First round: Day 2

Sirja Nironen opened the second day of the competition.

Emma: She’s a true musician! Penderecki was a great choice for her
personality.
Lauri: I agree. Great opening and a very original player.
Jonathan: I wish Penderecki’s piece would’ve been more structured. Schumann could sing a little more, but after that she seemed to relax. With Poulenc there was a very special feeling.
Eero: Penderecki showed everybody, what a great performer she is. Schumann had a long line – exactly what I wanted to hear. Allegro was sunny and joyful, but I missed some elegance to balance that.
Lauri: This Poulenc is great, we don’t hear this too much!
Eero: Great colors and dreaming in Poulenc. Sirja is looking far away with the music, and she creates great lines like that. In the third movement I would’ve wanted more contrasts. I also got distracted with the manner how she threw her bow at the end of phrases.
Emma: I loved how crispy the Cassado was!
Lauri: Yes, it’s a great piece for a competition.
Eero: I actually wished to hear even more of her personality in these fast passages.
Lauri: I think this repertoire was great!
Emma: Yes it was, it felt like it was a concert and not a competition.

The second player was Jonas Palm.

Jonathan: Good energy and clean playing.
Lauri: He knew what he was doing and the intonation was great.
Emma: It was high quality playing for sure. I would just like to hear a bit more focus on the music and less focus on the cello playing.
Jonathan: It was a bit dull and he didn’t quite catch the flow there.
Eero: I think he played Brahms exactly like it should be played – simple. I liked the roundness of the pizzicatos in the second movement, and there was some nice peace in Stravinsky.

The third player was Timotheos Petrin.

Eero: Stravinsky was very vigorous, but I prefer to hear all the movements! The second movement was very deep. In quiet dynamics he also had some depth I liked.
Emma: Stravinsky started with good energy, but it was a bit too vertical – I would like to hear more natural lines of the phrases.
Lauri: This guy has energy. He was at his best in Britten, but I would have liked to hear something from the basic repertoire and not so many solo pieces.
Jonathan: I also thought the repertoire was a bit narrow.

Senja Rummukainen was the fourth player of the day.

Lauri: As soon as she walked on stage, I knew I can expect something
good.
Emma: Classy, colorful, lively
Eero: I forgot I’m listening to cello playing – it was music!
Lauri: And they worked great together with Valeria Resjan
Jonathan: Beethoven was balanced and Schumann was magnificent. I was impressed.
Eero: It was all very colorful and she didn’t force anything.
Jonathan: I wanted to get a bit more into Shostakovitch – more pain and suffering.
Eero: It was too bad the intonation wasn’t always perfect. Other than that it was all so great.
Emma: Elfentanz really proved everybody there is nothing this artist can’t do!
Lauri: It was very saucy. Bravo!

GO FINLAND!

The fifth player of the day was Tony Rymer.

Eero: His debussy was really breathing.
Jonathan: A very sovereign player. In Boccherini I missed some lightness and elegance.
Emma: I just wished he would have been more aware of the chords. When you have a simple common chord like in boccherini, you have to pay attention to how you intonate those notes.
Eero: The second movement of Cassado was effortless.
Lauri: It was all very certain and he had his instrument under control. I wished to hear more soul in the music.
Eero: Even though he did have some blackouts in Hindemith, it was not too serious but also not too shallow. The ending was a bummer, he seemed like he’s sorry for his playing.

The second half was opened with Ivan Sendetsky.

Lauri: This was one of my favourites. Pure music.
Jonathan: Yes, great playing. And in Shostakovitch I found some russian depth.
Emma: Boccherini was very nice to listen to – classy and clean and seemed very easy.
Eero: Boccherini was very elegant and peaceful. And in Shosta there was that angst I wanted! It was too bad he was rushing at the end to wipe his forehead – I wanted to feel the atmosphere a little longer.
Emma: A VIOLIN PIECE AGAIN! This was a very weird choice, but after all it actually worked really well. He plays with a great sound and great intensity, I loved it.
Eero: Very specific work and deep thinking in Martinu.
Jonathan: I really enjoyed it! Special respect for the staccato with up- and downbows. Cool!

The second player was Sayaka Selina Studer.

Jonathan: Elegant and beautiful. I liked the repertoire, it was not so
basic.
Eero: For me this repertoire was a bit messy. She took time to feel the music in Crumb, but at the end she didn’t quite follow through. Beethoven was joyful and elegant!
Emma: I loved this! Elegance, colors and edge. Nothing fake, just genuine music made by a genuine artist.
Jonathan: Sometimes I wished to hear more sound in the string – sometimes it was not deep enough. But after all very fresh playing.

The second last of the day was ldikó Szabó.

Jonathan: This was all very well prepared. She had some problems with intonation, but I liked her hungarian temperament.
Eero: My personal favourite was Kodaly. I liked the folk music spirit!
Emma: I loved her red dress, but she also had temperament in her playing! In Kodaly I didn’t quite catch the musical idea she had.
Eero: In Beethoven and Britten she really carried her ideas until the end.

The last competitor of the day was Michiaki Ueno.

Lauri: Great dark sound. Sounds like a quality cello!
Emma: I was also convinced by the sound from the very first note. After all I missed some colors and relaxedness.
Jonathan: This Hindemith was my favourite, it was very musical! Schubert could be deeper and more peaceful. I also missed some relaxedness and sensibility for the left hand.
Eero: Cassado was very powerful! Great sound, great lines and some freedom. Also Hindemith was lively and specific – wow! In Schubert I found some of the pianissimos almost too thin, but after all it was also powerful and elegant. In Martinu Ueno flirted with his playing. The piece fit him prefectly. Great ending for 9 cello recitals!