Mind-blowing Cello Concert

German Nicolas Altstaedt performed a cello recital today

This afternoon I went to my first in-person concert in almost a year!

The Vancouver Recital Society brought in German-French cellist Nicholas Altstaedt to perform a solo recital which opened my eyes to the versatility of the cello as well as his virtuosity in playing.

Held at the Vancouver Playhouse, the seats were just under half full -- even though the provincial government allows 100 percent capacity, the VRS only holds concerts that are 50 percent capacity to avoid being caught out by the social-distancing rules constantly changing. And while masks are not mandatory, they are highly recommended and almost everyone who attended complied.

There was less than half capacity at the concert

Altstaedt, 40, from Heidelberg, Germany, came onto the stage wearing the complete opposite of a suit -- loose fitting top and baggy pants -- and socks. His hair is very curly and long, looking like an untamed mass of hair.

Nevertheless he was here to perform and he demonstrated a diverse range of music playing. 

To start, contemporary composer Henri Dutilleux's Trois strophes sur le nom de sacher, followed by going back to the Baroque period with JS Bach's Cello Suite No. 5 in C minor, BWV 1011. To see Altstaedt fluidly move between the two completely different styles was impressive and revealed his technical skills.

But after the intermission, his final piece really demonstrated his musicality and skill in Zoltan Kodaly's Sonata in B minor for solo cello Op. 8. The Hungarian composer is know for his folk song style which is present in the first and third movements, heavy and rustic, brash and loud, while the second movement the performer plays the cello like an upright violin at times. His left hand constantly moving down the neck of the cello, while moving his bow back and forth, not the typical long strokes.

At one point he is using the bow, and plucking the string at the same time so it's almost like hearing two different instruments. To have an idea, here is another cellist, Sebastian Baverstam playing the third movement of the Kodaly piece.

Altstaedt receiving more applause from the crowd

We later heard that this is considered one of the hardest pieces a cellist can play, and Altsteadt nailed it with gusto as well as with refinement. Many audience members jumped to their feet after he finished playing this piece, and he gave us an encore of Bach.

Just before he played his encore he explained to the audience that each piece required the strings to be tuned a different way each time -- which totally blasted my assumption that all stringed instruments were tuned the same way. He said they were changed to give more depth to the notes he was playing. That insight blew us all away.

However he did not explain why he wore socks on stage! 

Nicolas Altstaedt

Henri Dutilleux

Trois strophes sur le nom de sacher

JS Bach

Cello Suite No. 5 in C minor, BWV 1011

Zoltan Kodaly

Sonata in B minor for solo cello, Op. 8