MetSO's Ian Abbott
Ian Abbott
Image titled :
“Luigi Boccherini
overlooking
where I get
practised on.”
- [the cello muses]
What instrument do you play with the MetSO?
Cello in rehearsals, violoncello in a concert.
Why do you play the cello?
Because of its tonal range and mellow expressiveness.
Do you play any other instruments?
Viola da gamba.
How many years have you played with MetSO?
Seven.
Favourite opera?
Currently Giulio Cesare (Handel).
Favourite 3 Symphonies?
Currently Haydn 90, Mahler 4, Tchaikovsky 5.
Favourite 3 composers of all time?
Bach, Handel, Haydn.
Favourite 20th Century composer?
Arvo Pärt.
Favourite Australian composer?
Ross Edwards.
Favourite 3 MetSO concerts?
The ones in which we played Mahler 4, Barber’s Knoxville, and Bottesini’s double bass concerto.
Favourite 3 classical orchestras/ensembles?
Academy of Ancient Music, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Australian Brandenburg Orchestra.
Favourite MetSO moment?
Any concert that includes a concerto played by a talented teenager.
Favourite 3 instruments by sound quality/ timbre?
Cello, flute, French horn.
Favourite scale?
E major.
Least favourite scales?
Those with 6 or 7 sharps or flats.
“Getting dressed for rehearsal”
Best practice tip?
Find the bar in each movement of a score that reveals the tempo giusto, and then master the passages that are difficult to sight read accurately (playing with the metronome).
Worst instrument failure on stage?
My A string unravelled slowly (fortunately not at a MetSO concert; it was at a private soirée).
Best tip for overcoming stage fright/performance nerves.
Accept that mild anxiety can add zest to your performance.
What is the oddest thing we would find in you instrument case?
Clothes pegs, for preventing sheet music from blowing away when playing al fresco (an activity I mostly avoid).
What is your most useful bit of kit in your instrument case?
My tuner.
Best cello tip in general?
Have planetary action pegs fitted – the instrument then seldom goes out of tune and breakage of strings becomes infrequent.
When do you like to listen to music?
After lunch.
Where do you like to listen to music?
Lying down.
What music most inspires you?
Music composed in the period 1700-1800.
What musicians inspire you most and why?
Those proficient and talented composer-performers of the 18th and 19th Centuries.
What music will get you moving?
Any of the Baroque dances.
Who has provided you with the most support in your musical life?
My (former) cello teacher.
What makes you the happiest in your musical life?
Playing chamber music, especially Haydn string quartets and piano trios, as well as playing duets with violin, cello, or recorder.