BY CHRISTOPHER LEON
From working memory to maths and creativity, music-making can stimulate an enormous amount of the brain’s resources — and it can feel great, whether you’re playing or listening.
But what if you amplified the demand on your brain, turning a concert into an exciting challenge and a huge personal achievement?
That’s where we get towards Natalie Chee’s territory. The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra concertmaster will take on the leadership role of directing the string section through an upcoming concert in which she also performs. She says the dual roles require “extreme concentration and an alertness of the senses at all times” as she multi-tasks to her fullest capacity.
In this interview, Natalie tells CutCommon how she navigates this experience as a professional musician and director all at once. You can hear the result in action through the MSO’s String Spectacular program this May. It features works from Mozart, Tchaikovsky, and Grieg, as well as a piece from Australian composer Ella Macens.
You’re operating in dual roles for the upcoming MSO concert String Spectacular. How do you manage the roles of director and violinist in the same concert?
It’s just like playing chamber music but on a much larger scale.
Of course, it requires extra preparation as I have to play the first violin part plus direct the rehearsals, and keep everything together whilst playing. It’s always a challenge but it is very rewarding.
What are some of those challenges of performing these dual roles — and how does each one feed into the other to influence your performance?
It requires extreme concentration and an alertness of the senses at all times.
It is hard enough to play the violin well when you only have to concentrate on yourself, but it becomes much harder when you are concentrating on all the other musicians at the same time. It means that my own playing has to be done without thinking about it so that I can be fully aware of the complete picture.
I need to know the score inside out, and know what every other voice is playing all the time. It means that I actually know the piece much better than I would if I was only playing my own part.
It’s basically multi-tasking on a huge scale, and feels like an expansion of consciousness in a way, which is very exciting. I’m sure it’s very good for your brain!
You’ve also recently taken on the role of concertmaster with the MSO. What do you most like about performing with the MSO?
I love working with the MSO (pictured below). The musicians are highly professional while also being a lovely, easy-going collective. What creates great results is everyone is working together to make the best music they can whilst always being supportive and respectful of one another. It’s about the collective music-making and not about the individual musician. Plus, the concerts are always very exciting and a lot of fun!
How would you describe the character of the MSO string section, and what do you feel makes this unique among other string sections and string orchestras?
I find it almost impossible to compare the sounds of orchestras as every orchestra is a living organism and never sounds exactly the same from day to day. The MSO strings don’t have one particular sound or character — they adapt to the repertoire being played, and also to the conductor or leader who is directing them. That is the the miracle of making music with so many different people. But I can say that the MSO strings have a gorgeously warm and flexible sound, which allows them to produce myriad colours.
The works being performed as part of String Spectacular evoke various emotions and imagery. Why do you think string sections hold such capacity to communicate ideas or feelings?
It’s hard to analyse why humans feel certain emotions when they hear certain sounds. I’m sure there are many scientific studies out there explaining why, but I prefer to actually not really know; to think of it as one of the miracles of being human.
When I think about it more concretely though, I guess that a large group of stringed instruments playing together could be compared to a choir or an organ. The instruments in a string section range from the lowest to the highest in the whole orchestra, which means they are able to cover an extremely wide range of pitches, which creates a rich and opulent sound world. This gives composers an almost endless palette with which to work, which can then evoke so many emotions.
There are endless worlds contained in the sound of a string orchestra.
What do you feel makes string orchestras so timeless and special?
String orchestras envelope you with sound. They draw you in, and create so much depth of colour and richness of sound.
String instruments are very similar to the human voice in many ways, which means that the sound of a string orchestra speaks straight to our souls and therefore reminds us of our humanity and our connection to one another.
Before we sign off, as you look ahead into your future with MSO, how will you use your experience and expertise to help shape the MSO string section as concertmaster? How would you like to leave your mark on an orchestra that’s reached its 120-year anniversary?
I was fortunate to work in many different orchestras, with many wonderful musicians in Europe. I obviously hope to bring that wealth of experience to the MSO, but I also know that I have much to learn from the MSO musicians and the way that they make music.
I don’t see my role as imposing my way upon others, or leaving my mark upon something. Rather, I think that we will find a way to merge all our ideas and experiences together to create something new and unique — something which is alive and constantly evolving. We all have something to give, and we can all learn from one another.
If I can contribute to help making the MSO the best it can be, and will be remembered as a fair and generous leader who just loved making amazing music, then I will be happy.
Natalie Chee directs and performs in String Spectacular, a Melbourne Symphony Orchestra concert program at 7.30pm May 16 in Melbourne Recital Centre.
Images supplied. Portraits by Lucas Allen; MSO strings by Nico Keenan.
