»Beethoven is the greatest for us«

Yuya Okamoto is the new cellist with the renowned French string quartet. We caught up with him just before the final concert of their residency in front of the Beethovenhalle and asked him how it feels to be in the midst of an intensive Beethoven cycle while soaking up the atmosphere of Bonn.

How has your residency at Beethovenfest been for you so far?

It’s something special to have a residency here at the Beethovenfest. It’s, of course, a great honor for us. Yesterday I went to see the Beethoven Monument in the city centre. That was very moving. It’s a special feeling to play his music, especially in Beethoven’s hometown. That’s why we’re so excited and happy.

Beethoven is a bit of a favourite of yours, isn’t he?

Beethoven isn’t just a bit of a favourite – he’s the greatest composer for us. Beethoven’s quartets are truly the pinnacle of the repertoire for string quartet players. It’s perfectly written music; every piece is a world unto itself. There are so many moments when you really want to thank him. Beautiful and truly heavenly moments, but also very brutal, intense moments. This range of emotions really moves us deeply. It takes a lot of energy to play – and perhaps also to listen. We often say it’s rock music – really hard music at times.

How has your approach to Beethoven changed over the years?

To be fair, I’ve only been with the Quatuor Ébène for three years and am currently performing my first Beethoven cycle. When I compare our style of playing with previous recordings by my colleagues, I’d say we’ve become more flexible and improvisational on stage. The other quartet members, in particular, know the repertoire really, really well. We enjoy the music more. We’ve become more at ease on stage, allowing us to respond to one another. And we even have a bit of a laugh amongst ourselves. I always feel as though the music is being created anew right in that moment – no matter how many times we’ve played the same pieces. In that moment, we’re fully present. And in that moment, the music comes to life. It really is a wonderful feeling.

You’re the newest member of Quatuor Ébène. How did you come to join the quartet?

I joined rather by chance – through friends I have in common with the quartet. One of them was the cellist Victor Julien-Laferrière, whom I met whilst taking part in the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels in 2017 (he won first prize, I won second). He put me forward to the quartet for an audition. Another recommendation came from the music agent Konstanze Hörtnagel, a good friend of my neighbour’s, back when I was still living in Munich. I then went on two audition tours with the quartet, and after that I was officially part of the ensemble. We got on very well together. I’d hardly ever been on tour before that – I’d mainly done solo or chamber music performances. It was a lovely experience and very exciting – I learnt a great deal from it. But, especially the first time round, it was also exhausting not to be at home for a week or two, with all the hustle and bustle. I’m very happy that I can carry on doing this and get to play concerts all over the world.

Are you an ensemble with a hierarchy? Are there differences in your roles?

Not necessarily. Well, Pierre is the first violinist. Perhaps he takes the lead more. And I’m the newest member, so I’m a bit more reserved. But we work very democratically.

How would you describe the relationship among the musicians? Are you friends, or do you mainly work together as colleagues?

We’re good friends. We don’t just talk about music and work, but also about personal matters. We’re open with each other. We travel together, and on the train we almost always sit in four seats facing each other. And we almost always eat together as well. I’d say we’re a good team with a great atmosphere. One challenge for me was learning French: ninety per cent of our communication and rehearsals are in French. I didn’t know the language at all before, but now I’m understanding more and more. Speaking it is still tricky, though, so I often speak English. What’s more, the others know a bit of German, and Pierre speaks a bit of Japanese too – which sometimes leads to some funny situations.

What memories are you taking home with you from Bonn?

Only good ones! So far, we’ve played two of our three concerts here to a brilliant audience, and we’re naturally looking forward to the third this afternoon at the Beethovenhalle.