this little bird, you can find it for example in Senegal, but is a special
Coesyphe de Senegal, is not the same. This one, Coessyphe d'Heuglin, he found it in Ethiopia
especially. And this is from [bars 126, and 128, etc.]. Always, theme and silence. It's always a bird
at the end.”
“That is why, I want to look, because sometimes you stop too much. No, don't finish the music,
don't finish the note, because is like impressionism. French music is always impressionism. Is no
exactly that you just have to play and stop, as in cut, no cuts! It comes from the silence. He could
hear this Coessyphe d'Heuglin in this tree, the Tamaris. This is the first thing.”
“The second, Jean-Louis Florentz knew very much about the Bible. The ancient testament, and also
the Falacha, which is apocryphe. Greek name, okay? Apocryphe means you cannot find it in the real
Bible. It's some text, like a traditional text, but which was not accepted by the Jewish people. They
did not accept, maybe it's good, maybe not.”
“The evangile, some text are apocryphe, which means you cannot find them in the Bible, but it's a
traditional like Saint-Jacques, or some letters from Peter. These are not really in the Bible, you can
find them maybe in the Vatican, or somewhere, but not really in the Bible. Okay, so it's apocryphe.”
“So, he said, he was remembering this story of Abraham standing, normally in the Bible it's le
[chêne de Mambré], a very big tree. In Falacha it's not [Chene] it's Tamaris. And Abraham was
standing, he saw like an Archangel, and the Angel is the bird, for Jean-Louis. This bird is the angel,
for sure. And this Archangel is inside the Tamaris, goes outside and begins to dance in front of him.
And this is in the «Raggae»-passage [bars 74 to 89]. The angel begins to dance, very long dance,
and after this dance, Abraham, who was a very old man with no children, he understood in this
Falacha version that he will have a child (Isaac). His descendants will be because of this dance,
which is not a text, he doesn't say anything, he just dances. And Abraham understands, he will have
one child (Isaac) and many many people, all of humanity. And more numerous, like the sand in the
desert, or like the stars in the sky.”
“But he didn't say anything, which is the apocryphe version, because if you read the Bible you can
see, you have to read it. Abraham, he can see this angel, and they talk together. He is in the tent with
Sara. If I remember correctly, in the Bible it's God himself, which is very rare, because God never
talks to someone directly. And Sara laughed (giggled), and that's why Isaac means 'the one who
loves (ironic meaning)'. You have to know all of this, because afterwards you play differently.”
“So, in the Bible it's especially God, but in this Falacha tradition it's an Angel in the Tamaris, so
maybe it's a bird.”
“So, now this whole music is silence. It's not cello, no cello, no difficult. We don't care about this.
It's only silence and sometimes a few notes. This is silence before [bar 1 – 9]. So now, you know, I
compose a lot, so I don't remember all, was maybe two years ago. This silence is before you play,
part of the music is the silence. You hear more the silence than the notes. Not too rough [bar 3].
Silence... Don't worry if it's too long, it's not a question of time, it's out of time, not 12 minutes, just
silence.”
“So, you just move, your arm has to move, always, not with beginning. This difficulty is to not have
a bouncing bow. Maybe, you have to breath out, before you play. And you put your bow on the
string, and you go! Put your arm, and stop and go. Don't be shy, but go! But, pianissimo, good but
pianissimo, no crescendo.”
“Okay good, now okay, we have to look at the music, we have tiré (emphasis). A little emphasis
yes. So, you have to make something there, but always piano and pianissimo. Something of
emphasis. You know, the bow is very heavy, 80 grams, and you need it. If you don't have it, then
you don't have contact (you need all the weight). And, a little vibrato on the second one, something
a little tiré.”
“You have to hear the silence before [bar 3]. You have to feel the upbeat. You know, it's not a triplet.
If you think of it, we can hear it. Take time, don't be in a hurry. You can take time on this note (last
note of the gesture). The same as the beginning [bar 4]. Yes, but don't think about the notes, you
know it very well now. It written, mysterious, majestueux, libre! Free, and sauvage. He [Jean-Louis]
was not with the metronome, like Henri Dutilleux. It was so difficult to work with him, because he
was always with the metronome, 'you have to be exactly...'.”
“Sol, with harmonic, he liked very much harmonics. I understand, because it's not written. It never
cuts, always play into silence, but with good intonation! For example, the last bar [153], is
apparition, like light, a ghost/spirit/fulgurant. Something electric, like nuclear. This [bar 5] is a little
beginning of that. The tremolo technique, the right arm is nervous, like staccato (one bow,
Tchaikvosky). It's enough, maybe you give too much energy.”
“[bar 6] Nice sound! And emphasis. It doens't have to be very strict, like a breath, like a singer. [bar
7] Take time to play the phrase, and be careful of the harmonics, he liked very much the harmonics.
So, maybe, gesture with accent and then relax. Silence... [bar 9] Maybe you can be clear with the
notes, because at the beginning Jean-Louis wanted (with A-flat instead of A).”
“[bar 10] Yeah, okay, but that's always a problem, it's impressionism. Free, but we have to
understand the beat, we have to understand the solfège. It's free, but if you really hear my, I really
play like 3, like 4, like 6 (5). It's not rubato, this is free inside the rhythm, like Fauré. You cannot
play Fauré rubato, you have to play exactly in time, and after Fauré makes to rubato, with duolets
and triolets. This is the same this [bar 10]. No time emphasis on the first note of quintuplet.”
“That's good, but we forget a bit the dynamics. At mezzo-forte, it's the first time we can go
somewhere. At end of gesture, hold the silence, it goes into the silence.”
“It's a smfz, so with accent after the beat. He composed this piece, when he was in a Abbeye, in the
middle of France, it is a residence for artists. I created this residence. In L'Aprés, in '92 or '93, and
he composed this and he composed the concerto Songe de Lluc Alcari. I don't know if there's a
recording of this. It's the same music, twelve cellists, very complicated. Also the Chant du
Nyandarua, with Philippe Muller, Marcel Bardon, Paul Boufil.”
“Ah, we can hear the different notes, don't stop, make it one long phrase, like wind. Not separated.
[bar 16] Wait you have to clarify this first beat. And you know, one thing, really interesting, I
remember I talked about with him (Jean-Louis), you see crescendo, but if you hear me I don't play
crescendo, but it looks like crescendo. It's very different, it's the impression of crescendo. As a
cellist I don't play crescendo, but as a musician I play crescendo. If I learn the cello is not
crescendo, but if I play Florentz it's crescendo. Something special, and we talked about this.”
“[bar 17] Ah yes, he said 'ne pas retenir' because the gesture continues into silence. Yes, go, you
don't have to retenir, that is ritardando, it looks like the Coessyphe d'Heuglin, because of the
gesture. So, don't slow down. Play light, fast, into the silence (like wind), the music is here, at the
end of the bow stroke when you continue into silence. Don't stop your bow!”
“[bar 19 – 22] I don't like so much how you play your glissando, it's not nice. Faster and lighter, you
play it too much. You should begin the glissando in the down-(bow). You can play forte here! And
glissando not too long. But, with emphasis [bar 22], separate the old and new slur, but don't cut.
[bar 23] But hear the sound, don't play only the notes. Keep forte before, don't play decrescendo.
[bar 24] No accent, end with rounded note, into silence. [bar 25] This is silence, it goes back into
the silence, and it falls down (into C string). Don't make descrescendo. Fixe is one line, keep only
one idea. Don't stop the note, the cello is not so big, so it's enough, to cut for Florentz is not good.
Play croche (quarter note, crochet) at the end [bar 26]. But also, ne pas retenir, is the same [bar 29].
[bar 30] Something very electric, but not too loud. You make accents, there are no accents. Also
take time, and the last one is sforzando.”
“[bar 31] And now, it's really very forte, you can play, you turn the page and you play like soloist!
[bar 33] If it's one [same finger shift] you can make glissando, it's written in the fingerings. Marcel
Bardon, he did a lot for Songe de Lluc Alcari and also for this piece and maybe some of them are
his fingerings. He helped very much Jean-Louis to know the cello. Yeah, ít's enough, you don't have
to play glissando, but with the shift is enough.”
“[bar 35] Very precise, you have to prepare your hand before (making the shift to C/A). Is not
seperated, I don't play like this. (Two down bows) it means in the same bow. I don't remember, I
never played like this (separated). I understand, is not written (separated). You played as you want,
it's okay. I must tell you about this, because many times you find fourths and fifths, because this isß
Ethiopian Falacha, this music is full of these kinds of intervals.”
“[bar 43] Very clear, rhythmic, not like a trill. Same goes for bar 39. Regularity in rhythm. Fermata
on low C, go far to the bridge, double sforzando. Go inside the cello. Also fermata on fifth. [bar 37]
Not a rubato, you cannot play whatever you want, 3 + 5 + 8 or more. Play the solfège. It's always
the same in impressionism, not rubato. You have to play exactly what's written. Triplet is exactly
three equal beats. It's not Rachmaninov, it's Fauré and Saint-Saëns. Florentz is the same tradition.
Not Tzigane, not Russian. [bar 39] Very clear in rhythm, no rubato, no accelerando. [bar 40] Last
beat consider playing faster, overpunctuate. [bar 44] Don't cut, between fermata and 32nds, no cut
written. [bar 46] Comma is written, so make a breath, not a cut!”
“[bar 47] First beat train suppleness of hand to be able to play ¼ fingering. Technique by André
Navarra. [bar 45] Don't play too slow, be accurate in the rhythm. [bar 40] Play by four, don't play by
eight, not too slow. [bar 47] Stable fingering for the two thirds, from A/D string to D/G string. [bar
49 – 50] Be careful, this is very difficult for the rhythm. You have to play the rhythm in you head.
You have to hear, because African rhythm looks like a triplet, but it is different so it has to be
different. Triplet 16th is very fast. Rhythm pronunciation, make rhythm more clear. It has to be very
legato (longer notes in the rhythm). Not staccato, very rhythmical but legato.”
“[bar 54] Don't play si-bemolle (b-flat) in the downbow, don't separate, three notes. Because you
play, si – si, you play double, do – mi is here (on the upbeat), but si-bemolle – fa is one chord. Out
of tune [bar 55] be careful for the intonation (on E/C). But why do you play with third fingers, you
don't like (second fingers)?”
“I hear notes, I don't want to hear the notes. I don't know what to say, just hear. Don't attack first
beat, ease into it. Take time! First time, we can see rubato. Very rubato. You have to be here, like
majeur, not notes. Yeah, okay, it's good but I don't hear, like going to majeur. I just open the light,
it's different, very precise. [bar 62] This is sforzando. You know, sforzando is not accent. Is not
fortepiano. Do you know the difference between fortepiano, sforzando and accent? You have one
note, for example this one: la. Play accent... Sforzando... Fortepiano... Not really different. I don't
hear the difference. Accent is accent in the dynamic, it can be accent in forte, it can be accent in
piano. Sforzando is sforzando, is after, sforzando is after the accent. And fortepiano is forte and
piano, is very different. Fortepiano is without accent, is forte and piano. Very different! So, you
don't play sforzando. That's why you can play this easier, with this very difficult thing (in dynamic
changes). This is very tiring, if you play (loud throughout). Is impossible, if you play sforzando is
better. It's easier. Yes, but very fast at the beginning (tremolo). You have to think about.”
“[bar 63] You see here you have accent and sforzando. Yes, with the fermata. Like an onde (wave). I
don't care about the notes, I just think (wave). I just play the notes, exactly, you can hear exactly
what is written, but it's not the notes exactly, I play music more. What do you do, what are your
fingerings? Maybe I change a little (second note also harmonic), I'm sure he (Jean-Louis) will
accept!”
“[bar 64] Only mezzoforte. Be careful when you play tremolo, don't begin slow. Immediately fast.
[bar 65] Not too fast. [bar 67] Take time, don't be in a hurry. Is like little drops, like sometimes in
Ethiopia. Ethiopia is a great country, if you can go it's so so marvellous, and so ancient in the
tradition. It never moves, because it was so closed from the world, we couldn't go in for centuries,
so it's exactly like centuries ago. (Effect is) maybe like xylophone, or like drops on the leaves. I
went in the last year, also beginning of the Nile, the blue one is in Ethiopia, not the other one which
is in Alexandria. But the blue one is with the cataract, with the waterfall. So (for this gesture) take
time. Take time for every note (and string change). And after (fortissimo!).”
“[bar 74] This is very magic now, because all this beginning is like introduction for this coming, the
dance of the Angel (like to bird). He (Abraham) can see something moving inside the Tamaris, and
you know the Tamaris in the desert is not like this (cover photo of the score). It is not pink, it is
white, because there is salt. It is a tree that takes salt from the ground and keeps it to keep water
inside (the tree). So the Tamaris is white, not like this (cover photo) pink, maybe in Paris (the pink
version). Hésitant, character of the beginning. He said like Raggae, because it is from Ethiopia.
Because Jamaica and Ethiopia have the same flag (same colours). You know rasta? Rastaque is a
village from Ethiopia. Jimi Hendrix and others are from this village, they went to Jamaica because
they were slaves. Before, they were in Ethiopia. Like Raggae, because is typical (Ethiopian).”
“But, do you want to come back tomorrow?”