Sentimental Work: cellist Astrid Schween on Dvořák’s Waldesruhe

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I was very young when I heard Dvořák’s Waldesruhe for the first time. It was Jacqueline du Pré’s 1970 recording with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under Daniel Barenboim. I was fascinated by it from the start: Dvořák masterfully conjures a sense of wonder and calm; the title suggests ‘the silence of the woods’ but the Czech sub-title Klid has many connotations: serenity, peacefulness or tranquillity. As a kid, I don’t think I had ever heard a piece that was so atmospheric; instantly transporting me elsewhere. I was delighted by the gorgeous interactions with the flute, heartwarming duos and occasional testy dialogues with the orchestra.

What I find incredible about Jacqueline’s performance is her vocal approach to playing. She found a way to make the mechanics of playing the cello disappear, humanising the instrument in an extraordinary way. For instance, when the second phrase appears in E flat minor it’s a very tender moment, but rather than sounding frail, Jacqueline finds a way to make it vibrant, quaking with soft intensity. The mood is calm but never still.

In 1981, when I was a teenager, Jacqueline invited me to London for the first time, and I studied with her on and off until 1987; the last time I saw her was just two months before she passed away. Every other word she used in our lessons was ‘Sing!’ By that time she wasn’t playing any more; she was able to demonstrate with hand gestures but she could always sing, and her incredible playing had such a wonderful tendency towards melodic intensity. Much of the time we spent together involved her showing how she could vary that intensity, and find an array of colours on the cello to express what was in her mind. One of her great gifts to me was the idea that everything we do on the cello has to resonate with life as we perceive it. I think this is why her own playing captivated people so endlessly.

Ironically, I never worked on Waldesruhe while I was with Jacqueline, even though I loved it so much, but it remains this special jewel that I refer to and which speaks to me very personally. In fact, I never performed the piece until I’d become a cello professor at Juilliard – until then, it felt like hallowed ground on which I did not want to tread!

When I’m working on Waldesruhe with students, I have the opportunity to talk about the technical demands of creating a colourful tone. In many ways this is such a simple piece, but it requires one’s full arsenal of imaginative tools to bring out the variety of expression. It’s only four pages, but every note must have tremendous value. The colouristic demands are huge, and to hear it played as just a rhythmic tune would be to miss the soulful impact of this music.

I often tell my students to listen to singers. When I was growing up in New York, I was lucky to hear Cecilia Bartoli, Marion Anderson, Jessye Norman and Christa Ludwig, all of whom have been inspirational in my development. Jacqueline exemplified the link between one’s voice and one’s playing, so that one listens for every possible colour, nuance and gradation. Dvořák especially has an incredible melodic gift, which combined with the syncopated rhythm lends a liquid element of unsettled searching.

When I’m playing Waldesruhe myself, or listening to a performance, I often catch myself thinking, ’That’s not quite right.’ And then I realise the enormous influence the 1970 performance had on me. Now I can smile at my devotion to Jacqueline’s rich interpretation and its endless allure.

INTERVIEW BY CHRISTIAN LLOYD

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