What do you think of Jacqueline du Prés recording of the Haydn C?
It’s not always refined and elegant. I don’t believe I’ve ever heard it. I don’t listen to cello records, the danger being that I start to imitate them. Of course, she was very much my heroine when I was growing up, and I played for her a couple of times. What kinds of things did she say to you? She was very nice and helpful. The first time I played for her, I played the Brahms E minor Sonata, all of which she wanted it all to be heavier and more weighty — not really the way I conceived, or conceive, of that sonata — but it was very convincing when she talked about it. During my second visit, I played a Khachaturian solo sonata and she spent over two hours with me. She always wanted more, more, more … more emotion, more gesture, more sound, more of everything. It was very helpful, because that was just what that piece needed. She was fantastic! Did she discuss projection with you, like playing for the last row in the hall, etc? I don’t remember if she used that cliché. I don’t thin
