I love this..... it is truly one of the most recognizable cello voices ever... When you listen to great musicians you know them immediately by their voice no matter what instrument they are playing. Lynn Harrell has been and continues to be one of my inspirations for playing the instrument. Thank you for posting!
Great artistry! The tone colors are marvelous, intonation is as good as any and expression is very moving. The shifts do not bother me at all as they are a vocalization of the melody and he achieves this beautifully. Listen to any great singer and you will hear slides very similar to the way that Lynn Harrell does these. Until the mid 1960s tastefully done portamento was done more often.
Interesting to have so many comments and counter comments! I will say that I try to emulate what Beethoven referred to as the Italian style of the singing style. He even refers to his opera Fidelio as needing an italian singer for Leonore rather than a German one.... Lynn Harrell
As a former student of Lynn Harrell I have to agree with KHRaccoon on this post. This is cello playing that one rarely hears these days. I realize that everyone is entitled to their opion, but for me this is a level of artistry and expression that I strive for every day.
This comment has received too many negative votesshow
Well, there's no accounting for taste...
If you were a singer I'd be wondering why you use so much air in the middle of EVERY long note. Are they all equally important?
Scooping into so many notes just sounds lazy - like you didn't plan the phrases well. Scooping like that draws attention and can be used to wonderful effect, of course. But constant scooping is just an affect. So is the nasty sounding tone at the bridge. I hear the cello playing before the music and wish for the opposite.
If you listen to him playing you'll hear that he rarely takes time between notes, its really quite legato. Or did you mean something else by "air"?
He also doesn't scoop, that would be a quick crescendo followed by a slightly slower diminuendo. He crescendos/diminuendos on lots of notes, but never on one note. I think he played it quite beautifully.
Let's put things in perspective here. He plays the passage beautifully, with flawless intonation and tone. But he does portamento! Heavens! The performance is ruined!
@barbthedarb Well, remember that portamento was in fashion in the 18th century. Get some old recordings of singers and you will hear amazing portamentos everywhere. Also, both Harrell and Rostropovich were not about the short space between a cello and a microphone but what translated thirty rows back in the hall, so these partamentos will sound quite mild in that distance.
@barbthedarb portamento, an effect whose popularity coincided with Romanticism, is accomplished by EXPRESSIVELY sliding the finger from one note to another. Discussed by Romberg ( a very good friend of Beethoven and with whom performed in Vienna the OP.5 sonatas), the technique was considered an emotional enhancement similar to vibrato.
Fabulously beautiful playing. Magical tone quality.
cattleman6420012000 4 months ago
it's ridiculous to isolate this part from the Largo, terrible thing to do.
mrlevina2 5 months ago
Lynn Harrel has set a standard that wish to come close to!
Thanks Bro!!!
AlamoCityCello 5 months ago
Yes, Yes YES! Gorgeous playing, every single note.
strad1736 1 year ago
I love this..... it is truly one of the most recognizable cello voices ever... When you listen to great musicians you know them immediately by their voice no matter what instrument they are playing. Lynn Harrell has been and continues to be one of my inspirations for playing the instrument. Thank you for posting!
steelerfan76 1 year ago
Certified Intergalactic!
Dogaradodia 1 year ago
Just beautiful, every portamento is diferent, every note has diferent vibrato. He plays as an angel. Hopefuly, no everyone hears that ;)
Thanks Lynn Harrel for being a musician and not only a cellist
polichromated 1 year ago
Beethoven could say more in ten seconds than most people could say in years.
davidgee100 1 year ago
Great artistry! The tone colors are marvelous, intonation is as good as any and expression is very moving. The shifts do not bother me at all as they are a vocalization of the melody and he achieves this beautifully. Listen to any great singer and you will hear slides very similar to the way that Lynn Harrell does these. Until the mid 1960s tastefully done portamento was done more often.
frederickchao 1 year ago
I am not aware of a living cellist that get a sound of such size, variety, and quality out of a cello.
edstephen 1 year ago
Absolutely marvellous. A lot of colours and several kind of sounds. For me, he is the greatest. Brilliant sound. Thanks Lynn Harrel for your art
ahahain 2 years ago
I believe you are a singer yourself, your father was a singer somebody told me. Real or not, you are a Opera Star of the Cello.
Thanks for all your recordings!
victoryelamo 2 years ago
Interesting to have so many comments and counter comments! I will say that I try to emulate what Beethoven referred to as the Italian style of the singing style. He even refers to his opera Fidelio as needing an italian singer for Leonore rather than a German one.... Lynn Harrell
strad1944 2 years ago
As a former student of Lynn Harrell I have to agree with KHRaccoon on this post. This is cello playing that one rarely hears these days. I realize that everyone is entitled to their opion, but for me this is a level of artistry and expression that I strive for every day.
Penguinsailor 2 years ago 4
Quit drilling a great cellist whom none of you will ever exceed and listen to the beautiful music and years of practice. Sheesh.
KHRaccoon 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Well, there's no accounting for taste...
If you were a singer I'd be wondering why you use so much air in the middle of EVERY long note. Are they all equally important?
Scooping into so many notes just sounds lazy - like you didn't plan the phrases well. Scooping like that draws attention and can be used to wonderful effect, of course. But constant scooping is just an affect. So is the nasty sounding tone at the bridge. I hear the cello playing before the music and wish for the opposite.
caseykika 2 years ago
If you listen to him playing you'll hear that he rarely takes time between notes, its really quite legato. Or did you mean something else by "air"?
He also doesn't scoop, that would be a quick crescendo followed by a slightly slower diminuendo. He crescendos/diminuendos on lots of notes, but never on one note. I think he played it quite beautifully.
cellist18 2 years ago
Comment removed
caseykika 2 years ago
Thats just a shift. He does it quite intentionally, its common practice to bring out a shift for dramatic effect.
cellist18 2 years ago
Comment removed
caseykika 2 years ago
Let's put things in perspective here. He plays the passage beautifully, with flawless intonation and tone. But he does portamento! Heavens! The performance is ruined!
barbthedarb 2 years ago 4
@barbthedarb Well, remember that portamento was in fashion in the 18th century. Get some old recordings of singers and you will hear amazing portamentos everywhere. Also, both Harrell and Rostropovich were not about the short space between a cello and a microphone but what translated thirty rows back in the hall, so these partamentos will sound quite mild in that distance.
davidgee100 1 year ago
@barbthedarb portamento, an effect whose popularity coincided with Romanticism, is accomplished by EXPRESSIVELY sliding the finger from one note to another. Discussed by Romberg ( a very good friend of Beethoven and with whom performed in Vienna the OP.5 sonatas), the technique was considered an emotional enhancement similar to vibrato.
ilvioloncellista 1 year ago