David Drost: “There’s a mind-boggling array of possibilities out there to enrich how you play.”
This week we chat with one of the cellists of the Konzerthausorchester Berlin about why the cello is the perfect instrument for playing in an orchestra.
Born in Göttingen in 1978, David Drost received his first cello lessons at the age of eight. From 1998 to 2006 he completed his cello studies at Berlin’s Universität der Künste (UdK) under Wolfgang Boettcher. He was also a Fulbright Scholar at the Juilliard School in New York, studying under Zara Nelsova.
David Drost has been a multiple “Young Musician” national prize winner as both a cellist and a pianist. David Drost was principal cellist of the National Youth Orchestra as well as the European Union Youth Orchestra. He has been a member of the Konzerthaus Orchestra Berlin since 2006 and works regularly with orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic, the Mahler Chamber Orchestra and the Staatskapelle Dresden.
With his cello quartet “Berliner Cellharmoniker”, he won several competitions and awards including the “Charles Hennen Concours” and the Ensemble Prize from the European Cultural Foundation Pro Arte; the quartet has been invited to numerous international music festivals including Schleswig-Holstein, Rheingau and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
How did you get your start in music? Who were some of your most important influences and teachers?
It was through early visits to orchestral concerts, particularly during children’s concerts, with my music-loving mother that I first became acquainted with the world of classical music. Since we had musical neighbours, the husband a conductor and his wife a piano teacher, it was natural that I received piano lessons, as did my older brother. At the age of eight I desperately wanted to play the cello as well so that I could start a piano trio with the violin playing son of the neighbours and another nice piano pupil. This chamber music formation remains a favourite for me to this day; I enjoy hearing these instruments the most — in this combination, furnished with a rich repertoire: unbeatable!
Up until my studies, the majority of my musical stimuli came from those neighbours. I then studied at the Juilliard School under Zara Nelsova, whose powerful yet elegant way I had naturally already got to know through her recordings. I also studied under Wolfgang Boettcher at the (then) HdK Berlin; his work ethic, curiosity for new repertoire and his unique personality means he remains my greatest role model to this day.
It’s safe to say the cello is not the most convenient instrument to play. Why did you decide to play the cello and what are some of the best and most difficult things about playing this instrument.
What I like about the cello is that you that you can naturally, consistently evolve aspects relating to technique and repertoire. There’s a mind-boggling array of possibilities out there to enrich how you play. The constant endeavour to evolve is sometimes rather tedious and requires a great deal of discipline. However, the process itself is very exciting and is rewarded through wonderful concerts. It’s great to play the cello in the orchestra as you do not have to play too many tones, and it can be fabulous to simply listen to your colleagues and accompany them. Then, when a beautiful group cello solo comes up — such as a Mahler or Brahms Symphony — it is really something special. In short, the cello is a perfect instrument for playing in an orchestra!
What kind of repertoire do you most enjoy playing? What have been some of the highlights of your performing career?
In the orchestra: Beethoven, Brahms, Bruckner, Mahler.
If you were to learn another instrument, what would it be?
Given that I already play two of my three favourite instruments (piano and cello), it leaves only the violin. That would be a great challenge… but as a cellist, I must admit that the finest and most extensive repertoire were written for piano and violin!
David’s IDAGIO Playlist
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Symphony No. 41 in C major “Jupiter” (Josef Krips, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, 1957)
2. Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 in A major op. 92 (Herbert von Karajan, Philharmonia Orchestra, 1951)
3. Anton Bruckner: Symphony No. 9 in D minor (Wilhelm Furtwängler, Berliner Philharmoniker, 1944)
4. Claude Debussy: La Mer (Herbert von Karajan, Philharmonia Orchestra, 1953)
5. Igor Stravinsky: Le sacre du printemps (Lorin Maazel, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, 1999)
6. Johann Sebastian Bach: Das Wohltemperierte Klavier (Samuel Feinberg (Piano), 1958–1961)
7. Ludwig van Beethoven: Sonata for Piano No. 31 in A flat major op. 110 (Wilhelm Kempff (Piano), 1951)
8. Claude Debussy: Préludes pour piano (Walter Gieseking (Piano), 1953)
9. Franz Schubert: Piano Trio No. 2 in E flat major op. 100 (Mieczyslaw Horszowski (Piano), Alexander Schneider (Violin), Pablo Casals (Violoncello), 1952)
10. Franz Schubert: String Quintet in C major op. 163 (Végh Quartet, Sándor Végh (Violin), Sándor Zöldy (Violin), Georges Janzer (Viola), Paul Szabó (Violoncello), Pablo Casals (Violoncello), 1961)
If you would like to read this interview in German, please contact st@idagio.com for a full translation. You can listen to exclusive recordings from the Konzerthausorchester Berlin on IDAGIO.
