Last week, the Metro West Daily News featured a piece on Lev Mamuya’s upcoming performance with the New Phil.
Lev had some insightful comments on his personal philosophy and preparation for his upcoming Shostakovitch Cello Concerto No. 1 with us.
“Playing Shostakovitch is a reminder, from the details, that music can never be divorced from the cultural context,” Mamuya says. “I think the classic faux pas with this piece is to play it too aggressively. You have to know how to climax, how not to give too much away. It’s tempting in telling the story to do that.
“It’s a stamina problem too. In the cadenza movement you rarely get a rest, and you’re always paying attention to detail. It think that figuring out the small differences, that might be the first step.”
Check out the rest of the article to read more about Lev’s preparation and the challenges of this beautiful concerto. Join us this coming Saturday at 8pm or Sunday at 3pm to see him perform with us live. Limited seats are still available.
