Why is it always the 'cello?

As it happens we have heard four magnificent ‘cellists of late.  Most recently a rehearsal of the Dvorak concerto by Kian Soltani (Persian family via Austria) on Thursday 30^th October.  

Then we happened to meet SSO chief ‘cellist Aussie Catherine Hewgill and her mother in a Bowral restaurant earlier in the week, and before that the Rococo Variations of Tchaikovsky played brilliantly by Daniel Muller-Schott with SSO at Sydney Opera House.  Also, they played an encore of a Czech song set for 8 'cellos which was charming and a contrast for the hurly burly of the Tchaikovsky.  At the performance we were able to say hello to Ms Hewgill in the intermission.  The rehearsal is always less formal than a full performance.  Everyone seems to appreciate the newly improved acoustics of the Concert Hall.  Only the conductor Simone Young seemed to be in a ‘mov’d sort’ for some reason.  Her orchestra sounded fantastic (substantially due to Maestro’s strict standards).  

We also heard Daniel Yeadon with the Australian Haydn Ensemble in Bowral on Sat 1^st November in a glorious concert of chamber versions of Mozart’s 40^th and Beethoven’s 8^th symphonies.  

By yet another chance senior Sydney ‘cellist John Painter died last week.  The SSO performance was dedicated to his memory.  He was long-time partner of our friend Renée Goossens.   

We have almost had too much music of late yet we are preparing for Beethoven's Ninth and Wagner's Siegfried 'in concert', also at the Sydney Opera House, later in November.  

Best wishes to all and NO I don't observe Halloween!  AB .. 

PS - I was lucky enough in my youthful travels to hear Maestro Rostropovich play the Rococo Variations and it is not by chance that Ms Hewgill told us that she had lessons from the Maestro himself back in the day.