Page 60 - The Strad (February 2020)
P. 60
SESSION REPORT
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
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!8ধ9;T Johan Dalene – teenage winner of last
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JOHAN DALENE a row: it’s quite hard to stay on top of
Before I started recording this Barber your game. Of course, there are breaks,
and Tchaikovsky concerto album I had but you really have to focus all the time.
already played both pieces with the e recording period was very intense;
Norrköping Symphony Orchestra and I really wanted to do my best, so
conductor Daniel Blendulf, as I was I practised quite a lot in the evening after
their artist-in-residence last season. We every session. After we completed
recorded the album in the Swedish city everything we had a small party with
of Norrköping, which is where I grew up. some orchestra members, my teacher and
My dad plays in the orchestra, so that my parents, and then I took a day o and
made the experience very special. met some friends. I didn’t touch the
I played the Barber for the rst time violin for once.
around four years ago with another
Swedish orchestra. I’d heard of the piece, JENS U. BRAUN
though had never really listened to it, but ‘THE LAST MOVEMENT e atmosphere was really relaxed during
I then fell in love with it. It’s an amazing OF THE BARBER, FOR the recording session; there were no
work, but is not the most played dicult issues, mainly owing to the fact
concerto, so it was nice to pair a less ME, HAS A FIREWORK- that the orchestra knows Johan so well
performed piece with something as LIKE EFFECT. IT’S because his father is a long-time member
popular as the Tchaikovsky, which is the of the cello section, and Johan has played
favourite concerto of so many people. REALLY COOL!’ – with the orchestra before. Performing
e Barber is a very romantic JOHAN DALENE this kind of repertoire for your rst ever
composition, but there are a lot of places recording can potentially put a lot of
where it sounds far more modern – stress on a musician. So I met Johan
especially in the second movement, beforehand, just to see what kind of a
which is a favourite of mine and which every small sound and bow stroke. guy he is. I was really happy to nd that
reminds me of the Brahms Concerto, Depending on how the mic is placed, you he seemed to be quite calm. He was, of
with the oboe solo. It’s so romantic and have to pay special attention to your course, concentrated and his adrenalin
so deep, but it changes a lot in character lower register, so it doesn’t disappear; was high, but he was open to ideas. It was
in comparison with the Tchaikovsky this is something I noticed particularly in not dicult to approach him, so that was
Concerto, which is just a canzonetta, a the second movement of the Barber. I also a relief for me.
simple song. ey are denitely dierent found that it helps to use a lot of bow, e good thing was that he clearly
pieces, although the nal movements especially when you are playing softly, so knew what he wanted but was still eager
of both are super-fast and exciting. e that the mic picks up dierent colours. to listen and to understand what Daniel
Tchaikovsky nale is longer, though, You have to be very aware of vibrato and or I thought. Technically, he was at the
and more involved, whereas the last every technical aspect. It’s hard not to top of the game. So, whenever he
movement of the Barber, for me, has think only about technique, but to think thought: ‘Maybe you’re right – let’s try
a rework-like eect. It’s really cool! about the whole musical picture, too. that another way,’ he could actually do
When you are playing for the I have never experienced the life of an it. Sometimes a musician can’t easily MARIA HOVBERG
microphone you can hear everything – orchestral musician, working for hours in change things, even if they want to,
58 THE STRAD FEBRUARY 2020 www.thestrad.com
