“It’s like making music with your family”
A conversation with Noah Bendix-Balgley and Bruno Delepelaire “It’s like making music with your family” A conversation with Noah Bendix-Balgley and Bruno Delepelaire

Normally, they can be seen playing in the front row of the Berliner Philharmoniker as First Concertmaster and First Principal Cellist – but at the Salzburg Easter Festival, Noah Bendix-Balgley and Bruno Delepelaire will be the soloists in Johannes Brahms’ Double Concerto. We spoke with the two musicians beforehand about the evolution of their interpretation, their collaboration with conductor Tugan Sokhiev, and the special atmosphere of a festival.

This year, the  the Salzburg Easter Festival sees the return of the Berliner Philharmoniker to the city where Herbert von Karajan founded the Festival in 1967. What does the orchestra’s legacy mean to you as a musician?

Noah Bendix-Balgley: When I play in this orchestra, I often think about its tradition and legacy. I grew up in a little town in North Carolina. When I wanted to listen to a symphony, I’d look for a recording of Karajan and the Berliner Philharmoniker. To become a member of the orchestra and a part of that tradition has made me reflect on what we preserve, and where change and innovation are needed.

Do you have specific aspects in mind?

NBB: Sometimes it’s about practical things: bowings that have been used here for decades, where I ask myself whether there might be better solutions. In the end, I have to decide.

Bruno Delepelaire: There has already been significant change in the Berliner Philharmoniker. If you compare the orchestra’s sound today with that under Karajan, or even Claudio Abbado, there are significant differences. Of course, there is a history and a legacy that we must preserve. At the same time, there is a danger: if we are too attached to tradition, we risk becoming stuck in the past. And that’s not what music is about.

At the Salzburg Easter Festival, you will be continuing an especially wonderful tradition of the Berliner Philharmoniker: you will be the soloists with your orchestra in Johannes Brahms’ Double Concerto. Do you find that exciting or rather challenging?

BD: I would say it’s both. This orchestra sounds so good that you feel completely carried by it. It is an amazing experience to play with them as a soloist. At the same time, you want to show that you deserve this honour. It can be difficult not to put too much pressure on yourself – and then risk not performing at your best.

NBB: But it’s pressure you put on yourself. When I’ve played as a soloist with this orchestra, I’ve felt that everybody is really supporting me. And it’s a great advantage that we know each other so well. When I’m playing as a guest soloist with another orchestra, I usually only know a few colleagues and otherwise I’m on my own. You go on stage and present your interpretation. Here, it feels very different.

How does that work in rehearsals?

NBB: It’s great! I can go directly to my colleagues and discuss a section with them. I wouldn’t necessarily do that with another orchestra.

BD: That’s right – when you know everyone on stage, it’s like making music with your family.

How does that work between the two of you? You have been playing together in the orchestra for many years. To what extent does that make it easier for you to work together as soloists in a double concerto?

NBB: As section leaders, we discuss these things all the time: what kind of bowing we want, what kind of sound, and so on. This can easily be transferred to playing as soloists together.

How exactly do you communicate when you’re sitting next to each other on stage?

NBB: Sometimes it’s verbal, sometimes non-verbal. When we play through, I might notice: this is a point where the violins need to take their cue from the cellos. Then I try to show that in my playing and in how I’m leading.

BD: For me, communication between section leaders is as important as the communication with the conductor. Sometimes eye contact is enough. This allows us to achieve chamber music-like ensemble playing – even in works that call for a large orchestra.

Brahms’ Double Concerto has a particularly noticeable chamber music character because of the two soloists. What do you think attracted Brahms to this unusual combination?

NBB: In his concertos for violin and piano, as well as in the Double Concerto, – Brahms’ writing for the orchestra is very intense, with so much going on all the time. Maybe he felt that with two instruments – the cello covering the lower and middle range, and the violin extending into the upper register –he had greater expressive possibilities. In some places he almost uses the two soloists as if they were a single eight-string instrument.

The cello, however, is at a slight disadvantage because it cannot rise above the orchestra as easily as the violin. How does a cellist deal with that?

BD: I don’t feel I have to do much there, because Brahms highlights the cello quite well – for example, by having it play the first solo at the beginning.

NBB: The orchestration also helps. The lower strings and woodwinds will accompany the cello, and when the violin takes over, the higher strings join in, together with the woodwinds, to maintain the balance.

There is a lot of musical dialogue between the solo parts in this work. How do you shape it?

NBB: It varies greatly. When a theme comes in the cello for the first time – which happens often – and then immediately I take it over, I think: should I shape it in exactly the same way as Bruno,, with the same bowing? Or should I take a different approach because the context has changed? We both face those kinds of decisions quite often in this work.

BD: I like it best when the two solo voices are equal. There’s a place in the first movement where the theme constantly shifts back and forth between us, and in between we play triplets. It’s like chamber music – I love it!

How did your interpretation evolve?

NBB: First, we each worked on our own part, then we worked together, and we also played the piano reduction together with a pianist friend of ours. But it’s a completely different matter when you finally stand in front of the orchestra in a large hall. Then you notice everything that isn’t working – that a fingering doesn’t produce the right colour, or that you don’t project in another place.

Are there any tricks to avoid such pitfalls?

BD: We recorded the rehearsals to hear how the music sounds to the audience. Then it quickly becomes clear what needs to be done differently – it’s like listening to someone else. You get a more objective view of what you’re doing.

In addition to the two of you and the orchestra, there is also the conductor, Tugan Sokhiev. How did he influence your interpretation?

BD: Before the first rehearsal, for example, he had some suggestions about the tempo in the second movement – quite different from our approach. But we liked his ideas, so we took them on board. It’s a constant exchange.

It is a sign of appreciation when a conductor is invited to lead the Berliner Philharmoniker on tour. What do you think distinguishes Tugan Sokhiev?

NB: I’ve always very much enjoyed working with him. His interpretations emphasise long lines, and you feel a clear sense of direction without it being imposed. And he gives us the space to develop our sound.

BD: And there’s also a human element: he’s very easy to connect with, and I feel that connection between him and the orchestra as well.

Let’s talk about Salzburg. You both know the city well, but not in the context of the Easter Festival. What do you think it will be like for you?

BD: That’s a tricky one. I’m not participating in the opera production, which makes you feel a little bit like an outsider. You only arrive at the festival when the orchestra is already rehearsing and becoming familiar with the production. But I’m looking forward to being in the city – and especially, of course, to the concerts.

NBB: I must say that I am definitely looking forward to the Easter Festival in Salzburg. I am familiar with the city, of course, from our guest performances at the beginning of the season. But those are always just two concerts. The Easter Festival is much longer and much more varied. It is a real residency – and that is very exciting.

Is there a difference in atmosphere between a regular tour and a festival like this?

BD: On stage, I don’t notice a big difference. But outside the concert hall, it’s different – you can feel that the whole city is imbued with the atmosphere of the festival. It’s a very special feeling.