After having performed to his first live audience in over half a year, we had a chat with Qin Li-Wei to ask him about his thoughts on the pandemic situation for the arts industry, and what it meant to be able to perform live once again.
Q: You are used to travelling and performing with world-class orchestras worldwide. Was it difficult to adapt to the new “stay-home” lifestyle caused by the global pandemic? What were some of the things you did at home?
A: Yes, it was definitely difficult to adapt to this new lifestyle. My last concert was at the beginning of March, at the Suntory Hall in Tokyo. Once that was over, I had to stay in Singapore and all my other performances were cancelled. China cancelled first, followed by Europe, and then Australia. It was quite a difficult period psychologically, even though I got to rest a bit more physically. I usually have around 50 concerts a year, but this year I’ve probably played only 5! But I think it’s a good time to find new ways to find a purpose in our artistic lives.
I’ve been doing quite a bit of teaching (over the internet) for various conservatories, even webinars with the Melbourne Youth Orchestra just to talk to the youngsters about life as a musician, etc. I’ve also been learning new works - which probably wouldn’t have been possible if not for this pandemic! Works like the Schnittke Cello Sonata and the Hindemith Cello Concerto - These are mammoth works, and I’m usually on the road so much I just don’t have sufficient time to delve into these works meaningfully. But now I suddenly have all this time! And so how better to spend the time than to learn music I’ve always wanted to learn and finding other ways to improve myself!
My usual lifestyle before the pandemic was driven by deadlines. There were always new deadlines to meet. Every week there’s a new concerto, a new recital, etc. So my practice schedule is always centred around these concerts, working towards these deadlines. Now, there are no such deadlines! So we really have to find a purpose - why are we practising? Why do we love music?
Overall, I’ve gotten used to it now after occupying myself with other things, but at the beginning it definitely took some time getting used to. I’ve never been at one place for so long since high school!
Q: Your children must definitely appreciate you being at home for a prolonged period of time?
A: Actually it’s the reverse. My kids were very happy at the start (of the Circuit Breaker period) but now they’re almost fed up with me! Because I’m practising with my younger son on the cello every day, so it must be quite pressurising for him.
Q: It has now been over five months since the Circuit Breaker was implemented. How did it feel to be back on stage, performing to a live audience?
A: It’s amazing. Music is all about communication and sharing. Yes, we only had 50 people in the audience. But still, there were moments of interaction. Also with the orchestra, I wasn’t so used to it at the beginning because my memory of working with the orchestra is at a much closer distance to each other. Both visually, and also hearing. It took some time to get used to. But once that was over I thought it was fine. And to be making live music once again, as opposed to just facing a camera (which I had been doing quite a lot prior to this), was really really refreshing. Yes, there is still an audience behind the camera, but the microphone was right next to me, it almost felt like I was recording a CD, but at the same time you have to play it like a concert, because there are still people watching you (through the camera). For the live performance last week, I was focused on my projection, being able to speak to the last person who was sitting in the last row. Now this is really what I’m used to, and it was nice to be back!
Q: You performed the first movement of Haydn’s Second Cello Concerto to a live audience last week, and will be recording all three movements at the end of the month. Would your approach towards the music be any different? Why or why not?
A: I will treat the recording we’re doing as a performance, especially because there are cameras everywhere, acting as the eyes and ears of the live audience. The only difference is that these cameras are able to go much closer to you than any audience member would be able to do live. It’s really exciting for us performers because it demands a more polished sound, while still maintaining the stage presence of a live concert. I’ll admit - it will be harder. But at the same time, to have a video to keep as a memory of this challenging period, and to do it with OMM, is such a privilege for me! Especially recording at the Esplanade - magnificent hall, recording a wonderful concerto, I think it should work very well! And this is probably the new norm. We have to get used to being able to perform like at a concert while being recorded at a very high level. On stage (during the recording), I will probably still treat it as a concert! Imagining the concert, imagining the interaction with the audience - only then will the recording be spontaneous and exciting. It will definitely be challenging but I’m looking forward to it!
Q: Could you share with us what the usual practice with cadenzas is, and what is so special about this particular one you will be performing (and eventually recording)?
A: Cadenzas were originally written to demonstrate the virtuosic capabilities of the performer. The tradition is that when you’re young, you play what’s written on the score. When you mature and develop your own artistic identity, you then try to write something for yourself that fits your style, something that you’re comfortable with. That is usually the case. These cadenzas also have to fit (musically) with the rest of the movement, based on what the composer has written. Hence, it is actually not easy to write your own cadenzas. I’m not such a great composer, and my own cadenzas are absolute rubbish, so Jonathan’s cadenza will stay with me for the foreseeable future. I think it’s really difficult to top his cadenza! Also, since one of the objectives of this project is to support freelance musicians, I thought, why not invite a Singaporean composer to contribute to this project in a meaningful way? And when Jonathan Shin (who also plays the cello) happened to be available, I thought it was the perfect opportunity!
Prior to this, I did have plans to record both Haydn Cello Concertos. For the C major concerto, I also had another prominent Singaporean composer, Ho Chee Kong, compose a cadenza for me when I performed it with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra back in 2018. With Jonathan’s latest contribution, I now have two Haydn Cello Concertos with cadenzas composed by two Singaporean composers! I think this will shine a unique Singaporean light on these two works, which is fantastic.
Learning Jonathan’s cadenza is really the same as learning any other piece. But because he plays the cello, he was not afraid to explore the different capabilities of the instrument. I really thank him for that, because it not only made the learning process very interesting, but was also a treat for the audience members listening to it! Overall, I really enjoyed the entire process, and I can’t wait to record it with OMM.
We would like to thank Qin Li-Wei for taking time out of his busy schedule to speak to us. Stay tuned to our social media channels to catch Li-Wei play Haydn with OMM!