A Steady Climb
Pianist Cornelia Herrmann speaks with Peter Csobádi

Your parents are musicians in Salzburg. Was your career choice something that was taken for granted in your family?

My parents are musicians in the Mozarteum Orchestra, my mother plays violin and my father the cello. I had a small violin at home, a rocket red little cello and then a somewhat (!) larger piano. For a while there I was all fire and passion for studying the cello, but my father wasn't particularly interested in teaching me, in contrast with my mother who would have been happy to teach me violin; but the latter didn't interest me. And so the piano became my comrade-in-arms and has been such for the last 26 years...

You could see my career choice as a matter of course, as one thing led to another and I am most familiar with the life of a musician.

Tell us a bit about your education, your teacher and their influence on your artistic developement.

I started my studies at the Mozarteum in Salzburg at the age of eight under Prof. Anton Czjzek. There were a lot of talented children in his class at that time and I think that a positive and healthy spirit of competiton was present. For my last two years leading up to graduation I studied under Imre Rohmann who taught me to think in orchestral terms. Then I went to Vienna to study under Prof. Noel Flores. This was an important step for me. Flores constantly challenged me to expand my repertoire, which I did. The multifaceted opportunity for concerts in Vienna enabled me to learn a lot about music in general.

Particularly influential in my development was Ferenc Rados, under whom I studied in Budapest since I have been fifteen year old. I would like to say some more about him and his instruction. He gave me so much that it is difficult to know where to start!

How do you look back on your time at the Mozarteum as an institution for instructing arts?

As I mentioned earlier I relatively quickly left the Mozarteum in Salzburg and spent my 'youthful years' in Budapest receiving instruc tion. Something that does come to mind is that this 'institution for learn ing' has a penchant to divide music into certain disciplines, treating for example: theory, practice, analysis, harmony, chamber music etc. It seems to me this results in a lacking recognition of how all of these aspects are only parts of the whole. Ultimately the art of playing the piano is the synthesis of all of these aspects.

What was the beginning of your career like? Tell us of your experiences.

Actually, I can't put a date to the beginning of my career, it was and is more of a steady upward climb, and I hope it stays that way! But a significant milestone was reached when I won the Johann-Sebastian-Bach Competition at the age of 18, which provided me with meaningful incentives. Later it was performing in concerts with such personalities as Sir Roger Norrington, Sir Neville Marriner, James Judd, Marcello Viotti, Elina Garanca and other in Geneva, Zurich, Madrid, Tokyo ... I was able to learn a lot about concert performances and the impression these individuals left on me was influential for my further development.

Which great pianists have influenced and left a remaining impression, and in what way?

I respect Glenn Gould a great deal, his unbelievable strength of spirit that hold everything together. Myra Hess is an artist that I admire particularly due to her focus during performance. Horowitz is always full of magic. The tone, the audacity, the vividness and humour of his recordings impress me every time I hear them.

Among other events this year you performed as a guest in Japan, what was the program? Tell us something about the piano culture of Japan

My most recent journey Japan was for multiple performances of the Piano Concerto by Edvard Grieg and Mozart’s Piano Concerto KV 467. Thereto I had recitals where, among other pieces, I performed Beethovens 'Appassionata'.

In regards to your question about the piano culture of Japan, it is with certainty influenced by the Japanese culture as a whole. I find that certain 'typical’ qualities such as industriousness, precision and the subordination of the self within the hierarchy are reflected when studying the piano.

But it is very impressive that there is an interest in western classical music. Japan only began to absorb western musical traditions in ca.1860, and has absorbed what has grown in Europe over hundreds of years in such a short time! But this aspect of adopting parts of other cultures has always been a part of Japanese history.

Are you optimistic when you think on the future of classical music in Europe?

I think that the masterpieces always have something to tell us, and always will, because they speak to the essence of our selves. I believe that these works will continue to thrive and are written for eternity.

The question does arrive however as to how we will reconcile this music with our ever faster paced lives. One should expect more from music than ‘just’ entertainment or relaxation. A touching, lively interpretation, including contemporary pieces, requires a high degree of attention and concentration on the part of the audience.

Today, we are growing up with new forms media. This brings a vast array of possibilities for conveying music, and I think that is fascinating. But the means of conveyance should not come to be more important than the message within.