Isserlis Masterclass: The Right Amount Of Vibrato

Here Steven Isserlis guides Guy Johnston through his reading of Rachmaninov's Sonata Op.19, drawing special attention to the issue of when to use vibrato. Recorded at the International Musicians' Seminar, Prussia Cove, the full 74-minute masterclass is available to buy at our download store - bit.ly/SchiffRaYT or at our DVD store - www.masterclass...
The Masterclass Media Foundation films and records world-class musicians giving masterclasses and teaching students. The mission is both to give music students and other music lovers the chance to benefit from the inspired teaching of great musicians and to create an important archive for future generations.
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[@TheYgds]

This was not a harsh masterclass by any stretch of the imagination. Isserlis is giving very good advice and fine tuning this young musicians style exactly as it should be. This piece is easily rushed by the cello part, and Isserlis is really showing this student how to let the cello sing through the phrases. Phrasing with Rachmaninoff is extraordinarily important, without it his music can easily sound like just jumble of notes.

[@OliviaWilding]

I know that some of the commenters don't think that shouting RELAX at someone helps them to relax, but for me personally, when my teacher does this and taps my shoulder, it helps me to realise that I am holding tension in that arm or shoulder, which then allows me to release it. It does help!

[@kristjan.v]

I would say to all the critics here, that musicians have to deal with criticism every day and there are much much tougher teachers out there. If some can't manage with brilliant Isserlis and his constructive criticism then I don't know how they would survive in the field of music

[@dionbaillargeon4899]

+helin You're right. But a recorded master class with a renowned "maestro" is not "business as usual". It's a momentous event in the life of any student. You have probably just met him, and being constantly interrupted and corrected in such a dry, emotionless manner in front of a camera could be certainly frustrating and doesn't help you feel comfortable enough to pick up much of the teaching. If the maestro fails to realize that, he's being basically a jerk. However valuable its content is, this master class just feels like a regular lesson, and I think it shouldn't.

[@saltag]

At IMS they do a series of masterclasses for each student, so they are almost like lessons...

[@Silverswag-ic4ix]

helin Agreed

[@mshakhz]

I attended one of his masterclasses - he's incredible! He has such a great knowledge of what he's playing. and he's hilarious! :D

[@KABRIS1]

He is more of an, "old school" teacher. This style of teaching has produced some of the greatest artists that have ever lived, and it also weeds out people that too sensitive to fight against the untamed beast in them that the teacher tries to tame.

[@sexybrahms]

He's a wonderful teacher. He says it like it is. This does not make him "obnoxious" or an "asshole." Students at an advanced level need this kind of detailed criticism to help them progress from very capable musicians to exciting performers. p.s. This is Isserlis being polite...I attended a class in which he shouted "Shame on you! Shame on your children!" at the performer.

[@bethabelle100]

I'm not a cellist, so as far as I can see, my opinion maybe doesn't count. But I have been to adjudications and classes- You know when you're in the company of a superior artist and you do as you're told! This talented young cellist is lucky enough to have had this opportunity and whether he likes the comments and the "beating"( at no point did i see this!) or not, he will come to appreciate the very fair and justified advice later in his career. Some comments on here are just plain silly.

[@andymas7969]

Isserlis gave very nice criticism quite politely, I wonder how anyone survives this world if even this is too much to handle. O_O And yes the best way to know how tense you are is when someone physically points out how stiff you feel. My piano teacher would wiggle my arms while I was playing to show me the tension. I would relax instantly. Nothing like fixing a problem in real time versus talking about it after.

[@danyaradimacher6581]

I love these masterclasses where the mentor is very proactive where they give sound advice on the delivery of the piece to giving commendation and critiquing the performance in order to tweak it to almost perfection

[@Kwert]

I don't understand how anyone can hear him saying "relax" to the student as barking a command. Look at his face, there's a huge smile on it! Having seen a number of his masterclasses, what he wants to do is open up the student's world musically. He doesn't bash ideas into anyone's head, he just wants them to develop their own, unique voice on the instrument. Variable vibrato, different phrasing etc is what he emphasises, not HIS way, but YOUR way as long as it is convincing and in character.

[@rdsabd]

I learned a lot musically from this video clip. Thank you, S Isserlis!

[@MossiMovies]

Steven is a great player and to have a masterclass with him would be an absolutely amazing opportunity. His comments are harsh and upfront; although criticism is always hard to endure, it is essentially the point of having a masterclass. Perhaps this is a small amount correlated with culture; Isserlis is upfront/impatient while Yo-Yo Ma is reserved/patient. Both views are equally important to success playing the cello. It is a wonderful instrument and one that demands soulful playing and love.

[@fingerhorn4]

"Relax" he says, while being extremely tense himself!!

[@mlunapiena01]

Agreed!! I've been to two so far. He has the most in-depth knowledge and connection to his music that I've ever seen in a musician & his analysis of the student is very sharp on... I still remember that kid playing the Dvorak & how much his sound and concept changed after that... Isserlis is such an inspiring musician and teacher! By the way, good to see that you're on youtube!

[@wmjoca]

My teacher in the mid 1960's used to grab my fingers and squeeze them while yelling in my ear to relax. She used to tap my bow hand (hard) with her bow when she did not like my technique. She makes Isserlis seem very senisitve. This is nothing compared to way surgeons yell at interns in the operating room.

[@pianoboyo]

Hey Guy Johnston! I love his playing. Think Steven pretty tough on him here - but fair points. Always makes me laugh when someone yelling at you to relax in a masterclass - all it does is make you more conscious you were tense and serves to make problem worse not better. Really it is something should be mentioned once and left (it needs work outside class - not before public). But a very interesting class all the same - Steven is a great cellist.

[@herbertwells8757]

I doubt Isserliss is trying to make the student generally relaxed. He just wants him not to tense his shoulder muscles.

[@jamessomorin4704]

Damn the difference in the sound of their Cello's.

[@Philipppppppppppppp]

the difference you hear over a youtube video are mostly the gut strings though

[@esCX4600]

I am a professional cellist, and while I love classical music, I sometimes get tired of the kind of detail these pro's take it to. I think it is all wonderful, but there comes a point when you ask yourself, am I being expressive or obsessive?

[@yamahaU3]

No, I did not call that guy immature. He seems to be modest and eager to improve in the face of Isserlis's criticism, and that shows his maturity. If one is going to study in a highly elite and intensely competitive environment like that, he/she must accept that he will encounter many harsh words if his/her playing is not up to scratch with the standard expected of them.

[@yamahaU3]

In fact it is, this piece is written as much for the cello as it is for piano, Rachmaninoff himself disliked calling it "cello sonata" because he thought piano and cello should be equals in this piece.

[@mshakhz]

Wow you definitely set me straight. NOW you can sleep at night.

[@dysoncrystal]

@Norskmorder Its called Sonata for Cello and Piano in G Minor

[@mshakhz]

nobody's kissing isserlis's feet. By serious musicians, i hope you don't mean yourself, because it's a pike of un-professionalism to talk about a colleague so disrespectfully behind their backs. I personally know a "string" of wonderful musicians who spoke very highly of Isserlis and have great respect for him. I myself attended a masterclass by him, and despite that I'm a violinist i still learned something from it.

[@coldstream07]

I like the difference between Steven Isserlis's approach to teaching and Frans Helmerson's approach. Personally, I'd prefer to be in Helmerson's masterclass any day.

[@MMFmasterclass]

Another Steven Isserlis masterclass clip, this time on the Schumann Fantasy Pieces will be posted by the Masterclass Media Foundation very shortly. No more skewering!

[@givinitsome]

I totally agree. However, I think the student seems to be feeling the pressure of the environment. In turn, this was affecting his listening ability. Isserlis didn't help in his 'teaching' manner nor did he acknowledge that problem. For me, Maxim Vengerov's illustrations during masterclasses seem to get the best results.

[@Wessex90]

I just played with Guy Johnston in a St George's Day concert as a member of the cello section of my orchestra (he played the Elgar Cello Concerto). He is a great cellist and such a nice person.

[@laurynlewis2938]

I worked with him in Wales doing Tchaikovsky's Rococo Variations...Such a laid-back musician

[@Wessex90]

+lauryn lewis I agree with you, he is very laid back. I like how he never seems to take himself too seriously or act pompous. On the way to a rehearsal, we shared a cab and talked all about the cello and music as a whole. He was very nice. A real highlight of my 16 years playing the cello.

[@Wessex90]

+lauryn lewis It sounds like you had a good time working with him :-).

[@laurynlewis2938]

I had an amazing time working with him...so lovely :)

[@laurynlewis2938]

I was playing in an orchestra as part of a music festival

[@mshakhz]

absolutely agree

[@pianoboyo]

It always amuses me when teachers tell a student to relax by shouting and hitting them! Surprisingly common in masterclasses...one wonders whether there might be a more sensative way of doing it?

[@niamhkeira8784]

Believe me it doesn’t hurt at all , the bow is not harsh

[@pviola314]

I think this is a very valid point and to a certain extent it does make sense. However, music is a means to an end. I think striving for excellence in music is much like striving for excellence in improving oneself to what one should be. Maybe there's no way to get it all perfect, but if one doesn't begin striving for it, it will sound the same old dull way. If one is content with one's personal flaws and doesn't want to work on them, then they will remain flaws... my two cents, best wishes

[@mlunapiena01]

Hell yeah I was man! You're coming back this year, right?? It's at my school...

[@Matthme]

I don't think he's saying that there should be no vibrato on some notes, just that Guy's vibrato was all the same and that there needs to be a variety of different colours. Faster vibrato on some notes helps to give the phrase some shape. I suppose it's all about taste really...

[@davedaviesthekinks5342]

where could i find the whole masterclass?

[@dysoncrystal]

@zairazaira55 Its called Sonata for Cello and Piano in G Minor

[@tmkim]

@jrcello307 Perlman and Ma are "Masters" as they exemplify this not only with ther craft but also their ability to connect and communicate in a harmonious and supportive way their teachings without reprisal. He appears unconscious to his own mannerisms and believes he is doing a service, because his own training in life has hardwired hime to believe this to be the 'Way".

[@AL-pu7ux]

The missed opportunity from this clip is structure of the melody. It’s a downward scale and that thought should go into shaping the first phrase.

[@KABRIS1]

@AltoSaxOlly He is British. There are cultural differences that exist between Brits and Americans. He is laughing when he is screaming. There is no negative intention!

[@yamahaU3]

Do you see him actually "shouting" or "hitting", his volume was hardly a shout and he merely pointed his bow at the student's hand, touching it gently perhaps but definitely not an agressive gesture. That guy's vibrato is actually quite awful as Isserlis pointed out, it's way too fast and narrow for playing a lyrical passage like that. If someone gets easily offended by a teacher's harsh words then it only shows his immaturity.

[@PopAndSwingAndClass]

Cello god... :-o :-o

[@yovni]

@firebreathone2 By RELAX, he is meaning" do less, do less, enjoy". But that is very hard. Unfortunately doing less is priviledge of great musicians only:)

[@LornaSGal]

Relax!!!! ;))

[@pianoboyo]

I also take exception to you pitching into Guy, who far from being an immature student, happens to make a very comfortable living from playing the cello, and is an artist not 'immature student' in his own right. It is far too easy for a teacher to use harsh words - a 'great' teacher, builds up a student and causes them to examine their own ways of working. they don't say " that was #"*-!do it again and play like me" The problem is there are far too many great performers asked to teach.

[@mshakhz]

Mike i just noticed its you :) Were you at the one at the Summit?

[@mshakhz]

lockwoodwallace just said everything i was going to say so I join his opinion, described below.

[@57dogsbody]

How the hell can he relax when someone is yelling "RELAX" at him and poking him with a bow?

[@tmkim]

Too much ego here. I like what Perlman says about his experiences and how he conducts his Master Classes: to not try and intimidate and always be supportive and positive in the learnign experience for the student

[@silvr94]

But in chamber music there is no point in working with one of the players... if the pianist doesn't go along with the mood and tempo of the player then what's the point? It happened a few times that she wasn't setting the proper atmosphere...

[@lusteraliaszero]

@fishfrizbee but this guy knows his shit, he is certainly qualified to teach. remember that this is on a very high level, and you might not pick up the same things he does, or have the same perspective, i certainly can see reason to what he does.

[@soundviewbx]

Isserlis has a lot of Hootspa!

[@defaultoasis]

the command "relax" doesn't really mean relax literally...

[@andiejanefisher]

haha Never thought of that before but I know what you mean.

[@rob28faces]

Although I admire Isserlis as a cellist and find what he says in this interesting, I feel uncomfortable watching it! When I went to music college I often took part in Masterclasses as pianist, but I could never relax in the situation and my playing would often get worse throughout! I always left with a feeling that I had no understanding of what the music was about! I suppose it works for some people and not for others, but I think some big artists are better at giving them than others!!

[@doomreina]

my teacher do same : P

[@PinkBabey]

What he's saying makes sense but it does come across harsh and insulting but it's natural to be annoyed at someone telling you to stop playing how you have been all this time and that you should play it another way. I would be pissed too if I were him but that's how you improve. He himself may not be good but is that really the point? He's jugding from a listener point of view, not a celloist. You really got to stomach it and have confidence; he's not there to shoot you down.

[@KABRIS1]

When a teacher and a student form a bond of trust, the student should be above feeling offended, because it is understood that the teacher is trying to help them. These days, everything is considered politically incorrect. This type of thinking produces people that are suppressed and incapable of really caring on this level. Dosen't a good parent have to be stern some of the time to teach his child?

[@Celloman4044]

Frankie says RELAX, DON'T DO IT!

[@rabbittown1900]

家の父は三味線をやっていますがちっとも上達していません。私は油絵を習いたいです。 後ピアノも習いたいですね。

[@lusteraliaszero]

@wmjoca i don't know why they react so strongly, it's like they're all so surprised that people are being taught in a masterclass..

[@markrossi4354]

It is called, "teaching".

[@razielofnod2069]

máster marty friedman jaja.

[@tyinykiller5]

at 2:07, the guy's like "Im gonna punch him in the face!"

[@HerroCello96]

+fishfrizbee Good luck with that...

[@pianoboyo]

You are intitiled to your opinion. However it is hardly current educational practise, nor does it allow the student to 'own their learning' by drumming things into them. I must be clear, I don't feel Isserlis is amongst the worse perpotrators here, but I talk generally, when I say it 'amuses' not 'disturbs' me, that they think reacting in this exaggerated way will remedy the problem... In my extensive expereince - it dosen't!

[@silvr94]

I wish Isserlis would let the cellist find the right mood. He interrupts him constantly!!! What if the player needed 30 seconds to deal with his nervosity and it took him longer to find the right tempo, etc????

[@TehStupidBish]

The guy shouldnt take masterclasses if he gets freaking pissed everytime the teacher corrects him...

[@fjshepherd123]

@firebreathone2 - True - amazing cellist, rubbish teacher. This is true for too many of the 'masters'

[@trollydodger]

This guy is such an ass. He looks pissed off throughout the whole class, any cellist would love the opportunity to have a masterclass with such a renowned cellist like Steven Isserlis!!! I know I would!!

[@amycollins9551]

I'm so tired of all this stopping and starting. He hasn't played the entire piece yet and you're being so critical about every little thing. Let him play the song and then provide feedback.

[@jasonahbh4880]

What i would like to say here is Students must have three elements to reach their goal. A good taste, a good imagination, and a good knowledge of music. The student here have no good ears, he just learn by heart numbers which is the notation.

[@aronpetrusbolonicellist]

Sara James maby. But i a, not 100 % sure .

[@aronpetrusbolonicellist]

TheNimbleTurtle - are you talking about me?

[@lillianlee7632]

I hate the way Isserlis says RELAX!!!!!!!!!!!! HOW????????? He is a very fine musician and cellist no doubt, but what a bad teacher, his approach would not be very productive to any student. Remember a little positive emotion and nice verbal encouragement goes long way in this business.

[@jbjb679]

Lessons are best learned with a heavy hand and good intentions, rather than with a gentle nudge, especially in a masterclasses scenario where you want to absorb as much in as little time as possible.

[@Nstrumentalist1986]

the guy is a bum seriously who owns his recordings