2nd International "He not only brings that dedicated scholarly view of playing characterisitc of period instrument Cello Continuo Clinic specialists, but he plays with such huge commitment. He is a great inspiration to me, “The Art of Accompaniment” especially in Mozart." Sir Charles Mackerras, Course led by BBC Music Magazine

David Watkin “one of the greatest continuo September 14th – 20th 2014 cellists on the planet..." Richard Egarr Out of the Blue, Edinburgh,UK BBC Music Magazine www.davidwatkin.com

"...admirable continuo and solo cellist and now also a conductor" Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Music in the Castle of Heaven

Most cello teaching is done through the solo repertoire. Yet the overwhelming majority of players spend most of their time accompanying. This short course will try to remedy this.

Last year, 15 participants from 7 countries came to Edinburgh to take part in the 1st Cello Continuo Clinic. This year the course has been extended and developed. It will follow the ‘masterclass’ format but will include talks and demonstrations. We will work with ‘accompanees’ (including a violinist and a singer) on specific repertoire, from Corelli and Bach to Mozart, and accompany each other in cello sonatas, with the focus on the lower line. (Please bring a movement from an C18th Sonata.) You can also bring, by arrangement your own repertoire, your own ‘accompanee’, or pre-formed chamber groups.

We will work on harmonic inflection using Bach Chorales and Mozart Menuets, then harmonic flow in simple Classical bass lines (how to influence ensembles armed with only a row of repeated notes!) as well as more complex Baroque bass lines. Recitative – how to join in the drama! Using figured bass to accompany with added chords. Unaccompanied Bach will be used as a source for harmonic discussion – please bring some solo Bach. We will also play together as a ‘section’ some orchestral excerpts. Whether you are a continuo player, a quartet player or an orchestral player, this course will inspire you to re-connect your playing with your own informed musicianship.

This year there will be two 2-day mini-courses you can choose from, ‘A’ and ‘B’, with days devoted to ‘Recit’ and ‘Bach Suites and Harmony’ in between. On Sunday there will be a short introduction or refresher session on figured bass for anyone wanting it as required, free to participants.

Sept 2014 Sun 14th Mon 15th Tues 16th Weds 17th Thurs 18th Fri 19th Sat 20th Intro A Recit “Bach” B day 9-5 9-5 9-5 9-5 9-5 9-5 evening 6-8pm Eve talk Eve talk Eve talk free Eve talk optional ‘Recit’ ‘Bach + ‘Figured Harmony’ bass intro’

The two-day courses ‘A’ and ‘B’ are the main part of the Cello Continuo Clinic, designed to develop accompanying skills. As before we will use the ‘masterclass’ format, with each player playing sometimes in groups of 3, as well as having the chance to play on their own. With a maximum number of 9 participants, there will be plenty of playing.

You can tailor your own package, by choosing either of the two day segments ‘A’ or ‘B’ and adding Recit and/or Bach, or immerse yourself in the whole 6 day course. ‘A’ and ‘B’ are interchangeable, and will use similar but different repertoire, so attending both would still be useful. You will get more out of the Recit and Bach days if you have attended ‘A’, been to last year’s course, or have a good working understanding of harmony applied to the cello.

Fees:

‘A’ or ‘B’ £200 Recit day £100* Bach day £100* ‘A’ or ‘B’ plus Recit or Bach (3 days) £275 ‘A’ or ‘B’ plus Recit and Bach (4 days) £350 All 6 days £425 Optional Sunday evening refresher, free to participants. Observers: 1 day £40, 2 days £70, 3 days £90, 4 days £105, 5 days £115, 6 days £125 Full-time student discount: 33% off Places can be secured by a 20% deposit, remainder payable by 1st Sept. Spaces are limited to 9 participants for ‘A’ and 9 for ‘B’, with 14 for ‘Recit’ and 14 for ‘Bach’ Observer numbers will also be limited. *Recit and Bach places will be offered first to those also booking ‘A’ or ‘B’, and will be offered to anyone wishing to participate in Recit or Bach only, from August 1st.

Dr. Sara Watkin, Osteopath will lead warm-ups and offer advice on healthy practice. Level: aimed at ‘conservatoire entry’ to professional standard. We will encourage a friendly atmosphere of shared learning - whether you are a professional, student or amateur, please be ready to learn from any source.

Pitch A 415, but modern instruments are welcome. (If you use a spike, please bring something to protect the floor.) Course may be made open to other bass instruments as well.

Contact: [email protected]

More details: http://davidwatkin.com/cpd_workshops_31.html

Venue: Out of the Blue, 36 Dalmeny Street, Edinburgh EH6 8RG www.outoftheblue.org.uk

- a small arts centre, near the centre of historic Edinburgh.

Lunch and tea and coffee will be provided.

Accommodation: please arrange your own. We can recommend places if requested.

David Watkin read Music at Cambridge, where he was a Choral Scholar, whilst studying the cello with William Pleeth and singing with Kenneth Bowen. He was a Shell/LSO Finalist and was Principal cello in the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. He has made a wide range of acclaimed recordings including the Vivaldi Sonatas (Hyperion), Haydn's Sinfonia Concertante with OAE (Virgin) and Schubert’s Quintet with the Tokyo Quartet (hmusa). With pianist Howard Moody he has recorded Beethoven Sonatas (Chandos) and Francis Pott's 1996 Sonata (Guild). Their debut in 1988 was described by The Times as ‘absolutely electrifying.’ They have since broadcast regularly on BBC Radio 3 and performances have included the complete works for piano and cello by Beethoven at Wigmore Hall. He has been a soloist at Barbican, Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Carnegie Hall, New York and performed the Schumann Concerto with Sir John Eliot Gardiner and ORR at Lincoln Center, New York. As a guest artist he has collaborated with, among others, Robert Levin, Alexander Janiczek and Fredericka von Stade.

Unaccompanied Bach has taken him all over Europe, from Bach’s birthplace in Eisenach to the Palace of Frederick the Great at Potsdam and the Prague Spring Festival, and featured in Sir John Eliot Gardiner's BBCTV programme “Bach: A Passionate Life”. He was a juror for the Leipzig Bach Competition. His recording of the solo Suites will be released on Resonus Classics this year.

As a founder member of the Eroica Quartet he has performed all over Europe and the US, including at Wigmore Hall, the Frick Collection, New York, and the Library of Congress, Washington. They have recorded to great acclaim the complete quartets of Mendelssohn and Schumann and a Beethoven disc (hmusa), the world premiere recording of Mendelssohn’s Octet original version and quartets by Debussy and Ravel (Resonus).

David Watkin has revived the eighteenth-century practice of realising figured bass (improvising chordal accompaniments) on the cello, using it as a ‘repetiteur’ instrument in Mozart Operas with Mackerras and SCO (DG) and OAE (Chandos), as well as in Corelli with Andrew Manze (hmusa) and John Holloway (Novalis). His writings about this and other aspects of music have been published by Early Music, The Strad and the Cambridge University Press volume Performing Beethoven.

As Principal Cello in some of the world’s leading ensembles - English Baroque Soloists, Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique, the Academy of Ancient Music, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, the and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra - he has played a key role at the heart of some ground-breaking performances. As well as formal study of conducting on courses with George Hurst, Jorma Panula and Joseph Swensen, he has worked closely under, and received guidance from some of the leading conductors of the age. He has since conducted a wide range of repertoire from Bach and Handel to new commissions with groups including the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the Swedish Baroque Orchestra and the Academy of Ancient Music.

He is passionate about helping other musicians to discover the dynamic potential of harmonic awareness and performance practice and has conducted ensembles at the Royal Academy of Music, The Guildhall School of Music, South Creek, Edinburgh University, The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. He has led workshops on performance practice and harmonic awareness in performance for professional orchestras such as Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, English National Opera and City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Also for teachers such as European String Teacher's Association, and for students, including at European Union Baroque Orchestra, Royal Academy of Music, Trinity College of Music, Royal College of Music, Guildhall School of Music, Royal Northern College of Music, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Bern Hochschule, U-HAC and coached at I,Culture Orchestra, and at Aldeburgh.

"Watkin's tastes are catholic.... [he has] a passionate belief in the juxtaposition of scholarship and musicianship" Grove Dictionary of Music