Violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja and cellist Sol Gabetta, after giving a series of instrumental masterclasses, answer students' questions in a Q&A session at the Reina Sofía School of Music, where they reflect on and share their experiences regarding the interpretation of contemporary music.

Sol Gabetta and Patricia Kopatchinskaja: 

Reflections on their experience with contemporary music

After some introductory remarks from each professor, they discuss the importance of performers collaborating with composers on their own works, as well as the compositional process.

They then share thoughts on how to approach the performance of a contemporary composition, and respond to whether they have ever faced challenges performing contemporary works in concert halls.

Further reflections follow on how to approach such a well-known piece as Dvořák’s Cello Concerto. They also speak about bridging the gap between contemporary music and the general public (for whom this music can be challenging, as it is not essentially “beautiful”).

They highlight the benefits of studying contemporary music in depth, and reflect on whether resistance to music written after the Romantic era stems from the fact that it often requires multiple hearings to be understood or appreciated.

Other topics include performing original or unconventional interpretations in competitions, and the very nature of such events.

They then reflect on what it means to truly “understand” a work, before addressing the question of whether it is possible to train oneself to maintain energy, freshness, and curiosity on stage every night, or whether this is simply a matter of natural disposition.

Finally, they discuss how to feel free on stage—without falling into the trap of playing automatically after many hours of technical work—and how to avoid stage nerves in front of an audience.

Language: English