THE QUEEN OF TIMING - POLINA OSETINSKAYA
Things a cellist can learn from one of the best interpreters of piano music
*note* this post is from months ago, shifted from my website, so if it seems out of place, it definitely is! anyways, enjoy! On that note, I really do think Polina deserves a lot more recognition overall. If I haven’t convinced you after this post, do take the time to check out her stuff anyways. It truly is next level.
Also, forgive the radio silence. It has been a quite a busy couple of months of studying, performing, teaching, and trying to stay afloat. My thoughts on studying the entirety of music will probably come soon at some point. But, I must begin working on my lecture paper (dissertation) so I can achieve the rank of Doctor…Anyways, enjoy the post below, and more cello related content coming some point soon (rosin talks, string talks, cello old vs new, etc…)
Let’s set the stage for one of the current titans of the piano world, Polina Osetinskaya.
I saw her in concert last Saturday, June 10th (2023) at 92Y. Let me tell you…I was blown away. To such a degree it moved me to write about the concert in this part of my site (Like I said, wasn’t too keen on a blog). Polina was amazing, playing a program that consisted of a variety of works by Bach, Rameau, and Handel. She even spoke about the music, and its connections to famous films (the connecting fiber of the concert). She explained each piece, each movie, and finally asked the audience to withhold applause until the end of each half. A move I thought was so effective, the pauses themselves became a part of the music.
Her command of sound, whether roaring louds or beautiful softs, was amazing. The color she extracted from the piano was next level. Everything was crystalline. I have never heard a pianist do something so amazing, ever, especially in person. The thing that struck me the most was her sense of timing. Can you imagine, a cellist sitting at a piano concert wondering how to copy a pianist when it comes to color, sound, and most of all, timing. The way she played with time almost threw me off. I say this because I knew some of the works on the program, yet it ALL sounded fresh, new, and brimming with possibility. She was never in a rush to finish a sentence; it was all like a flowing river without unnatural interruption. To witness her in person was an immense pleasure, but also a grand lesson. Music is a language, and if you rush it, it does no service to the composer or the piece. She definitely made me realize this yet again (because we all have had teachers telling us to stop rushing and slow down). Nonetheless, I aspire to have the sense of timing she does. Her sense of touch, and her musicality wouldn’t be too bad to have either haha! This concert acted as a reminder of how any instrumentalist can learn from others, especially since music is such a multi-layered entity that crosses paths and blurs lines between any instrument.
Her stage presence wasn’t overbearing, no extra motions. No drama. Just her, and the piano. I really appreciated how calm she looked, as if in a trance. Again, another avenue to connect with music, one which I achieve more and more as I get older (and maybe ever so slightly wiser?). But once again, she did something remarkable. Every piece of music felt personal. Every note felt loved. If the music was her voice, it was loud, and clear, even during the softest moments of the concert. Its like she sucked the entire audience into a vortex, her own world, and had us sit down and listen to her story. She is a storyteller, and one of the best, if not the best I’ve personally encountered. I joked to my mom that it would be my goal to collaborate with her one day, and tell a story together. Humans are funny in the sense that music, without words or direct meaning, will almost always get assigned a descriptive device in our minds. An association will be built between a piece of music, or a sound, or some kind of gesture, with our minds. It’s a bit romantic how us humans process music, and how everything needs a meaning. Even if we declare something meaningless, we have prescribed it an idea. Anyways, back to the night at hand…everything from emotions, to color, to actual words slipped into my mind as she played.
I think that’s all I have to say. It was a treat to see her live (her videos don’t do her justice), and to tag along for the journey that was her concert. I’ve attached a video of her below, check it out and everything else she has done! If you happen to see she’s in your area, DEFINITELY check her out. She frequently plays with Maxim Vengerov, an amazing violinist on tour. Trust me, take a listen, and enjoy!
Next post…got anything you’d like me to discuss? Message me or leave a comment here! If not, I think it’ll be something tech-y.. or some nerdy cello thing lol.
Cheers!
Polina's Bach (definitely listen)