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The Strad, December 2004 Vol. 115 No. 1376 page 1292

Heinrich Schiff explains why he is still practicing scales

Twenty-five years of teaching have taught me that we must always define what each of ourmotions at the cello represent in order to be efficient players capable of technical ease, great

stamina, physical power and musical depth. To have control we must develop the ability to use ourphysical gestures economically and unconsciously. Craftsmanship, or the non-musical aspect ofplaying, such as velocity of fingers, bowing technique, shifting, et cetera should be studiedseparately from the musical expression. Expressive possibilities are limited if the player is not athome with the instrument and the further one goes away from home the more the basics areneeded.

This is why I believe in etudes and studies and I still play scales as Heifetz emphasized. I dontfind this pleasurable, but do it anyway and spend time on it. A wonderful part of instrumentalfitness can be found in exercises by Feuillard and Cossman, for example.

Not all instrumentalists regard exercises as important and, in fact, many artists think etudes arerubbish and that one can learn technique through pieces. I say yes, if you understand what youhave to do. An etude is like a series of small limited structures and should be played with completecontrol without the emotional distractions of your concerto. If you apply that behavior to your soloand find the pattern you can practice the passage with the same sensibility as you would with anetude. At this point all enemies will say: Now the concerto will sound like an etude! They areright. Anyone can describe what to do, but it takes knowledge of the basics to approach the

problem.

Consider other musicians. Every singer certainly begins the day with basic vocal exercises: tone,arpeggios, scales, and intonation. They practice their routine in every key making sure their voicesare properly supported. Wind players hold long notes for endurance and breath control. We string

players dont do this enough especially young players who should be trying to find their ownvoice. I suggest starting on the open strings with or without vibrato. Concentrate on the physicalaspects of playing. Question yourself: Is my body comfortable? Can I control the bow in fast andslow speeds? How should I vary my vibrato? Keep the note plain then add vibrato as a sheer

physical exercise. If it sounds dry dont do it. Even when the gesture is detached from the artisticact you must love the note, feel yourself relax, enjoy your instrument, and get addicted to thesound you produce in order to always find a home, otherwise when the music makesincreasingly difficult demands you could lose control. The more aware you are of your physicalapproach the easier artistic matters become.

This is a tactic I often use in master classes. I ask the student to play something quiet and small,like a simple row of notes in a moderato tempo. Then we increase the dynamics to mf or f, playingfull but not too loud. Perhaps we choose a few notes from the concerto, maybe with a slide becauseit makes us nervous. Sometimes I ask for a evcik or Feuillard exercise we are looking forsomething simple in order to come back to basics.

Basics include posture. When sitting at the instrument the torso must lean towards the cello. Youmust find a position in which you can sit for many hours. Control your neck avoiding pushingaway or pressing towards the cello, which causes tension. If you are relaxed from the hips, yourtorso can help your arms produce the weight. Tension in the hips reduces power. Likewise, lifting

the shoulders (a mistake we all make) interrupts the flow of energy into the fingers by creatingstress. This applies to both arms.

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Concerning power, and cellists need a lot; one can be lucky or must train for endurance. Producingsound from force is wrong. You must be strong, but use body weight and gravity. Besides wewould have to develop more muscles than needed in order to have reserve strength, since weshould be able to play through three concertos in the practice room in order to perform one. Justlike we have to master passages that are more difficult than the works we play on stage. So, backto etudes in order to make the Dvorak Concerto easier. You have to be fitter than required and you

have to have more skill than needed.

Developing the artistic ingredients and controlling emotions is difficult. We have players who arewell educated, but do not have fantasy or imagination. Musicianship is, of course, as important to

prepare as the craftsmanship aspect. Generally I find artistic information of composers has to dowith performance practice. How did Beethovens violin sonatas sound? There is a lot ofinformation available and I think it is important to find that information, but it takes time andenergy.

Emotionally, though, I think the cellist has to try to develop colors and atmospheres with pressureand speed of the bow, vibrato, expressive shifting and find a repertoire of possibility that are called

personal, but are connected to the instrument. In order to enrich the pallet of human experience it isnecessary to go to the theater, exhibitions, opera, and ballet, as well as experiencing non-musicalculture. Read. Learn as much as possible about psychology, for example, to nourish yourself as a

person and to become more knowledgeable. Gergy Ligeti speaks about finding inspiration fromscientists; their research makes him able to be creative as a composer. I find listening to records isnot enough to become an interesting artist. Fascinating, yes, and shouldnt be missed. And concertsare dead (frankly I am not sure if he means no one goes or they are all the same) but theater isnt!Engage your mind. Ask questions that will make you a richer person.

As an end result I adapt my ability to apply the etudes I learned to the Elgar Concerto. In theperformance I repeat my exercises of relaxation and subtlety. I bring together the elements ofvibrato and bow control with those of expression and, hopefully, I land at Elgar. Play scales to theend of your life! Practice slowly. Dont play loud and fast. Control your body. Remember to rules.Think like a singer and feel the breath from your stomach. And finally, be patient and dont giveup.

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Heinrich Schiff studied with Tobias Khne and Andr Navarra and has performed with all theleading orchestras in Europe, the US and Japan. His extensive recordings include prize-winningversions of the Bach solo suites and the Shostakovich concertos. He plays the 1711 Mara

Stradivari and 1739 Sleeping Beauty Montagnana cellos. In 2004 Schiff was appointed chiefconductor of the Vienna Chamber Orchestra.