“We have to push composers to write viola music without limits” – Esra Pehlivanli
Esra Pehlivanli voltooide haar muziekstudies met onderscheiding aan het Staatsconservatorium in Ankara en vervolgens bij de altvioolvirtuoos Michael Kugel aan het Koninklijk Conservatorium Gent en aan het Conservatorium Maastricht. Ze won prijzen op prestigieuze concoursen zoals de “Kryzstof Penderecki International Contemporary Music Competition” (Polen) en de “Torneo Internazionale di Musica” (Italië), ontving de Jur Naessens Muziekprijs (Nederland) en de eerste prijs bij de “Premio Valentino Bucchi International Viola Competition” in Rome, waar ze ook een eremedaille uitgereikt kreeg van de president van Italië.
Esra Pehlivanli treedt veel binnen Nederland op (Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Concertgebouw Nijmegen, De Doelen Rotterdam, Frits Philips Eindhoven) en in heel Europa (van Ierland tot Turkije), Zuid Amerika en China.
Onlangs heeft Esra Pehlivanli vijf CD’s uitgebracht, met opnames van meesterwerken uit het verleden en nieuwe composities speciaal voor haar geschreven. Naast de uitvoering van de klassieke meesterwerken voor altviool, werkt Esra graag met componisten samen om nieuw repertoire te creëren, en de hedendaagse muziek voor altviool te promoten.
DVS: At what age did you first start playing the viola, and how did that come about?
When I was 11, I entered the Ankara State Conservatory where I was born, and began to learn how to play viola. The music education system in Turkey is different than in some other countries. There are no music schools that you can go first and later on you decide if you want to become a professional musician or not. You directly start with the conservatory and it takes ten years. Before that I was singing at the children choir of the Ankara State Opera & Ballet House. This was for me the start with music. I enjoyed so much, especially the part when we were on stage performing with full orchestra, soloists, choir, costumes, decors and lights…. I knew I wanted to be a musician and wanted to keep on experiencing such a charming momentum all my life.
DVS: Can you tell us any specific “revelations” from your viola studies that greatly influenced your technique and style?
I love Kreutzer studies. I think if you are really able to play the etudes, you are a great instrumentalist. You have everything in these studies, all about right and left hand. Vibrato is very important, I learned this from my previous teacher Mikhail Kugel. Not many violists pay attention to that area. Therefore it’s quite common to hear violists with very slow vibrato, as if they are 80 years old! I learned from this viola master not only about vibrato but all about the technique, style and most important how to become a stage performer and musician.
DVS: Viola students of today have the opportunity to watch (and learn from) great violists in action on YouTube. Which artists would you particularly recommend studying?
I wouldn’t say studying but maybe observing if your purpose of watching is about learning. I like very much to listen to Mikhail Kugel, Yuri Bashmet and Tabea Zimmerman. They are all very different from each other but very unique. I also find it very important to watch or listen to not only violists but many other instruments as well. We can learn so much from music, it doesn’t have to be specifically viola music. I always believe, music develops your playing technique very much (I don’t mean for beginners). Therefore I’d always recommend to listen to every musician which gives you pleasure and make you feel something.
DVS: Which qualities do you seek first and foremost in a viola (for your own use)?
What about the bow?
I don’t have very big hands, therefore for me the size is important so I can hold it and play it comfortably. But of course the sound is very very important. I have to have a connection with the instrument. It’s a piece of wood, I give life to it. It has to be a special connection between the instrument and the player. I like very much if the viola has a dark sound on the low strings and not so sharp A string. Viola has a great range, this we must hear in the instrument. Therefore the balance between the four strings is very important too.
I use a heavy violin bow. This is very good to play for recitals, chamber music and solo concerts. You can do many things much easier than with the viola bow. More and more viola players are choosing this type of bows. If you haven’t tried it yet, I’d advise you to do so.
DVS: Your play in ensembles with some unconventional instrument combinations such as accordion, pan flute, recorder, percussion. How does this differ from the “usual” viola partners such as the clarinet, the piano, and the string quartet?
Until now I performed in many different chamber music settings and it always requires different attention on tuning, sound production, vibrato, breathing… I have four ensembles where I play regularly: Duo MARES with accordion, Black Pencil (which we reviewed last month, ed.) with block flute (recorder), panflute, accordion, percussion, Trio Kybele with a mezzo-soprano and piano, and the Duo Pehlivanli & Safonova with piano. Viola has a wonderful range, which can fit into any kind of chamber music ensemble. It has the middle register, warm sound, not so high as violin and not so deep as cello or contrabass. This opens a lot of doors to combine it with any instrument such as in ensemble Black Pencil.
Viola with blockflute, panflute, percussion, accordion? It is really unique and actually difficult to combine. Every time I’m trying to find a way to melt better with those instruments. They do as well, this is chamber music. For example, if we have a slow unison motive and I play it with my full vibrato, it doesn’t work that well. The pitch changes, I have to find a way to combine it, little slower and smaller vibrato. So I get closer to the wind vibration. Same as if you play with clarinet. Intonation is another issue. When you play with piano, you know that there is one well-tempered instrument and you have to adjust your intonation into that instrument, whether it is good or not, you have to. But playing with instruments where there is no fixed pitch, then the intonation becomes relevant. To play with accordion is the same. I have to be extra careful with my intonation. The tones changes with the bellow change, with the register change, and it’s a wind instrument.
DVS: Do you have a favourite viola concerto? (as a performer and/or as a listener)
It’s difficult for me to tell, because I’m quite a moody person. Although I like very much Walton, Schnittke concertos, Hindemith’s works with orchestra and of course Mozart Sinfonia Concertante and Bruch double concerto.
DVS: Every cellist’s “school orchestra trauma” seems to be the Pachelbel “Canon”. What is the most infuriatingly annoying viola part you’ve ever had to play?
There are many unfortunately (!) I wouldn’t like to name it for respect to the composers.
DVS: Speaking of repertoire, would you say that contemporary composers are more aware of the viola than their predecessors, in general?
Definitely! Viola is the instrument of today. It has not been discovered enough until the second half of the 20th century. In my opinion it also comes from the players’ abilities. Today’s violists are much better than 50 years ago. We can inspire composers better, and they know that viola is no longer an accompaniment instrument but can perfectly be a solo instrument too. It is the performers’ duty to improve the instrument, if the composers are still writing a relaxed viola part, we have to push them to write it without limits. There are no limits to improve and do it better. At least this is how I think all the time. I like very much new music and the collaboration with the composers, to create it, perform it, to receive a score that no one has played before, and afterward leave it to everyone. This is a great process.
DVS: Is there a viola “community” in Turkey, and do you see a Turkish Viola Society arising in the (near) future?
Well, you just gave me a great idea! There is a big unofficial viola society in Turkey. It just needs to be organised. Why not, maybe in the near future.
DVS: What are your expectations of the Dutch Viola Society, in practical terms? What could it do to help you as a professional violist?
There are many violists living or based in The Netherlands who are working in the orchestras or performing as a chamber musician or soloist from all ages. We should have a better infrastructure to come together, share ideas, knowledge, and repertory. This can be organised as conferences or broadly oriented festivals. The website is great and of course we are living in the social media times. Maybe it’s not a bad idea to add a page where you mention the new CD recordings especially from the Netherlands. One of the things I wanted to do is to create an online catalogue for the contemporary viola repertory. Maybe we can work on this topic together. The DVS can occasionally commission new works to Dutch composers, there are many interesting people around. Networking is very important in order to enlarge our Dutch Viola Society.
© Dutch Viola Society / edited by Kristofer G. Skaug