Konstanze Pietschmann
Born in:
Leipzig
Current centre of life:
Leipzig
Instrument:
CharlesGaillard (Paris,1867) from the Instrument Fund of the Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben
Second, third or even fourth instrument:
Piano and ukulele (both rather moderate)
My career aspiration as a child:
I used to want to be a builder, because I spent hours building all kinds of things with my Lego box. But when I was five or six, I had a new career ambition: to play with the 12 cellists of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.
This was the profession my parents envisioned for me:
I don’t know… but since they are both musicians, I assume that they are quite happy with the way I have gone so far.
Works or concert experiences that shaped me:
The performance of the six Bach partitas on the tangent grand piano in the Thomaskirche, interpreted by Martin Helmchen. The concert took place as part of the last Con spirito Festival and impressed me on all levels.
Work with the greatest music-making pleasure (and why?):
I can’t really commit myself to that. Actually, it’s always what’s on at the moment. The other day I played Mozart’s Piano Quartet in G minor and was once again surprised at how much pleasure even the simplest bass lines can give!
I would like a work for my instrument by this composer (and why?):
Francis Poulenc. I think his concertos for organ, harpsichord and piano/pianos are brilliant and wish there was a cello concerto too. At least we cellists have the Poulenc Sonata, which I love more than anything.
I would get up in the middle of the night for that:
Donuts. But someone would have to wake me up first, and that’s not so easy…
Special/curious own concert experience:
A concert with the Leipzig Youth Symphony Orchestra on Monte Lussari in Italy. For that we had to get up the mountain with the equipment and the instruments – by cable car. The bigger the instrument, the higher the level of difficulty. Once we reached the top, we played a short concert in the sizzling sun and on a rather sloping surface.
My most valuable tip for the next generation of musicians:
Never lose the fun in the whole thing!
That's what I wish for the future of the classical music scene:
Less narrow-mindedness and an even more diverse concert offer that appeals to the younger audience in particular and increases diversity in front of and especially on stage.
My next project:
Some solo concertos that I will play with orchestra for the first time, like the Beethoven Triple Concerto or Shostakovich’s Second Cello Concerto.
That's what I associate with Leipzig as a city of music:
My whole life so far. As a Leipzig resident, I am very grateful that I have always had and continue to have a huge range of cultural activities on my doorstep, which has had a very strong influence on my musical career.