Asier Polo: Schumann – Adagio and Allegro op 70 – I. Adagio

SCHUMANN, Robert

Adagio and Allegro for cello and piano in A-flat major, op. 70

I. Adagio

Asier Polo, guest professor

Montserrat Egea, student

Ofelia Montalván, accompanying pianist

The professor really liked the student’s performance and comments that starting bow down is risky. For Asier Polo, the important thing when playing is not to tense up – there have to be points of emotional tension – but you have to know how to return to relaxation, to the initial position. In the first note, you should not overuse the vibrato, you have to reserve it so that it evolves naturally and contributes to the construction of the phrase. In addition, it is necessary to prepare some notes thinking about the sound before playing.
They correct tuning details and then the professor points out that the bows have to help the phrasing, not the other way around, and the anacrusis is in tempo. In Romanticism there are two main expressive resources: the interval and the chromaticism. The legato has to be felt from the elbow, without abusing the portato. They also work on the phrasing in several passages.

Language: Spanish