PDF Download - Daniel Müller-Schott

AO, the brainchild of Australian Charnber Orchestras Richard Tognetti, and directed
by Helena Rathbone, brings together ALlstralia's finest young string players and AO
musicions, This month, /edby Tognetti, A CQ embai*s upon its irstnotionalsubscription
tour accornponied by internationally occloirned cellist Daniel Müller-Schott. Writer
Henry Mendelson catches up with tle Inagnetic German an bis New Zealand tour,
Daniel Müfler-Schott. Photo - Maiwolf.

AUSTRALLAN AUDIENCES TO HEAR
CELLO CHOSEN BY CASALS
When youthful German cel(ist, Daniel Müller-
Schott (his parents' respective names) takes centre
stage with K02 and the Australian Chamber
Orchestra musicians for their June national tour,
audiences will for the first time hear the subtimely
sonorous sound of the rare instrument he plays
which was made by legendary 17th century luthier,
Matteo Goffriller - similar to one ptayed for over
60 years by Pablo Casals.
In addition to performing the great ciassical
cello concertos, Müller-Schott has a special
interest in discovering unkriown works and
extending the cello repertoire, exemplified by
his own adaptations and dose cooperation with
composers. Among these, Sir Andr Previn and
Peter Ruzicka have dedicated cello concertos to
hirn, both of which works he premiered under
the composers' batons in Leipzig and Bonn last
season. Moreover, 011i Mustonen's Sonata for
Cello and Piano was premiered by the performer
and the composer in Hamburg last year.
An indication of the extent to which Müller-Schott
is in demand throughout the musical world can be
gleaned from just some highlight appearances
in the 2011-12 season. These included, among
others, his debut with the Cleveland Orchestra
under Vassity Sinaisky, the German tour with the
Philharmonia Orchestra under Kurt Masur, the
Vancouver Symphony under Douglas Boyd and
trio recitats in London with Anne-Sophie Mutter
and Andr Previn, as well as an extended tour of
Spain with Lambert Orkis.
66 1 try whenever possible
to expiore new music.. 99
Other meaningfut breakthroughs included
appearances in Asia - making his debut in
Taiwan with the National Symphony Orchestra
under Shao-Chia Lu - and concerts with the
Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra under Michel
Plasson and the Malaysian Philharmonic
Orchestra conducted by Claus Peter Flor.
Recalling his recent New Zealand tour, Müller-
Schott is fult of praise for the interest disptayed
by the Kiwi audiences. "Their intensively
attentive and appreciative response to the
concerts was perhaps influenced by the fact
that not so many overseas artists make the
long journey to their cities' he observed.
White the majority of his performances and
recordings - upwards of a dozen CDs since
2000 - cover predictable ctassical repertoire, he
is quick to point out his acute interest in and
involvement with coritemporary composers. A
CD in the pipetine later this year will feature
chamber works by Britten, Montemezzi
and Prokolev, while next year's recording
schedule involves orchestral co-operation
with the Hamburg Orchestra and the Dresden
Philharmonic under Michael Sanderling and
works by Dvorak, among others.
1 try whenever possible to exptore new music,"
he insists, citing a new cello sonata recently
written for hirn by American composer,
Sebastian Currier, in addition to the Previn and
Ruzicka works.
An introspective insight into Müller-Schott's
approach to his manifold commitments
- his current Australian tour follows an
engagement-packed 2012 with appearances
on four continents - is his hesitation to
compartmentalise his orchestral work from
extensive chamber music involvements.
"Of course 1 enjoy rny concert work which
actually hetps the chamber music experience",
he explained. "lt forces the performer to listen
more intensely... to gain a greater understanding
of the complexity of the music.
"Although most of my concerts are solo
concerts, 1 tend to accept chamber-music
opportunities because of the insight and
inspiration 1 get from them. And while 1 meet
other musicians when 1 play with orchestras, it's
not on the same level as when 1 play chamber
music," he added.
The cellist's relationship with the ACO goes
back to his only other Australian visit in 2001
and a UK Haydn/Beethoven recording. The
2013 program is a Tognetti/Müller-Schott
amalgam which covers Baroque (Vivaldi double
concerto and Concerto in G major) followed
by a string arrangement of "A Jewish Life," a
work by Bloch, who Müller-Schott avows as his
favourite composer.
'Bloch wrote for the cello in a very personal way",
he stated, citing in particular the composer's
"Shelomo" (Solomon) which is an expression of
emotion infiuenced by the composer's Jewish
heritage. At the conclusion of a performance in
Berlin last year Müller-Schott recalled, there was
complete silence, reflecting audiences' reactions
there to recent history.
"This is definitely the most moving piece of
music in the entire cello repertoire. lt should
be played more often, especially in Gerrnany",
he said.
When not making music Daniel is to be found
on the football field, in art galleries and on
hiking traits. He still has fond Blue Mountains
memories from his earlier downunder
visit and the amazing beachscapes which
confronted hirn on that first Australian tour.
In addition, he has developed a keen interest
in awakening young people's enthusiasm
for music. His support for the 'Rhapsody in
School" project, a worldwide initiative to
couriter the eroding concert hall generations
of younger audiences, also demonstrates his
wholehearted commitment to music as do his
US and European master classes.
Here then is a musician of manifold dimensions
to whom Australian audiences can look forward;
a man whose soul senses the immediacy of the
moment and constantly strives to assert the
serenity of his instrument.
- Henry Mendetson
20113 , ,Music 102.5