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PROF I L E
Steven Isserlis The fact that Steven Isserlis has become one of the world’s most celebrated cellists is hardly surprising when you consider his musical parentage and the career paths of his siblings. His mother was a piano teacher, his father a keen amateur musician, one of his sisters is a violinist and the other plays the viola as her profession. So for them to play chamber music together, it had to be the cello for Steven, the youngest member of this very musical family. But even if the choice of instrument wasn’t initially his own, he is on record as saying he wouldn’t change it for the world. The musical line of the family goes back a further generation to Steven’s grandfather Julius Isserlis. A celebrated pianist, composer and teacher he was one of the first twelve musicians to be allowed out of Russia by Lenin to promote Russian culture, but he never returned. The story goes that Julius Isserlis sought lodgings in Vienna in 1923 when Steven’s father was just a small boy. He was shown around a flat by a 102 year old landlady who took a shine to Steven’s father. But when his grandfather explained he was a musician she is reported to have said “Oh no I hate musicians”. When asked why she replied,“because when I was a girl my aunt had a musician lodger, a filthy old man who used to spit on the floor and I hated him – his name was Beethoven”. Although Steven Isserlis was seen as a brilliant young cellist he was determined not to become a jobbing musician touting for work in different orchestras and as a result he suffered nearly a decade with relatively few musical engagements. But his patience paid off when he madehisnameplayingTheProtecting Veil,a composition by John Tavener, and today he is recognised as one of the world’s finest cello virtuosos. One of the things that sets this special musician apart from his fellow star cellists, who favour a big glitzy steel Maestro Magazine
Which is explained in part by his musical lineage but also by two other incredibly impressive branches of the family tree. Steven’s ancestors include Helen Rubinstein the founder of a cosmetics empire and one of the most revered political thinkers of all time, Karl Marx. . Don’t miss Steven Isserlis in the Music Festival programme:
Image: Satoshi Aoyag
Being a world class musician isn’t the only string to Steven Isserlis’ bow. He has also written highly successful children’s books packed full of humorous and at times scandalous tales about the great composers. In his first book “Why Beethoven threw the stew” he reveals the wig stealing, sword fighting, egg throwing and drunkenness in front of presidents that some of our favourite composers indulged in. ‘Why Beethoven threw the stew’ & ‘Why Handel waggled his wig’ are published by Faber and Faber
string sound, is his preference for playing mostly on gut covered strings.This gives his playing its signature mellow, soulful quality. The other unusual aspect to his playing is that he has been in the extremely fortunate position of being able to play on two priceless Stradavarius cellos. One of them goes by the name of the Marquis de Coberon, on loan from the Royal Academy of Music, the other has
the equally exotic name De Munck which has now been returned to the Nippon Music Foundation. In spite of his position on the world stage Steven still practises every day and apparently has only taken a maximum of three days off since the age of ten. This kind of dedication to his craft combined with his exceptional talent calls for the kind of genetic inheritance that is rare indeed.
Finale Concert – London Marathon (M74) 15 July 5pm, Town Hall Music inspired by and written about London, with the sounds of Cockney street-cries; chuch bells; Salvation Army bands; Westminster chimes; bus conductors’ calls; street markets and the Thames – and even a tribute to the Shard, the latest addition to London’s skyline. Isserlis will be playing Elgar’s Cello Concerto – which promises to be one impressive piece of playing! He recorded it back in 1988 – and it’s listed as one of the greatest versions of the piece ever recorded. 1915 Concert (M49) 11 July 7pm, Pittville Pump Room Isserlis plays Debussy’s Sonata for cello and piano, alongside music by Bartók, Reger, and Szymanowski. 1917 Concert (M60) 13 July 11am, Pittville Pump Room Isserlis performs Fauré’s Sonata No 1 for cello and piano, alongside music by Ireland, Bartók and Debussy. Venue: Cheltenham Town Hall Date: Fri 13 Jul / Time: 8pm
M63 The 1918 Concert Isserlis and Kennedy come together for Elgar’s Piano Quintet. Also features other music from 1918, such as Bruch’s string quintet and Stravinsky’s ‘Soldier’s Tale suite’. For full event details go to page 28
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