It is no accident that our Age of Analysis is also an Age of Anxiety. The result, among string players, is a mechanical accuracy and fluency without parallel in the history of the art. The dexterity of many of today's young cellists was matched, in that earlier time, by only a few virtuosos of world renown. This change should be heartening, even a cause for general rejoicing, as well as delight for the practitioners in the exhibition of their superior skill. An analogy to Olympic contests suggests itself, and indeed the proliferation of intensive competitions, with their emphasis upon speed, power, and endurance, strengthens the comparison.
Every player aspires to greater precision, finer control, impeccable intonation, staying power.
Wise men have said that ends and means should be consonant. This qualifies, in our present vernacular, as a holistic view. Aristotle voiced a suspicion of extraordinary prowess per se. There are more and more artists who fit this description, and many arenas for the exercise of their powers. Festivals, camps, seminars, workshops, performing groups of all kinds draw perpetually upon their talents, to say nothing of the numerous schools in which they serve as mentors.