My Auntie Su lived with us until I was ten years old. She played the Cello and we shared a bedroom until she got married and left. The papery tones of the stringed instrument are irrevocably tied to my memories of growing up in Sydney and to her.
I remember the Jacqueline Du Pre records she used to play, the sounds of her tuning the strings and playing Bach to get warmed up. The familiarity I felt with the sound of it never really left. To this day, I don't think I can walk past cello music without feeling a little nostalgic and possibly even teary. If I didn't get along with my Aunt, or if she were different to who she is, I imagine the feelings would be different.
I have to be a bit careful because I love the mournful stuff so much - pop, rock, classical, opera, novels, films... I just seem to be attracted to that soft focused, quietly sad, low frequency stuff. And it makes me maudlin if I let it. I think that's why I like Du Pre best of all - she even plays Saint Saens with barely held back joy.
I present to you, one of my most favourite of the Du Pre interpretations:
1 comment:
found you! it's quite sweet here. =) and what a pretty song. thanks for linking my blog.
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